LATEST ADDITIONS

...what happens to all those bed frames and mattresses that are removed from hotel suites in order to make room for exhibits? Here' a shot of the Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel mattress mortuary, which ordinarily serves as a convention meeting place. Missing is the mattress from Robert Robinson's Channel D. He chose to retain the mattress to tame highs bouncing from the side wall of the cozy second-floor hotel room.

Axpona's marketing director Steve Davis is also a singer and guitarist who performs locally in The Difference/Mumbleypeg, a North Florida-based rock band. Aware of the importance of the live reference, Davis arranged several live "reference" performances throughout the show. As well as The Difference/Mumbleypeg, Axpona showcased the talents of pianist John Yurick, veteran bass guitarist John Atkinson, and Mikhail Levitsky's Levitsky Violin Orchestra. Here's a photo of Davis rehearsing with his band for a performance that was recorded by Mark Waldrep of AIX Records.

<I>Stereophile</I> will be reporting live from 2010 AXPONA in Jacksonville, Florida - March 5th-7th.

Some time ago in these pages, Anthony H. Cordesman observed rather ungraciously that the whole line of Hafler electronics "could do with reworking." This was interpreted by many readers&#151;including the good people at the David Hafler Company&#151;as meaning that AHC felt the entire Hafler line to be mediocre. In fact, he does not. (He had given a Hafler product a positive review a few issues previously.) Tony's comment, however, did express a sentiment that most of us at <I>Stereophile</I> have shared for some time: a feeling that Hafler products had slipped from the position of sonic preeminence which they enjoyed during the 1960s and '70s to one of mere excellence in a field where only preeminence is acclaimed.

<B>THE PERSUASIONS: <I>Live in the Whispering Gallery</I></B><BR>
Hammer n' Nails HNCD 1988 (CD only). Frank Kulaga, Larry Collen, engs.; David Ackerman, prod. D&#150;D. TT: 34:39

Now that Sony has bought CBS's records division, and the infamous Copycode bill seems to be dying in Congress, the way may be clearing at last for the US introduction of the new Digital Audio Tape system. This has sparked renewed speculation in the industry about the impact DAT will have on existing formats, particularly the fledgling CD. Some are convinced DAT will kill CD, because of its ability to record as well as play digital recordings. Others believe DAT won't even gain a foothold in the market, for the same reason quadraphonic sound laid an egg back in the '70s: The public can't handle more than one "standard" format. I feel that both views are wrong, and that&#151;as is usually the case with extreme views&#151;the truth lies in between. I believe DAT will catch on in the marketplace, but never in a big way, and certainly not the way CD has. Here's why.

A couple of friends came over this weekend to listen to records, and I’m happy to report that we experienced no trouble at all. No static, no distortion, no woman, no cry. Record after record, beer after beer, the Rega sounded just fine. I do believe <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/all_schmutzed_up_and_i_dont_k… days of vinyl misery</a> are over. But just in case the static monster decides to come round again, I also picked up a can of StaticGuard ($4 at DuaneReade). Before the dudes came over, I sprayed the stuff on the rug in front of my system, as well as on the curtains behind the system. The smell wasn’t so bad and the dry mist evaporated quickly. My apartment has never been so static-free.