EN 
FR -
Prices listed in CA$. If there had been an award given out at the Audiofest for “Most Vintage-Looking Component”, the Fyne Classic Fifteen speakers ($50,000/pr) in the Villeneuve Audio Vidéo / Marchand Audio Vidéo room probably would have won it. The design is a point-source system whereby a bass/midrange cone is coupled to a high…
-
Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) introduces the VK-85 preamplifier and REX 300 power amplifier, fully balanced solid state designs that offer some of the finest sonic attributes typically found only in tube-based circuitry. This is achieved through numerous in-house developed technologies, which continue to evolve, with the goal of bringing the end-user closer to the power of a live music experience.…
-
Prices listed in CA$. Gorgeous finish! That’s what I screamed inside my head when I first saw the standmount Apertura Forté speakers ($9999/pr) in the Innuos / Asona Ltd room. The Forté’s have a high 93db sensitivity thanks in part to the neodymium magnet circuit used in its two 18 cm mid/woofer drivers. Atypically, both…
-
Prices listed in CA$. I have fond memories of the Technics brand name. My dad’s very first turntable was the Technics SL-QX300—the first turntable I ever touched. As a kid seeing a record player for the first time, I was mesmerized by this foreign device and intrigued by how it was able to make sound.…
-
Prices listed in CA$. I heard a classical orchestral piece in the Audio Note UK room (I will tell you what it was later) and noticed three things: 1. Timpani sounded like an explosion instead of a real timpani2. Decays sounded like an applied reverb instead of natural hall ambience3. The instruments sounded all over…
-
Prices listed in CA$. This was probably the most different room from the others of the entire show. There was no stack of electronics in sight, just a small Wattson Audio Emerson Digital network streamer ($2095) connected to all-in-one speakers outfitted with every signal input you can imagine. One component made up 90% of the…
-
Prices listed in CA$. This room looked more inviting to me than most other rooms I visited at the show. It looked like a private living room with plenty of space, so people waiting for a seat could just stroll around inside instead of waiting outside in the hallway, which was a relief. But it’s…
-
This roundup highlights three budget-priced components—the Sabaj A20a amp, A20D DAC, and Semibreve DA50—that defy expectations with reference-level sound, solid build, and serious value, proving hi-fi excellence doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
-
Lossless audio formats promise sonic purity in a world shaped by compression, and this deep dive examines everything from FLAC vs. ALAC to DSD and DACs—unpacking the tools, myths, and tech behind high-fidelity digital music.
-
Prices listed in CA$. As always when I enter an audio showroom, my eyes fall first on the speakers, as they did in the Corby’s Audio room. And the speakers there looked stunning. I would put them in my living room even if they made no sound. But they did make a sound, a glorious…
-
Prices listed in CA$. So many people! I screamed inside. The Hearken Audio room was packed all the way to the main corridor, with people bustling to get inside. The room was also narrow, with only a few seats. I waited my turn and got inside to see what all the fuss was about. The…
-
April 4, 2024 (Montreal, Canada) – MOON will be showcasing an incredible reference system at this year’s Axpona. The new MOON 861 power amplifier and MOON 891 network player/preamplifier will make their US show debut and will combine with MOON’s 810LP phono amp, 820S power supply, and a Clearaudio Concept Signature turntable to deliver an…
-
Prices listed in CA$. The two most common questions Essentia Technology’s Scott Pugh received from visitors who heard the distributor’s demo when I was there were: 1) Is there a sub?, and, 2) Are the prices in US dollars? The answer to both was no—no sub, and prices were in Canadian dollars. It was one…
-
Prices listed in CA$. Filling up a humongous room is always a challenge for an audio system. And Lenbrook’s was probably the largest room I’d ever seen at an audio show. The PSB Synchrony T800 Premium loudspeakers ($16,999/pr) looked tiny against the front wall even though they weren’t small. They were placed so wide apart you could have…
-
Prices listed in US$. When I looked at the price sheet taped on the wall in the Emotiva room, I blinked. I couldn’t believe my eyes. An audio show doesn’t showcase entire sound systems for $4796. But that was the total cost of the system in the Emotiva room (excluding the cables). The all-Emotiva system…
