Angus McKenzie was a wholly remarkable individual. One of British hi-fi’s legends, he was the country's leading equipment reviewer for more than a decade, but that was only one of several careers and passions he pursued with repeated and conspicuous success, despite losing his sight completely at the age of 26.
It used to be that, when I sat down to write the introduction to <I>Stereophile</I>'s ever-popular annual "Records To Die For" feature, it quickly became an exercise in racking my meager brain for jokes about "dying for" records. But being funny, in print or otherwise, is tremendously difficult. I'm sure Groucho had a much more apropos, not to mention funny, quip about the trials of being humorous—but, as with the aforementioned jokes, I can't seem to think of it right now.
Having just spent the last four days at the 2004 Audio Engineering Society conference in San Francisco, I was struck by the sunny enthusiasm shared by many industry professionals for 5.1-channel surround-sound music.
This is the story of the tiger wagging its tail. It is also the story of a tail trying to wag its tiger...
<B>BEETHOVEN: <I>Complete Music for Cello & Piano</I></B><BR>
Cello & Piano Sonatas: in F, Op.5 No.1; in g, Op.5 No.2; in F, Op.17; in A, Op.69; in C, Op.102 No.1; in D, Op.102 No.2. Variations: in F on Mozart's "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen," Op.66; in E-flat on Mozart's "Bei Männern," WoO 46; in G on Handel's "See, the Conquering Hero Comes," WoO 45<BR>
András Schiff, piano; Miklós Perényi, cello<BR>
ECM New Series 1819/20, B00003389-02 (2 CDs). 2004. Manfred Eicher, exec. prod.; Stephan Schellmann, eng. DDD. TT: 2:31:19<BR>
Performance <B>****½</B><BR>
Sonics <B>****</B><BR>
Faithfully reproducing the sound of real, live musicians in our listening rooms is the audiophile Holy Grail. Have you ever heard a system do this? If so, what was it?
For the 13th consecutive year, <I>Stereophile</I> has recognized the components that have proved capable of giving maximal musical pleasure with its "Products of the Year." Based on a vote by the magazine's reviewers and editors, the 2004 winners were announced in the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/features/1204poty/">December 2004 issue</A> and the awards were presented by <I>Stereophile</I> editor John Atkinson at last week's 2005 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The Consumer Electronics Show is open only to the industry each year, but if you could go, what would you want to see most?
It's the final day of the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. I'm walking down the Alexis Park's long corridors, beneath its archways and palm trees, wondering where I'll end up next. The air is cool, but the sun is out and I'm feeling very much alive, energized by all the morning's music.
The Primedia team has been staying at the San Tropez, home of T.H.E. (The High End) Show, which means some of us have been walking down halls filled with exhibitors frantically getting rooms put together before the throngs arrived. The night I arrived, one room in my building was making music that beckoned to me as I passed by—today, I finally entered and took over the sweet spot.