
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),…

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 companyโs music ambassador, Vincent Bรฉlanger, who plays his instrument while accompanied by instrumental music played back by an all-Audio Note system. As usual with one of these…

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 CA$. Something most of us can relate to is how important speaker placement is. When I entered retailer Elite Audioโs room, it was immediately apparent the folks setting up this system knew how to position speakers in a difficult room. The speakers โ the chic-looking Triangle Magellan Cello 40th Anniversary Edition in…

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…