Made in Canada! Part 1 of 3
So far we’ve touched on several companies that manufacture fantastic amplifiers, but a signal chain requires more than just power. While Anthem does offer several power amps, their most well known products are their AVM line of preamp/processors. The AVM 20 was honoured with several prestigious awards when it was released, including Audio Revolution’s “Best of 2002″, Home Theatre and Sound’s “Product of the Year” for 2002 and the 2002 “Reviewers Choice” award from the Sound and Vision magazine. The AVM 20 was one of the most desirable pre/pros thanks to its audiophile grade Burr-Brown operational amplifiers, an “analogue direct” mode which bypasses the D/A and A/D converters and DSP for the purest sound possible, and dedicated broadcast-quality video circuitry on totally independent circuit boards that are isolated from the audio stage. While the AVM 20 is no longer manufactured, Anthem has improved upon its success with the AVM 30 (MSRP $3399). For the videophiles among us, Anthem also offers the AVM 50(MSRP $5499), which offers all the same features as the AVM 30 plus a host of video processing options and four HDMI inputs for transmission of your favourite high resolution audio formats.
Magnum Dynalab www.magnumdynalab.com
Magnum Dynalab entered the A/V world in 1984 with precisely one offering: the Signal Sleuth, an FM radio signal booster and stabilizer whose current counterpart is the MD 205 (MSRP $450). The following year the Brampton-based company expanded their product line to include standalone FM tuners offering a level of clarity, detail and signal strength far surpassing those of the tuners included with standard receivers. In the following years Magnum Dynalab began producing high-end FM antennas, a logical step to ensure that their tuner customers were receiving the best signal possible. Over the years Magnum Dynalab has also brought to market integrated amplifiers and, more recently, XM Radio satellite tuners. The MD609T (MSRP $4695) satellite tuner offers tube technology, high-end Burr-Brown digital/analogue converters and an analogue audio stage that results in a signal to noise ratio of greater than 110 dB.
Speakers
Axiom Audio www.axiomaudio.com
Nestled in the beautiful Muskoka district of Ontario, Axiom Audio has been churning out A/V gear since 1980. Axiom’s founder Ian Colquhon spent several years doing research and developing innovations in loudspeaker design at the National Research Council in Ottawa, and has applied these theories to Axiom’s products. One hallmark of the Axiom line is an outstanding price/quality relationship. Axiom has a home theatre system priced for just about any budget, from the bookshelf-based 5.1 Epic Midi 125 (MSRP $1311) right up to the 7.1 Epic 80 600 (MSRP $4308), a hulking system based around two six-way floorstanding speakers, four quad-pole surrounds and a towering EP 600 subwoofer that features a 12 inch driver in an enclosure almost 4 feet high that’s capable of handling 600 watts of power! Axiom also sells their speakers individually, with a full range of bookshelf, floorstanding, surround, centre and subwoofers available. Unlike any other speaker manufacturer known to us, Axiom offers virtually endless custom finishes of all its speakers. Every speaker can be ordered in one of six real-wood veneers, six stain options, three gloss finishes, three accessory metals and six grille colours. For those who prefer synthetic finishes, Axiom also offers any combination of sixteen vinyl finishes and six grille colours. Now that’s what I call customization! More recently, Axiom introduced a powerful, high performance eight channel digital amplifier – its’ review can be found on www.canadahifi.com.
Totem Acoustic www.totemacoustic.com
Some companies operate on the quantity over quality theory, churning out products from all ends of the A/V spectrum. Montreal’s Totem Acoustic is not one of those companies. In business since 1986, Totem manufactures only loudspeakers. In fact, from 1986 until 1992 they manufactured only one model of loudspeaker, the Model 1, upon which today’s Model 1 Signature (MSRP $2595) is based. Now with an expanded line featuring several bookshelf and floorstanding speakers, subwoofers and centre channels as well as several new in-wall and the Tribe series (MSRP $875 for the Tribe 1) of on-wall speakers, perfect complements for a flat-panel TV, Totem has something to meet the needs of all discerning A/V enthusiasts.
Paradigm www.paradigm.com
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