Part 2 — 2300 And 2400 Hallways: Montreal Audiofest 2026 Show Report
High-end audio gear reviews, in-depth hi-fi technical details, and exhibit room listening notes.
Montreal Audiofest Show Report By Rick Becker

Bonaventure Room  Gentec International
Gentec International is a well-established and respected Canadian distribution company whose brands stretch beyond high-end audio. The breadth of their involvement in audio was on display in the Bonaventure room, the largest room at the Audiofest, which was accessed from the hallway near the top of the escalators to the lower level.

In the photo above, taken near the entryway, the carpeted area seen here was duplicated on a slightly lower level beyond the railing. At the far end of the room, to the left, was a rig featuring the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7, which premiered here last year, driven by handsome new gear from Musical Fidelity. The AK7 is available in two wood stains as well as a black ash finish for home theater enthusiasts who wish to keep their room darkened.

Along the unseen wall to the left in the previous photo was a more modest system with Klipsch floorstanders, supplemented with a rather large subwoofer, driven by Onkyo separates from the Icon Series with a WiiM Ultra streamer at the front end. Systems in this room were played in rotation, and I didn't get to hear this one.

The banner suggested the Klipsch Reference series had been upgraded and was premiering here.

Although the speakers were originally designed to fit into a corner (back in the day when there were only monaural recordings), it is not uncommon to see them positioned out into the room in stereo settings. The seating was positioned far back from the speakers, with an angle of maybe 30 degrees from the listening position. Presenters often do this in larger rooms, though in most cases I prefer a closer seating position with a 60-degree angle, which usually presents a more defined and generous sound stage. I've been known to drag a chair closer to the speakers on occasion, but it was getting late in the afternoon, and I overlooked the opportunity.

A Musical Fidelity NuVista 800.2 preamp was on the top shelf with the separate power supply to the right. The small component on the right was another WiiM streamer, which is a brand distributed by Gentec.

The NuVista PAM monoblock in black was quite handsome. Unfortunately, the gear in this room was not labeled with retail prices.

On a table to the right in the upper level of this room was a more affordable rig with Klipsch monitors driven by an Onkyo integrated amp and CD player. Chord cable advertising was prevalent in this room, another brand carried by Gentec.

This silver integrated amp from the Muse Series is also available in black.

Stepping down into the lower level of the Bonaventure Room, there was a modest and minimalist rig with Klipsch Heresy speakers driven by a Musical Fidelity A1 integrated Class A amp with yet another WiiM Ultra streamer.

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