_{Photos by Joseph Greenham}

Music and audio have been an intrinsic part of my life since I was very young—before my personality had solidified. Father was a musician, Mom an at-home ‘Karaoke’ singer. The Toronto Audiofest, since back in 2018, opened my ears and eyes to an experience that helped me focus on a lifetime of passion and love.

As in past editions, this one was filled with excited and enthusiastic music fans and gear heads who’d come to see new products, including a few world and Canadian premieres: the newly redesigned Michell Gyro turntable, the Gershman Acoustics Symphony speakers, the Avid Relveo turntable, the list goes on. In the headphone realm, we even got an appearance from the Sennheiser HE 1, the first electrostatic headphone with a class-A amplifier integrated into the ear cups.

How would I describe this show? Emotionally Moving. In fact, for me, the show had a lot to do with moving…

Moving Pictures, Moving Shadows, Moving Mountains, Moving Bowels (stay with me), Moving Boundaries, and, most importantly, Moving Forward.

Moving Pictures. The title of Rush’s classic album was what came to mind whenever I overheard conversations or song demos mentioning the band’s new drummer, Anika Nilles. This culminated in an after-hours listening session in the Acora room of tracks featuring exceptional drumming—no feet were still in that moment.

Moving Shadows. As a photographer, I was taken by the lighting in the rooms—how exhibitors used it to sculpt mood-enhancing shadows and offer visitors an intimate space, but also the movement of the shadows cast by visitors. It also refers to two memorable moments during the show: one, the effect of the 5:35 p.m. October sun in Toronto, pouring directly down the white-tiled hallways where I was reminded of the song “Blinded by the Light.” Moving Shadows was also the title of a drum-and-bass album I overheard someone jamming to inside the Earvana room.

Moving Mountains—it’s a term most often related to overcoming hardships or enduring adversity. From what I witnessed, I think all those in the audio industry are working very hard to navigate the ever-changing business landscape. Amid this uncertainty, these dedicated industry people come together in unpartisan ways to make the show a great success. It’s an aspect of the show that most of the public knows nothing about but it should be recognized.

Moving Bowels. Haha. Okay. Have you heard of the “Brown Note”, the hypothetical infrasonic frequency, supposedly between 5 and 9Hz, that is claimed to cause involuntary bowel movements? This year, DALI Loudspeakers, represented by Lenbrook Americas, paired a new 16-inch subwoofer that uses a Purifi driver to the new Rubikore 9 tower speakers. This somewhat twisted looking subwoofer packs some serious power. Clean in-room measurements down to 20Hz pressurized the room.

Let’s just say it was a good thing the downstairs bathrooms were only 20 steps away. Not that my Crohn’s disease had nothing to do with it, but the sub definitely helped tip the scales toward making me move.

Moving Boundaries. Covering the shows over the past four or five years has given me a strong sense of how audio innovation evolves—it advances incrementally, refining performance while staying true to each manufacturer’s heritage. A company’s sonic signature—their “house sound,” though it’s more than that; it’s a vision—remains central to both the designers and the fans who’ve grown loyal to it. When I spoke with the Michell representatives about their new turntable, it was clear that improving such an iconic model demanded careful, meaningful adjustments rather than a full redesign that might dilute what makes the Gyro so special. And at the heart of most of those refinements? Vibration control.

Moving Forward. The most delightful thing I witnessed at this show was the number of young people gathered to enjoy all the headphone gear at Earvana, along with the younger kids walking the halls and listening to demos with their parents. Seeing those youthful smiles and hearing their curious questions gave me a genuine sense of hope. The positive energy they brought to sharing music showed that the next generation of music lovers will undoubtedly carry hi-fi forward into new directions—ones enriched by legacy. This joy and love for music, rather than specs, felt contagious—as did hearing people speak passionately about their personal musical journeys.

The Toronto Audiofest carried the same spirit of relentless pursuit that defines music itself. It’s a place where competitors meet at the same table, raise a glass to the shared reality we exist in, and together make an event like this a remarkable success. I’m honoured and proud to be a local of this city, and to get to see so many at the show, who are now my friends, pour their hearts and souls into their work—and shine. I was moved to tears listening to several audio systems, and again while reviewing photos of friends celebrating each other’s achievements.

It’s like I said—the Toronto Audiofest was emotionally moving.