CANADA HiFi April/May 2013 Digital/Tablet/iPad Edition is Now Available!

The digital edition of the April/May 2013 issue is now available in the Digital Editions section. Features inside this issue include:

• 2013 Salon Son et Image in Montreal: Exploring the Latest Products at the Montreal Show
• A Complete Guide To Choosing An Amplifier
• The Low Down on High Rez Music Files – Understanding the Various
… Continue Reading

Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated Tube Amplifier

If you’ve ever been to a show like the Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show, you’ll know that the tube amplifier product category is alive and well.  You’ll never see this type of amplification technology in your smart phone or tablet – that’s true – but when it comes to listening to music at home, many … Continue Reading

Abyss AB-1266 Headphone from JPS Labs

Abyss is a new JPS Labs division that focuses on headphone products.  The new flagship model for the company is a highly-advanced planar magnetic headphone that has a simple alpha-numeric name i.e. the AB-1266.  Key features:
◦ Made in USA
◦ Rigid chassis with side frames and adjustable two piece headband with all components machined from solid aluminum.
◦ Integrated resonance … Continue Reading

Salon Son & Image 2013 Coverage Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our Salon Son & Image 2013 coverage, written by George de Sa.  If you missed Part 1 of this feature – please click HERE TO READ IT FIRST.  Saturday, March 23^rd started with a much larger crowd at the front reception, where the SSI Blue Girls did a … Continue Reading

Introducing the Adsum Audio Detonator

Adsum Audio is a homegrown Alberta based company exploding onto the Canadian audio market scene with its first product, the Detonator.  The word “Adsum” is Latin for “I Am Present”.  It is the mission of Adsum Audio to ensure each one of its customers feel as though they were present at the original audio event … Continue Reading

Just Mobile HeadStand

Just Mobile, has just recently introduced an attractive and practical solution for stashing your headphones – it’s called the HeadStand.  The HeadStand is an aluminium headphone stand that incorporates a dual-layered base as well as storage space for a headphone cable. The HeadStand has been deisgned to offer a convenient, sturdy and stylish method for stowing your headphones at a more affodable … Continue Reading

Coincident’s Turbo 845 SE and Dynamo 34 SE Amps

Coincident Speaker Technology has just announced its two latest stereo amplifier creations – the Turbo 845 SE and the Dynamo 34 SE tube amplifiers.   The Turbo 845 SE is a dual mono construction that has been designed to provide high quality performance from a smaller package.  The amplifier is equiped with a remote control and a massive power supply … Continue Reading

Salon Son & Image 2013 Coverage Part 1

Are you a serious music buff and catch yourself playing air guitar sometimes?  Do you love your movies so much that you can’t resist repeating your favourite character’s lines at the dinner table?  If so, then you really need to make it a habit to visit a consumer electronics show that allows you to discover … Continue Reading

NuForce STA-100 Class-D Stereo Amplifier

NuForce Inc. has just released a new stereo power amplifier, named the STA-100.  The STA-100 is said to offer audiophile-grade sound quality by way of a high efficiency switching amplifier that permits a competitive price.   NuForce’s patented design uses Class-D amplifier topology to provide 160-Watts per channel. The STA-100 incorporates NuForce’s proprietary feedback circuitry, self-resonant design, with a 400 kHz PWM switching frequency … Continue Reading

Marantz NR1504 and NR1604 Networking AV Receivers

Marantz has just introduced two new affordable, slim-line networking AV receivers – the NR1504 AV ($599) and the NR1604 ($729). The NR1604 features Apple’s AirPlay, allowing users to stream their iTunes music whether from Mac or PC, as well as music stored on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The NR1504 features 5-channel … Continue Reading

Introducing Serene Audio

Looking for a compact high fidelity speaker that sounds amazing and is just as much pleasure to look at?  Then you should definitely take a look at the speaker offerings from Canadian manufacturer Serene Audio.  This manufacturer is dedicated to extracting the best possible sound from a small package that fits comfortably on your desktop … Continue Reading

System Audio Aura 1 Bookshelf Loudspeaker Review

System Audio (SA) is a company that has been manufacturing loudspeakers for a few decades.  The company was founded in 1984 by a musician Ole Witthøft, who is currently SA’s leader of product research and development.  As System Audio points out on its website, Ole, as a musician, knew what live music should sound like … Continue Reading

Yamaha Home-Theatre-In-A-Box Systems for 2013

Yamaha has just announced five new home-theater-in-a-box (HTiB) networked systems: the YHT-899U, YHT-799U, YHT-699U and YHT-599U.    These new systems feature increased network connectivity and control features including Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) for full HD audio/video from MHL portable devices/phones, AirPlay, Pandora, vTuner Internet radio, and Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth support. A Yamaha AV Controller App for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire provides system control and … Continue Reading

Myth Labs Genesis and Eclipse Headphones

Myth Labs is a new entrant to the competititve headphone product market and comes in with two models of headphones that are customized to fit individual lifestyles and music collections.   The sound of Myth headphones is tailored to the listener using a variety of drivers designed to fit different types of music genres and audio files. All … Continue Reading

Sol Republic x Steve Aoki Tracks HD headphones

  Sol Republic has just announced their new x Steve Aoki Tracks HD headphones.  Steve Aoki is a renowned Electronic Dance Music (EDM) artist, DJ, record producer and founder of Dim Mak Records.  They styling of the headphones with black and white stripes, and aqua-blue Aoki silhouette is intended to reflect the outlandish personality of Steve Aoki.   EDM screams high … Continue Reading

Chord Electronics Standard Series Upgraded to MkII

Chord Electronics has just upgraded its Standard Series power amplifiers to MkII status. With the upgrade comes improvements taken from the Reference Series.  The improvements are said to provide increased performance, flexibility and durability.  Four models have been updated, including three stereo power amps and one monoblock as follows: SPM 1200MkII (350 watts); SPM 4000MkII (480 watts); SPM 5000MkII (500 watts), plus the SPM … Continue Reading

Audience ClairAudient The ONE Loudspeaker

Audience has just announced that they are now shipping their new ClairAudient The ONE single-driver loudspeaker.  At just 7 inches high by 5.5 inches wide by 7 inches deep, the new ONE loudspeaker is a desktop listener’s dream come true.  The new ONE speaker utilizes Audience’s A3 full-range driver coupled with a passive radiator.  The A3-S driver is a full-range high … Continue Reading

M2Tech hiFace DAC 32-bit/384kHz

  M2Tech has just announced a new innovative product.  Much like the popular AudioQuest Dragonfly DAC, here we have a thumb-drive sized DAC from M2Tech but what is unique here is that this tiny thumb-drive DAC has the ability to handle 32-bit/384kHz conversion, unlike most DAC’s on the market now that can only handle up to 24/192 conversion.  … Continue Reading

MartinLogan Helos In-Ceiling Speakers

MartinLogan, known for its electrostatic and Folded Motion loudspeaker technology, has just added two new in-ceiling speakers to its architectural line of speakers – the Helos 12 and Helos 22. With updated bezel-less grilles, MartinLogan’s Helos series is reborn with cleaner, more discrete aesthetics. Replacing the Helos 10 and Helos 20, new Helos 12 and … Continue Reading

Panasonic 2013 LED and Plasma TVs in Canada

Panasonic has just released the pricing and availability of its LED and Plasma TVs, previously announced at the CES 2013 in Las Vega, for the Canadian market.  To learn about the features and technical specifications that each of these new TV series offers, please read our earlier post about Panasonic Plasma TVs here and our … Continue Reading