What started as a quick trip to Montreal to simply assess Salon Son & Image 2010 to see if it's a show still worth covering has turned out to be quite a bit more. It's turned into a three-day trip that's resulted in a multi-part show report that concludes with this installment, featuring three companies that I think deserve recognition for exhibits that I consider to be Best of Show. They are Verity Audio, VMAX Services and Totem Acoustic, for the reasons I'll describe below. (All prices in US dollars.)
Since I was focusing on product coverage, I didn't get to do as much critical listening as I would have liked. But of what I did get to listen to, I rank Verity Audio's room at the top. Verity was showcasing their Amadis loudspeakers, which Jason Thorpe just reviewed in Ultra Audio. The electronics were by Nagra and dCS, which Verity uses at most shows. The room was a good size, well lit, and comfortable to sit in for a long time. That all contributed to the success of this display because if I could have, I would have listened for hours. The sound was exceptionally clear, particularly through the midrange (a hallmark of the Verity sound), and there was a super-sweet top end that was accompanied by deep, powerful bass. The soundstage was large, but images within the stage were well focused and easy to locate. Overall, the sound was difficult to fault and Verity deserves recognition for putting together this rather awesome display, which showcases what the best of high-end audio can be about.
The only downside to this system is the price. The Amadis speakers are $30,000/pair, and the electronics will set you back about $70,000. I didn't catch what the cables were or what they cost, but I doubt they're cheap. The problem is that while a system like this is great to experience, few people have $100,000 to plunk down on a stereo system, making it more or less a pipe dream for most consumers.
The exorbitant prices in high-end audio are why I want to also recognize Montreal's VMAX Services for putting together systems far more affordable and therefore relevant to more consumers. VMAX had two rooms at Son & Image, but the one I liked had Amphion's new Argon3 speakers, which retail for $2795 (in standard black or white finishes, more for the real-wood finish shown), being used with Audio Analogue's new Armonia-series electronics, including a Crescendo integrated amplifier and Crescendo CD player that retail for $995 each. The speaker stands were certainly nothing special, and the speaker wires were described to me as "something that was lying around that's quite old."
This system's price is modest (5% of what the Verity setup costs) and the setup was humble, but the sound was exceptional. The Argon3s are very quick-sounding speakers that show off loads of detail without ever sounding bright or objectionable. The Audio Analogue electronics, despite their modest price, seem to perform like they cost considerably more. What's more, if you closed your eyes while listening, you'd never believe that the Argon3 is a stand-mounted design and the integrated amp puts out only 50Wpc -- the speakers sounded big and weighty like a moderately sized floorstander and the amp never sounded strained. I've always liked Amphion's Argon speaker series, and this new version might be the best one yet. Philip Beaudette has a pair of the Argon3s in for review for SoundStage!, and I hope we get our hands on this new Audio Analogue stuff.
Not everyone has $100,000 to spend on a stereo, and not everyone has $5000, either. But for those who do have halfway to ten grand, a system like this one VMAX showed can provide a lot of the sound quality of the really expensive stuff for a fraction of the price. A round of applause goes out to VMAX Services for catering to the common man.
The third company I want to recognize is Totem Acoustic for once again creating an exceptional-looking display that was a joy to visit (their display at last year's CEDIA Expo in Atlanta was amazing as well). I must have stopped by this massive display at least a dozen times to look at all the pieces that make it up. (The photo above only shows one part of the four-area display. One other area is shown in the photo below.) In my opinion, the people in Totem's marketing department should be given high praise (and perhaps raises) for taking such bold steps to create displays that are bright, colorful, and interesting. They're also making an impact with their print ads and marketing literature by the unique and effective way they're using people in them, a move that I think will have other companies imitating Totem in the months and years to come. When it comes to presentation, Totem is a trendsetter.
The recognition for Totem doesn't stop there because what I also admire about them is their personal touch. Their displays are huge and colorful, but found within them are knowledgeable staff including Totem's president and founder, Vince Bruzzese, who is on hand at every show to speak to the visitors. Totem is a company that obviously has a keen understanding of customer communication and product display and enjoys considerable success because of it.
