Hi - great idea with the forums! I'm from New Orleans and currently away of home (hopefully temporarily) due to the mandatory evacuation from Hurricane Katrina. I have one lone issue of Stereophile to keep me company and it helps keep my spirits up!

Despite the added page count, I'm usually disappointed when the Recommended Components issues come out. The lists aren't exactly compelling reading. The interview with David Chesky, on the other hand, was another in a series of fine interviews. Please keep it up. I'm hoping David does too. There aren't many music sources that are as good.

I'd love to see a comparison of some popular high-end computer audiophile equipment (e.g. E-Mu 1212M, M-Audio Transit, etc.), especially in comparison to non-computer digital transports (how about plugging some expensive transport into a computer and measuring whether or not it really is outputting "bit-perfect" data?).

I know a lot of people out there (especially those found on this forum) consider themselves to be audiophiles, or at least beginner audiophiles. With all the high-tech gadgets on the market these days, cost is one of the biggest factor in the consumer's decision making. So with that in mind, could everyone post their favourite set of budget speakers, be it bookshelvess or floorstanding.

I've been out of it since 1990 or so while the family was being raised, career demands, etc... Anyone have suggestions for post 1990 blues based classic rock? I just purchased an album by the Black Crowes from 1992 that I really like. Sort of like Rod Stewart with a Rolling Stones (Circa 1960's)beat. I heard a song from it on the DIRECTV rock music channel and took a chance.

I currently own a pair of PSB stratus golds, Classe model 20 preamp and Acurus 150 amplifier -- I have been extremely satisfied with this system for that last 12 years or so.

I wanted to turn this into a stereo/home theater system without sacrificing the stereo quality. I don't want to spend too much for the home theater portion so I'm adding an Acurus a125x5 5 channel amp, and 4 PSB alpha B speakers for surrounds, a SVS PB12-Plus/2 sub and a PSB stratus5i center channel and an outlaw audio model 990 surround sound processor.

I've been a jazz listener and fan for well over thirty years and have followed the free jazz movement since my mind was first blown on hearing electric Miles Davis playing live in the 1970's.

I would be interested in seeing your list for the best recordings. From experience changing everything in playback systems, and taking the same SACD from one system to another, I think that after some reasonable level of performance is achieved by your playback equipment and room, the recording itself is the limiting factor. I have some recordings that are just about unlistenable, even though I love the music.

Hola,

As a long time audiophile, I feel like I've seen more than my share of "honest to goodness real tweaks that will be around forever" come and go.

Examples:

Remember Peter Belt and his tin foil and alligator clip tweaks?

How about quarter sized Harmonix discs that, when placed in a large room, "totally affected the sound" to a greater extent than moving furniture ever could.

How about those disc things that we were supposed to roll along our baseboards to focus imaging.

Green pens for CD's.

CD demagnetizers.

Tice clocks.

One thing that has bugged me recently was the Class B rating for the Paradigm Reference Studio 100v3. I personally don't care if it is rated A, B, or C, but the Legacy Focus 20/20 is also rated B, and there is no comparison between the two - AT ALL! They are in different galaxies of sound quality.