This has been the best Montreal Audio Show ever.
Thanks to Sarah and Michel, they have outdone themselves and proven that they can bring an audio show to a larger audience. We have never seen more women, teenagers and kids to this event. Rooms were often bursting of listeners.
Not to mention the quality of the organisation and presentation. This was worldclass.
The idea of the Flower Power Woodstock theme had a true effect on the popularity and accessibility of the show.
And Motet was at the forefront of the event, present in six rooms and kiosk, representing multiple brands from all over the world
Soundstage Best Of Show Award for PMC
The Best of show award came in as a blessing for PMC who was launching its brand new Fenestria flagship loudspeaker.
Here is what Doug Schneider had to say:
...After all, if you’re going to claim some new level of performance, then you’d better make everything about it new. The PMC design team seems to have done just that.
The Fenestria isn’t their first speaker intended for home use -- they’ve offered consumer products for years, some of which we’ve reviewed on the SoundStage! Network -- but this is their first cost-no-object consumer loudspeaker intended to take on all others, regardless of price. From what I learned and heard in Montreal, the Fenestria certainly deserves to be compared with the best speakers out there. I’m happy I decided to walk into that last room when I did.
Driven by Hegel amplification with XLO cables and with CD-resolution data decoded by an iFi DAC, the Fenestrias offered superbly palpable midrange and high frequencies on a recording by Canadian singer/pianist Anne Bisson. The image of Bisson's piano, in particular, hung in the space between the speakers, with no notes splashing to the sides. The transmission-line vents at the top and bottom of the enclosure feature laminar-flow fins to eliminate chuffing. The sub-bass notes on James Blake's "Limit to your love," played back at high volume, sounded clean with no wind noises or distortion. An impressive debut by an impressively engineered loudspeaker.
MORE COVERAGE FROM RICHARD H. MAK OF MONO & STEREO MAGAZINE
My favorite speaker of the entire show is the all-new PMC Fenestria (C$ 90,000). The 176 lbs speaker is housed in a cabinet nothing short of an engineering marvel.
I heard a life-like rendition of Viva La Vida by 2Cellos (Luka Šulić & Stjepan Hauser), the sound was organic, lush and full-bodied while the instrument size in exact life-like proportions. Equally satisfying was “Deeply Disturbed” by Infected Mushrooms, which goes to show the Fenestria does equally well with electronic rock. And just before I left the room, Will Young’s “Golden Slumbers” pulled me back into the room with a voice that is organic, seductive and emotionally charged.
Auris is back in Canada featuring new products
I liked the sound of these speakers almost as I love the tall, narrow form factor with wood side panels and side-mounted woofers. Driven by an Auris tube integrated amp this was a very good sounding rig. Stevie Ray Vaughn had a lot of air and fine decay as well he should with speakers costing $22k. Rear-firing tweeters that can be turned on or off helped create the sense of air in the room. I could see myself owning this rig if I had a smaller abode. Motet Distribution, 1215.
