Montreal Audiofest 2024

All prices listed are in Canadian dollars.

Retailer Passion Audio just opened a few months ago on Montreal's South Shore, which is where I live. I couldn't be more pleased about that after listening to the artisinal, gorgeous-sounding, soul-of-the-music-capturing equipment it demoed at the Audiofest.

The system consisted of a Shindo Auriege preamplifier ($8120); a Shindo Montille stereo amplifier ($10,820); a pair of made-in-Germany, two-way Wolf von Langa SON 12639 speakers ($27,000 / pair), which use dipole Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters; a Wattson Madison LE streamer ($5995); a Shindo Mr. T power conditioner ($3790); and an assortment of cables by Luna Cables (various prices).

Also being demoed but not playing during my visit were a J.Sikora Initial turntable ($14,000) with a J.Sikora 12" Kevlar tonearm ($11,350) and HANA Umami Blue MC cartridge ($3400); a Luna Cables Rouge step-up transformer ($4850); and a Fezz Audio Equinox tube DAC ($3000), which, according to what was written on Passion Audio's product list, is "empowered by Lampizator." After some research, I discovered that the Equinox employs a Lampizator-licensed DAC design by that company’s Łukasz Fikus.

As soon as I entered the room—before I'd even sat—I knew I was in for a large dose of musicality, and that's what I heard, along with ultrapure tone and timbre, palpable imaging, incisive definition, a spacious, richly ambient soundstage that stretched from floor to ceiling. The sound was intensely satisfying, among the best I heard at the show.

I'm no medium, but here's a prediction. I see myself visiting Passion Audio in the near future.