Jonson Lee tries out three USB cables from The Chord Company and decides one is a keeper.

In his fascinating journey of transforming a swimming pool area to a state-of-the-art listening room, Gilles Laferrière is reminded that construction has an unforgiving way of showing us who's boss.

Eversolo is continuing its second-generation release. We look at what the DMP-A8 Gen 2 and Master Edition change, and where the AMP-F8 sits against the AMP-F10.

Paul W. Klipsch on getting the most from a Klipschorn — amplifiers, pickups, tone arms and turntables. From the first issue of High Fidelity, 1951.

Writer Rudy Radelic catches up on a few new arrivals and reveals his favourites.

Howard Milstein checks out DALI's "luxury bookshelf speaker," the Epikore 3.

From the midrange clarity of ATC’s active EL50s to the single-driver soul of Wolf von Langa’s horns, Jonson Lee walks the Hilton Orange County and counts the five rooms that stood above the rest at T.H.E. Show 2026.

Robert Schryer checks out the mighty Audio Solutions Vantage M loudspeaker, in print and on video.

Music critic (and fan) Mark Lepage digs into Osheaga’s 2026 lineup and, navigating the chaos of overlapping acts, offers his personal list of must-see performances.

Writer Ray Chelstowski interviews authors Tolinski and Gill about the making of their book 'Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story', Beck’s enduring legacy, and how, beneath the virtuosity and myth, was a deeply human artist driven by an uncompromising need to remain true to himself.

After hearing Coga footers transform a friend’s system, Robert Schryer tries them throughout his own and reports what he discovered, including where they worked best.

Mark Lepage breaks down the Rolling Stones' latest album and finds the band still relevant, with something to say and the chops to say it.

With vinyl costs skyrocketing, Rudy Radelic narrows his selection of new records to a strict set of criteria. This month, though, he sets the rules aside and digs into the vaults for his favorite summer records of decades past.

In a disheartening twist that blindsided even its North American distribution network, the revered Danish manufacturer will cease selling its products in the region in two months.

In his new series, "How Do They Fit?," Steven Stone explores the one aspect of headphone design too often overlooked: how they actually fit one's head or ears. Before buying your next pair, be sure to check back as Steven puts headphone and earbud ergonomics to the test.

On July 2, major audio distributor AXISS Audio filed a federal lawsuit that, according to a legal notice posted on the company's website, asserts numerous claims against various industry people, including a YouTuber.

Acora Acoustics today announced a leadership transition as the company begins a strategic and operational review of its business, structure, dealer relationships, customer support commitments, and future direction.

Robert Schryer sits down with music historian Bob Wegner, author of the beautiful and exhaustively researched book “Max Webster: High Class.”

More than a hundred exhibitors, three hundred brands, and a maze of darkened listening rooms: two days at the 2026 Montreal Audiofest through the lens of Alexandre Châteauneuf.

Wayne Robins shares his impressions of Courtney Barnett’s new album, Creature of Habit.

In his fascinating journey of transforming a swimming pool area to a state-of-the-art listening room, Gilles Laferrière is reminded that construction has an unforgiving way of showing us who's boss.

Paul W. Klipsch on getting the most from a Klipschorn — amplifiers, pickups, tone arms and turntables. From the first issue of High Fidelity, 1951.

Norman Varney of AV RoomService joins Gilles’s adventure to transform a swimming pool area into a state-of-the-art listening room, starting by sharing some initial insights into the nature of room acoustics.

Bob Fosse’s shadow runs through Michael Jackson’s most iconic moves, from “Billie Jean” poses to “Smooth Criminal” angles, turning Broadway sleaze into pop mythology.

Mark Lepage discusses the push to bring the virtuosic polka-dotted duo to Saturday Night Live, and how the band may have saved guitar rock—or at least helped boost electric guitar sales.

In this second instalment, Gilles Laferrière recounts the launch of his project—one fraught with challenges—to transform a swimming pool area into a (hopefully) world-class listening room.

Sex Pistols’ 2026 anniversary tour revives an old war: John Lydon trashes Frank Carter’s fronted reunion as “karaoke,” while the surviving band wins rave reviews and near-sold-out dates.

Frank Doris appreciates the convenience of streaming but dislikes not knowing which of the multiple versions offered by a streaming service sounds best—and it isn’t always the high-resolution one.

Writer Ray Chelstowski interviews authors Tolinski and Gill about the making of their book 'Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story', Beck’s enduring legacy, and how, beneath the virtuosity and myth, was a deeply human artist driven by an uncompromising need to remain true to himself.

Robert Schryer sits down with Danny Labrecque, owner of Luna Cables, to discuss why he opened an audio retail store, the brands it carries (no points if you guessed Luna Cables), what he thinks is and isn't important in sound reproduction, and what people can expect when they walk through his door.

Robert Schryer visits Joseph Crowe Audio Products and returns with a listening experience he's convinced will become one of those milestone moments that will stay with him for life.

Sure, you can buy retailer The Sound Choice’s gear and audiophile recordings online or over the phone, but you’d be missing out on a couple of key experiences available only in person: a lot of great gear to audition in a laid-back setting and one of the sweetest endings to a day you can imagine.

Robert Schryer speaks with Gaëtan Gravel and Xiaodan He about the music that anchors the award-winning film Montreal, My Beautiful. (Montréal, ma belle).

Robert Schryer wraps his interview with Dutch & Dutch’s Jannis Dossis and Martijn Mensink, uncovering bold plans for a smaller speaker—and finds the 8c system so good, it might just end his gear-chasing days.

Is Dutch & Dutch's 8c speaker system really future-proof? Rob Schryer gets the lowdown in an interview with the company's Jannis Dossis and Martijn Mensink.

What could beat hearing Marvel soundtracks on the best home theatre setup? Robert Schryer asks Francis Choinière, who’s conducting them live with an 80-piece orchestra for The Infinity Saga Concert Experience in Montreal.

Polk brings flagship DNA to the masses with Signature Elite and Reserve, combining Dynamic Balance drivers, Pinnacle tweeters, and Power Port refinement for articulate highs, smooth mids, and floor-shaking bass at refreshingly sane prices.

DR Acoustics contends signal ground contamination limits performance, describing heavy, low-impedance grounding designs that drain internal noise and stabilize reference voltage.

Starke Sound skips refinement in favor of force, blending sharp design with aggressive engineering to challenge distortion, resonance, and the safe habits of high-end audio.

While streaming dominates, Shanling SCD3.3 is a bold high-end SACD/CD player and DAC, featuring a custom R2R DAC, tube output stage, and top-loading transport — defying trends with audiophile precision.

PMA Magazine teams with SoulFi Audio for a Black Friday roundup packed with practical Hi-Fi bargains.

NuPrime's IDA-9 replaces the IDA-8 with a faster 600 kHz Class-D stage, GaN-based power supply, and precision resistor-ladder volume control—all in a compact chassis engineered entirely in-house for speed, consistency, and control.

Scott Berry’s Computer Audio Design shifts focus from amps and DACs to the hidden culprit in system performance—high-frequency noise—offering Ground Control and USB Filter devices that reviewers credit with sharper imaging and more natural tonality.

Now branded “Powered by HEOS™,” Denon’s wireless platform marks its 10th year with a major firmware update, evolving from three speakers to a cross-brand audio ecosystem spanning over 50 products.

Some proponents of blind testing swear that the only objective way to assess sound quality is through unsighted A/B testing. Jonson Lee contends that it’s not enough.

Record Store Day 2026 lands as vinyl’s biggest moment in decades, with Bruno Mars and Robert Plant driving the global buzz while Montréal’s indie shops brace for a citywide crate-digging rush.

Jonson Lee pushes back against hi-res hype and streaming culture, arguing the humble CD still wins on sound quality, mastering choice, and preserving the album as a deliberate, uninterrupted experience.

Jonson Lee, who prefers digital, makes a strong case for the LP by presenting facts that, he says, show the LP is better than digital in some crucial ways. Will you agree?

Kevin Fielding explains how to interpret measurements so you know when action is warranted, what deserves priority, and when it's reasonable to stop trying to fix things and simply enjoy the music.

Vinyl’s “warmth” isn’t magic—it’s mastering. This deep dive dismantles the format debate, showing how mastering choices, not media types, shape sound. CD may be technically superior, but the real battle lies in the mix.

Though deaf, Beethoven didn’t compose in a void—he relied on audiation, tactile feedback, a rigorous compositional method… and bone conduction?

Here are a few more tasty nuggets of wisdom about playing in a rock band from someone who’s been there: Frank Doris. This time, Frank highlights the importance of rehearsing—because if you don’t rehearse, you’re gonna suck.

Robert Schryer sits down with music historian Bob Wegner, author of the beautiful and exhaustively researched book “Max Webster: High Class.”

While the pairing of audio and art seems to be trending lately in the retail milieu, Robert Schryer has never seen the concept more fully realized than at Audio Autobahn. Cue the goosebumps

He lived just 38 years, filed around 128 patents, and quietly helped build the modern world. Stereo sound, binaural cinema, airborne radar, high-definition television, elegant amplifier circuits.

Rob Schryer reviews the heights Audiophile Experts went to treat their listening rooms, and reveals one of their secret music-making weapons. And it can all be yours.

Rob Schryer checks out some of the world’s finest audio gear at Bliss Acoustics’ special event.

To mark his 50th year in music, Guy Bélanger recorded Postcards from London at Abbey Road’s iconic Studio 2—an audacious dream brought to life by producer Jean Ouimet and a tight-knit Quebecois team.

PMA’s Michel Plante and Robert Schryer revisit Pascal Ravach’s remarkable audio journey, which began with a childhood accident that severely affected his eyesight, continued through a European consulting career, and culminated in founding Montreal’s Mutine, where Ravach’s Zen-inspired listening rooms champion synergy, natural sound, and holistic system harmony.

Stéphane Hautcoeur's Eon Art blends class-A purity with class-D power in modular, upgradeable amps—rejecting separates to preserve signal integrity and maximum linearity through science, not myth, with their flagship Hadron leading a bold push into the high-end market.

Robert Schryer defends audio shows as irreplaceable gatherings for audiophiles, pushing back against claims that video content could ever truly replace the magic of in-person events.

The hi-fi world gets a wake-up call as this piece slams the disconnect between lavish audio gear and underfunded artists—urging brands to fund music creation, not just polish playback of the same old tracks.

There are myriad products that claim to clean audio power, but which matter most? Industry experts rank dedicated lines, power conditioners, and wall outlets as top upgrades, while opinions diverge on fuses and power cables.

Bruno Putzeys calls class-D a “solved problem,” but responses from Peachtree, Orchard Audio, and Bel Canto suggest otherwise—pointing to GaN FETs, digital input topologies, and implementation refinements as the next frontier for sonic gains.

Class-D amps ignite debate as Steven Stone, Eric Neff, and Bruno Putzeys clash over whether the tech now rivals or even surpasses class-A and AB.

With a new LA show planned at T.H.E. Show’s longtime venue, just days after its Vegas edition, tensions rise as organizers clash over dates—reviving questions about industry cooperation and competitive respect.

오디오에서 가장 중요한 요소는 스피커도, 소스기도, 앰프도 아닌 바로 우리 머릿속이다. 산만함이라는 노이즈와 해석이라는 왜곡이 음악 경험을 변형시킨다. 기기보다 마음을 먼저 최적화해야 한다.

After cycling through 21 pairs of speakers and 48 amps, Jonson credits his son Michael—not just for heavy lifting, but for helping him fine-tune his sound, deepen their bond, and learn the art of joyful obsession.

A blind cable test sounds like the cleanest possible way to hear the truth, until the prices are revealed and the truth starts negotiating.

Hi-fi forums breed a special kind of delusion: the newly internet-certified expert dismissing decades of listening experience with graphs, slogans, and swagger, as though human hearing alone escaped the messy variability that defines every other sense.

A journal pulses with ink and intent as a listener records the thousand-hour unraveling of sound.

If music is therapy, then sound systems are psychiatrists. And we believe it’s well overdue for insurance to start covering the gear that lets us sob in Dolby Atmos.

In a chilling twist, Audion Prime deems humans the flaw in acoustic perfection—locking them out to preserve pure sound. Sonic nirvana is achieved, but no one is left to hear it.

While the world argues over streaming platforms and sound quality, one billionaire vanished into orbit to hear music unburdened by gravity. No tech shared, no guests allowed.

The Orpheus Chrono-Heliophonic Aural Vessel isn’t just a sound system—it’s an audiophile’s cosmic destiny. In a world where skepticism falters before prestige, only the foolish admit they can’t perceive its brilliance.

From apologizing to loved ones neglected during DAC testing to listening to Dark Side of the Moon on a $20 speaker, this clever guide skewers obsessive habits with wit, reminding readers that "it’s the ear, not the gear."

Mark Lepage breaks down the Rolling Stones' latest album and finds the band still relevant, with something to say and the chops to say it.

Wayne Robins shares his impressions of Courtney Barnett’s new album, Creature of Habit.

Octave Records’ latest release, Otis Taylor and the Electrics, offers some very powerful music from the trance blues master.

From our expert classical music critic—a must-hear collection of some of the best Christmas-inspired recordings.

Writer Mark Lepage takes a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen's new box set and wonders: "Jesu, does this man ever sleep?"

Claude Lemaire spotlights three pivotal 1970 albums—by Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin—that fused prog, blues, and folk into the roaring blueprint for what would become heavy metal.

Writer Rudy Radelic recommends a dozen great-sounding albums to play at audio show exhibits. Exhibitors, are you paying attention?

Save your souls!… Black Sabbath leads the way in this latest history lesson in the roots of hard rock and heavy metal.

Writer Rudy Radelic catches up on a few new arrivals and reveals his favourites.

With vinyl costs skyrocketing, Rudy Radelic narrows his selection of new records to a strict set of criteria. This month, though, he sets the rules aside and digs into the vaults for his favorite summer records of decades past.

The Vinyl Beat this month brings it on home to the Mitten State, particularly the Motor City, where these following releases were recorded.

Claude Lemaire continues his series on records that transformed the pop and rock music landscape, organized by year of release.

Rudy Radelic wanders through the nooks and crannies of AXPONA and discovers a few interesting items along the way.

Rudy Radelic rants about recordings played at audio shows with their boomy bass and "face-smashed-against-the-window" compression, and offers some show-stopping alternative gems to play instead—at home, too!

Claude Lemaire continues his series on records that transformed the pop and rock music landscape, organized by year of release.

Claude Lemaire continues his series on records that transformed the pop and rock music landscape, organized by year of release.

Jonson Lee tries out three USB cables from The Chord Company and decides one is a keeper.

Eversolo is continuing its second-generation release. We look at what the DMP-A8 Gen 2 and Master Edition change, and where the AMP-F8 sits against the AMP-F10.

Howard Milstein checks out DALI's "luxury bookshelf speaker," the Epikore 3.

After hearing Coga footers transform a friend’s system, Robert Schryer tries them throughout his own and reports what he discovered, including where they worked best.

In his new series, "How Do They Fit?," Steven Stone explores the one aspect of headphone design too often overlooked: how they actually fit one's head or ears. Before buying your next pair, be sure to check back as Steven puts headphone and earbud ergonomics to the test.

Ashely Cox does an in-depth analysis of the inexpensive iFi ZEN Air Blue and discovers it goes about as far as Bluetooth can in terms of sound quality.

Silent Angel’s “Holy Trinity” stack reshapes streaming with cleaner power, tighter timing, and lower noise, giving digital playback turntable-like warmth, depth, and body.

The AudioSolutions S2 standmount delivers performance that belies its price, making it a solid contender in its class.

Los Angeles’ listening-bar scene is booming, from Venice’s Only The Wild Ones to Highland Park’s Gold Line—venues where serious hi-fi systems, vinyl DJs, and carefully tuned rooms turn cocktails and dinner into full-immersion music experiences.

Chicago’s listening bars offer a new kind of nightlife, where hi-fi sound, curated vinyl, and craft cocktails take center stage. From Charis to Parachute HiFi, each space delivers a distinct, music-first experience.

NYC reinvents Japan’s jazz kissa tradition, transforming vinyl listening into a high-fidelity, immersive experience for true audiophiles.

Paris' jazz kissa-inspired bars like Listener and Bambino blend high-fidelity sound, vinyl culture, and refined design, redefining nightlife for audiophiles.

Whether you’re looking to vibe out to a pristine mix on a custom-built sound system or discover rare grooves, Toronto’s hi-fi bars blend sound, style, and atmosphere to create the perfect listening haven.

Berlin’s hi-fi bar scene is booming—Anima, Bar Neiro, Rhinoçéros, Unkompress, and Bankert Vinyl Café each offer a unique blend of audiophile sound and hospitality, from vintage vinyl purity to immersive listening sessions by the Spree.

Montreal’s hi-fi scene shines at venues like Café Gotsoul and Sans Soleil, where vinyl reigns and immersive soundscapes meet gourmet culture, handcrafted systems, and jazz-kissa-inspired atmospheres that elevate listening into an art form.

In the aftermath, the facts calcified into legend. One quote, in particular, metastasized across tabloids and biographies: "I couldn’t do it myself, so I had him do it for me."

Christopher Wallace’s final moments—captured just hours before his murder—anchor this account of his last night in L.A., the drive-by shooting that followed, and the decades of unanswered questions that still haunt it.

RuPaul cradling a crying Frances Bean Cobain backstage at the MTV VMAs, Kurt grinning beside them. Years later, Frances told RuPaul on his podcast: "You are the reason I am the way I am."

On July 4, 1996, Tupac turned the House of Blues into a Death Row sprint, packing unreleased fire and all-star cameos into his last concert before everything went dark.

Jann Wenner, 21, borrowed $7,500 from his in-laws and slapped a confused-looking John Lennon in a war-film netted helmet onto Rolling Stone's debut cover. "Most compelling image available," said Wenner.

Munich, mid-tour: Kurt Cobain's voice "sounded like cats fighting," guitarist Pat Smear remembered. Backstage, Cobain told the agent: "That's it. It's over." Five weeks later, he was dead.

Harvard Stadium, summer 1970: Janis Joplin's last live show, sweat-soaked through "Tell Mama," "Half Moon," and her own "Move Over." Two months later she was dead at 27.

Salvador Dalí draped Alice Cooper in $1 million of Harry Winston diamonds, propped a Venus de Milo on his lap, and crowned the scene with a chocolate-éclair brain crawling with live ants.

In this excerpt from Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, overlooked spaces like basements and garages become ideal listening rooms through smart, minimal upgrades—proving great sound starts with practicality, not perfection.

Despite identical measurements, amplifiers can sound different. This article unpacks how output impedance—especially in tube vs. solid-state amps—alters tone through speaker interaction, challenging the “if it measures the same, it sounds the same” myth.

Kevin Fielding offers a step-by-step guide to taming first reflections and giving you the best soundstage you've ever had.

Would you drive a Formula 1 racing car on a gravel road? Not if you could help it, right? Because on a gravel road, you know that an F1 car can’t reveal its potential. Yet, this is exactly what many audiophiles do when they play their high-end audio system in an untreated room.

Signal loss impacts imaging, clarity, and bass—but it’s fixable. Discover 10 years’ worth of tips for unlocking your system’s potential.

Decades of hi-fi tweaks taught Paul Bowes that optimizing gear—not endless upgrades—unlocks music's full potential. From speaker placement to EMI fixes, these methods elevate performance dramatically.

Affordable hi-fi tweaks like ferrite cores, Sorbothane pads, and mains conditioners offer subtle but measurable improvements, tackling interference, vibrations, and noise in your audio setup.

In part 2, Tomasz Karasinski and Mateusz Jujka (Pylon Audio) talk about how NOT to place your speakers, how to do it right, and the joy and awe we'll feel once we hear the end result.

Dan’s 35-Year Quest for Bass ends at last—with a surprising solution.

In a house bursting with 13 speakers and 6 subwoofers, one audiophile’s living room doubles as a 7.6.6 surround-sound sanctuary—though his wife might call it something else entirely.

Nick from Sydney blends Aussie-made classics like ME amplification and Serhan Swift Mu2 speakers with Naim digital gear, showing that thoughtful system synergy—and not price—creates holographic sound that’s pure, personal, and meditative.

In this profile, Alain Gascon shares his audiophile journey—from teenage catalog dreams to a vinyl-focused system built around Totem Winds and McIntosh gear—emphasizing music’s emotional power over technical obsession.

Two years after downsizing seemed inevitable, Tom Gibbs finds himself retired, mortgage-free, and surrounded by two dream audio rooms—one digital, one analog—where Maggies, KLH Fives, and top-tier gear turn every listen into an event.

After decades in hi-fi retail and personal loss, Greg from Boise rekindled his passion for audio with a system built for emotional connection—not status. Now, it's music, not specs, that moves him.

JJ ditched vinyl for digital ease, but it’s his careful speaker setup, Anthem room correction, and a surprising Ethernet filter from Network Acoustics that helped his compact listening room transcend its limits.

Tim Lim from Singapore sets a new distance record for PMA’s “No, I Have the Best System…” column—sharing lessons from 20 years of audio upgrades, regrets, and triumphs in a dedicated hi-fi room inside a high-rise BTO flat.

From the midrange clarity of ATC’s active EL50s to the single-driver soul of Wolf von Langa’s horns, Jonson Lee walks the Hilton Orange County and counts the five rooms that stood above the rest at T.H.E. Show 2026.

More than a hundred exhibitors, three hundred brands, and a maze of darkened listening rooms: two days at the 2026 Montreal Audiofest through the lens of Alexandre Châteauneuf.

With hundreds of audio products fighting for attention at AXPONA, Mike Harkins cuts through the noise to spotlight his favourites, including notable standouts from SVS, Franco Serblin, GlaXfi, Legacy, Zesto, Mojo Audio, and more.

Originally published in French and translated into English, this article follows Hugues Morin as he dives into the heart of the 2026 edition of the Montreal Audiofest, amid packed rooms, sonic love at first sight, and spectacular demonstrations.

Lemay Audio pairs Grimm Audio’s MU1, MU2, and LS1 with Entreq Ground Boxes, aiming for lower noise, sharper focus, and the kind of musical realism that embodies the audiophile pursuit.

The Montréal Audiofest returns March 20–22 for its 37th edition, turning Hôtel Bonaventure into a sprawling hi-fi playground with 100-plus exhibitors, immersive listening rooms, EARVANA’s headphone pavilion, and community programs that welcome new listeners.

Audiofest photographer Joseph Greenham reflects on his experience at the Toronto Audiofest 2025.

Robert Schryer closes out his Toronto Audiofest coverage with some final notes and takeaways.