Toronto Audiofest 2019 Show Report
Part 1 By Rick Becker

Fourth And Third Floor

  Continuing with the fourth floor, the Electronics Depot featured Sonus Faber speakers with McIntosh electronics along with a couple of jazz musicians.

The owner of Hegel was in town to present their newest "Baby Giant" integrated amplifier that conveyed music with authority.

GemSen presented Dynaudio monitors in a vibrant red stain paired with JL subwoofers & electronic crossover, driven by a Parasound pre and power amp.

A similar, but larger rig employed a Krell pre-amp and monoblocks.

A complete Tri-Art rig featuring open baffle speakers and subwoofers, all constructed with plyboo was a stunning sight with very good sound. This company has been doing this for many years now so it must be finding an audience.

Third Floor
Solen, in addition to selling parts, showcased these blue monitors:

Frank Fazzalari teamed his Coherent Speakers with Corby's Audio featuring two vinyl front ends and Allnic tube gear.

Hearken Audio showcased a very special room with a low powered Miyajima tube amp driving a Rethm speaker with a single full-range driver and a front end consisting of two TJN John Nantais turntables — a rare sight. Also rare were some new turntable accessories by Tru-Lift.

Acora Acoustics presented virtually the same large rig I had heard at Rocky Mountain in September with their large granite floorstander powered by Audio Research amps with an Esoteric digital front end. And it sounded just as good, if not better here in Toronto, perhaps due to the gorgeous chrome turntable in use when I visited.

At 7:30 pm my battery died. I searched in vain for my spares before I left, but hey, chaos happens. I liberated my Tracker from the parking lot and headed west on the 401 to what was supposed to be my hotel in Mississauga. At the at the Courtyard Marriott I learned that I should have been given directions to the Courtyard Marriott/West, another 10 km further west. Hey, mistakes happen.

So once settled into my room at the appropriate hotel and with the batteries for both cameras charging, I set out for Lucy's Seafood for a good fish fry. Turns out, Lucy's wasn't where it was supposed to be, but hey, restaurants go out of business. So I settled for the Chinese restaurant that seemed to be packed with people. Chinese people seem to eat late in Toronto, from my previous experiences here. So I walk in to find the restaurant filled — with people of Indian descent. I settled for spicy stir-fried fish.

There's much more Toronto Audiofest 2019 show coverage coming soon, so check back in a day or three for more.

---> Onward to Rick Becker's Toronto Audofest Part 2 report.

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