Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report Part 2: Hi-Fi Highlights, Great New Gear, And Must-Hear High-End Audio Systems
From the newest turntables and DACs to reference-quality loudspeakers and remarkable tweaks, Part 2 explores exciting audiophile exhibits and presentations.
Toronto Audiofest 2026 Show Report By Rick Becker

Spartan 

Audio By Mark Jones
Mark Jones typically puts together one of the best rooms at the Canadian shows. This year his room was a deceptively simple system that I have heard sound so well at other shows. The ability of this digital rig to put out such tight, deep bass from such minimal enclosures is uncanny—even in much smaller rooms.

What differentiates this presentation from others I've heard is Mark's insistence on using an analog front end. Barely visible next to the Grimm MU1 streamer was the small Grimm PW1 phono stage for MM and MC cartridges, and it does not require a separate power supply. Cartridge loading is on the bottom, and both RCA and XLR outputs are on the back.

From the top shelf down were the Linn LP12 turntable, Linn Radikal, Grimm MU1 digital music source, and PW1, and on the bottom shelf, an AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner. Oh, and the little black tower next to the turntable is the DS Audio Ion-001 Vinyl Ionizer that spits out positive and negative ions to neutralize static on the LPs as they are played. I've seen this in operation at a number of shows, and the music was always excellent. You can also use it to neutralize your CDs before playing them.

The black box at the bottom is the SB1 subwoofer that converts the LS1c flagship speaker to a 3-way design and provides such defined bass using digital motional feedback, lowering distortion by a claimed 30 dB.

While this is a deceptively simple system, it is also a "buy-it-once" system that will serve your needs indefinitely, albeit at a price around $150k. This was a very impressive room, not just for the system, but for Mark Jones' presentation style, which creates a listening atmosphere that allows you to listen to the music. Always worth a visit.

Northern Spy 

EQ Audio Video
The table in the hall in front of the Northern Spy room suggested a home theater demo was near. And indeed, EQ Video is a major installer of home theater in Ontario.

EQ Audio Video had two large rooms, this being the one with a full-blown home theater experience featuring concert films on the two times I visited. It gave an impressive concert performance with the music coming primarily from the front wall, just as you would have experienced it live, along with ambient sound from the surround sound.

Note the projector suspended from the ceiling and the enclosed equipment rack at the rear.

Equipment included electronics from Musical Fidelity and a speaker system from Perlisten. Room treatments were amply applied.

In the wide hallway between the two EQ Audio Video rooms were several Focal headphone listening stations which drew a lot of attention.

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