The Saint-Henri soundsmith reclaiming how music should feel

If you’re going out in Montreal and felt like the music somehow feels different—fuller, warmer, maybe even emotional—that was likely Automatic Audio. Or more precisely, Denis Mospanov.

Mospanov is the kind of person who can talk about treble response and tortoiseshell horn linings with the same reverence other people reserve for natural wine or vintage synths. His business, Automatic Audio, builds custom speakers out of a private studio and workshop in Saint-Henri, where the wood grain matters as much as the wattage, and form always follows feeling.

The story of Automatic Audio is, at its core, about a kid who grew up crate-digging in suburban record shops, got ignored by the gatekeepers, and built his own sound system from the ground up: Not just for audiophiles, but for anyone who still believes music can change the atmosphere of a room.