LATEST ADDITIONS

In Greek mythology, Atlas was the Titan who supported the heavens—although he's more commonly shown supporting Earth itself. (Funny thing, that: the globe he was always shown supporting actually did once represent the cosmos, but at some point became the Earth.) According to Hygenus, Atlas was the son of Aether, the personification of the sky and heaven, and Gaia, the personification of the Earth. Atlas was brother to Prometheus (foresight), Epithemius (hindsight), and Menoetius (a warrior whose insolence got him smitten by a lightning bolt from Zeus, resulting in a name synonymous with "ruined strength").

<i>On a clear, bright day, when the blue of the sea rivals the blue of the sky, one sees the hawk, the eagle, the buzzard soaring above the still, hushed canyons. In summer, when the fogs roll in, one can look down upon a sea of clouds floating listlessly above the ocean; they have the appearance, at times, of huge iridescent soap bubbles, over which, now and then, may be seen a double rainbow. In January and February the hills are greenest, almost as green as the Emerald Isle. From November to February are the best months, the air fresh and invigorating, the skies clear, the sun still warm enough to take a sun bath.</i><br>
&#151Henry Miller, <i>Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch</i>

For Christmas, my sister, Nerissa, received a set of <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/heartbeats_by_lady_gaga/">Hea…;, Lady Gaga’s flashy in-ear headphones. Nerissa was overjoyed&#151even moved to dramatic, rock star poses, sporting her latest fashion accessory&#151mostly because she loves Lady Gaga. I don’t think she expected the sound quality to have a great impact on her life.

<B>CARLA BLEY: <I>Carla's Christmas Carols</I></B><BR>
Carla Bley, piano, celeste; Steve Swallow, bass, chimes; Partyka Brass Quintet<BR>
WATT 35 (CD). 2009. Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, prods.; Gerard de Haro, Nicolas Baillard, engs. DDD? TT: 60:36<BR>
Performance ****<BR>
Sonics ****&#189;

As John Atkinson and I entered the room at THE Show in which darTZeel electronics partnered Evolution Acoustics loudspeakers, I was immediately struck by the fullness of the midrange. It was as though the system was opening its heart and welcoming us in. That's how warm and nurturing the sound was.

Close-up of the retro-futuristic display graphics. Yes, they did line up an entire string of alphanumeric LED displays to match the holes carefully machined in the chassis.

A clever USB to Ethernet bridge (Pont Neuf&#151;get it?) to allow your computer USB out to serve the Cantata over long cable runs. In striking case to match the Cantata aesthetics and available in February for $400.