Distributor Dimexs showcased its products in two different rooms this year. One room contained all Naim components and focused on introducing Naim’s new Ovator loudspeakers ($13,000). This speaker will be the middle model in a five model line-up (the other four models will be released during the next two years). What makes the design of this speaker very unique is Naim’s application of de-coupling and isolation of the various components. The Ovator uses three Naim designed and manufactured drivers. The top driver is called a Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) and is housed in a tubular metal structure which is completely de-coupled from the rest of the speaker cabinet. The BMR is a full range, wide-dispersion driver and hence no crossover is required where a tweeter would normally be implemented. When the speaker is playing, the entire BMR structure moves independent d of the speaker cabinet itself. A damping system is also built into the base of the speaker as the speaker terminals to eliminate mechanical vibrations. I listened to these new speakers for a few minutes and I really liked what I heard. I think that Naim might to on to something here. In the same room many of the existing Naim audio components were demonstrated, along with the new NaimQute ($2200) all in one system. The second Dimexs room combined Naim components with German made Audio Physic speakers. The main focus in this room was the company’s flagship Cardeas speakers, shown for the first time in Montreal. I really enjoyed listening to these speakers a couple of months ago during the launch event at Alternative Audio in Hamilton and the sound here was no less impressive. The pair shown here contained a very cool, one of kind custom finish making these one of the more distinguished speakers at the show. One of the presenters in the room showed me an iPhone app that allowed him to control the Naim HDX hard disk music player, which I thought was pretty nifty. Naim will be releasing iPhone apps for some of its other components this summer.
Grant Fidelity showed a large number of products in its room including amplifiers, speakers, CD players and cables. Most of its amplifiers and CD players are offered in both solid state and tube versions. In fact, the products in this room represented only a small fraction of the company’s extensive product line-up. This Canadian distributor specializes in importing a number of Chinese audio brands and offers products at very attractive prices. No component in this room exceeded $2500. The company’s brand portfolio includes Sheng Ya, Opera-Consonance as well as its own Grant Fidelity products, designed by owner Ian Grant. If you’re looking to build a great mid-fi system on a smaller budget you may want to check out some of these products.
Pioneer Electronics is clearly re-establishing itself as an audio component manufacturer in two rooms at this year’s show. The first room contained the company’s current AV receivers, Blu-ray players, two channel Elite components, an iPod speaker system and the latest car audio components. The highlight in this room was the just introduced VSX-1020-K receiver ($799). This receiver is jam-packed with some of the latest features available today. This receiver offers a dedicated connection for the iPhone/iPod and allows them to be controlled completely using the receiver. For an additional $69, a Bluetooth receiver can be added to the VSX-1020-K which will allow you to stream music from compatible devices. Pioneer is also one of the first to come to market with HDMI 1.4 connections in its receivers, which will enable you to connect 3D displays and 3D Blu-ray players. Also in this room was a 5.1 channel speaker system currently available only in Europe. Pioneer is considering introducing these speakers to the North American market late this year. The speakers use a concentric driver design, where the tweeter is built directly into the driver – I’m personally a big fan of this type of driver design. A 5.1 speaker system would retail for about $4000. Pioneer’s second room featured the company’s EX speakers arranged in a 5.1 channel setup, with Pioneer’s flagship SC-09TX receiver and BDP-09FD Blu-ray player. I listened to a few minutes of the Dave Mathews Blu-ray and was very pleased with the sound.
This year DIY distributor Audiyo exhibited with a number of other brands in two separate rooms. For the DIYers, the latest products from Furutech along with other brands were showcased in both rooms. In the first room was a fantastic sounding system that many visitors drooled over. Some of the components in this room included Ensemble speakers ($20,000 US), integrated amp ($11,450 US), CD player ($12,000 US) and an isolation platform ($890 US). Also on display were Volent speakers, Rossner & Sohn Conofer V integrated amp ($8000 US) and a Furutech Daytona 303 power conditioner. To me the highlight was the J.C. Verdier turntable ($14,000 US), which uses a completely separate drive motor joined to the turntable by a long drive belt. In the second room, Klaro Audio was demonstrating its new Summus floorstanding speaker ($3200 to $4000 depending on finish). The Summus uses a 3-way design in which one of the woofers is mounted on the side of the cabinet. I was only able to get a quick listen because of other conversations taking place in the room but I did enjoy what I heard – a clean, detailed sound for a speaker that has a small footprint and looks attractive.
