The Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show (TAVES) in Toronto is about a month away on November 1-3, and attendees can expect to see some of the best in home audio products and technologies. Seasoned audiophiles will feel right at home, while newcomers might hear a level of quality their ears have never experienced.
This partly explains the unique layout of the event at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. Rather than position booths close together in a big ballroom, vendors have their own rooms and closed spaces to demo their products, helping recreate a setup and experience more akin to what you would have at home.
But showcasing products tells only one part of the story that is home audio. A show like TAVES skews more toward the type of consumer that is a bit fickle about audio quality. This is the audiophile crowd that wouldn’t be caught dead listening to their favourite artists on MP3. This is the clientele that adores CDs and vinyl records for their clarity and prestige, eschewing music streaming from the Internet for what are called high-definition digital music tracks.
That doesn’t mean everything at the show is catered to them, however. There are products available that will be aimed at beginner or intermediate users who like quality sound, but may not have the finely-tuned ears of their audiophile peers. Music CDs are essentially made up of uncompressed digital files in WAV format. Other “lossless” formats include FLAC and Apple Lossless. When you rip a CD onto iTunes or another piece of software, you have the option of copying them over in WAV format. MP3, AAC, WMA and most other audio formats compress the files, which takes some of the sonic quality away. This is why a WAV file can be at least four times the size of the highest-quality MP3 or AAC file.
The event also provides an ideal opportunity to learn more about how audio works and why it plays such an important role in the home. Home theatre has largely been driven by TVs, which acts as the centerpiece of the home’s entertainment, but having the best TV may not be as impactful if the built-in speakers are the only audio source.
Whether it’s sound bars or a full audio setup, there will be a chance to see them all at work. Surround sound has been a staple feature pitched by manufacturers and retailers for a long time. To go from typical built-in audio from the TV, and then graduate all the way up to a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup is a big leap forward. Of course, not all surround sound is made equal, and music doesn’t always translate well to a 5.1 or 7.1 system. If you’re wondering why, the vendors and experts at TAVES will be able to explain it in plain English.
With the sheer amount of music available to you these days via download, streaming and even music videos online, understanding audio might actually help you make a better decision about what you could buy as an upgrade. And if you have an older system or set of speakers, there are ways to bring them into the digital age and have them “talk” to your mobile devices. Bluetooth and AirPlay don’t have to be mystical tech terms.
Headphones and earbuds will be available for purchase at the show, and given the influx of celebrity-infused models that have muddied the marketplace, knowing more about other brands that don’t have these endorsements may unlock a different perspective for you. You might not be able to afford a $1,500 pair of headphones, but listen to one song on them, and you’ll have experienced something very different.
Audio can be a bit of a minefield because it’s largely subjective. What sounds good to you might be terrible for someone else, and vice versa. Knowing more about the ins and outs will help you figure out what your ears like best.
For more information check http://taveshow.com/
