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The Master Switch
We admit: we may have gotten a little carried away.
But can you blame us? If you deposit any writer from this website into a hall filled with high-end speakers, amps and headphones, we're going to run around like the kids in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory – although hopefully without the gruesome death and dismemberments. TAVES, in Toronto, is one of the largest trade shows in North America, and all the biggest names in audio and home theater had come out to show off their gear. We decided to make the first day about the headphones, and as we said, we may have gotten a little bit too excited.
We listened to everything. Seriously: our ears are ringing right now. We took photos of the gear, spoke to everyone, got into weird debates about speaker isolation, and contemplated how likely it was for anybody to call the police if we made off with a few pairs of headphones. Tomorrow (Saturday) will be all about the speakers, but today? Cover your ears, folks…
This was a stunning surprise at the show. Kennerton - a Russian headphone manufacturer – was one company we hadn't actually had the chance to listen to, and which we'd been trying to track down for a while. This is their Vali, and it's absolutely magnificent. It's not only built like a tank, but sounds like one, too, with a powerful low end. Not to mention the gorgeous wooden box it comes in...
We were delighted to see the Diana headphones from Abyss. these take everything we loved about the AB-1266, and improved on it: a lighter, smarter, faster version of an already brilliant pair of cans. There was also a new AB-1266 version, which we liked, although we couldn't get past the slightly weird way of adjusting fit, which involves bending the headband at its apex!
Brooklyn legends Grado had a big presence at the show, with their distributors lining up their headphones along with some FiiO players. We spent some time with their newest flagship, the PS2000E – an upgrade on the original PS1000 that replaces the core with maplewood. Somehow, it manages to transcend the traditional bright Grado signature to become something truly special.
A quick shot of the FiiO X7 MkII – a digital audio player with a detachable bottom end, which we used to audition the Grados.It runs off an Android OS, and sounds mint.
By some margin one of the most bonkers amplifiers we've ever seen. This is by Pathos, it's called the Classic Remix, and it looks like something you'd use to power up your character in Bioshock. Honestly, we want one of these. No, we don't care what it sounds like (it actually wasn't connected when we swung by). We just want it.
You're going to be hearing a lot about this little guy. It's called a GET, by Montreal-based company Bluewave, and it's quite remarkable. They gave us a demo model to review, and it proved amazingly useful as we walked around the main hall. It's an aptX-capable Bluetooth amp/DAC, and it makes listening to Bluetooth music super easy. It sounds terrific, too. Expect a full review very soon.
What would an audio show be without the glowing tubes of the Auris HA-2SE? It's an audiophile staple that has become the go to amp of choice for demoing headphones. Like, for example…
...the HiFiMAN Susvara: A remarkable pair of planar magnetic headphones. They are unbelievably musical, with terrific dynamics and splendid texture.
Oh, you know, just a bunch of Russian headphones hanging out with one of the sexiest amps on the floor, a gorgeous Cayin HA-1A Mk2.
We tested these Mr Speakers AEON FLOW with our Bluewave GET amp. There's no question that they sound absolutely spectacular, among the best open-back headphones available. We also think the teardrop shape is not only distinctive, but very comfortable, too.
What would an audio show be without AUDEZE? The company was out in full force, showing off just about every pair of headphones they have available. We were a little disappointed not to be able to hear the new LCD-MX4, which wasn't available at the show, but this stuff is still magnificent.
That being said, AUDEZE did bring along a fantastic amplifier to demo their cans with: the Audio-Technica AT-H5050H, a splendid hybrid headphone amplifier that not only looks fantastic – as you can see from the photo – but also delivers a meaty, rich sound that matches perfectly with AUDEZE cans. It's among the more expensive amplifiers available, but it's highly worth it.
One of the most surprising finds wasn't this amazing Woo Audio WA7 amplifier – which we've seen and tested before – but the accessories surrounding it. See that great little braided cable at the bottom? It's from Kimber Kable, who showed us the full range of their high-end audio cables. They are surprisingly cool, delivering loads of little touches like the ebony connectors. The cable debate is a big one, but there was no question that these silver and copper cables made the audio a little bit fresher, and gave it a little bit more depth. If you can afford them, they are an excellent addition to a headphone setup.
Kimber had two setups going: a Sony TA-ZH1ES amp (full review here) matched with a Focal Utopia (full review here), and a Woo WA7 pared with a set of headphones that we hadn't actually heard before: the Sony MDRZ1R. They aren't going to beat the Focal, but the combination was excellent.
While hanging out at the Abyss booth, we got chatting to Jeff Wells, maker of some magnificent headphone amps like this Enigma. This, along with the smaller Milo, powered the Abyss headphones on offer. With unique features like polarity switches, and an audio signature that is deep, dark and chewy, we've got a lot of love for Wells Audio. Their Headtrip and has already made our list of the best headphone amps of this year.
One last one: a digital audio player, namely the fabulous and very fancy Lotoo PAW Gold. It's not the easiest audio player in the world to use, with a slightly complicated interface, but don't you love that gold wheel? And it sounds magnificent.
