Part 1: Montreal Audiofest Chronicles 2024
Show coverage of the 1200 hallway.
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker

Room 1222  Audio Excellence And Daniel Hertz

A crowd of people was standing outside the next room and there was about to be a changing of the guard — or attendees, as the case was, so I hung around for a minute.

A poster in the hall revealed what was inside. I knew of Mark Levinson, of course, but was not fully familiar with Daniel Hertz.

I was the last man into the room, barely, and the initial experience suggested a long lecture was forthcoming from Adrian Low, CED of Audio Excellence Canada. At this early stage of my visit to the show, I opted to move on with the intention of returning on Sunday. Later that night, after the Industry festivities, I stumbled on a brief Audiogon Discussion about Daniel Hertz speakers and decided I should check them out early on Sunday. This seemed like a room not to be missed.

The Chiara speaker looked quirky with a protruding ribbon atop an otherwise conventional-looking box. But its mirror-like piano gloss black finish and clear high-quality Italian Plexiglas stand with beveled edges at the floor and the H. Daniel Hertz logo etched in the corner was pure elegance. The thin red and black speaker cables were a mystery but indicated the speaker was bi-amplified.

The white and glass rack topped off with a gloss black Daniel Hertz Maria 800 integrated amplifier with built-in DAC and digital crossovers was equally elegant. That was a Lumin P1 Stream & digital preamp ($13.5k) below it and a Shunyata Venom power conditioner on the bottom shelf.

On the back of the speaker were four white binding posts that looked almost plastic, indicating the speaker was bi-amp'ed from the Maria. Near the top of the back was a horizontal port that put out enough of a breeze to make the curtains behind it flap like a flag in a stiff wind.

The gentleman hosting the room on Sunday morning was busy in conversation with a customer so I hesitated to interrupt, but I learned the $50k (CDN?) price includes the amplifier with 350 Wpc. That may not have included the Plexiglas speaker stands which are listed at €3K (Euros) on their website.

I heard a techno piece of music and the experience was astounding. Very high resolution, huge dynamics, extraordinary transparency — like experiencing a live music performance — and this comes from a guy who takes in 40 to 50 live jazz performances every year at the Rochester International Jazz Festival. The speaker demands your attention, just as you would expect from a live performance. If you're looking to relax or multi-task while you listen, look elsewhere. But if you want your evening listening experience to be the near equivalent of $500 to $2000 seats at a concert, you need to check this system out.

I have no quibbles with the price considering the sound quality, minimal need for power cords and interconnects, the multiple components built into one chassis, and the elegance of the design. The Chiara may not fill a huge room, but Daniel Hertz has other speakers that will. Like Mark Levinson, Daniel Hertz has been around for a long time. I'm surprised I haven't come across his work sooner. This was an impressive discovery.

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