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While the tale of Jimmy Scott's return from obscurity sounds apocryphal, it is surely one of popular music's happier endings. After years of being out of music , Scott's reemergence began in flamboyant fashion when he sang at the 1991 funeral of revered songwriter Doc Pomus.

Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable. Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review and any subsequent follow-up reports appeared.

Before diving into Luxman's new L-100 Centennial integrated amplifier ($11,995)—which marks the Japanese firm's 100th year in business—I did what any audio reviewer with a paper trail does: I read my past Luxman reportage: the L-509X and the L-509Z integrated amplifiers.

I sometimes lament how much technological know-how is required for a consumer to successfully navigate the world of high end audio. Why do we have to wade through all this engineering mumbo jumbo just to enjoy great sound?

Sometimes artists walk away from a final mix, heads shaking after a reluctant sign-off . . . This is essentially what British prog outfit Gentle Giant did with their 1973 LP In a Glass House.

Music often brings me joy, awe, and, if I'm lucky, something close to transcendence, but it's not my only route there. A few years ago, on a sunny January day in Madrid's Prado museum, I went looking for Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights.

Drummer Cindy Blackman Santana sings along to music from Herbie Hancock, Davis, John Coltrane, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter to get her creative juices going. "I do that all the time!" she exclaimed. "It's like breathing to me. It's second nature."