
From a teen filling in for Art Blakey to shaping jazz history across decades, Miles Davisโ eight standout tracksโfrom โBluingโ to 2019โs โThis Is Itโโtrace a career of bold reinvention and enduring influence.

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 theย highest quality audio products, had definitely one of those exhibits. The company had two systems on active demo this year. Wynn of Wynn Audio…

From cotton fields in Arkansas to New Yorkโs electrifying jazz clubs, Sister Rosetta Tharpe defied genres and gender roles, blending gospel with rock โnโ roll and pioneering a soundโand a legacyโthat would change music forever.

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 9โณ 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),…

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…

Prices listed in CA$. Be honest: When you saw the speakers in the above photo, did you immediately think, โTannoyโ? Me, too. Theyโre actually the Vintage 15 model ($49,950) made by Fyne Audio, and they looked gorgeous โ and massive โ when I saw them in person in retailer Gramophone Audioโs room. They also sounded…

In the sultry heat of a Southern afternoon, amidst the intoxicating scents of cotton candy and the rural festivities of the Mississippi-Alabama Fair & Dairy Show, a rebellious rhythm began to play. It marked the homecoming of Tupeloโs most illustrious son, the King of Rock โnโ Roll, Elvis Presley. The year was 1956, a transformative…

Prices listed in US$. Iโm going to get this out of the way: Every time I visit a On a Higher Note exhibit room, I turn into a sap. I get wishy-washy. I canโt help it. Thereโs something about the systems that proprietor Philip OโHanlon is able to put together that allows those systems to…

Prices listed in CA$. One of the demoes hosted by distributor Erikson Consumers was displaying something I hadnโt seen in any other demo at the show but that on first sight warmed the cockles of my heart in a place overrun with streaming: a dedicated CD player. This is no knock on streaming; I get…

Prices listed in CA$. Many exhibitors at this yearโs Toronto Audiofest were showcasing panel-style loudspeakers, including electronics manufacturer Atoll Electronique, who was presenting the North American launch of the companyโs SDA300 Signature Streaming, DAC Amplifier ($6,999, and hence the SDA in the model name), paired with a pair of Final Audio Model 7 Hybrid electrostatic…