Entracte Audio

Well stocked with these fantastic performing little hifi boxes from Lindemann in Germany. Our Canadian dealers keep buying them - great sound quality and very high value!

For those interested in Entracte Audio by Design EF series power line filters, here is a link a YouTube video that is going live at 2:00 PM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJWjNatxNsg

And then there were five... the Entracte Audio Power Line Filter range has increased to five models. From left to right: EF215-2, EF130, EF110, EF120, EF220-2. Pricing starts at $649 Cdn. For more information, please visit the Entracte Audio by Design product page at entracteaudio.com

In stock and ready to roll - EF110/120/130, and also the brand new EF215 and 220 ultra-high current models. Come and get them!

Just assembled and set up this Acoustic Signature Primus turntable. Every once in a while it's good to be reminded what vinyl sounds like, and this particular package sounds excellent.

Social distancing has certainly cut down on listening appointments, but it has given me the opportunity to acquire and evaluate some new equipment. Currently I am spending a lot of time with an ATC based system, consisting of the SCA2 preamp, SCM50 ASL speakers, Melco N1Z music server, and Aqua La Voce DAC. This system render pretty much any music in an extraordinarily enjoyable way, including large scale orchestral works. I am currently hauling out all of my Mozart/Beethoven/Ives/Shostakovich/Holst/etc CDs and loving them like never before.

The specials continue... spring cleaning and inventory are turning up a variety of goodies. Please also check the specials page at entracteaudio.com. This weeks features are demo components from Combak Corporation in Japan, manufacturers of Enacom, Harmonix, and Reimyo products: * Harmonix SYN-100 Synergy Points (set of 4)... Regular Price $1190, Sale Price $999 (demo) * Harmonix HS-102 SPDIF Digital Cable (demo) Regular Price $1199, Sale Price $650 * Real Focus RF-909X mk2 Footers (set of 4) Regular Price $1125, Sale Price $999 (demo) * Enacom Audio Noise Eliminator Regular Price $120, Sale Price $99 (new) Prices do not include applicable taxes and/or shipping. Social distancing friendly delivery available in the GTA.

Earlier this week I promised specials, so here we go... Starting with this beauty... the DIMD PP10 integrated amplifier. There is a lot about this amp that makes it not ordinary. It is stunningly good looking. It has an output of 10 WPC. It is powered by EL84 tubes. Here are the features: *Hand wired *Point-to-point construction *Polypropylene coupling capacitors... *Metal film resistors, 1% tolerance *ALPS potentiometer and selector switch *Silver plated RCA connectors and speaker binding posts *Toroidal power transformer *All components made in EU, Switzerland and Japan *CNC machined 5 mm aluminum chassis *CNC milled solid oakwood cabinet *Engineered, designed and manufactured in Latvia The PP10 is not the amp for everybody, then again what is? This is definitely an amp built with the audio purist in mind, using the highest quality parts and with a design goal of functional simplicity. But, if you have a pair of high efficiency speakers and want to listen to beautiful music rendered beautifully, look no further. List price $4990, this distributor demo is now available for $3750. Shipping is available, as is delivery in the GTA.

This was the scene last week... trying to co-ordinate new arrivals with storage area cleaning and inventory. Its amazing the great stuff that you discover has been accumulated over a period of months. To that end, you might want to check in here over the next little while - there WILL be specials starting this week. Keep your eyes peeled!

I hope all is well with all of you who are checking in here from time to time. I have little to say about Covid-19, other than be smart and stay safe. Even in these bizarre times, there are still things going on here at Entracte Audio. The JMR Cantabile Jubile has arrived and is currently breaking in to be ready for serious listening when the time is right. The Cantabile speakers sound wonderful, and are set up with a Melco source, Chord DAC, Audio Valve pre, and ATC power. T...hough made up of components from different makers, this system has a cohesiveness and musicality that is very pleasing. It will certainly make the chores of organizing, cleaning, and inventorying much more enjoyable. Speaking of inventory, there is a great selection of stuff here. Dont be afraid to ask questions. If there is something you need for your system, Im sure we can set up a "social distancing compliant" drop off. Life and music continue, perhaps now more than ever. See more

Aqua Acoustic Quality is a relatively unknown brand here in Canada, but is starting to rack up an impressive portfolio of reviews and awards at shows and in audio publications. If you want your digital library rendered in a naturally musical way, look no further - all three Aqua DACs are simply awesome. La Voce S3 on display, La Scala coming soon. Check out the reviews online, and come have a listen! https://www.aquahifi.com/reviews.html

Of course Im a little biased, nonetheless, an excellent and accurate review of the JMR Bliss Jubilee speakers... https://wallofsound.ca//review-jean-marie-reynaud-bliss-j/

No need to add much to this, Melco stuff is simply excellent!

I cant say enough good things about Melco severs, I certainly enjoy using mine. Excellent performance and value!

October has been a super busy month... new gear arriving, lots of boxes coming in and going out, and Toronto Audiofest approaching. So, what am I excited about? My new business card. Call me a nerd, but the new card looks pretty cool, and it shows an ever growing list of premium audio brands. If youre going to be at the the show next week, please drop by room 337 to have a listen, or just to say hello. This year, Im giving ATC products a bit of a focus, but there will be an assortment of gear on display from Aqua Acoustic Quality, Audio Valve, Chord, JL Audio, Melco and Swisscable to name a few.

Another great review for ATC products... What a twist!!! https://www.gramophone.co.uk//hi-fi-review-atc-british-bui

Another excellent review for ATC - this time for the SCM50SE. https://positive-feedback.com//har/atc-50se-loudspeakers/

Another great review for ATC!!!

So, some cool news heading into September... Entracte Audio is an authorized dealer for JM Reynaud Loudspeakers. We are excited to have this iconic French line of speakers arriving. Actually, the Abscisse Jubile is already on display, with the Bliss Jubile arriving next week. More models will be appearing as they come available.

Audio Valve is a somewhat unknown brand here in Ontario. The brand is made in Germany, and has a very unique look that is both a little modern, and a little retro. Audio Valve is likely best known for its tube amplification. I have the Challenger 150 mono block amps in stock. They are a very unique blend of warm and defined, and at 150 watts per channel can provide some serious boogie factor. I think the following review sums up their capabilities quite well. http://v2.stereotimes.com//audio-valve-challenger-115-180/

A couple of weeks ago I received my first Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I was really excited to set it up and post about it here, but it was sold before I could even get it out of the box... not that Im complaining ;) Another Hugo TT2 has arrived to take its place, and though I have had a very short time to experiment, it is clear even at this early stage that the TT2 is a considerable improvement over the previous TT. As good as the Hugo TT2 is on its own - and its REALLY good - ...it gets even better when paired with the MScaler. The MScaler is an excellent product in its own right. It works quite well with other DACS, but Chord is really onto something with the dual BNC connection, and the Hugo TT2/MScaler pairing is special. Not convinced? Come check it out - youll likely change your mind. Lots of audio goodies to see and hear from ATC, Audio Valve, Entracte Audio by Design, HiFi Racks, JL Audio, Kimber Kable, Marten, Melco, Parasound, Quadraspire, and Spendor.

The mess is cleared away so the sale is officially over. However, there is lots of great equipment from ATC, Audio Valve, Chord, Entracte Audio by Design, HiFi Racks, JL Audio, Kimber Kable, Melco, Marten, Parasound, Quadraspire, and Spendor to look at and listen to. Come check it out!

Well, Im tidying up the place and it looks like an episode of Audiophile Hoarders in the demo area. In honour of the catastrophic mess, I am running a 48 hour sale to clear some room. The sale is specific to speakers on display that I can actually get at and find boxes for. Some examples are: * ATC SCM19, cherry or black satin - $4150 (tax in), as new condition.... * Spendor S3/1R2, premium gabon ebony finish, - $2200 (tax in), excellent condition except for veneer flaw on the bottom of one speaker * Spendor D7, Premium Spendor Dark finish, mint condition - $ Call/Text/E-mail for price The prices are excellent, but because of the state of the demo area there will be no opportunity for critical listening, so please make sure that these are the speakers you want because there will be no returns on these items. They will definitely come with all packaging and manufacturers warranty. Please be aware that there is no shipping on any of these items, pick up only. Also, speaker stands are not included. The sale ends when the showroom area is restored to order, which will be about 48 hours from now.

If you have any interest in Spendor A7 speakers, I highly recommend this review from Ken Micallef of Stereophile. It is well written, and aligns pretty much exactly with how I feel about the A7, which is pretty damned positive - its a really competent speaker that offers a great deal for its retail price of $5995 Cdn. I have a lovely pair on display in Walnut, and can even run them with the Parasound Hint 6 integrated used in the Stereophile review ;) https://www.stereophile.com/content/spendor-a7-loudspeaker

THEYRE HERE!!! In collaboration with Gilbert Yeung - former chief head honcho of Blue Circle Audio - I have developed a new series of power line filters. The filters will be sold under the brand name Entracte Audio by Design. At the moment, there are 3 models - the EF110 ($550 Cdn), the EF120 ($850 Cdn), and the EF130 ($1150 Cdn). These power line filters are built in Canada with carefully selected premium parts. All units have 6 outlets, and comes with a 14AWG power cord p...rovided. They units were designed and priced to provide excellent performance at a reasonable cost, and frankly, their performance has exceeded our expectations!

As an owner of almost 3000 albums, Im always going to be a bit of a vinyl guy. But even I have to admit that digital audio has come a long, long way. Digital music is sounding better than ever thanks to innovations by companies like Melco and Chord Electronics. Digital sources certainly win out in terms of convenience and features. We have a variety of Melco Digital Music Library devices on display - The N100 (shown below with the D100 ripper) The N1A/2, and the N1ZH/2. Al...so newly arrived is the Chord Electronics MScaler, the latest brainchild from Rob Watts and already a multi-award winning component. Come have a listen - There is a wide variety of gear from ATC, , Audia Flight, Audio Valve, Chord, Hi-Fi Racks, Kimber, Marten, Melco, Parasound, Quadraspire, and Spendor. Its pretty likely that there is something here that youll like ;)

One of the perks of being an audio dealer is that I get to check out cool new stuff from time to time, and this is a new piece that is definitely cool. Introducing the Flight Three S integrated amplifier from Audia Flight. the Flight Three S comes in Black or silver finish, provides 100 WPC, and has both an onboard USB DAC and phono stage. Included is a very nice metal remote control. I had the opportunity to tinker with the Flight Three S this afternoon and it sounds wonderful in a system with a Musical Fidelity CD player, and both Spendor A4 and D7 speakers. On display now and certainly worth checking out!

Ever wonder what an all ATC system would sound like? Well, according to the German publication LP Magazin it would sound pretty darned good. You can read the summary statement on the ATC website. http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk//lp-magazine-atc-system-revi/ I have most of that system here onsite - CDA2 CD/Preamp instead the CA2 mkII preamp - and while this is certainly not a "budget system", it offers excellent performance and extremely good value at its price point. ... http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk//lp-magazine-atc-system-revi/

After a number of days spent installing foam acoustical treatments, the south listening area is 100% operational. I rewarded myself with an evening spent in one of the new comfy chairs listening to a system featuring Audio Valve Challenger 150 mono blocks, and Marten Miles 5 speakers. It was thoroughly enjoyable - there is nothing like the glow of tubes on a cold winter night :)

ATC CDA2 MKII CD Player/Preamp - another great product from the folks at ATC. And I just happen to have one arriving this week... Here is the review from Stereophile (They liked it): https://www.stereophile.com//atc-cda2-mk2-cd-player-preamp

With a temperature outside of -15 degrees C, and the wind chill down to about -30, its a great day to listen to music. Todays system is centred around the Parasound Hint 6 integrated amplifier. The Hint 6 has a very comprehensive feature set, including an internal DAC with a variety of inputs (including USB), adjustable phono stage, and plenty of power at 160 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Overall, its a nice sounding amplifier that will meet the needs of a lot of music lovers. I currently have it partnered with a Melco N1A server, Chord Qutest DAC, ATC SCM19 speakers, and (just for fun) a pair of JL E110 subs.

Another glowing review for the Chord Qutest DAC! and I just happen to have them in stock... ;) https://www.stereophile.com//chord-electronics-qutest-da-p

Day one of the post-renovation era at Entracte Audio. There have been changes... a lot of changes... and there are more to come. New products and product lines coming soon! I need another 2 to 3 weeks to completely get the rooms tuned and set up, but there are two listening areas that are more than functional, and the systems are settling in nicely. Come check it out! A couple of pictures from Day 1... A shot of the small system featuring the Melco N1A music server, Chord Qut...est DAC, Audio Valve Assistent 50 integrated amplifier, and Spendor SP3/1R2 monitor speakers on Custom Design SQ402 stands. Missing from the photo are the ATC SCM19 speakers that a client snagged earlier in the day. Fear not, more are on the way! Also, included is a photo of the command chair for the small system, and a Marten Django L speaker taking a ride to the south listening room. See more

... And at 12:05 am, for the first time since mid-October, there is music playing at Entracte Audio. There is still some set up work to do - actually lots of set up work to do - but Ill be ready for appointments a week from now. Come on by, check stuff out!

Very early in the remodel...

Its been a busy time since the end of Toronto AudioFest. The Entracte Audio listening facility has undergone a a pretty serious face-lift. Pics of the makeover coming soon... I should be able to accept listening appointments early in the new year.

A fun gig last evening with Blackboard Blues Band in Markham the Christmas party for NLI Solutions. A great crowd and a great event organized by Cathy Smith.

Hard to disagree with What Hi-Fi? on this review... https://www.whathifi.com/spendor/a7/review