Bob Deutsch’s Day 2 Photo Post
Saturday was a busy day at the Toronto Audiofest.
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Aurender Streamer, Rogue Integrated Amplifier, MartinLogan Speakers, Kimber Cables
Featured in the MartinLogan room were the company's standmount Motion 35XTi speakers ($CAD1600/pair). The XT denotes the model's folded-diaphragm air-motion tweeter while the i stands for improved, the latter mainly as it relates to upgrades made to the speaker's woofer and crossover.
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Melco Server, Aqua Acoustic Quality DAC, Audio Valve Preamp, ATC Powered Speakers, JL Audio Subwoofers
Entracte Audio's room displayed a nifty little system centered around a pair of active ATC SCM 40A speakers ($CAD13,800/pair) supplemented by two JL Audio E110 subwoofers ($CAD2300 each). Preamp duties were handled by Audio Valve's Eclipse preamp ($CAD6600), while the source consisted of a Melco music server ($CAD7300) being fed music files from an external hard drive, and the Italian Aqua Acoustic Quality La Voce S3 Discrete R2R ladder DAC ($CAD5500).
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Esoteric SACD Player/DAC, Audio Research Amplifiers, Acora Speakers, Cardas Cables
The Acora Acoustics room was another standout. The Canadian company has been building speakers for only a year, but they are on to something with their SRC-1 speaker ($CAD37,995/pair), whose enclosure, as per their marketing literature, is "handcrafted using granite by only the finest artisans in Canada." Sure, they must be a pain to move around, but one could say the same of the amps that were powering them, the cinderblock-shaped Audio Research Ref 10/750Se amps ($CAD95,200/pair).
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Jean Nantais Turntable, Graham Tonearm, Miyajima Cartridge, Yamamoto Amplifier, Rethm Speakers, Ocelia Cables, Harmonix Accessories
The Hearken Audio room was showing the sort of gear that indulges my creative impulses. None of it looked boring, or robotically manufactured on an assembly line. Two of the displayed items in particular snagged my focus: the Jean Nantais Ultimate Lenco analog rig ($US17,500), outfitted with a Graham Audio 12" tonearm ($CAD10,335; only arms of 10.5" or more in length can be used) and a Tru-Lift automatic tonearm lifter ($USD275), a Miyajima Labs Saboten L low-output MC cartridge ($CAD6700), and a pair of 102db sensitive Rethm Saadhana speakers ($CAD24,000).
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Lumin Streamer, Mutec Master Clock, PS Audio DAC, Pass Labs Amp, GoldenEar Speakers, Gutwire and Siltech cables
Another system that did a great job at communicating music's gestalt was the one taking pride of place in the Toronto Home of Audiophile Ltd room. The system included a Lumin U1 streamer ($CAD8000), a Mutec Ref 10 Audiophile 10 MHz master clock with MC3+ smart clock/re-clocker/USB interface ($CAD7150 for both), a PS Audio DirectStream DSD DAC ($CAD9500), a Pass Labs XP22 preamp ($CAD14,000), a class-A, 30Wpc Pass Labs XA30.8 stereo amp ($CAD9800), and a pair of GoldenEar Triton One.R speakers ($CAD8000). Completing the system were a DirectStream Power Plant 20 power conditioner ($CAD14,700) and various cables from Gutwire and Siltech.
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Audiovector R3 Avantgarde Arreté Loudspeakers; Goldnote Giglio Turntable, Ph10 Phono Preamplifier, PSU10 Power Supply, and Four-Shelf Rack; Alluxity Pre 2 Preamp with Streaming DAC, Mono One monoblock amplifiers; Synergistic Research PowerCell
Should you ground your loudspeakers? With most speakers it's a moot point, since there's no practical way to ground the internal metal parts. A few companies—Tannoy comes to mind—have in the past sold speakers with a grounding pin, claiming reduction of distortion and RF interference.
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Scenes From Day One of the Toronto Audiofest
A working musician: singer and flautist Caroline St. Louis (above).
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Harbeth 30.2 40th Anniversary Loudspeakers; Tontraeger stands; Brinkmann Taurus Turntable, Edison MkII Phono Preamp, and Nyquist DAC; Goldnote DS-10 Streamer; Aesthetix Mimas Integrated Amplifier; HRS Racks; Cardas Cabling
After spending time in the Zesto room, I wandered into the other rooms hosted by Canadian audio importer/distributor Tri-Cell.
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Harbeth Speakers, PrimaLuna Integrated Amplifier, Aesthetix Phono Preamp, Kuzma Turntable and Tonearm, Ortofon Cartridge, Furutech Cables
Looking for a simple, sweet-sounding system that's sure to elicit pride of ownership? If so, I'd like to suggest the one I encountered in the room hosted by retailer Vinyl Sound. It starts with a Ken Micallef fave, the Kuzma Stabi S turntable with Stogi arm ($CAD6400 for both), and an Ortofon Cadenza Blue cartridge ($CAD2000).
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