Dresden lies already way behind. For perceived hours we have been driving on that Polish highway, the Tatra mountain range is now rising before us. We are right in the middle of nowhere and still need to cover well over one hundred of the 1,300 kilometre distance. With every mile our expectation to find a state-of-the-art production site for audio electronics at our destination in Prešov is dwindling, for in this area people rather tend to spend their winter or sommer vacation. While thinking about valve-equipped amplifiers, CD players and phono preamps, a long day draws to an end.

The next forenoon starts with our visit to the Canor headquarters. Managing Director and Chief Designer Zdeňek Březovják gives us a welcome. Since 1994 his company has manufactured high-quality hi-fi electronics at various sites in the city. Soon it becomes obvious that the Slovak doesn’t really like the word »supplier«. Because only for those things that lie in your personal scope of responsibility, you have full control over the quality, as he explains – not to mention the extra price edge. In 1995 he designed his first own amplifier, a valve model by the name of TP101. Zdeňek Březovják openly admits that marketing their own products had no priority – until 2019 the company focus definitely lay on the OEM business.

Canor was founded already in 2000. Currently their range comprises two series of integrated amplifiers, CD players and phono preamps which are distributed worldwide. In particular the American and the Chinese market generate high turnover figures here, as Zdeňek Březovják reports. The 2.10 line will soon be complemented by an eagerly awaited D/A converter equipped with Sabre chips which can process DSD512 and PCM up to 384 kilohertz including MQA. This DAC allows to switch the output stage between valve and solid-state operation, there will be an upsampling option, and finally the sound can also be fine-tuned via discrete digital filters. With the Hyperion preamp (the »Titan of Light«) and the Virtus power amps, Canor wants to secure a permanent place in the international amplifier olymp next year. During our visit we got an exclusive first demonstration of the new high-end electronics.

Today Canor has nearly 100 employees who can carry out almost every in-house production step. Yet the metals to be processed, electronic components, printed circuit boards as well as the valves, which are praised by Canor for their sound quality, are supplied. Walking through the several hundred metre long production hall you can’t stop being amazed. For instance, after the multi-hour burn-in procedure every single valve is measured and classified by means of a custom-developed system called Aladdin. This is to make sure that only precisely matched valve sets are used in production. In the event that a replacement should be needed years later, a suitable glass bulb can certainly be found. i-fidelity.net was able to watch all those meticulous steps at close range.

Deutsch