Montreal Audiofest 2025

This show report covers over two dozen exhibit rooms from the 2025 Montreal Audiofest. Inside, you’ll find systems that impressed with powerful bass, nuanced detail, expansive soundstages, and a few surprises that left lasting impressions. From statement-level setups to unexpected overachievers, this year’s show delivered a wide and vibrant range of sonic experiences.

A handful of other rooms were published individually in the days following the show; you’ll find links to those at the bottom of this report.

All prices listed in CA$ unless otherwise noted.

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Altitudo Audio Hosts Alpha Audio, Gold Note, Zesto, Trilogy, Moonriver, Oephi, CAD, ISOL‑8, Norstone, MITMAT, Eversolo, Electrocompaniet, Audio Physic, EAR Yoshino, Unison Research, German Physiks, HRS, MIT, Wireworld, Nordost & Tri‑Art Showcase
As usual, retailer Altitudo Audio, a business run by three brothers, was hosting two rooms, opposite each other in the hallway.

First room. The front‑end contained an Alpha Audio MX‑S5 streamer ($1800) and a Gold Note DS‑1000 Evo streaming DAC ($8500) with an external PSU‑1250 power supply ($9000). Amplification was either a tube Zesto Leto Ultra 2 preamplifier ($17,250) driving a pair of no‑feedback hybrid Trilogy 995R monoblocks ($16,000/each), or a Moonriver Audio 404 Reference integrated amp ($6400)—I heard both configurations. Loudspeakers were Oephi Transcendence 2 standmounts ($6500/pair). Rounding out the system were a CAD GC1 ground‑control unit ($3400), an ISOL‑8 power conditioner ($5450), MITMAT isolation platforms, HRS damping plates, Tri‑Art speaker and equipment stands and room treatment, and cabling by CAD, ISOL‑8, Norstone, and Oephi.

I don’t know what’s been going on with standmount speakers lately, but the soundstages coming out of some of them seem bigger than ever. The Oephi speakers exemplified that, projecting a huge stage that extended past the front wall of the exhibit room—it may have been the deepest soundstage of any speaker I heard at the ’fest. With the Moonriver 404 Reference, the presentation offered creamy tonal colors and an organic flow; with the Trilogy/Zesto combination it felt even more expansive and transparent. Either way, this assemblage delivered vivid images, introspective clarity, rich color saturation, and musical bliss.

Second room. Here, I was reminded why I’ve long been a fan of Audio Physic speakers. Hearing the Audio Physic Codex ($21,000/pair, red finish) felt like coming home. Up front were an Eversolo DMP‑A8 streamer ($2799), an Electrocompaniet ECM 1 Mk.II DAC/streamer ($8000), an EAR Yoshino 912 preamplifier ($17,000), and a pair of Electrocompaniet AW‑300M monoblocks ($40,000/pair). Cables and accessories from CAD, HRS, MIT, Wireworld, Nordost, and Tri‑Art completed the chain. The result was massage‑like on the senses: rich‑toned musicality, a huge holographic stage, full‑bodied imaging, copious bass, and a spotless window onto the music.

Also on silent display were a Unison Research Simply 845 integrated tube amplifier ($13,999) and a German Physiks The Emperor Extreme power amplifier ($36,000).

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Textural Delight: Harmonic Audio, ArtistCloner, Thöress, Faber’s Power, Lesa, and Denon in Concert
Harmonic Audio’s Fabrizio, like ArtistCloner’s Sylvio, seems to breathe audio as much as he does oxygen. You can tell it’s at the core of his being, because when he talks about it, his speech pattern picks up speed, and there’s an enthusiasm that comes through it that you can’t help but feel swept up in.

The beauty with a person like Fabrizio, and Sylvio for that matter, is that you can feel how much they genuinely care about audio and want you to experience what they experience. You can hear that “caring” in the sound of the gear they make. Unlike Sylvio, Fabrizio is a fan of the old arts—the single-ended topology, the direct-heated triode tubes, the horn speakers. Fabrizio cites Japanese chef, restaurant owner, and single-ended tube amplifier builder Susumu Sakuma as an inspiration. (Likewise, Fabrizio and his lovely wife and audio show colleague, Danielle, own Montreal’s audio/LP-themed Barcola Bistro). As usual, to the show Fabrizio brought crates of jazz LPs—another passion of his—and some of the coolest-looking gear there.

That gear included a Thöress EHT integrated amp ($16,495), a made-in-Italy Faber’s Power GM_Phono v.3.0 ($18,500), and Faber’s Power Level 1 power cables ($950/1.5m/each), a refurbished idler/belt-driven broadcast Lesa turntable from 1970 fitted with a Denon DL-103R cartridge, and a bevy of Harmonic Audio goodies, beginning with a line transformer with a polarity inverter (starting at $1800), a single-ended, directly-heated triode GM70 “Bowie” power amp ($18,500), a pair of 211-VT4C “Hendrix” monoblocks ($22,000/pair), your choice in a single-ended 2A3/300B/45-tube power amp ($9000), and a pair of Foghorn speakers equipped with a bass horn, a folded-horn midrange, and a horn tweeter ($15,900/pair). Harmonic Audio can also repair your existing gear or upgrade it in a variety of ways to make it sound better than ever.

While the company’s setup in a cozy nook next to the escalator didn’t offer the most ideal listening environment, what I heard wafting out of those big horn speakers was sound that was inviting, tangible, texturally explicit, and graced with a musical ease.

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Atelier Audio: Diptyque, Kora, Playback Designs, 432 EVO, Ferrum, Ocellia, Puritan, Synergistic Research, Ungnoi & Madera Ignite Live‑Wire Realism
Another standout demo was presented by Atelier Audio. Its system centered around a pair of isodynamic‑panel Diptyque DP140 Mk.II rev.2 speakers ($22,900/pair) and included a Kora PR140 preamplifier ($8490); a pair of 150W, class‑A Kora monoblocks ($24,900/pair); a Playback Designs MPD‑8AI DAC ($44,000); a 432 EVO Aeon Mk.3 music server/streamer ($11,990); a Puritan Ground system ($2495) and PSM156 power conditioner ($2495); cabling by Ocellia; stands by Madera; and a variety of accessories by Synergistic Research and Ungnoi. Sitting on standby while I was there was a Ferrum Hypsos outboard power supply ($1690), which offers adjustable voltage and compatibility with a range of components.

The sound produced by this eclectic yet finely curated mix of gear was stunningly transparent, in‑your‑face explicit, and deep‑layered, with extended, amply defined bass. Instruments sounded vividly, kinetically present. This system didn’t just play music; it brought it to life.

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Lemay Audio: Tenor Audio, Grimm, Silversmith, Inakustik & Modulum Elevate the Dayton‑Wright Hommage 9.4
As always, manufacturer and retailer Lemay Audio brought its A game to the show, with a system anchored around a pair of the company’s latest time‑aligned, open‑baffle electrostatic Dayton‑Wright Hommage 9.4 speakers ($68,000/pair), fortified with a cryogenically treated 500W audio transformer and an optional Cryo Biphase power supply ($14,000), and finished in genuine California Walnut (+$20,000). Driving them was a Tenor Audio 175S amplifier ($160,000) and a Qobuz‑streaming Grimm Audio MU2 DAC/preamplifier ($22,000), while cabling was by Silversmith, Inakustik, and stands by Modulum.  

This demo delivered some of the most intricately layered soundstaging I encountered at the show, marked by exceptional image focus and depth. The soundfield was expansive and dimensional, offering a palpable sense of space between instruments. Transparency was excellent, with a clarity and sense of organization that seemed to bring every sonic element into sharp relief. The system also impressed with its dynamic range, natural tonal balance, detailed decays, and rare tonal complexity.

During a choral track recorded in a church, I listened with my eyes closed—which I never do during show demos—but the sound was just so divine.

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DR Acoustics: Polynice, Antigone, Classé Delta, Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4, and Prodesign Panels in Perfect Harmony
To me, a good AC foundation is to a sound system what fertile earth is to a garden. DR Acoustics’s founder and chief designer, Daniel, has a unique way to respond to people who ask how a 6‑ft power cable could possibly fix the current that came before it all the way down from the power plant. “It’s like the sprayer head on a kitchen‑sink faucet,” goes his mantra. “You can’t change what came before it, but you can change its flow and pressure at the point of delivery.”

Daniel is also a huge proponent of grounding each audio component to a single ground, which is why his company’s Polynice and Antigone 3.0 Power Management System & Virtual Ground System ($5995 and $8995, respectively) being demoed in his room offer just that. Other DR Acoustics products in the playback chain included Gaia ground cables ($300/each), Black Fire power cables ($695/1.8 m), a Red Fire Supreme power cord ($8495/1.8 m), Black Fire speaker cables ($1,495/2.5 m), Red Fire Ultra interconnects ($5995/1 m), and a Red Fire Ultra digital cable ($1995/1 m).

Hooked up to all these products was a system that included a Classé Delta PRE preamplifier ($15,995) and two Classé Delta MONO monoblocks ($15,000/each) feeding a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 speakers. Also in the room—and looking stylishly gorgeous—were acoustic panels ($6000 for five) by Prodesign Audio.

The sound? Excellent, with pulpy images, substantial bass, sweet, extended highs, explicit, intimate vocals, and a tonally‑layered, non‑fatiguing disposition. It might’ve been one of the best Classé–Bowers & Wilkins demos I’ve heard, with assists from Prodesign Audio and DR Acoustics.

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High-End Harmony: ArtistCloner’s Vision and Mundorf’s AMT Tweeter
ArtistCloner is one of those Montreal audio-show staples that embodies the aspects of our hobby I love most: great people, cool gear, a true passion for audio, and a drive for perfection. Something else I like about ArtistCloner: its demos always sound good.

That’s because ArtistCloner founder and chief engineer Sylvio Comtois is a tireless pursuer of great audio, in terms of both sound and looks. To paraphrase a French expression: Sylvio eats audio for breakfast. His demo this year, presented alongside his charming wife and show colleague, Isabelle Fortin, included a range of products from the company’s new Depth Wave X Series. Now, look at the photos on this page and note how the speaker’s driver compartment and the gear’s faceplates share the same “rippling waves” ceramic motif. That’s commitment to a vision, and to harmony. Sylvio once told me that he literally dreams about audio design. It’s embedded in the circuits in his brain.

I’m not sure how healthy that is, but it sure pays off for the rest of us who hear Sylvio’s products and demos. This year’s demo included three Depth Wave X Series products: the three-way tower speakers ($137,000/pair), which use a Mundorf AMT tweeter and deliver bass down to a rated 20Hz; the solid-state, class-A/B, 65Wpc stereo amp ($44,000); and the class-A JFET preamp ($46,000). Also in the demo but not part of the Depth Wave X Series were the company’s Pteros v2 power distributor ($4800), music server/library/DAC ($3600), and signal/AC cables.

Of course, with a series of audio products called Depth Wave X, the system had better be able to deliver deep bass, and it did—but there was also much more to hear, such as the nuanced pattern of notes vibrating, the colorful material texture of instruments, and the multitude of expanding harmonics that filled the recording venue and bounced off its boundaries. I heard a cello that sounded like it was in the room with me, and trumpet, vocal, and piano passages that were lifelike and mesmerizing.

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The Sound Choice Showcases Fyne Audio, VPI, Luna Cables, Wattson Audio, LAB 12
Fyne, as in the Scotland-based speaker manufacturer Fyne Audio, displayed their Vintage Classic Gold X SP speakers with 10-inch dual-concentric drivers ($18,500/pair) and optional SuperTrax supertweeters ($5995/pair) in the room hosted by Ontario-based retailer The Sound Choice.

Partnering gear included a VPI Forever Model One turntable ($7750) fitted with a Benz-Micro Ebony TR cartridge ($3700), a Luna Cables Rouge SUT ($4850), a Wattson Audio Emerson digital streamer ($2025), and a suite of LAB 12 products: the melto2 tube phono preamp ($4900), the dac1 reference DAC ($3850), the pre1 tube preamp ($2600), and the 50Wpc, suara MkII class-A KT150 tube-based amplifier ($8000). Interconnects and speaker cables were by Luna Cables, while various other cables, accessories, and AC-related products were by Synergistic Research.

I didn’t get to hear the vinyl setup, but the digital one did not leave me wanting. Timbres rang true, and the system offered a transparent view of the various musical lines. Drum hits and cymbals sounded dynamic and authentic. Strings had tactility and texture. Instruments appeared distinct yet part of a harmonically connected whole, while Ella Fitzgerald’s voice sounded intimate, breathy, and hypnotic.

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Kevro’s Monitor Audio & Rotel System Shines with Roon and Audience Cables
North American distributor Kevro set up a system that included a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 6G speakers ($9500/pair), a dual-mono, class-AB, 500Wpc Rotel Michi S5 power amp ($10,000), a Michi P5 Series 2 preamp ($6500), a Michi Q5 CD player/DAC ($8500), a Nucleus Roon server, and cabling by Audience.

Across several streamed songs, including Patricia Barber’s “A Taste of Honey,” which sounded so good through the Rotel/Monitor Audio system that I didn’t immediately recognize it. The system offered up lifelike timbre, intimate glimpses into singers’ breathing patterns, firm and muscular bass, a sense of unfettered musical ease, long-lingering decays, big images whose top I had to crane my neck to see, and a wide, vibrant soundstage that appeared like a performance stage inside the room.

The first thing I did when I got home was listen to “A Taste of Honey.” It sounded very good, but I missed the Kevro system’s version.

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Dynaudio Contour Legacy Thrives with MOON by Simaudio and Nordost Cabling
I heard some sweet, sophisticated, expressive sound in the MOON by Simaudio room, from a system that included two products from the brand’s flagship North Collection series: the 125Wpc 641 integrated amplifier ($14,500) and the 681 network player/DAC ($15,500). Along for the ride was a pair of Dynaudio Contour Legacy speakers ($20,000/pair) and cabling by Nordost.

This system filled the large room with earthy tones and an effortless projection of textured, dynamic sound that could, especially when playing brass instruments, sound exhilaratingly lifelike and untethered from any soundstage.

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Gershman Acoustics Teams with Eon Art, Oracle, and Cardas for an Unforgettable Demo
You want to listen to a system so good it challenges your ability to leave your seat? If that’s the kind of “kinky audio torture” you like, then the system demonstrated in this room will tickle your fancy.

It included a pair of Gershman Acoustics 30th Anniversary Black Swan speakers ($95,000/pair), a pair of Eon Art Boson monoblocks with integrated preamp ($186,000/pair), and an analog front-end composed of an Oracle Delphi Mk VII Reference Turbo Mk.2 turntable equipped with a 9.5" Reference 1 tonearm and a Corinth low-output MC cartridge ($30,625 for the package). Clear Beyond cabling by Cardas was used throughout. Also on the menu—but not playing when I visited—were an Oracle CD 2500 CD player ($22,275) and an Eon Art Tachyon DAC ($79,400).

I didn’t want to leave, but I had to. What I fought against to wrench myself out of my seat was sound that was touchable, curvaceously contoured, natural-sounding, and effortlessly enjoyable to listen to.