Toronto Audiofest 2025: Complete Show Coverage, Biggest Gear Reveals, And Best Demos
What happened, what to buy, special highlights, plus our best audiophile gear picks!
Toronto Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker

Wynn Audio
Wynn Wong took both the Carlyle and Balmoral rooms this year and opened the dividers to create one long room with three systems on display.

People who know seem to find their way to his room regardless of where it is. These Lower Level rooms are also the quietest rooms at the show with solid walls, floor, and ceilings.

His rigs are always impeccably set up.

The Tidal Audio Contriva G3 speaker ($150k) from Germany was stunning. Contrary to what I said previously about the DALI Epicore speaker, here the thin chrome surrounds with very high gloss dark vertical wood veneer created a very high level of bling. While most of the cables in this system were from Crystal Cables, the red speaker cable with silk sheath seen here was from Kondo, as it sounded better with the Kondo amplifier.

On the top shelf was a Thiele turntable and Kondo Audio Note step-up transformer. Below was a Kondo preamp with phono stage, and further down was the Kondo Ongaku integrated amplifier with its single-ended inputs on the side, like the Audio Note UK amplifier seen earlier.

The Kondo Audio Note Ongaku integrated amp from Japan.

From the side, you see it is quite deep, and also very heavy with massive transformers.

The Entreq Olympus Hero Groundbox. Entreq was among the very first to take external grounding of a system seriously. Note that Wynn went to the extreme of putting the groundbox on a vibration absorbing platform, along with the power supply for the Thiele turntable. Every little bit helps, and this system was clearly among the very Best Rooms at the show.

As I took my seat in the next vignette to listen to the Audio Group Denmark rig, this gentleman joined me. Being the Good Dad that he is, he brought his two daughters with him.

Audio Group Denmark spread their speakers wide in the middle vignette to achieve excellent sound, easily among the Top Tier at the show. This was a good opportunity to hear an outstanding tube-powered system right next to an outstanding solid state system. The Audio Group Denmark house sound is very consistent from their top models down to their entry level, and it is quite distinct from most solid state companies.

The Borresen M2 speakers ($290k) are an outstanding contemporary design.

Along the back wall of this vignette were three pairs of more affordable Borresen speakers.

In the third vignette was a silent display of a Vinnie Rossi rig with a gorgeous Kalista DreamPlay XC SACD/CD player on top with its power supply on the bottom shelf. Earlier in the show, the rig featured Vimberg Amea bookshelf speakers from Germany, but a visitor to the room cranked the volume up full and, with the power of the Vinnie Rossi monoblocks, blew out the drivers. An unfortunate accident, to say the least.

A Vinnie Rossi Brama preamplifier was shown with its top removed to reveal how the Western Electric 300B tubes are integrated into such a low chassis. The Brama series is not just exquisitely designed; it also sounds fabulous with a great pair of speakers. I'll be looking for it at Capital Audiofest, November 14, 15, and 16.

That's a wrap from Toronto. In the lobby on the way out, I thanked Sarah Tremblay and Michel Plante for putting together another good show. Noticing that Michel (on the right) was hanging out with a couple of other members of the Stereo Group Hockey team, I suggested that instead of the industry dinner at Montreal Audiofest, we should have a block of seats on Saturday night at the Montreal Canadiens' game (at special, really low group prices, of course.)

The Economy
I keep a close eye on the economy and politics, just as I do the high end. The attendance at the Toronto show and word from industry insiders give pause to enthusiasm. As Diane Swonk, Chief Economist @ KPMG_US, who briefs the Federal Reserve and has 38 years of experience, says, the economy "looks better than it feels" and "The only groups that feel good about the economy now are making over $200,000 in the surveys and have large stock portfolios." Many audiophiles fall into that category, but many don't—especially younger ones. She expects a difficult holiday season because of the financial anxiety so many Americans are feeling. The political ramifications should be obvious to all.

That's not a reason to avoid an audio show. There is always something to learn there, and by attending, you experience being a part of a large fan base, just as you might by attending a pro sporting event or a blockbuster movie. Having a chance to hear some of the greatest equipment in the world can be a thrill, even if you might never be able to afford it. You may not be in a position to buy at the moment, but the economy, like the weather, will certainly change. People can be fooled for only so long. Position yourself to enjoy the good times when they arrive, and enjoy your music, always.

See you at Capital Audiofest 2025 high-end audio show (report here).

---> See Enjoy the Music.com's picks for Top Tier and our annual Best Of Toronto Audiofest 2025 Blue Note Awards!