Part-Time Audiophile Canada

Announcements

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
March 31, 2017 in Analog // Turntable manufacturer sees sales surge 400% to keep up with vinyl numbers
March 28, 2017 in Announcements // Euro news: IBEX AUDIO acquires MasterBuilt Audio distribution for Austria, Germany and Switzerland
March 18, 2017 in Announcements // Audirvana Plus announces MQA integration on Mac OS
March 17, 2017 in Announcements // Audio Research Mourns the Loss of Ward Fiebiger
March 16, 2017 in Announcements // MQA to be released on Compact Disc
March 12, 2017 in Announcements // Oracle quietly rolls out Origine turntable
March 8, 2017 in Announcements // Zu Audio Omen Dirty weekend Mk. II
March 1, 2017 in Announcements // Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics purchased by Sound United, owners of Polk Audio

Montreal Audio Fest Video: Tidal loudspeakers with Karan Acoustics, Goldmund and Thales from Wynn Audio

April 7, 2017 // 4 Comments

Wynn Wong is a very unassuming guy, who has a big smile, quiet charm, and an infectious smile that instantly puts people at ease. Every time I checked out his room at the Salon Audio Montreal he was in animated conversation with a showgoer about some aspect of the system he’d put together to showcase the wares he represents out of his showroom near Toronto – Wynn Audio. I’ve had the privilege of hearing Wong demo systems before, and this time it was just as compelling, [...]
Video: Peter Qvortrup and Vincent Bélanger launch Audio Note Music at Montreal Audio Fest

April 4, 2017 // 10 Comments

Audio Note UK levelled it’s latest salvo at the mainstream audio industry during this year’s Salon Audio Montreal by launching Audio Note Music. The first album from the new label is Pure Cello, a 2×45 rpm LP, and CD by noted Canadian cellist Vincent Bélanger. The LP was recorded in a chapel on the grounds of the Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut which is renowned for its acoustics, and signifies the British hardware manufacturer’s [...]
Video: VPI’s Harry Weisfeld talks turntables at Montreal Audio Fest

March 30, 2017 // 9 Comments

Harry Weisfeld is a household name in high-fidelity circles. The turntable designer, and manufacturing icon who started VPI Industries has been in the business for more than 30 years, and doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. I was able to catch up with him at the Salon Audio Montreal, sit down with him for a few minutes to talk about what he’s up to these days, and what’s in the pipeline for VPI. Since Harry’s son Mat Weisfeld has taken over much of [...]
Montreal Audio Fest: Day Three, the goodbye

March 27, 2017 // 2 Comments

My last day of the Salon Audio Montreal was spent somewhat in introspection. First off I couldn’t believe my time here was coming to end in what like such a short time, and secondly I get like this at every show because I realize that these gatherings of the tribe are like snowflakes: each infinitely unique, each lasting just a moment, relatively speaking. Organizers Sarah Tremblay, and Michele Plante had pulled off a solid hit with their second tour de force in the comeback of the [...]
Montreal Audio Fest: Day Two, the wall

March 26, 2017 // 3 Comments

I had started to hit it. The wall. The mental, and physical barrier you can find yourself pushing against (or in my case leaning against), at Saturday around 1 a.m. when you’re finally back at your hotel room desperately trying to make sense of the hundreds of photos, and the chicken scrawl that passes for my handwritten notes on bits of paper, and business cards after a day in Montreal at the Salon Audio. This is usual for moi. It comes from covering an audio show all day, and then [...]

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 [...]

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