Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report Part 1
High-End Audio Highlights, New Gear Debuts, And Must-See Listening Rooms
Top-performing listening rooms, exciting product introductions, prestigious audio gear, and value-packed hi-fi sound systems that captivate music lovers.
Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report By Rick Becker

336  Auralis Distribution And MACO Matrix Audio
MACO followed up their MACARINA open baffle floor stander, which I very favorably reviewed in October 2024,with the MACARENA, a stand-mounted monitor with a wideband open baffle driver in a Plexiglas baffle above an enclosed woofer. Like the big brother, it had high resolution and an open, airy sound signature.

On the back side of the wideband driver was a hand-carved wooden waveguide. The chassis features a wood front and rear panel, with the rest covered by either fabric at the standard price, or leather at a premium.

The MACARINA was powered by the Auris Luminis integrated that I had seen a few rooms before. The 20 Wpc from parallel 300B tubes contributed to the transparent and inviting sound from the speakers. A Matrix Audio MS-1c on the right was the digital source. The stands were intriguing with their minimal (but substantial) metal structure capped by a stone plate in the case of the amp. It is from MelynLabs, a new company that will be launching soon.

All in, another very good premiere from MACO.

340  Angela-Gilbert Yeung, And Entracte Audio
Entracte Audio is a "by appointment only" retailer somewhere in the GTA, and apparently, a major dealer for Angela-Gilbert Yeung. Once again, I missed the point of the room here, failing to understand the significance of the two sets of Revival Audio speakers, which is a brand I greatly admire.

The room list below indicates what was in the room, but I'm clueless about what I am looking at in this photo. Well, the silver unit in the rack is the Melco N5 Music Library, by deduction. I was told I was listening to the A210 amp with a separate power supply, but there were a lot of unidentified components here.

This amalgam of cables and silicone should have been a clue to ask what was going on.

I've heard the Revival Audio Atalante speakers before, driven by tube amps, and they can sound fantastic—and at a price that makes them far more inviting than, say, a Harbeth from across the English Channel.

Off to the side, beside a chair with a fellow with a laptop who was selecting the music, was another Yeung piece bearing the playful hand-painted chassis that A-G has become famous for. The curvy lines are from the Plexiglas front covers.

It was on my second pass through this room that I figured out these two units beside the chair in the sweet spot of the room. One of them was the Tube Blender that allows you to dial in the amount of bloom or tube sound you prefer. I suspect the other had to do with the second pair of Revival speakers that set back further in the room—probably something that had to do with modifying the apparent soundstage. A single-page white paper explaining what was going on here would have been really helpful. I'm sure a lot of folks entered this room and couldn't figure out what was going on. For the amount of time, effort, and money to make a presentation at a show, it is a shame not to have an explanation of what is going on here.

---> Next Page.