Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
Canada's luxurious premium high-end audio / video equipment show.

  The Toronto Audiofest 2024 show, held from October 18th through 20th, is one of Canada's best luxurious premium high-technology home audio and video showcases. The Toronto Audiofest is made available to audio companies who believe that supporting the audio industry and its community, including the many enthusiasts who come to attend shows, is important to the industry's development and overall vitality. These shows represent the only way dealers and manufacturers can meet so many audio enthusiasts face-to-face in one place, people who have come to see, hear, and shop hundreds of brands and products in a festive, quality environment that can't be found anywhere else, and to share their findings with others.

The Toronto Audiofest 2024 event brings together hundreds of audio brands featuring top rated high-end audio and video (audiophile and videophile) equipment from around the globe. Attendees can hear, touch, and compare various sound systems within two hotel locations that feature many floors of demo rooms ranging from 240 to 2400 sq. ft. It is the perfect place to experience the ultimate in audiophile sound quality. If you're considering acquiring a complete sound system or only a new piece of equipment, the Toronto Audiofest 2024 was the place for you!

Fourth Floor: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
Featuring Nordost, Thorens, Chord, Audiovector, Audiolab, IsoAcoustics, Executive Stereo, Geshelli Labs, Tri-Cell Enterprises, EverSolo, and more.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
With the need to finish this Toronto show report before the Capital Audiofest show coming up on November 8 through 10, I'm compelled to focus on fewer rooms this year. I was able to visit all the rooms and revisit them briefly at the end of the day on Sunday, but for some rooms, I will only be showing a photo or two without deeper content. The awards for the Best Rooms at the show will be at the end of the show report. A variety of Nordost cables were stashed along the floor. That's an Audiovector floorstanding speaker. The music here was not particularly notable, but the rig was not likely warmed up.
---> Fourth Floor: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

Third Floor Part 1: The Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show
Thrilling music on the third floor.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
First, my apology for the delay in getting this part (Part 2) published. In addition to an important review that needed to make the November issue, I had my high school's 60th reunion this weekend. If you ever get the chance to go to yours, I highly encourage you to make the effort to attend. We had people fly into Rochester, NY from Vancouver, BC, California, Arizona, and Florida. Real "no excuses" kind of classmates, and all of us grateful to be alive. The Lounge on the 3rd Floor is the only large room on this level. It is about three times the size of the sleeping rooms and nicely proportioned for good sound.
---> Third Floor Part 1: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show.

Third Floor Part 2: The Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show
Enjoying great tunes on the third floor.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
Turning the corner, I continue with my coverage of the second half of the third Floor. The Yamaha system was provided by Star Electronics, a high-end dealer with a long track record in Toronto. The front end looked like an Apple Mac Mini feeding a Weiss DAC 204 on the floor resting on a pair of wood beams. On the table was a Yamaha C-5000 preamp ($14k) and a Yamaha Power Amplifier – M5000 ($14k), driving stand-mounted Yamaha NS-800 monitors ($6k) each weighing over 28 lbs. – quite substantial for a two-way monitor of this size. Note the substantial speaker stands, as well. The Yamaha rigs at the Montreal show, featuring their large flagship monitor, have often been a disappointment, possibly due to the difficult square room. The ethereal music played here in a much smaller room was more impressive, shedding the most favorable light on the brand in years.
---> Third Floor Part 2: The Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show.

Second Floor: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
Savoring the fantastic sound systems on the second floor.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
The 2nd Floor opened up with a balcony surrounding the atrium on the ground level. There were booths around the balcony and rooms of various sizes that you could enter from the balcony. There were also a couple of sleeping rooms along a hallway you could access near the elevators. I hope you didn't miss those. That's where I'll start. This room was a real treat, mating Nagra electronics with a Harbeth 40.3 XD speaker for the first time in my experience and with excellent results. The current XD series has a much more contemporary sound with greater resolution and a more transparent sound than Harbeths of yore. It is still warm enough with a full body to sound very inviting to me. The 40.3 is the kind of speaker I could recommend to a friend who wanted to get serious about music without ever having to upgrade their speaker.
---> Second Floor: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

Lobby Level: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
Let's visit the Ground Floor and hear what's new.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
On the ground floor, three rooms were located up a flight of stairs tucked away at the far side of the atrium. I totally missed them at one show and vowed never to make that mistake again. They typically have premium vendors and this show was no exception. James Tanner of Bryston was in his usual chair in this listening room and gave me the rundown on new products.

Industry Dinner And Lifetime Achievement Awards
Enjoy the Music.com congratulates all award recipients!
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
Stand-up dinners are a challenge for a photojournalist on assignment. It's hard to hold a dish, operate a fork, and take photos at the same time. I was not only hungry but late to dinner after setting up my computer and falling into the rabbit hole of e-mails. I arrived in time to grab one of the beef cups everyone raved about, but then I had to fill up on the seafood cups which was a true delight for this seafood lover. Deserts provided a sugar high that enabled me to take photos of the awards ceremony. It also gave me the energy to dash back to my room for another battery when my camera died. Haven't I lived this story once before? I had been carrying spare batteries in my briefcase during the day, but naturally, I did not bring the briefcase to dinner.
---> Industry Dinner And Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Best Rooms And Runner-Up Awards
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report
Enjoy the Music.com awards the very best rooms in Toronto.
Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker
With over 60 rooms featuring more than 70-some systems, I came up with six Runner-Ups and six Best Rooms that were clearly outstanding. That said, I enjoy exploring every room at the shows because there are often hidden gems that might be selected to put together a very enjoyable system – maybe not at the lofty prices the Best Rooms amass, but a prices many more of us can afford. I highly encourage people to attend shows and seek out high-value and exceptional performance at price points where they are comfortable. The runner-ups and Best Rooms are linked to the page on which they appear. They are presented here in the order in which I explored the show – from the top down, then over to the Holiday Inn.
---> Best Rooms And Runner-Up Awards: Toronto Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

Friday, Oct 18 Is Toronto Audiofest's Prohibition Night 2024
Experience a special fun Prohibition Night where you may savor six sensational whiskies, enjoy top-quality audio systems, plus indulge in small bites. Tickets are limited so act fast at this link!

More About The Toronto Audiofest 2024
Here at the show, you may discover audio components for every budget, from a complete system for $5,000 to a single pair of speakers at $500,000 to satisfy all your preferences. Plus enlightening conferences, live music, a record fair, headphones lounge, and so much more!

The Toronto Audiofest 2024 show organizers have more than five decades of experience within the music and audio industry. Like everyone, they started with a love of music that soon became enlightened by better sound reproduction. Their passion for high-end audio started as a hobby but quickly became their career. Above all, the two entrepreneurs are driven by their care of people. They are fully dedicated at servicing their exhibitors as if they were family and this concern extends to making sure all the fest's visitors have a wonderful experience.

Toronto Audiofest 2024 is looking for ways to attract more consumers to quality audio systems. A very special Personal Audio Zone Personal Audio Zone is where you will discover many brands of portable / personal audio.

On October 14, 2024:
$1 USD = $1.38 Canadian Dollar
$1 Canadian Dollar = $ 0.72 USD

Dates & Hours
Friday October 18 from 11am to 8pm 
Saturday October 19 from 10am to 6pm 
Sunday October 20 from 10am to 5pm

Show Locations
The Westin Toronto Airport Hotel
950 Dixon Road
Etobicoke, ON
M9W 5N4, Canada

Voice: (416) 675-9444

Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport
970 Dixon Road
Rexdale, ON M9W 1J9
Canada

Voice: (416) 675-7611

Toronto Audiofest 2023 Show Report, 2022 Show Report, and Toronto Audiofest 2019 Show Report.