Acora, Audio Research, Transrotor, Dynavector
Who knew I’d meet Paul Simon—the Paul Simon, pop star, the shorter half of Simon and Garfunkel—at the Toronto Audiofest?
American Sound of Canada: Estelon Forza, Wadax, Boulder, HRS, Transparent
They say staring is impolite, but as I listened to the music from this system in the American Sound of Canada room, it was hard to keep my eye from wandering to gaze lustily at the assembled gear.
Audio Advice Live: A Single-Dealer Audio Show in Raleigh
Since 2007, Audio Advice Live has been an annual, one-night event, drawing enthusiastic audiophiles to the Audio Advice showrooms in Raleigh's Glenwood Avenue, next to Virgin Cigars, or to their location in Charlotte. But this year, Audio Advice Live was different: It was a fully fledged audio show, held like most such events at a conference hotel: the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, in that North Carolina city, with rooms sponsored and presented by a wide range of hi-fi (and home-theater) companies. The show's website listed 70 brands—58 home audio brands, the others video-related—followed by a graphic saying "+ MANY MORE!"
Audio Note UK
Whether at the Toronto Audiofest or the Montreal one, Audio Note UK always has a room set up that is simple to string together, not very expensive, and imminently musical. It was no different at this year’s Toronto show.
B.audio Adds Optional MM/MC Phono Stage for Alpha One and B.dpr
Monarch Systems Ltd., B.audio’s distributor for the U.S. and Canada, announced an optional phono stage module from the French manufacturer. The add-in board adds a turntable input to select B.audio components.
beyerdynamic Introduces DT 1770 PRO MKII and DT 1990 PRO MKII Headphones
German audio manufacturer beyerdynamic has launched updated versions of its premium studio headphones: the DT 1770 PRO MKII and DT 1990 PRO MKII. These models feature the newly developed TESLA.45 driver, designed to improve sound quality and reduce distortion.
Centre Hi-Fi's Genesis Room, with Marten, T+A components, Music Hall Analog, and an Earmen Phono Preamp
Another fun room was the one sponsored by Centre Hi-Fi, a Montreal-based audio dealer that decided to add a flagship division called Genesis that offers higher-performance and higher-priced products than it normally sells.
CH Precision, Wattson Audio, and Audiovector
At recent shows, Switzerland-based CH Precision has most often presented its electronics with Wilson speakers. At High End Munich 2025, the company was planning to demo with a pair of Rockports; that plan was foiled when [edited] the M10s went full power and took out three of four woofers, according to Kevin Wolff, the head of international sales for CH Precision and Wattson Audio.
DALI Debuts EPIKORE Series Speakers in New York
Following the release of their statement product KORE loudspeaker in 2022 and the impressive EPIKORE 11 4½ way floorstander ($60,000) in 2023, DALI has introduced three new EPIKORE models, two more compact floorstanders and a stand-mount loudspeaker, to expand the series into a full line. All were on display and in action for the press in multiple listening rooms at Park Avenue Audio in NYC.
Dynaudio at Innovative Audio
On Thursday, December 12, New York City’s Innovative Audio presented the North American debut of four Dynaudio loudspeakers, two of which are brand-new. The event, held at the store’s Midtown location, featured presentations by Dynaudio executives John Quick and Michael Manousselis. Attendees had the opportunity to experience the sound quality and design of these new models.