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Prices listed in CA$. I loved the ArtistCloner room, the simultaneously industrial, psychedelic, and archaic decor, the whimsical outfits of the two hosts, designer / owner Sylvio and his colleague / wife Isabelle. ArtistCloner stood out, not just aesthetically, but sonically. Their room sounded amazing. The sound was warm yet tight. It was colourful, fast,…
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Prices listed in CA$ unless otherwise note. When I first heard Audio Physic speakers (the Classic 15) at Audio Element in Pasadena, California, I was immediately impressed. They were featured in PMA Magazine’s “Best Audio Systems For $10,000” series. I couldn’t believe that speakers costing less than US$ 5000/pair could sound so accomplished or have…
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Prices listed in CA$ dollars unless otherwise noted. SVS is a company almost exclusively known for its subwoofers. So I was surprised to learn that they also make speakers. Doing its Canadian debut in the Laliberté Électronique room at the Montreal show were the Ohio-based company’s Pinnacle Ultra Evolution speakers (US$ 5000/pr; Canadian price TBD).…
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In the days running up to it, from Tuesday to Thursday, the Montréal Audiofest is more of a warehouse scene than an audio one, with boxes and crates scattered around, and all that great gear waiting to take its place on the podiums. Here is a little sneak peak of what the show premises look…
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The Toronto Audiofest 2023 had everything you could wish for in an audio show: great gear at all price-points, a communal and jovial atmosphere, overall good to great sound, friendly banter with peers or friends made on the spot, solid visitor traffic but not overcrowded, and plenty of coffee for dudes like me who were…
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Prices listed in CA$. If you’re interested in speaker design, chances are you’ve heard the expression: “There’s no replacement for displacement”. Although today’s technology allows for speaker cones to be designed to very tight tolerances, there’s something to be said about the sound of a classic ”vintage” woofer. The sound reproduced by a 15″ diaphragm…
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Prices listed in CA$. There are few exhibits at an audio show that immediately elicit a sense of prestigious luxury. Wynn Audio, which has Swarovski-style jewelry cases displaying some of the highest quality audio products, had definitely one of those exhibits. The company had two systems on active demo this year. Wynn of Wynn Audio…
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Prices listed in US$. Exhibiting in Canada for the first time at the Toronto Audiofest, importer / distributor Audio Group Denmark showcased the new slim, 2.5-way Børresen Acoustics X2 tower speakers ($8800/pair), which uses the same designed-in-house tweeter membrane as the higher-priced offerings in Børresen’s speaker line. Feeding the Børresen speakers were a 100Wpc Axxess…
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Prices in CA$. When it comes to audio companies that offer great price-performance value along with cutting-edge technology and style, very few can do it better than Paradigm and Anthem. This year at the Toronto Audiofest, the two companies partnered up to present two rooms: One for music, which included a relatively minimalist 2.1 system that…
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Prices listed in CA$. Importer Motet Distribution had a few exhibits at the show this year. One of them was showcasing two systems, situated side-by-side but separated by a large divider. After greeting representatives from PS Audio, Kimber Kable, Kennedy HiFi, and PMC, I settled in to have a listen to the first system. It…
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Prices listed in CA$. Another room that served up incredible sound was that of retailer Bliss Acoustics, whose demo included a J.Sikora Reference turntable ($64,500) fitted with a KV Max 9″ tonearm ($16,450) and Nagra Reference cartridge ($24,500), a Nagra Classic preamplifer ($24,000), a Nagra Classic phono stage ($26,000), a Gryphon Essence stereo amplifier ($32,480),…
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Regular visitors to the Toronto or Montreal Audiofest have come to expect something unique and special at an Audio Note UK exhibit: a live cello performance by the company’s music ambassador, Vincent Bélanger, who plays his instrument while accompanied by instrumental music played back by an all-Audio Note system. As usual with one of these…
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Prices listed in US$ except where otherwise noted. I heard more fantastic sound in the Audio by Mark Jones room, which displayed a pair of Apogee speaker-inspired planar-type Clarisys Audio Studio Plus speakers ($66,000/pair) allied to a stack of twin-chassis products that included a CH Precision 300Wpc M10 stereo power amplifier ($104,000), an L10 preamplifier…
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Prices listed in CA$. When owner of retailer EQ Audio Video Ed O’herlihy told me he and his team had painstakingly set up the Focal Grande Utopias EM EVO ($359,998) better than they’d ever been set up at a show, I believed him. Why? Because I recognized that glint of confidence in his eye that…
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Prices listed in CA$. Be honest: When you saw the speakers in the above photo, did you immediately think, “Tannoy”? Me, too. They’re actually the Vintage 15 model ($49,950) made by Fyne Audio, and they looked gorgeous — and massive — when I saw them in person in retailer Gramophone Audio’s room. They also sounded…