Part-Time Audiophile Canada

Announcements

June 22, 2017 in Announcements // Black Sabbath announce The Ten Year War: Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set with MQA high-res
June 14, 2017 in Announcements // Audio Research Announces its First Ever Trade Up! Program
June 9, 2017 in Announcements // New PS Audio Huron upgrade for DirectStream and DirectStream Jr DACs; MQA and Tidal coming soon
June 8, 2017 in Announcements // Canada: A unique land of high fidelity
June 6, 2017 in Announcements // Element Acoustics to host Limited-Seating Accuphase Demo Event in Vancouver June 24th
June 6, 2017 in Announcements // Wilson Audio raises the bar with Alexia Series-2 loudspeaker
June 3, 2017 in Announcements // KEF Announces TIDAL Integration for KEF LS50W
May 26, 2017 in Announcements // HiFi Centre steps in to fill void as Vancouver Audio Show pulled from Chester Group website
May 23, 2017 in Announcements // Breaking News: Manchester Bombing
May 18, 2017 in Announcements // High End 2017: Pass Labs’ New XP-12 Preamp and XP-17 Phono Stage
May 18, 2017 in Announcements // High End 2017: Harbeth 40th Anniversary continues with new M30.2 loudspeaker
May 18, 2017 in Announcements // High End 2017: McIntosh Announces Two New Products
May 17, 2017 in Announcements // High End 2017: dCS celebrates their 30th Anniversary with the Limited Edition Vivaldi One
May 16, 2017 in Announcements // High End 2017: AURALiC announces high-end G Series streaming components
May 12, 2017 in Announcements // MQA update for AudioQuest Dragonfly Black and Red coming May 17 – new partnerships announced
May 8, 2017 in Announcements // Noble Audio X is back on Massdrop
May 1, 2017 in Announcements // Win a free SVS subwoofer!
April 22, 2017 in Announcements // OPPO Releases UDP-205 Audiophile Universal Player
April 20, 2017 in Announcements // MoFi Distribution takes on Dr. Feickert Analogue
April 17, 2017 in Announcements // Pass Labs launch new XA Series Class-A power amplifier

Vancouver Audio Festival 2017: Opening Day

June 24, 2017 // 2 Comments

Waking up early to already warm temperatures, and sunlight slanting into my bedroom I couldn’t help but wonder if this rare sunny day in Vancouver would mean trouble. It’s slated to be the hottest day of the year here – not a cloud in the deep azure sky – which you would think could translate into people being more interested in the beach or park that in the Vancouver Audio Festival that HiFi Centre is hosting this weekend. But audiophiles are a fickle lot, and if there’s [...]
Vancouver Audio Festival 2017: The gear to lend an ear to really hear

June 22, 2017 // 2 Comments

With the inaugural Vancouver Audio Festival hosted by HiFi Centre happening this weekend, I thought I’d get the word out on what Igor Kivritsky, and his good people were curating in the suites of listening rooms lined up for Saturday, and Sunday playback sessions (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), as well as the large headphone area being set-up. With an eye towards demonstrating multiple price points, digital, and analog delivery methods, and how to build a synergistic sound system, the rooms are [...]
Sound Room to host Simaudio and AudioQuest event Thursday June 22 in Vancouver

June 20, 2017 // 0 Comments

Mark Macdonald of The Sound Room in Vancouver, British Columbia (100-2025 West Broadway) shot an interesting note my way regarding a Simaudio 888 Power Amplifier event that he will be hosting this Thursday. Macdonald always puts on great high-fidelity events, and is an exemplary host. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend, but having heard these specific amplifiers previously in Las Vegas at CES, and High End in Munich I can say that they are worth the time to take a listen. –Rafe [...]
Vancouver Audio Festival 2017: What’s coming up

June 19, 2017 // 0 Comments

Vancouver’s HiFi Centre is throwing open it’s doors this coming weekend (June 24, 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 433 Carrall Street, Vancouver) to help fill the gap left by the departure of the Chester Group, and it’s Vancouver Audio Show. Admission is free of charge. Igor Kivritsky of HiFi Centre said the idea behind the festival is to give something back to Vancouver’s audio community for the loss of the original, scheduled show that was to be held in Burnaby. [...]
Canada: A unique land of high fidelity

June 8, 2017 // 3 Comments

You may have noticed a new section added to Part-Time Audiophile’s menu system: Canada. This marks a new approach for us as we move forward, with a journey into geographic-specific coverage. My home is Vancouver, British Columbia in… you guessed it Canada. So it only made sense to be able to focus on some of the great manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who call Canada home. Moving forward expect to see more stories, reviews, and events from this land we like to refer to as [...]

TAVES 2016: Closing thoughts

December 26, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak At 5 pm on Sunday, I stayed behind to help DVL Audio as well as Audio by Mark Jones with packing up their equipment, and it was at that moment I realized [...]
TAVES 2016: Mundorf and the ANKITS

December 23, 2016 // 1 Comment

By Richard H. Mak Born out of Audio Note UK as the Audio Note Kit company, ANKIT is a separate entity operating out of Canada by company director Brian Smith. The [...]
TAVES 2016: Tri-cell Enterprises demonstrates Acapella, Accustic Arts, Aesthetix, Thoress

December 22, 2016 // 1 Comment

By Richard H. Mak Just like every other year, Tri-cell Enterprises always have the most number of room. This year, I counted 4 but I was told there was 5. The room that [...]
TAVES 2016: Truely Nola

December 22, 2016 // 1 Comment

By Richard H. Mak I wasn’t sure whether the sign posted on the door of Foldback Sound is meant to be humorous or sarcastic, let’s just say his creativity (or lack [...]
TAVES 2016: Monitor Audio climbs the high end ladder

December 16, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak For a second, I thought Monitor Audio had brought in a pair of Dynaudio Temptations into its demo room. They look remarkably similar. The Platinum Series [...]
TAVES 2016: Totem!

December 16, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak Long gone are days with images of native Indian totem poles of the Canadian North. Totem Acoustics has continued to be an innovative company, constantly [...]
TAVES 2016: Harman International shows Mark Levinson, Revel and JBL

December 12, 2016 // 2 Comments

By Richard H. Mak Here is a room which I would not have found if it wasn’t for the majestic sound of trumpets from Wagner’s Der fliegende Hollände (The Flying [...]
TAVES 2016: Focus Audio

December 7, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak The Focus Audio Master 2 BE Speakers (USD$ 45,000) may look similar to the pair which was shown in last years’ TAVES, these are in fact the next [...]
TAVES 2016: Triangle Art shines in Toronto

December 5, 2016 // 1 Comment

By Richard H. Mak Every time when I walk into Triangle Art’s esoterically decorated room, it reminds of me of walking into Le Cirque at Bellagio or Red Square at [...]
TAVES 2016: Sonic Artistry and Charisma Audio

December 5, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak Bernard Li of Charisma Audio has always managed to bring in new products for display year after year, and his room often looks completely different from one [...]
TAVES 2016: Audio by Mark Jones

November 28, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak Mark Jones has been in the audio business for over 30 years, and a few years ago he went independent, starting his personal brick and mortar shop, Audio by [...]
TAVES 2016: Nordost demos with Tannoy

November 26, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak Situated next door to Mark Jone’s room the Nordost team leaded by Michael Talyor, VP of North American Sales, was busy doing A/B comparisons between [...]
TAVES 2016: Audiophile seminars

November 26, 2016 // 0 Comments

By Richard H. Mak There were many seminars this year at TAVES with great attendance by people who came to learn about new technologies and new trends in the Hi-Fi world. [...]

Vancouver 2015: Wrap

May 28, 2015 // 1 Comment

by Rafe Arnott I have a confession to make. I can’t dance or sing worth a damn (unless I’ve had several pints, then I’m John Travolta and Tori Amos rolled [...]
Vancouver 2015: Pat’s Audio Art with Spendor, Jadis, Rega

May 28, 2015 // 3 Comments

by Rafe Arnott Spendor is a speaker brand that has been hand-built by UK craftsmen in Hailsham, Sussex since the ’60s. I imagine them as salt-of-the-Earth types that [...]
Vancouver 2015: Conversations with David Cope, Audio Note UK

May 27, 2015 // 0 Comments

by Rafe Arnott If you’ve been to an Audio Note UK show room at one of a hundred audio conventions or trade shows in the last decade or so (think Newport Beach coming [...]
Vancouver 2015: Hi Fi Centre and McIntosh Labs

May 23, 2015 // 4 Comments

by Rafe Arnott Imagine my surprise running into Tom Cruise at the Vancouver Audio Show. OK, well it wasn’t exactly Tom Cruise but Andrew Ward of McIntosh could pass for [...]
Vancouver 2015: Element Acoustics presents Acapella

May 22, 2015 // 0 Comments

by Rafe Arnott Some hi-fi gear just looks the business. You know what I mean? The Focal Grande Utopia loudspeaker, the Da Vinci Gold AAS-Gabriel turntable, the Kondo Ongaku [...]
Vancouver 2015: Devialet and Magico

May 21, 2015 // 0 Comments

by Rafe Arnott Devialet is one of those brands that seem to either really turn people on or really turn people off. I’ve yet to speak with someone who is familiar with [...]
Vancouver 2015: Back to Audio Note UK

May 20, 2015 // 0 Comments

by Rafe Arnott This was my first time wandering the halls of a hi-fi show, and sitting in several rooms listening to a large and varied spate of gear I kept finding myself [...]
Vancouver 2015: Mark Levinson and Martin Logan

May 19, 2015 // 2 Comments

by Rafe Arnott You ever seen a big rock ‘n roll show from the front row? How about closer than that? I have. I’ve been a newspaper photographer (among other jobs [...]
Vancouver 2015: Devialet

May 14, 2015 // 3 Comments

Have you ever been really surprised by something that you expected to be disappointed by? Think of the time your friend set you up on a blind date and said “trust [...]
Vancouver 2015: Element Acoustics with Burmester, Transrotor, Koetsu

May 13, 2015 // 1 Comment

By Rafe Arnott It’s a hot, sunny Saturday in Vancouver and every brew pub patio between my place and the SkyTrain station beckons to me like a mermaid to a sailor. But [...]
Vancouver 2015: Element Acoustics with Lawrence Audio, Weiss, Accuphase, VPI

May 11, 2015 // 0 Comments

By Rafe Arnott 8:00 p.m. Friday Edward Ku of Element Acoustics in Vancouver has an infectious smile and genuine love for high-end audio. His three room set-ups were well [...]
Vancouver 2015: Naim/Vienna Acoustics

May 10, 2015 // 0 Comments

By Rafe Arnott 6:45 p.m. If I’m not tapping my toes or bobbing my head with Johnny Cash cranked then I start to get a bit weirded out. So it was when I sidled into the [...]
Vancouver 2015: Audio Note UK

May 9, 2015 // 3 Comments

By Rafe Arnott Burnaby, British Columbia, Friday May 8, 5:30 p.m. With no sign of beer imminent as my eyes darted about the large lobby gamely looking for a quick pint, and a [...]

Frank Sinatra's Hi-Fi, circa 1947

Frank Sinatra's Hi-Fi, circa 1947

Well, lawdy Miss Clawdy! John Marks' latest republication from The Tannhauser Gate is compact, but delicious. A shout from the past, really, right after World War II, but before Bing Crosby's Ampex Corporation with its pilfered Nazi technology that we today call "tape recorders" hit the scene. 78s everywhere, of course; no LPs to be seen. A... Read More »

PS Audio's New Huron Operating System for the DirectStream Junior DAC

PS Audio's New Huron Operating System for the DirectStream Junior DAC

It's been a little over a year since PS Audio's DirectStream Junior DAC landed in the Tune Saloon. I gave it a well-deserved two-thumbs up in my PF review, HERE. Since that time, DS Junior been the primary source for my digital audio system. The beating heart of the DSJ (and big bro DirectStream), is its custom Field... Read More »

Top 500 SuperSonic List - Part 4

Top 500 SuperSonic List - Part 4

This is an ongoing project by Claude Lemaire of Soundevaluations. "Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair"... 31. The Beatles. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Parlophone PCS 7027 (1967), MoFi ‎– MFSL 1-100 (1983), 33 1/3 rpm). Genre: rock, psychedelic, art rock, baroque pop, raga, avant-garde It was fifty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the... Read More »

Campfire Audio Vega IEM

Campfire Audio Vega IEM

Released in 2015, Campfire Audio headed by Ken ball has emerged as a successful in-ear monitor (IEM) company across the audiophile community. Having released in excess of 5 earphones in the past 18 months, the company are a boutique brand aiming to deliver hi-fidelity sound quality in a durable form factor. Campfire Audio's Andromeda was... Read More »

Synergistic Research PowerCell 12 UEF SE Power Conditioner

Synergistic Research PowerCell 12 UEF SE Power Conditioner

Please be patient as I step you through some backstory. I reviewed the Synergistic Research PowerCell 10 UEF power conditioner back in October 2014. It made a tremendous impact on the overall sound of my system—all for the good! Other than a change in speakers, maybe more of an impact than any other single component at that point... Read More »

Black Sabbath announce The Ten Year War: Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set with MQA high-res

June 22, 2017 // 3 Comments

Black Sabbath fans rejoice. BMG is tooling up for a September release of eight Sabbath LPs on 180-gram coloured vinyl that all have been re-mastered by Andy Pearce from the [...]
Audio Research Announces its First Ever Trade Up! Program

June 14, 2017 // 2 Comments

Attention all Audio Research owners! Looks like the time may be right to explore that “next step”. You ready? Check out the following press release: Audio [...]
New PS Audio Huron upgrade for DirectStream and DirectStream Jr DACs; MQA and Tidal coming soon

June 9, 2017 // 1 Comment

PS Audio has released an exciting update to their award-winning DirectStream DAC and DirectStream Jr products. Details in the press release, below. Boulder, CO: [...]
Canada: A unique land of high fidelity

June 8, 2017 // 3 Comments

You may have noticed a new section added to Part-Time Audiophile’s menu system: Canada. This marks a new approach for us as we move forward, with a journey into [...]
Element Acoustics to host Limited-Seating Accuphase Demo Event in Vancouver June 24th

June 6, 2017 // 0 Comments

Edward Ku of Element Acoustics will be hosting a special, limited-seating Accuphase demonstration event at his Richmond showroom on June 24th. Ku was one of many [...]

Copyright © 2017