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Son et Image 2011 - Montreal

Hello anyone else attend the show?

i have been to the show 5 or 6 times and this was my 2nd time at this hotel. i went down from ottawa on the train with a few friends on friday and we stayed for the day. it was more enjoyable in the early going before the rooms got very busy

we started in the big Wilson room. it was way too loud and the bass was booming over everything. probably due to the room and set up but it wasn't the best start. thankfully we only went into a few rooms that were disappointing. i didn't like the audio note room at all. it sounded like i was listening through cupped hands.

the mbl room was super expensive of course and imaged like nothing else. but when we were there the bass seemed to be moving our pant legs. i know acoustic bass (which is what was playing) doesn't sound anything like that. i will leave that to the room being small. this show like many shows seems to often have earth moving bass and is the thing most people seem to comment on that they enjoy when i talk to them. at the shows.

i really enjoyed the Clarity room even though the YG Acoustics driven with Jones Audio gear also had bass that was too pronounced. the sales person there was great. we enjoyed talking to him and ended up listening to all 3 systems including: the Eggleston Speakers with Chapter Audio gear and to the Nola Speakers with Mimetism amps. All in all I liked the Nola best.

my favorite room by far was the L'Atellier room. The Ocellia speakers with the Verdier turntable and 12" arm was sublime. really beautiful sounding and the only room i went to visit twice.

i also enjoyed the Gemme audio room and the Nagra room. i wanted to listen to the Harbeth but that room was jammed as was the Leben/Gibbon room. in the past they were also in my best of show group. from talking to other people i heard they were great again.

and i liked the Cabasse/Mac room. really expensive but it sounded like music which isn't always the case at an audio show.
mcrosier
3 responses Add your response
mkuhnle
20 posts
 
This was my 4th SSI show and also the worst. I liked the show more at the Sheraton. The one thing that annoyed me most was people constantly talking while auditioning. I thought everone went there to listen to music.
The large CDF audio room(Wilson Alexandria) was a bit dissappointing but I wouldn't say therwe was too much bass . The small CDF audio room sounded good to me (Leben and DeVore) even though I would have liked to hear the speakers with some Shindo gear. MBL always sucks because they don't know how tho set up the room for their own equipment and it is always too loud.
I liked the YG and Jones audio combo, didn't care for the set up with the Eggleston speakers and was only able to listen briefly to the small Nola monitors. Not bad but a bit rough around the edges and who uses a $1500 pair of speakers with a $7000.00 amp?
I thought the Audio Note room was one of the best sounding rooms but I was at the show on Sunday, so things may have improved over the weekend. I know that many of the exhibitors complaint about the rooms and in particular the Audio Note guys. Their speakers are designed to fit in the corner but one of the corners had a Window behind it.
Other rooms I liked are Triangle speakers with Unison Research amp. Too much mid bass but very engaging. I also liked the Audio Physic speakers driven by a trigon solid state amp and the Vivid Audio speakers driven by a Luxman tube integrated.
roccl007's avatar
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roccl007
205 posts
 
From my personal appreciation or taste:
1-FILTRONIQUE room with BOULDER and DCS and SONUS FABER FUTURA, sound with finesse and ball's
2- AUDIO ARTS room with VOXATIV speakers driven with a 5 WPC amp, best imaging with the speakers who disappear
3- MBL room with powerful sound which make the light goes down at each bass impact
4- CABASSE speakers with MC INTOSH amp and cd player good integration and match with a SUB
5- CHAPTER gear (near tubes or class "A" sound) with the the fabulous Eggleston Andra III speakers

So good luck for TORONTO for your first next big one with the help of MICHEL LEROUX (pioneer since 1984)
cousinbillyl
190 posts
 
I think you nailed it at the beginning. Most of the better systems where in smaller rooms, and the bigger speakers in the bigger rooms paid no attention to room acoustics.

The Hansen room played music from the computer. There where no transients, and the music was played so soft, there was no hint of base. They should have booked a larger room and at least let the speakers open up.

The Wilson room was just off. It was as if they didn't care. Computer music while I was there.

The MBL room sounded great from the lower midrange up, but below that there was no articulation of base notes. Again a smallish room.

The Mac room was packed, so no comment. As was the L'Ateller. Now that I read your post, I think I missed two rooms worth visiting.

The Nola room sounded very good from a standing position, but still nothing great. The room was tiny.

My complaint is that everyone was trying to be polite. No one played female voices, acoustic guitar, or dynamic music.

I am hoping the Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show www.taveshow.com at the end of September yields more aggressive exhibitors.

Very few rooms had a vinyl rig. Most played through a laptop. The ones that had a vinyl front end wouldn't play my albums. Opps!.
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