Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show (TAVES 2011)
Part 3 Show Report By Rick Becker

Speaking of DACs, in the Bluebird Music room Jay Rein had Chord’s new QBD76 DAC ($6495) on display with a huge blue window on top so you can marvel at the complexity of the circuitry. This has been a very pretty theme for Chord for many years, now, and this new DAC also supports USB. I was very impressed of the sound of the Spendor SP2/3R2 loudspeakers ($4400) driven by modestly priced Exposure CD player ($2395), preamp ($1595) and monoblocks ($2895). I was listening to a JA Michell TechnoDeck turntable w/cartridge ($1995) with an EAR 834P phono preamp ($1995) running into the Exposure gear above. Also of note was the Chordette Gem Bluetooth/USB DAC ($695). Jay told me he was just getting back into running after hurting his back lifting a large amplifier out of a box. (I know what a bummer it is to be out of your game). I mention this to suggest rolling the equipment box on its side and sliding the heavy component out, rather than lift it straight up. While not as macho a technique, it makes for more comfortable listening sessions.

The mauving of North America has long since been completed, as witnessed by the carpet beneath these very fine and expensive cables from Onda out of Calgary. I normally shy away from such exotica, but Greg Kozokowsky (the engineering guy) and Ken Sim (the marketing guy) were so down to earth and engaging that that I took a long listen to the rig here. An Acoustic Arts CD front end ultimately fed to Aesthetix Atlas monoblocks to drive Vandersteen Quatro speakers decked out in wood veneer. There was truly some gorgeous sound here. Greg and Ken treated me to a top-to-bottom comparison of their interconnect products which was very revealing. Their marketing approach is consumer friendly with a risk free 15 day money back guarantee and a trade-up policy that allows you to pay the difference to upgrade your original purchase. An additional incentive is a reward program for referrals. How much better could it get than that? My initial listening to a brand new set of their starting interconnects at home indicates these are very good cables. Pay attention, here. Review forthcoming.

Saturday evening Tom and I were treated to heavy hors d’oeuvres (as they say in Montreal) and selected the very fine Carlsberg ale at the party for Presenters and Press. I had an interesting chat with Robert Deutsch whom I see frequently at Montreal. He told me he got his start by contacting John Atkinson at Stereophile and suggested they have him cover the original Toronto show back in the 1990’s because he lived there and it wouldn’t cost them very much. History, it seems, has repeated itself.

We then took to the streets of Toronto where tens of thousands of citizens walked from event to event in a downtown Art Festival that featured everything from street musicians to this movie set walk in the rain experience where you could pick up an umbrella and walk through a back-lighted mist as if in a movie.

And yes, that is a drum kit in the engine bay of a car. In fact the exploded view of the car featured a drummer who put out a pretty intense solo for who knows how long?

There were 3D light projections on tall buildings, people “flying” through the air on cables, video art stations and food vendors to keep the visitors energized through the night. Yes, this event started at sunset and ended at dawn.

I fell in love with this event hostess, but Tom and I had to return to the hotel to rest up for the next day. As we entered the hotel I spotted this Mercedes at the curb. Passing by the lounge I heard a female vocalist performing at the piano. We pulled up a couple of chairs and caught a couple of songs from Anne Bisson, live and in person. She not only has a wonderful voice, but she is extremely fluent on piano. She finished to a heartfelt applause from the audiophiles in the audience and joined them for conversation as Tom and I retreated to our room. Sunday would be another workday.

There is much more to come, so stay tuned as part 4 will appear online soon!

Click here for part 4 of TAVES 2011 report.