By Jonathan Valin
Both of Bill Parish’s GTT Audio rooms sounded great, but this one really bowled me over—in part because it marked the (triumphant) return of Tenor Audio, erstwhile manufacturers of one of the best amplifiers I’ve ever heard, the “75Wp” OTL.

After successful reorganization, the Canadian electronics company is back—with a vengeance.

Its new 350Wpc hybrid monoblock sounded…fantastic!

 Unlike virtually every other piece of solid-state gear at the show, this amp wasn’t at all dark-sounding. If anything it was on the bright and airy side (think ARC or Spectral or, for that matter, a gigantic 75Wp), full of lifelike tone color and sparkling low-level detail.

Its reproduction of Nadia Salerno-Sonnerberg’s spiccato bowing in the Prokofiev First Violin Concerto [MusicMasters] was phenomenally realistic.

Although the MBL 9011 monoblocks that Parish was using in his other room are scarcely chopped liver, the Tenors struck me as having the more neutral balance (though perhaps not as much liquidity—a quality the 9011s simply own, along with unlimited power).

In any event, I will find out how the two compare as I am going to review the 350Ms in the not-too-distant future. If they show as well in my home as they did in Denver, Tenor may have turned out another sonic masterpiece. Read the rest of our Rocky mountain Audiofest Coverage here

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