She so knowledgeable. You think she would adopt me? Or marry me? I usually don’t get to charged up about the people on uTube (which she isn’t) that talk play and critique high end stereo gear, but her no uTube channel no bragging and probably knows more her little finger than some. You were so lucky getting to spend time and listen to her and her gear. 👍👍👍
Nowadays with digital music, the pre-amp becomes an extra stage of signal distortion. As much as I want to adore pre-amps, there is no actual benefits from it, when the output of a DAC is volume controlled and with sufficient level to drive a power amp. Exception is when you want a pre-amp to do other than voltage amplification. Obviously a tube pre-amp can enrich the sound with even harmonics that indeed can be very pleasurable. For some music, it's a true enhancement. For a vinyl setup, the high level amplification of the cartridge signal is hugely important with the RIAA filter included and I can only agree with this point.
This is the first time I see a woman passionate about HiFi audio! Just amazing! And she is not just someone with loads of money who asked somebody to build her a million dollars stereo system, she knows everything in detail, highly impressive! Respect lady!
@@matrixplace I soooooo wish she lived up the road from me as I’d be in her house every day making the coffee, cooking lunch, dinner and doing the housework JUST to have a play n listen to some of that equipment!! 🤣👍 What a women!!!! 🙂
Wow, I used to live in Ontario and talked to Angie many times about equipment and music and even though I couldn’t afford her really high end equipment she showed me pieces that I could afford and they always sounded excellent I’ll always remember one I walked in and she told me she was breaking in a Set of Focal Grand Utopia speakers for a customer and said I should just go in and have a listen. What a treat and what a perfect audio perfectionist. Thanks Angie
What a treat! I love seeing all this gear in a real home, with records strewn everywhere. This woman is clearly a music lover. Every time she thinks to clean up some of the clutter, she gets sucked into the music coming from her system. And the vintage pieces in mint condition are such a treasure.
Wow! I am speechless! First of how very nice of Angie to invite and show, demonstrate and talk about her equipment! Very passionate! Would love to listen to all of it! I’m sometimes amazed by my own system that is less than 00000000,1 of what is shown here! Very inspiring! Thanks to both of you for a very good video!!
I love her! Thank you for this. As an older woman who is also an audiophile often there are not many like me out there to set an example inviting for younger women into this hobby. She's just wonderful and I'd very much love to have a conversation with her some day.
I remember Angie back in the eighties when her store was on Queen Street where I bought my Sound Lab A3s. I once visited her "new" location in Richmond Hill years ago. Congrats to her she has done amazingly well.
Angie is the best. I've had the pleasure of listening to these systems one Sunday afternoon. That experience really recalibrated my perception of what a high end system should be like. This video should be a reference on how to build an ultra high end system. Well done Angie and Thomas.
Regardless of the gear being cost prohibitive for most…the knowledge base is undeniable. The insight stemming from her years of experience is invaluable.
You can go the other route and be a designer. My brother went that way. You can cherry pick components, but speakers... to not get cost prohibitive you have to go old school and build your own and be ready to invest years and years of art of science.
When you have an audio system like Angie has. You do not listen for faults. If you ever heard a fault, it would be gone faster than you could blink an eye. The trick however when having such an audio rig, is to have source material that is of master caliber recordings. Having a system that is very revealing, and not very forgiving means you better have great material for playback. With a system like this you do not listen for faults over listening to music. Once you have all the annoyances removed, you can really enjoy the music. That is exactly what I have noticed in my audio adventure. If you have a killer audio system, and your constantly listening for faults, you either have a subpar system, or you yourself have issues. When I add a piece of hardware to my rig, if I cant tell a difference, or I have a negative experience with the new addition, then I remove it from my system. It goes, because it is useless to me. I believe your system is only as good as it's weakest link. I do not believe in a single piece of audio gear that is more important than another piece of audio gear. If you have a complete and solid system, any change would change the sonic character of the entire system. Examples: Power amp, pre-amp, speakers etc. If you remove any of these items in your system with something of less caliber in material, and/or build quality, the audio quality of your entire system will suffer as well. I never understood the concept of a piece of audio gear more important than another when if removed from the system the entire audio experience suffers. In this concept all the audio equipment in a system as a whole is just as important as another piece of equipment in your audio system. Your audio rig is only as good as it's weakest link!
I bought my first turntable from American sound of Canada. The whole team there is very nice and treat you the same regardless of budget. Even back then Angie said the preamp is the most important part of a system, i have changed preamps using the same gear many times and yes it does make a big difference.
@@ThomasAndStereo Im using your old power amp, the W 5.3, it drives my Maggies quite well. So maybe in this instance a better power amp would make a difference since the speakers are demanding.
The most important component is you. It's your mindset, approach and gratitude. It's not having the best of everything (an unattainable and endless pursuit) it's making the best of everything that creates the best experiences.
Thomas, excellent job. She is a legend and we'll not see the likes of her again. Wonderful that you asked great questions and let her wax rhapsodic on so much incredible equipment and history.
Some of these people don't listen too good. Obviously she believes everything is important. Look at what she has. She believes the preamp/processor is the most important.
Taking aside the systems featured in this video, I would entirely agree with the observation that the preamp is the most important component in a system. Having enjoyed music over a 50 year period and now living with an endgame high end system, my preamp takes up 45% of the cost of my entire system. When introduced into the system it simply allowed the music to breathe through a big ‘open window’. Thank you for an interesting video Thomas and all the best, Peter.
How’s that preamp deal with an MP3 file from your phone? ****Source first***** Nothing else matters if the source material is flawed either in quality (i.e. - compressed files) or in delivery to the preamp (i.e. - a good file that’s converted to analog poorly or from a noisy source going to the preamp).
I agree with the OP here. The preamp is regularly one of the most expensive parts of the system because of the complexity and need for precision. But I also feel that it's the place where more can get lost by short changing yourself than the other areas. Yes of course you have to have a good source. With digital I think it's not that hard to get really excellent stuff at a wide gamut of prices. Obviously the more you spend the better it gets. But at all levels there is competent equipment from many different makers. DACs seem about the same to me. Even lower cost DACs do what they do without a lot of effort. But preamps are what take that microphonic level of audio out into a signal that's suitable for pumping into kinetic reality. Obviously power amps do the heavy lifting, but it's the preamp that drives the engine, towing speakers along for the ride. Preamps are the difference between good and great reproduction and control. Speakers can't be their best without good amplification. Power amps can't make the precision moves without the precision signal and they don't hold on as well with the precision guidance of a really good preamp - appropriately matched of course. Ultimately I'm a speaker devotee, but I think the area where a lot of people miss out on missing separate component potential is in their preamp. We all know that it all matters. What we often forget is that the first stage of amplification is where precision is captured or lost.
@@AndyBHome you sound very rational and are probably correct. I have no doubt that if you were to demo for me a system with a good preamp match vs one with a bad matching preamp or no preamp, that the good preamp would sound much better. But for me, it still doesn’t make sense why something between the source and power amp would make the music sound more real and better overall. Doesn’t that mean that the preamp is compensating for a less than ideal source or power amp?
I go back 50 years with experience and I can tell you it depends on the listener. I've seen people with mediocre equipment upgrade the speakers and that made all the difference and yet other a turntable cartridge change made it for them. That's what makes audio equipment so unique particularly the high end stuff, the sweet spot depends on the listener.
Yes! Absolutely 100% agree. I always laugh at those commenters who talk about measurements. I thought we got into this hobby to ‘listen’ to music not ‘measure’ it.
I've been passionate about high-fidelity audio since 1973. In around 1980, I began pondering.... my next visit to Toronto I will... and he decades passed and then, it happened: this incredible production found its place in my listening room. I'm truly grateful for the effort you and your team invested in creating this masterpiece. I'll definitely be watching it repeatedly; it's truly exceptional, setting it apart from the rest!
Unbelievable. This is quite a video. This sweet little old lady owns all this equipment in a 47 year journey? I have no words. Incredible story. Being from Toronto, this makes me proud.
I have the privilege of knowing & dealing with Angie for over 20 years. She by far the most passionate & knowledge person in the audio arena. She is widely known as the Queen of Audio & rightly so. Wonderful video & awesome to see & even more amazing to hear!
My philosophy wrt components is, no single component can make the system, but a single component can ruin the system. The biggest improvements I had was from good interconnects and a good preamp. Though there was also a time in an older system the amp upgrade was huge
THE MASSIVE ATC SCM ASL MONITORS , AND ATC'S EXTRA SEPERATE BASS UNITS also sound like live music in recording studios or in large apartments with sound treatment as in the recording studios . Also there are classical venue's that use ATC SCM ASL . ATC can also custom make their ATC SCM ASL monitors .to a specific specification if a customer so wishes , and has the money to spend on customised active ATC SCM ASL dynamic monitors .
My bryston 3B SST has never sounded so good as when I removed my solid state pre amp and put in a tube pre amp in front of it. If I had kept my solid state pre amp and kept switching my bryston power amp for other power amps no matter what I put in instead it could not add the missing dynamics, liveliness and tone and 3d dimensionality that my tube pre amp has brought to the system. So for me, the pre amp has to be right first! That's where the magic is. 👍
you need excellent designed active electronic crossovers in an audio system , to bring all the detail , dynamics , and transparency with an ease of effortless sound that is possible that you get in recordings
Great video Thomas! I watched and couldn't believe it's true. And I have learned about the importance of the preamplifier. Thank you and please continue with this kind of videos! Greatings from Romania , Europe!
I consider Angie one of the finest representatives of the audiophile community that I’ve had the pleasure to meet…and deal with professionally as a client along with her crew at American Sound🙂 Thanks for this one …as always take care.
@@ThomasAndStereo I just purchased a Bryston headphone/ preamplifier for my headphones from them. And yes, over the years I’ve always recommended that people (even tho it’s out of their budget) at least take a look and listen at the store …you never know what’s out there …anyway, onto the weekend. Thanks again for the video.
Thank you and Angie for this virtual tour of ultra high end audio systems. Not something we'll find at any audio show. Angie sold me my first pair of decent speakers (Totem Staaf) back in the '80s. I was too shy to ask for a discount but she gave me a good price anyway. Congrats on 40+ years of service in the Toronto area.
Wow Thomas, and I thank both her and you for doing this. This lady has Michael Fremmer, OCD Mikey, Jay’s Audio Lab and most of the people on the planet beat! She is extremely knowledgeable. If a sound demo was possible these are the rooms and her system is the one for it.
MAJOR respect for Angie! I'm learning so much from this video. I will never have anything on this level but I imagine what my music would sound like through her system.
Love it , always need to view state of the art . Amazing knowledge here , how did she research so much ? Not sure I could even converse with her , just listen . One can always learn and she’s generous with her knowledge , no snob here . I have inexpensive equipment but content with the affordability and having my wife remain 😂. Glad she’s able to enjoy such quality. It promotes music !
Amazing systems. A room for dynamic and another room for horns are how dreams are made of. For me, power amp, preamp, cables then speakers because I change the speakers more often. But, I am learning the importance of the preamp.
Thomas, can you make a longer version? I (an I believe also all of us) could watch and listen such presentation for hour or a two :)) it is better than any hi-fi show report ;)
Ah, the extra footage I had is 2 other systems but are also avantgarde, well one is Rethm. The problem is after showing the main 2 big system, the rest look like toys. $70k Wadax DAC in the other systems...big deal after seeing the $300k Wadax DAC!
I totally agree with her, the Preamp is the key. For all the sound qualities, especially instrument separation, soundstage, you need a good preamp, period.
This is totally different level of audiophile engineering :) Angie is master of the HIFI integration geniuses not just million-dollar sales expert . No wonder she stands highest stage in Canadian HIFI industry for such long time. Very impressive video 👋👋👋👍👍👍
Angie is very,very knowledgeable! I was told about the preamp being the most important component in the audio chain over 30 years ago. I use ARC, now ARC reference. Great video…thank you.
She is the legend! Business is dominated by man mostly . She is the only one that I ever heard off with so much knowledge. You should do more of this kind of vids Thomas . Move to Toronto and share your opinions with Adrian in Audio Excellence! That would of been awesome!
My current setup is a simple 80's one . A pair of Fried Studio IV with an Onkyo tx-7000 that was looked over by Stephen Monte and team from Quest For Sound in Bensalem PA. People are blown away at how well the simple setup works and have offered thousands over what I paid for it and to get the speakers restored with help from Oskar Wronding of Denmark and Hiquiphon. Sometimes the next tier of audio is simply making what you have sing with joy! I will admit that listening to Stephens 10" home brew speakers in person at QFS was fantastic on single ended goodness. One day...
Wow I most certainly wish I could afford some of these products. But thanks to people’s like Angie we are able to see these products and get a great description as well. Love learning something new each day.
Angie is an extraordinary woman that has brought to Canada exceptional products. Owner of a store n Quebec, I have worked in the past with her to bring some of the lines she has hold. To me, she is a very very honest woman, and a very loving music afficionado and a very caring g person. I wish her to be well many many years in the future.
Having spent a day with a Dissanayake preamp I totally agree with Angie. A great preamp can totally re-shape a system. I never heard my power amps sound like that: imaging, detail, the "texture" of bass were simply of another dimension compared to what they were with the previous, simply good preamp.
@@ThomasAndStereo ...i think my B&W 801 (new xover etc) need a better preamp than my Yamaha aventage AVR (RX-A3070) and a better dac of course ( with 3 ext amps ). I think sell my home cinema for a serious 2 channels setup...
I think I'm in love with Ms. Angie😍. Not only is her systems AMAZING.....she is the sweetest lady you would NEVER imagine she knows her stuff with audio.
Years back I would quickly have said the speakers were most important. Now with the benefit of 46 years of audio interest behind me, I am firmly convinced a preamp can make or break a system. So my answer is, and for more than 20 years has been, the preamp is the most important component.
In the past I have heard poor speakers sound really good when using quality source. Does not seem to work the other way around though, high quality speakers do not respond well with poor quality source.
They are very heterogeneous systems, great stuff (phasemation) and not so great. The Avangarde especially suck, unfortunately so the system is ruined. The towers speakers I can't even listen to but that's me.
Hello Thomas, I absolutely love your videos and this one is too good. You are one of the very best youtubers out there for HIFI gear. Very informational videos I must say. You being so experienced I request you to guide me. I currently own the Choras 826 powered by a Nad C388 150w per channel Integrated amp, streamer being blusound node with the JL Audio E110 sub. I am planning to buy the Focal Sopra N2s and upgrade my amplifier later. Just wanted to know if the power on my Nad is enough to drive them at moderate volume? do not want to risk damaging them. Also, what amplifiers would you suggest with them when I plan on upgrading later. Thank you so much for your help in advance man. Cheers
If you look at the specs of the speaker, there is a minimum watt recommended, as long as your NAD fits that spec, it should be ok. Usually today's amp have no problem driving it to decent volume. When I say can an amp drive it, I don't mean it in terms of volume. Rather can the amp make the speaker sound alive? You can drive it to loud volume with no dynamic contrast, with loose uncontrolled bass and this that an amp can drive the speaker, for me, that is an amp that cannot drive the speaker properly. Sopra 2 is hard to drive.
Speakers are the only component which can alter the sound radiation pattern. something some of us consider vital whether it be wide dispersion, dipole/biipole, omni, etc.
What is sound radiation pattern? My speakers sound stage was dramatically changed with Rotel separates. Much much wider and much more height. Also much more instrument separation.
@@Drivehead103which way the sound leaves the speaker eg straight out of front of speaker, out of front and back of speaker (in or out of phase), in all directions (omnidirectional), rtc
Wow. So many take-aways from this video. Next time I'm in Toronto I have to meet Angie, firstly to hear her fabulous tenor voice, secondly to hear her stereo. Heard the awe in your voice Thomas - much respect from me.
Yes this one was a tough call by demolishing the myth that hifi is the men's hobby and an advanced hifier looked like like a school boy in front of the teacher. Bear with it Thomas.
No matter how impressive this might look and sound, it's just too much. Give me a vintage Japanese amp and a pair of Kabuki speakers, a decent DAC, a good tape deck and I'm happy.
I could build up a system for about £100, (perhaps £200) that I would be perfectly happy with, I think most people just want to show off how much money they have.
@@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391 Some may indeed buy to impress; she's all about sound quality. Thomas pointed out the most expensive equipment wasn't with the most expensive system, because of sound reproduction "synergy".
What an amazing person she obviously is! Forget waf haf must be off the charts as well.i hope you have extra footage of this cause i could watch this stuff all day.Thanks Thomas and Angie so much!
I'm sorry, don't shoot me, but if she has the resources to spend a million bucks on the system, perhaps she might have spent a few bucks decorating the room itself and maybe do a little cable management?
Got a marantz head unit from the 80’s that is still impressive and puts out such true watts. This is quit the system here and I totally get every piece Angie has. Hardly ever hear of females being into SPL. Or speaker and sound. I dig it!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Wow, just wow. Angie is the real deal! Hopefully I can visit her store one of these days. Way out of my league but it would be great fun anyway! Thanks Thomas
Awesome video! I've got the same thing going on in my room: music playing really loud (80-85dB), stil able to talk on a normal level, or a bit softer than normal even. Two 10" DIY horn-loaded subs pressure my room :-)
Excellent video! Avantgarde Duo Grosso G2 were the best speakers I’ve heard in someone’s house (with EMM and Audiopax gear). I support that the preamp is most critical component.
Wow... Simply amazing!!! Thank you for sharing with us this amazing tour!👌😍 Angie is the Queen of Hi-End 🎼🎵 She waspath experience and knowledge in each audio commentary. Wow ... She's just amazing ❤
I feel like it's the room. When energy gets out, the room takes control of it. Imagine how much better those systems would sound in a properly treated room... And I'm not talking about carpet, curtains, rugs, panels filled with building insulation, etc... Those things were not designed for music and voice. But it's still cool to see, thanks for sharing!
Many thanks Thomas. You are such a lucky - but well deserved - guest. So good I had to watch it twice. That doesn't happen often. Aventgarde have been making my dream gear for several years. Haven't switched to the noodles yet. Greetings to you and yours.
Wow, what a crazy, brilliant setup, or setups i should say. Angie is surely an advanced sound engineer, or a sound professor, all that knowlege, wow. Thanks for this video :)
The most important part to create extraordinary sound is not the amp or preamp even though they are important, but this part is without a doubt to me the most important and can make the difference between the level of enjoyment one will have in a listening experience..... And that is the musician and the songs they record. I rather listen to a song I like on a lesser system than to listen to a song I don't care for on a higher end system. With that being said there have been times that a system makes me like a certain song better.
What a great informative video like always Thomas! Thank You! This one was really special. While I know how important the power amplifier is, and I have an amplifier preference... I prefer AB amplifiers with FET output over all others, I do completely agree with Angie about the preamp being the most important part of the HI-FI system. My fiancee calls our preamp "the heart of the system". To me all the presence and everything that's special about a HI-FI system comes from the Preamplifier. Just like Angie said it adds the 3rd dimension and the real life air. I also agree with Angie on using Audio Research preamps because they usually always have that special presence to them that's detectable instantly. I believe it's why we see so many different designs and circuits used in preamplifiers. It's also why people have been putting tube preamplifiers in front of MOSFET power amplifiers for a very long time, or why manufacturers like Pathos combine a tube front end with solid state amplification on their Hybrid integrated amps. They're quite expensive, but I think it's the only Integrated amplifier that sparks my interest. While it may not be ethical, it has been affordable for me to test the waters with many different clone preamplifiers. My favorite preamplifier that's on what I would call our "Main System" is my third variant of a mbl6010d clone, once it's modified with better op amps and toroidal transformers it creates this amazing sound that for lack of better words sounds better than any other Solid State Preamplifier that I have heard. It has become such a favorite that if I ever happen to find myself in a position where I can buy a real MBL6010D, it would be added to my cart faster than any other high end piece of gear. Keep up the excellent work you do. I appreciate your time and the work you put into making your videos. Respectfully, Joe
Thomas, Angie is right the preamp is the sound signature. There is one source piece of gear that did not make her system which I believe is a very big missed step. It is the newer R2R machines using XLR. These machines using copied recordings from master tapes are the best that source can provide. No need for the DAC, Clock, etc. Tape to preamp to amp to speaks...
I find it hard to engage on audio TH-cam videos, but with Angie I could listen for hours. My new dream is to sit with some red wine and enjoy a convoy with this amazing lady . Then some music
I recently changed my setup. I returned to the DECware Zen UFO and added the Lab12 Pre1. Holy cow - Angie is right! 😂 The Pre1 has an insane amount of gain available so now 2 wpc is plenty.
Ha Ha, in Angies case 2wpc don't cut it. She needs power... I am curious to try out a Decware, since they are so high in demand for their sound qualities.
This is an insane system!!! I don't imagine most people would ever really have the opportunity to hear a system like this in a place that one could actually hear. I dabble in audio engineering, and I can say that room treatments are the most important part of having hi fi sound. She has some minimal bass trapping, and very little absorption. I'm interested if the walls were acoustically treated some kind of way? For mortals, the best sound you get comes from a room that is treated so that you can actually hear the differences. Hearing reverb tails only happens if you start in a room with minimal reverb.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](/img/n.gif)
My video on Poweramp being most important: th-cam.com/video/02hS6IAFgg4/w-d-xo.html
Time stamp
Avantgarde 00:50
Preamp discussion 13:11
Rockport 18:18
Adrian, Jay's old boss used to work for her. I worked just up the street at another shop (Stereo Factory).
@@sc51153826 Yeah she is the boss of bosses.
She so knowledgeable. You think she would adopt me? Or marry me? I usually don’t get to charged up about the people on uTube (which she isn’t) that talk play and critique high end stereo gear, but her no uTube channel no bragging and probably knows more her little finger than some. You were so lucky getting to spend time and listen to her and her gear. 👍👍👍
Nowadays with digital music, the pre-amp becomes an extra stage of signal distortion. As much as I want to adore pre-amps, there is no actual benefits from it, when the output of a DAC is volume controlled and with sufficient level to drive a power amp. Exception is when you want a pre-amp to do other than voltage amplification. Obviously a tube pre-amp can enrich the sound with even harmonics that indeed can be very pleasurable. For some music, it's a true enhancement. For a vinyl setup, the high level amplification of the cartridge signal is hugely important with the RIAA filter included and I can only agree with this point.
@ThinkingBetter well, depending on your Dac, the impedance difference might not be 10x, so your amp might not perform at its best without a preamp.
This is the first time I see a woman passionate about HiFi audio! Just amazing! And she is not just someone with loads of money who asked somebody to build her a million dollars stereo system, she knows everything in detail, highly impressive! Respect lady!
Bro my audiobrain felt like a worm in comparison to her 🤣
@@EtonieE25 exactly!
Sad but true.
Take my wife, please.
@@matrixplace I soooooo wish she lived up the road from me as I’d be in her house every day making the coffee, cooking lunch, dinner and doing the housework JUST to have a play n listen to some of that equipment!! 🤣👍
What a women!!!! 🙂
She likes to party !
Wow, I used to live in Ontario and talked to Angie many times about equipment and music and even though I couldn’t afford her really high end equipment she showed me pieces that I could afford and they always sounded excellent I’ll always remember one I walked in and she told me she was breaking in a Set of Focal Grand Utopia speakers for a customer and said I should just go in and have a listen. What a treat and what a perfect audio perfectionist. Thanks Angie
Angie is a gem ... Very nice video and glad you were able to capture this for our community.
Thank you!
Absolutely!
This is a perfect example of "It's never enough". For audiophiles, you will always feel the need to upgrade as far as your budget allows.
Never
they dont listen to music, they listen for faults--- its very sad as they never enjoy music
What a treat! I love seeing all this gear in a real home, with records strewn everywhere. This woman is clearly a music lover. Every time she thinks to clean up some of the clutter, she gets sucked into the music coming from her system. And the vintage pieces in mint condition are such a treasure.
That's not clutter. It's "room treatment".😊
No she's not listening to music ,,,she just loves the thrill of spending millions on gear ,,,I do the same thing
Wow! I am speechless!
First of how very nice of Angie to invite and show, demonstrate and talk about her equipment! Very passionate!
Would love to listen to all of it! I’m sometimes amazed by my own system that is less than 00000000,1 of what is shown here!
Very inspiring! Thanks to both of you for a very good video!!
I love her! Thank you for this. As an older woman who is also an audiophile often there are not many like me out there to set an example inviting for younger women into this hobby. She's just wonderful and I'd very much love to have a conversation with her some day.
I remember Angie back in the eighties when her store was on Queen Street where I bought my Sound Lab A3s. I once visited her "new" location in Richmond Hill years ago. Congrats to her she has done amazingly well.
Angie is the best. I've had the pleasure of listening to these systems one Sunday afternoon. That experience really recalibrated my perception of what a high end system should be like. This video should be a reference on how to build an ultra high end system. Well done Angie and Thomas.
Thanks for sharing, yes, love the word recalibration.
Regardless of the gear being cost prohibitive for most…the knowledge base is undeniable. The insight stemming from her years of experience is invaluable.
You have to surrounded by rich people to learn about all this high end gears, off course she has a passion to what she does!
You can go the other route and be a designer. My brother went that way. You can cherry pick components, but speakers... to not get cost prohibitive you have to go old school and build your own and be ready to invest years and years of art of science.
When you have an audio system like Angie has. You do not listen for faults. If you ever heard a fault, it would be gone faster than you could blink an eye. The trick however when having such an audio rig, is to have source material that is of master caliber recordings. Having a system that is very revealing, and not very forgiving means you better have great material for playback. With a system like this you do not listen for faults over listening to music. Once you have all the annoyances removed, you can really enjoy the music. That is exactly what I have noticed in my audio adventure. If you have a killer audio system, and your constantly listening for faults, you either have a subpar system, or you yourself have issues. When I add a piece of hardware to my rig, if I cant tell a difference, or I have a negative experience with the new addition, then I remove it from my system. It goes, because it is useless to me. I believe your system is only as good as it's weakest link. I do not believe in a single piece of audio gear that is more important than another piece of audio gear. If you have a complete and solid system, any change would change the sonic character of the entire system. Examples: Power amp, pre-amp, speakers etc. If you remove any of these items in your system with something of less caliber in material, and/or build quality, the audio quality of your entire system will suffer as well. I never understood the concept of a piece of audio gear more important than another when if removed from the system the entire audio experience suffers. In this concept all the audio equipment in a system as a whole is just as important as another piece of equipment in your audio system. Your audio rig is only as good as it's weakest link!
Angie and her staff are great. I've been there a few times and was treated so well even though my budget was modest at best.
Good to know!
I bought my first turntable from American sound of Canada. The whole team there is very nice and treat you the same regardless of budget. Even back then Angie said the preamp is the most important part of a system, i have changed preamps using the same gear many times and yes it does make a big difference.
Ah, thanks for sharing. I still think it is the poweramp😅
@@ThomasAndStereo Im using your old power amp, the W 5.3, it drives my Maggies quite well. So maybe in this instance a better power amp would make a difference since the speakers are demanding.
@@dajikbatarang1I miss that poweramp.😊
The most important component is you. It's your mindset, approach and gratitude. It's not having the best of everything (an unattainable and endless pursuit) it's making the best of everything that creates the best experiences.
Well said!
I agree. The room and room treatments are also very important.
Thomas, excellent job. She is a legend and we'll not see the likes of her again. Wonderful that you asked great questions and let her wax rhapsodic on so much incredible equipment and history.
Thanks, I am glad that it was entertaining overall and she is just so good at talking.
I certainly agree with Angie concerning the importance of the pre-amp.
I don’t. Bottom line: EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT. Not just the pre-amp.
Most important.
Way more important that one might think…but really EVERYTHING is important - that’s why a system is also called CHAIN!
Some of these people don't listen too good.
Obviously she believes everything is important.
Look at what she has.
She believes the preamp/processor is the most important.
Viva la preamp! Most impactful change in my system. .. a great preamp is a revelation, system changer. Full stop
100% agree on preamp. Bedsides the speakers upgrading my preamp made the biggest difference on my system (C2700).
Yes The Preamp is the heart and soul of the system.
Taking aside the systems featured in this video, I would entirely agree with the observation that the preamp is the most important component in a system. Having enjoyed music over a 50 year period and now living with an endgame high end system, my preamp takes up 45% of the cost of my entire system. When introduced into the system it simply allowed the music to breathe through a big ‘open window’. Thank you for an interesting video Thomas and all the best, Peter.
Thanks Peter for sharing.
How’s that preamp deal with an MP3 file from your phone?
****Source first***** Nothing else matters if the source material is flawed either in quality (i.e. - compressed files) or in delivery to the preamp (i.e. - a good file that’s converted to analog poorly or from a noisy source going to the preamp).
I agree with the OP here. The preamp is regularly one of the most expensive parts of the system because of the complexity and need for precision. But I also feel that it's the place where more can get lost by short changing yourself than the other areas. Yes of course you have to have a good source. With digital I think it's not that hard to get really excellent stuff at a wide gamut of prices. Obviously the more you spend the better it gets. But at all levels there is competent equipment from many different makers. DACs seem about the same to me. Even lower cost DACs do what they do without a lot of effort. But preamps are what take that microphonic level of audio out into a signal that's suitable for pumping into kinetic reality. Obviously power amps do the heavy lifting, but it's the preamp that drives the engine, towing speakers along for the ride. Preamps are the difference between good and great reproduction and control. Speakers can't be their best without good amplification. Power amps can't make the precision moves without the precision signal and they don't hold on as well with the precision guidance of a really good preamp - appropriately matched of course.
Ultimately I'm a speaker devotee, but I think the area where a lot of people miss out on missing separate component potential is in their preamp. We all know that it all matters. What we often forget is that the first stage of amplification is where precision is captured or lost.
@@AndyBHome Well done for summing it up in your great post Andy 👍🏼 This crazy hobby never finishes, till we finish it 😉 Enjoy Peter
@@AndyBHome you sound very rational and are probably correct. I have no doubt that if you were to demo for me a system with a good preamp match vs one with a bad matching preamp or no preamp, that the good preamp would sound much better. But for me, it still doesn’t make sense why something between the source and power amp would make the music sound more real and better overall. Doesn’t that mean that the preamp is compensating for a less than ideal source or power amp?
Ty for introducing us to Angie! What a treasure
I go back 50 years with experience and I can tell you it depends on the listener. I've seen people with mediocre equipment upgrade the speakers and that made all the difference and yet other a turntable cartridge change made it for them. That's what makes audio equipment so unique particularly the high end stuff, the sweet spot depends on the listener.
Don't forge the room.
Yes! Absolutely 100% agree. I always laugh at those commenters who talk about measurements. I thought we got into this hobby to ‘listen’ to music not ‘measure’ it.
I've been passionate about high-fidelity audio since 1973. In around 1980, I began pondering.... my next visit to Toronto I will... and he decades passed and then, it happened: this incredible production found its place in my listening room. I'm truly grateful for the effort you and your team invested in creating this masterpiece. I'll definitely be watching it repeatedly; it's truly exceptional, setting it apart from the rest!
Unbelievable. This is quite a video. This sweet little old lady owns all this equipment in a 47 year journey? I have no words. Incredible story. Being from Toronto, this makes me proud.
Glad you enjoyed it
Don't say old lady, just mature and very experienced!
Just goes to show the profit (mark up) on Hi-Fi gear she has sold.
@@billybunter3753 Well it is proportional to the risk. You take more risk, you make more.
haha... little old lady from Pasadena?
I have the privilege of knowing & dealing with Angie for over 20 years. She by far the most passionate & knowledge person in the audio arena. She is widely known as the Queen of Audio & rightly so. Wonderful video & awesome to see & even more amazing to hear!
Yes, she is well known.
Is she an audio dealer? Can I go listen to these two systems? Where is this located?
My philosophy wrt components is, no single component can make the system, but a single component can ruin the system. The biggest improvements I had was from good interconnects and a good preamp. Though there was also a time in an older system the amp upgrade was huge
Good philosophy.
This conversation is a gem. Thank you!
Astonishing & Wonderful.
A huge thank you to Angie for allowing us into her home 🙏🇮🇹
THE MASSIVE ATC SCM ASL MONITORS , AND ATC'S EXTRA SEPERATE BASS UNITS also sound like live music in recording studios or in large apartments with sound treatment as in the recording studios . Also there are classical venue's that use ATC SCM ASL . ATC can also custom make their ATC SCM ASL monitors .to a specific specification if a customer so wishes , and has the money to spend on customised active ATC SCM ASL dynamic monitors .
My bryston 3B SST has never sounded so good as when I removed my solid state pre amp and put in a tube pre amp in front of it. If I had kept my solid state pre amp and kept switching my bryston power amp for other power amps no matter what I put in instead it could not add the missing dynamics, liveliness and tone and 3d dimensionality that my tube pre amp has brought to the system. So for me, the pre amp has to be right first! That's where the magic is. 👍
Nice, thanks for sharing.
you need excellent designed active electronic crossovers in an audio system , to bring all the detail , dynamics , and transparency with an ease of effortless sound that is possible that you get in recordings
Great video Thomas! I watched and couldn't believe it's true. And I have learned about the importance of the preamplifier. Thank you and please continue with this kind of videos! Greatings from Romania , Europe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
To me, the speakers are the absolutely most important.
They are what actually delivers the sound.
Yep, most normal music lovers know this. Totally agree.
I consider Angie one of the finest representatives of the audiophile community that I’ve had the pleasure to meet…and deal with professionally as a client along with her crew at American Sound🙂
Thanks for this one …as always take care.
Well said!
@@ThomasAndStereo I just purchased a Bryston headphone/ preamplifier for my headphones from them.
And yes, over the years I’ve always recommended that people (even tho it’s out of their budget) at least take a look and listen at the store …you never know what’s out there …anyway, onto the weekend.
Thanks again for the video.
@@carminedesanto6746what hps do you use?
Thank you and Angie for this virtual tour of ultra high end audio systems. Not something we'll find at any audio show. Angie sold me my first pair of decent speakers (Totem Staaf) back in the '80s. I was too shy to ask for a discount but she gave me a good price anyway. Congrats on 40+ years of service in the Toronto area.
Wow, Totem staaf. I think Sean favorite speaker.
Wow Thomas, and I thank both her and you for doing this. This lady has Michael Fremmer, OCD Mikey, Jay’s Audio Lab and most of the people on the planet beat! She is extremely knowledgeable. If a sound demo was possible these are the rooms and her system is the one for it.
Yup, she is well known in the high end audio circle with the magazines and manufacturer. I also made a video on her store.
MAJOR respect for Angie! I'm learning so much from this video. I will never have anything on this level but I imagine what my music would sound like through her system.
Angie lives that Endgame Goals life and i’m proud of her for doing this
Yeah, happy for her.
Beautiful. I've bought a few things from Angie and have heard the horns. An awesome experience!
Yes they are!
Love it , always need to view state of the art . Amazing knowledge here , how did she research so much ? Not sure I could even converse with her , just listen . One can always learn and she’s generous with her knowledge , no snob here . I have inexpensive equipment but content with the affordability and having my wife remain 😂. Glad she’s able to enjoy such quality. It promotes music !
Yeah, over 40 years of experience.
Amazing systems. A room for dynamic and another room for horns are how dreams are made of. For me, power amp, preamp, cables then speakers because I change the speakers more often. But, I am learning the importance of the preamp.
I didn't even think this level of audiophilia was even possible.
Wow! This lady is awesome! Thank you for sharing her equipment and audio journey with us!
Thomas, can you make a longer version? I (an I believe also all of us) could watch and listen such presentation for hour or a two :)) it is better than any hi-fi show report ;)
Ah, the extra footage I had is 2 other systems but are also avantgarde, well one is Rethm. The problem is after showing the main 2 big system, the rest look like toys. $70k Wadax DAC in the other systems...big deal after seeing the $300k Wadax DAC!
😒@@ThomasAndStereo
I totally agree with her, the Preamp is the key. For all the sound qualities, especially instrument separation, soundstage, you need a good preamp, period.
This is totally different level of audiophile engineering :) Angie is master of the HIFI integration geniuses not just million-dollar sales expert . No wonder she stands highest stage in Canadian HIFI industry for such long time. Very impressive video 👋👋👋👍👍👍
Angie is very,very knowledgeable! I was told about the preamp being the most important component in the audio chain over 30 years ago. I use ARC, now ARC reference. Great video…thank you.
Thanks for sharing!
She is the legend!
Business is dominated by man mostly . She is the only one that I ever heard off with so much knowledge.
You should do more of this kind of vids Thomas . Move to Toronto and share your opinions with Adrian in Audio Excellence!
That would of been awesome!
It is not everyday I get invited to a house like this!
My current setup is a simple 80's one . A pair of Fried Studio IV with an Onkyo tx-7000 that was looked over by Stephen Monte and team from Quest For Sound in Bensalem PA. People are blown away at how well the simple setup works and have offered thousands over what I paid for it and to get the speakers restored with help from Oskar Wronding of Denmark and Hiquiphon.
Sometimes the next tier of audio is simply making what you have sing with joy!
I will admit that listening to Stephens 10" home brew speakers in person at QFS was fantastic on single ended goodness. One day...
Wow I most certainly wish I could afford some of these products. But thanks to people’s like Angie we are able to see these products and get a great description as well. Love learning something new each day.
You and me both.
@@ThomasAndStereo🤗 ME TOO
Angie is an extraordinary woman that has brought to Canada exceptional products. Owner of a store n
Quebec, I have worked in the past with her to bring some of the lines she has hold. To me, she is a very very honest woman, and a very loving music afficionado and a very caring g person. I wish her to be well many many years in the future.
Having spent a day with a Dissanayake preamp I totally agree with Angie. A great preamp can totally re-shape a system. I never heard my power amps sound like that: imaging, detail, the "texture" of bass were simply of another dimension compared to what they were with the previous, simply good preamp.
Yup!
@@ThomasAndStereo ...i think my B&W 801 (new xover etc) need a better preamp than my Yamaha aventage AVR (RX-A3070) and a better dac of course ( with 3 ext amps ). I think sell my home cinema for a serious 2 channels setup...
@@KillerKojakwhat about the amp?
Just seeing the system here is jaw dropping.
Angie is my favorite hifi nerd now.
Damm, I got demoted to 2nd place.
@@ThomasAndStereoSorry Tom, 3rd place! 🤣
I think I'm in love with Ms. Angie😍. Not only is her systems AMAZING.....she is the sweetest lady you would NEVER imagine she knows her stuff with audio.
Yes, very charming.
Years back I would quickly have said the speakers were most important. Now with the benefit of 46 years of audio interest behind me, I am firmly convinced a preamp can make or break a system. So my answer is, and for more than 20 years has been, the preamp is the most important component.
Ah, thanks for sharing.
@@ThomasAndStereo absolutely!
In the past I have heard poor speakers sound really good when using quality source. Does not seem to work the other way around though, high quality speakers do not respond well with poor quality source.
More More More Please...one of your best videos...she is amazing! Angie thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
For me, the most important part of the system is the room.
This must be the most epic grandma I have ever seen 🙂
😂 Epic indeed.
What a treat to experience this tour. Congratulations!
It was!
$1 Mil insane. Has to be a must hear system. Would love to hear something like this one day
She's so knowledgeable
They are very heterogeneous systems, great stuff (phasemation) and not so great. The Avangarde especially suck, unfortunately so the system is ruined. The towers speakers I can't even listen to but that's me.
You wouldn't hear a difference compared to a $10.000 system, I guarantee the snake-oil factor is huge in the $1 mill+ setups.
@@rabarebra thats where the name "Esoteric" comes in haha
I just love her. The joy on her face as she explains sound and the body is priceless.
Hello Thomas,
I absolutely love your videos and this one is too good.
You are one of the very best youtubers out there for HIFI gear. Very informational videos I must say.
You being so experienced I request you to guide me.
I currently own the Choras 826 powered by a Nad C388 150w per channel Integrated amp, streamer being blusound node with the JL Audio E110 sub. I am planning to buy the Focal Sopra N2s and upgrade my amplifier later.
Just wanted to know if the power on my Nad is enough to drive them at moderate volume? do not want to risk damaging them.
Also, what amplifiers would you suggest with them when I plan on upgrading later.
Thank you so much for your help in advance man.
Cheers
If you look at the specs of the speaker, there is a minimum watt recommended, as long as your NAD fits that spec, it should be ok. Usually today's amp have no problem driving it to decent volume. When I say can an amp drive it, I don't mean it in terms of volume. Rather can the amp make the speaker sound alive? You can drive it to loud volume with no dynamic contrast, with loose uncontrolled bass and this that an amp can drive the speaker, for me, that is an amp that cannot drive the speaker properly. Sopra 2 is hard to drive.
@@ThomasAndStereo Understood, Thank you so much for your help mate. Have a great day ahead and keep posting for us. :)
You're living the dream and thanks for sharing Thomas. What an amazing down to earth lady.
Thanks for watching.
Speakers are the only component which can alter the sound radiation pattern. something some of us consider vital whether it be wide dispersion, dipole/biipole, omni, etc.
What is sound radiation pattern? My speakers sound stage was dramatically changed with Rotel separates. Much much wider and much more height. Also much more instrument separation.
@@Drivehead103which way the sound leaves the speaker eg straight out of front of speaker, out of front and back of speaker (in or out of phase), in all directions (omnidirectional), rtc
Wow. So many take-aways from this video. Next time I'm in Toronto I have to meet Angie, firstly to hear her fabulous tenor voice, secondly to hear her stereo. Heard the awe in your voice Thomas - much respect from me.
Yes this one was a tough call by demolishing the myth that hifi is the men's hobby and an advanced hifier looked like like a school boy in front of the teacher. Bear with it Thomas.
I am at a kindergarten level.
What an amazing lady. I could listen to her talk hi-fi for hours. Great video Thomas!
No matter how impressive this might look and sound, it's just too much. Give me a vintage Japanese amp and a pair of Kabuki speakers, a decent DAC, a good tape deck and I'm happy.
Sure, many great great systems at modest price.
I could build up a system for about £100, (perhaps £200) that I would be perfectly happy with, I think most people just want to show off how much money they have.
LOL
For you to think you're the judge & jury of what's acceptable is hilarious.
Should I tell you what car you should drive?
My goodness. You think she is showing off to you. Lol
@@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391
Some may indeed buy to impress; she's all about sound quality. Thomas pointed out the most expensive equipment wasn't with the most expensive system, because of sound reproduction "synergy".
What an amazing person she obviously is! Forget waf haf must be off the charts as well.i hope you have extra footage of this cause i could watch this stuff all day.Thanks Thomas and Angie so much!
I'm sorry, don't shoot me, but if she has the resources to spend a million bucks on the system, perhaps she might have spent a few bucks decorating the room itself and maybe do a little cable management?
Bang!🤣🔫
man shes hardcore! i found her easy to understand while describing gear above my experience and price range. good stuff.
Got a marantz head unit from the 80’s that is still impressive and puts out such true watts. This is quit the system here and I totally get every piece Angie has. Hardly ever hear of females being into SPL. Or speaker and sound. I dig it!!!🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
I disagree, the speakers is.
Sure, after the speaker, what would be the most important?
@@ThomasAndStereo the room
Wow, just wow. Angie is the real deal! Hopefully I can visit her store one of these days. Way out of my league but it would be great fun anyway! Thanks Thomas
You should!
Awesome video! I've got the same thing going on in my room: music playing really loud (80-85dB), stil able to talk on a normal level, or a bit softer than normal even. Two 10" DIY horn-loaded subs pressure my room :-)
Nice work!
I could listen to Angie for days… a thousand thumbs👍🏽
Wow! Absolutely jaw dropping sound system, I would totally hang out with this lady listening to records all afternoon.
Hi Thomas, that ranks as one of the best house, equipment tours that I have ever seen. What a fascinating lady to listen to.
Glad you enjoyed it
Amazing! This lady has so much knowledge!
Excellent video! Avantgarde Duo Grosso G2 were the best speakers I’ve heard in someone’s house (with EMM and Audiopax gear). I support that the preamp is most critical component.
No words!!!!! She just took my expectations to another universe! Rock on young lady!!! Blessings love and light always ✨️ 🙏
Wow... Simply amazing!!!
Thank you for sharing with us this amazing tour!👌😍
Angie is the Queen of Hi-End 🎼🎵
She waspath experience and knowledge in each audio commentary. Wow ... She's just amazing ❤
Thank you too!
I feel like it's the room. When energy gets out, the room takes control of it. Imagine how much better those systems would sound in a properly treated room... And I'm not talking about carpet, curtains, rugs, panels filled with building insulation, etc... Those things were not designed for music and voice. But it's still cool to see, thanks for sharing!
Awesome content. Thanks for the tour of the spaces and showing us Angie.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Man i can listen to her for 4 hrs and learn something new each minute
Yeah, she is very charming.
Many thanks Thomas. You are such a lucky - but well deserved - guest. So good I had to watch it twice. That doesn't happen often. Aventgarde have been making my dream gear for several years. Haven't switched to the noodles yet. Greetings to you and yours.
Glad you enjoyed it
Sounds like Angie has got the ☯️ going on.
And can I say, it is SO refreshing to see a woman in the industry and one who is so cool to boot
Wow, what a crazy, brilliant setup, or setups i should say. Angie is surely an advanced sound engineer, or a sound professor, all that knowlege, wow. Thanks for this video :)
The most important part to create extraordinary sound is not the amp or preamp even though they are important, but this part is without a doubt to me the most important and can make the difference between the level of enjoyment one will have in a listening experience..... And that is the musician and the songs they record.
I rather listen to a song I like on a lesser system than to listen to a song I don't care for on a higher end system.
With that being said there have been times that a system makes me like a certain song better.
What a great informative video like always Thomas! Thank You! This one was really special.
While I know how important the power amplifier is, and I have an amplifier preference... I prefer AB amplifiers with FET output over all others, I do completely agree with Angie about the preamp being the most important part of the HI-FI system. My fiancee calls our preamp "the heart of the system".
To me all the presence and everything that's special about a HI-FI system comes from the Preamplifier. Just like Angie said it adds the 3rd dimension and the real life air.
I also agree with Angie on using Audio Research preamps because they usually always have that special presence to them that's detectable instantly.
I believe it's why we see so many different designs and circuits used in preamplifiers. It's also why people have been putting tube preamplifiers in front of MOSFET power amplifiers for a very long time, or why manufacturers like Pathos combine a tube front end with solid state amplification on their Hybrid integrated amps. They're quite expensive, but I think it's the only Integrated amplifier that sparks my interest.
While it may not be ethical, it has been affordable for me to test the waters with many different clone preamplifiers. My favorite preamplifier that's on what I would call our "Main System" is my third variant of a mbl6010d clone, once it's modified with better op amps and toroidal transformers it creates this amazing sound that for lack of better words sounds better than any other Solid State Preamplifier that I have heard. It has become such a favorite that if I ever happen to find myself in a position where I can buy a real MBL6010D, it would be added to my cart faster than any other high end piece of gear.
Keep up the excellent work you do. I appreciate your time and the work you put into making your videos.
Respectfully,
Joe
Thomas, Angie is right the preamp is the sound signature. There is one source piece of gear that did not make her system which I believe is a very big missed step. It is the newer R2R machines using XLR. These machines using copied recordings from master tapes are the best that source can provide. No need for the DAC, Clock, etc. Tape to preamp to amp to speaks...
An incredible passion for music reproduction. It was lovely to watch
Thanks for watching.
I find it hard to engage on audio TH-cam videos, but with Angie I could listen for hours.
My new dream is to sit with some red wine and enjoy a convoy with this amazing lady .
Then some music
I recently changed my setup. I returned to the DECware Zen UFO and added the Lab12 Pre1.
Holy cow - Angie is right! 😂 The Pre1 has an insane amount of gain available so now 2 wpc is plenty.
Oh good to know. My friend has the UFO, I should tell him to try it.
Ha Ha, in Angies case 2wpc don't cut it. She needs power...
I am curious to try out a Decware, since they are so high in demand for their sound qualities.
@@yngve6640 Angie is invited to my listening room any day. Signed: Canuck in Rochester
Hey Thomas, I subscribed a long time ago.
The response to this appears to make it your best so far!
Excellent!
Thanks for your response on the avm 90.
I certainly respect your opinion.
Thanks for the sub!
Sub is essential!! Totallly agree! Preamp, yes yes the heart and soul of the system. Great post, fantastic system! Thanks Thomas~
Absolutely!
Excellent video! Thank You Thomas and Angie! Those Trios are Gorgeous.
Yes they are!
Angie is a dedicated Gem. What a fabulous person. 🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇
This is an insane system!!! I don't imagine most people would ever really have the opportunity to hear a system like this in a place that one could actually hear. I dabble in audio engineering, and I can say that room treatments are the most important part of having hi fi sound. She has some minimal bass trapping, and very little absorption. I'm interested if the walls were acoustically treated some kind of way? For mortals, the best sound you get comes from a room that is treated so that you can actually hear the differences. Hearing reverb tails only happens if you start in a room with minimal reverb.
This is the most interesting video I’ve seen about stereo EVER!!
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮