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Re-Tales
Re-Tales #52: Help Wanted—at Hi-Fi Stores
Julie Mullins  |  Mar 26, 2025
Adam Wexler of Brooklyn dealership Resolution AV (right) with Stereophile Technical Editor John Atkinson (Photo: Ken Micallef)

The hi-fi industry is evidently experiencing a shortage—not of parts or materials as during COVID and just after, but of qualified salespeople. As this column has pointed out, some hi-fi shops have closed, for various reasons, while some new ones have opened. Meanwhile, not just dealers but also manufacturers and distributors have reported difficulty finding qualified salespeople. Michael Manousselis, president of Americas for Dynaudio, stated as much in emailed responses to my questions. "I have heard more from dealers having a hard time finding experienced salespeople, that is for sure," he said. "We've seen some hire former customers, to groom them for sales."

What's going on? If people are passionate about this hobby, wouldn't they jump at the chance to get more involved in it professionally?

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Capital AudioFest 2024My Back Pages
Hanging at the Capital
Roy Hall  |  Mar 25, 2025
Lucca Chesky with his LC1 loudspeaker. (Photo: Ken Micallef)

"Shot?", said Boris. It was more a command than a question. He poured Beluga vodka into my glass. "My father drank three shot every day," Boris said. "Lived to 87." Boris Meltsner is the owner of Amped, a very fine range of class-D amplifiers. I was visiting him at the 2024 Capital AudioFest (CAF) in Rockville, Maryland. Boris hails from "Soviet Union, not Russia," he said in an accent as thick as a potato-filled piroshki. "Was called Soviet Union when I left."

Visiting CAF is a joy for me. I recently sold my company, Music Hall, and I was already missing the camaraderie of my industry colleagues and the fun of playing and listening to music.

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Recommended Components
Recommended Components 2025 Edition
Stereophile Staff  |  Mar 24, 2025
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable. Occasionally we get complaints from manufacturers who object to being included in, say, Class B. That's their error: Inclusion in Class B is something to be proud of.

Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. "Vol.48 No.3" indicates our March 2025 issue, for example. "WWW" means the review is also posted online.

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Florida Audio Expo 2025
High-End Bliss: Scott Walker Audio, Acora Acoustics, VAC, VPI, Cardas Cable
Ken Micallef  |  Mar 24, 2025
Valerio Cora, Scott Walker, and Kevin Hayes—Acora Acoustics, Scott Walker Audio, and VAC—consistently deliver high-quality audio. Their setup in the ballroom and adjacent rooms at the Sheraton’s entrance showcased this. Don’t want to tangle with four floors of audio gear? These rooms offered an exceptional listening experience—no stairs required.
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Florida Audio Expo 2025
In Full Flow: Odeon Audio , Gold Note, Innuos, Air Tight, Western Electric, Cardas Cable at Supreme Acoustic Systems
Ken Micallef  |  Mar 23, 2025
Gary Lea of Supreme Acoustic Systems graciously allowed me into his room pre-show, because he knows I am a horn-loaded loudspeaker fanatic. After one look at Odeon Audio’s German-made Semper loudspeakers ($49,900/pair), I had to contain myself.
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Florida Audio Expo 2025
Inside Victor’s World: Hana, VPI Industries, VK Music, Sparkler, Stenheim, Sun Valley, and Elekit Unveil Musical Magic
Ken Micallef  |  Mar 23, 2025
Victor Kung was my virtual mom in Tampa, feeding me Ritz crackers, bananas, Cheerios, Kind bars, and delicious instant coffee when my energy flagged. Victor’s generosity was also on display in the lovely, tubed components he brought to his small room, easily one of my favorites of the show.
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Florida Audio Expo 2025
Liquid HiFi’s Sonic Alliance: Wadax, CH Precision, Stenheim, Arya Audio, Nordost, Reiki Audio, Aardvark, Harmonic Resolution Systems, and Vicoustic
Ken Micallef  |  Mar 23, 2025
Ron Buffington’s Liquid HiFi was a chance to hear excellent orchestral music and learn something in the process.
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New Products
Formula for Fidelity: Oneiros Loudspeakers Channel Racing Excellence
Mark Henninger  |  Mar 21, 2025
At an exclusive event hosted by Manhattan Motorcars in New York City, I had the chance to speak with Walter Schofield, a consultant representing Oneiros loudspeakers. Surrounded by luxury automobiles, our conversation explored why these ultra-high-end speakers fit perfectly into a dealership known for its selection of rare, exclusive, and exotic vehicles.

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Revinylization
Revinylization #63: The Three-Horned Vinyl Rhino
Tom Fine  |  Mar 21, 2025
Rhino Records started in 1978 as an eclectic indie label specializing in compilations and offbeat reissues. Its emblem was a scowling rhinoceros-human hybrid with a record spinning on the tip of its horn. Time Warner acquired the label during the 1990s, and today Warner Music uses it as its chief nonclassical reissue vehicle.

As a back-catalog label, Rhino was active early in the vinyl revival—and it continues to be. Rhino quickly learned that a popular older album, when released as a high-quality physical artifact—whether it's an LP, a CD box, a multichannel Blu-ray audio disc, or a combination of formats—engages fans more than merely dropping a new remaster onto streaming. I spoke with Rhino's president, Mark Pinkus, about the company's three-tier vinyl strategy soon after the company announced the third of those tiers, a new, lower-priced all-analog vinyl line called Rhino Reserve.

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Recording of the Month
Recording of April 2025: Humble Pie: Smokin'
Robert Baird  |  Mar 21, 2025  |  First Published: Mar 19, 2025
Humble Pie: Smokin'
Analogue Productions APP 168 (LP). 1972/2024. The Pie, prods.; Alan O'Duffy, Keith Harwood, Kevin Gray, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****½

The ultimate indication that an audiophile reissue is worth paying for lies in its resale value on the secondary markets, especially eBay and Discogs. If there are lots of copies for sale that are open and played, it's usually a sign that folks are disappointed. On the other hand, if a reissue title—and this covers Analogue Productions' 2009 reissue of Humble Pie's Smokin'—routinely fetches upwards of $100 on the secondary market (and sealed copies above $200), it means, first, that the pressing has probably sold out (a good sign) and, second, that it's probably worth the lucre.

In October 2024, AP repressed its much-sought-after 180gm reissue of Smokin', mastered by Kevin Gray from a ½" flat-tape copy of the original master tape. As this review was being written, copies were still available. It comes packaged in a Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. It's a high-quality product all around.

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