Toronto Audiofest 2018 Show Report (Part 1)

Posted on 2018/10/24 by Noam Bronstein in Events, Shows // 0 Comments

Oct.19-21/2018

Toronto Airport Westin Hotel

The good news is that this year, Toronto got an audio show similar to what Montreal has been enjoying for years. It was well-organized, well-attended, with a fine array of exhibitors (also some notable absences), and maybe most importantly, the layout and location were excellent. The focus was on two-channel audio, and many of the rooms were able to achieve great sound. Admission was free. And the mood was decidedly upbeat this year, especially since for the last couple of years, the now-defunct TAVES show really struggled to attend to the needs of audiophiles.

The bad news for me was that my back problems limited my ability to cover all the rooms, and nearly kept me from attending at all. So, to those exhibitors who didn’t receive a mention in this report, I sincerely apologize. It was a big show, and in spending 3 hrs on Saturday + 2.5 hrs on Sunday, I was able to have an enjoyable time, but I had to sit a lot, and in the end I just couldn’t make it to see everything.

The rooms were spread over the first four floors of the hotel. I started on the 4th floor and slowly worked my way down. WoS’er Sean Leighland was there, and we stuck together for my Saturday leg. As usual I had to be selective, spending more time in rooms that interested me (and our readers), and less or no time in other rooms. This is not a comprehensive report, just a sampling of what the show had to offer.

Note: I used the Gallery mode, and it seems that you have to click on an image in order to see the caption text for it.

Tri-Cell Enterprises is one of Canada’s most established (and prolific) distributors, and Vince’s crew as always put on a great show – across a bank of five rooms, no less. Here’s a taste of their room setups and equipment.

: Transrotor turntables. If your kids are playing around them, make sure they’re wearing helmets!

: Tri-Cell system, featuring the lovely Estelon YB speakers.

: A closer look at the stack: Transrotor TT, ModWright PH9 phono, Soulution amplification, Aesthetix Mimas, Gold Note IS-1000 integrated, Unison Research Unico CD Due, all on the renowned HRS R3X platforms.

: Acoustic Solids, and what appears to be Rega’s new P8 (unmarked).

: “Please don’t drool on the turntable, sir.”

: Gold Note’s Valore 425 comes in regular, Lite, and Plus versions. It retails between ~1100-3000 Cdn.

: Valore 425 Plus (with titanium 7.1 arm), flanked by the Brinkmann Bardo.

: Would you like single-ended, push-pull, or push-pull-push?

: More Acoustic Solids. Can there ever be enough Acoustic Solids?

: This is Kirmuss Audio’s ultrasonic vinyl restoration system, an impressive-looking machine that retails at under $1000 CDN.

: Gold Note’s acclaimed PH10 phono preamp, featured widely adjustable gain, loading, and eq curves, Shown with the optional PSU10 power supply.

High-end retailer Sonic Artistry has been making its mark in Toronto audio circles, it was great to see old pal Jonathan Badov. Their two adjacent rooms were so full of cool and unusual gear, I could have spent the whole afternoon there. SA’s main room was playing Ry Cooper’s Paris, Texas soundtrack on the TechDAS Air Force V when I walked in, while in the adjacent room Tracy Chapman’s first LP was spinning on the lovely Pear Audio ‘table – I’m starting to get a good feeling about this show. The racks in Sonic Artistry’s rooms were by Toronto’s own Massif Audio Design. (apart from the Ikea Lack tables, obviously)

: Sonic Artistry’s “big room” featuring AudioSolutions Figaro M speakers, driven by Bespoke Audio’s Green Monster passive preamp and Soulution’s 311 amplifier.

: TechDAS Air Force V turntable with DS Audio optical cartridge; Bespoke Audio Green Monster passive preamp, DS Audio phono preamp

: The more modest room featured Larsen speakers and Pear Audio electronics.

: Gorgeous analog, the Kid Thomas from Pear Audio.

: Pear Audio Little John turntable and Blue Reference preamplifier.

: A closer look at the smaller Larsens

Next up, ArtistCloner. Ahh, finally.. my chance to find out what the fuss is all about. Sean introduced me to Sylvio Comtois and his wife Isabelle, both very charming people, and then someone asked me if I wanted to hear Pink Floyd “done right”. After that, details are sketchy. Possibly I was abducted by aliens? I don’t know. But I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard digital music (via Merging NADAC) sounding so….analog. Sylvio had made a major effort in getting this room to sound good. I heard new details on tracks from The Wall, and a three dimensional soundfield like I had not heard before. Outstanding.

: The Artist Cloner room, electronics, cabling and speakers by ArtistCloner of Montreal. Supported by the Merging+NADAC Network Attached Digital to Analogue Converter.

: A closer look at ArtistCloner’s Scorpi integrated amp, Pteros power distributor, and RWG AC cables. Rack by Toronto’s Massif Audio Design.

: This is ArtistCloner’s Rebel Reference speaker, and matching stand. Listed at $15,995 CDN per pair.

Montreal’s L’Atelier Audio is certainly a retailer and distributor “extraordinaire”. The French and Japanese have some very hardcore audio cultures, and L’Atelier represents them with iconic products from Yamamoto Sound Craft, Miyajima, Jean-Marie Reynaud, Ocellia, PHY, and Mulidine – in addition to prestigious European marques like Sugden, Aqua Acoustics, Metrum, Puresound, and Thomas Schick. Yet, in the middle of one of Samuel Furon’s two rooms, one is confronted with an unfinished birch ply pair of open baffle Altec 604E’s, a vintage Micro-Seiki RX2000, and – actually in both rooms – all the components sit on an IKEA Bror rack. I love it. Altogether, for me, a very welcoming atmosphere, wonderful sound (and great music) in both rooms. L’Atelier are also located in the neighbourhood where my father grew up – on the same street where he lived part of his childhood.

: L’Atelier Audio system featuring Ocellia and Yamamoto electronics, playing Analogue Productions reissue of Riverside’s classic, “Chet”.

: A closer look at the open baffle Altec 604E. I believe this design originated with Joseph Esmilla (JE Labs), whose pair I heard in Manila in early 2001.

: Ocellia 300B SET amp, preamp, and Yamamoto’s EQB-01 phono stage. Micro’s RX2000 spinner with the Schick stick and Miyajima Saboten L.

: Yamamoto’s famous A-08S SET amplifier, flanked by Puresound gunmetal platter mat, Ocellia Reference cables, PHY full range driver.

: DIMD EL84 amp, Yamamoto A-014 (300B) SET, and the stunning A-03S single-ended KT88/6550.

: The Euro theme continued Atelier’s slightly less extreme room, featuring Mulidine Harmonie V3 and JMR Cantabile Jubile speakers, with electronics by Grandinote and Aqua Acoustics.