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Perhaps there is no subject more vigorously debated among audiophiles than the primacy of the loudspeaker. Many 'philes believe there is no more important element in a hi-fi system—after all, they reason, it doesn't matter how good the components ahead of the speakers are; if the transducers can't reproduce the signal, you can't hear it. On the other hand, the source adherents maintain, speakers can't reproduce information that hasn't been retrieved from the recording. Loudspeakers can limit the amount of information you hear, but they can't increase it. This is one of those irresolvable paradoxes similar to the question of which came first, the roast chicken or the omelet.

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony 6, Serenade for Strings
Daniele Gatti, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Harmonia Mundi HMU 907394 (SACD). 2006. Brad Michel, prod.; Chris Barrett, Craig Silvry, engs. DSD. TT: 77:09
Performance *****
Sonics *****

Here's something counter-intuitive, despite the fact that cooking shows seem to be ubiquitous on the higher numbered channels, Americans' cooking skill have atrophied to the point that recipes now avoid once common terms like "dredge," "fold," and "cream." God forbid you should use my old fudge-making nemesis, "Cook until the soft-ball stage."

At least, that's what In-Stat's survey shows. Seems low to me, but maybe a lot of folks are putting white earbuds on those $25 flash-drive players.