Montreal Audiofest 2025

Bryston CEO James Tanner is not only an Audiofest regular but an affable, down-to-earth guy who refuses to use either high-end cabling or hi-rez files at his show demos. Why? Because he doesn’t want visitors to think that the sound from his system is shaped by anything other than Bryston gear. That doesn’t mean he denies that better-designed cables or hi-rez files through his streamer will elevate sound quality—only that, when you hear his system at a show, you know exactly what Bryston gear sounds like. I found that an interesting viewpoint.

I remember when everyone but my grandmother wanted a pair of Von Schweikert VR-4 speakers. They were the talk of the town. The press loved them, customers praised them. And they weren’t too expensive. Things have changed since, of course—the VR.thirty on display at the Audiofest costs $88,000/pair, but it’s also quite a bit more ambitiously designed than the VR-4 was. The VR.thirty also sounds ambitious.

Audio Research? That’s right! The iconic brand, now owned by Val Cora of Acora Acoustics, is not only back in circulation but was making beautiful music at the ’fest via its just-released, dual-channel, fully differential, 100Wpc solid state S-100 integrated amplifier ($16,500) and LS-3 preamp, equipped with optional phono and DAC modules ($15,500 altogether).