LATEST ADDITIONS

So the big day, September 9, Beatles Day, has come and gone and after being away on a brief trip, I returned this morning to a number of voicemails that began, “Are the Beatles reissues worth the money?”

Although I'll be spending most of my time at <I>Stereophile</I> reviewing affordable gear, I will from time to time examine so-called "trickle-down" designs from high-end designers who have made their mark in the upper-price echelons. More and more, such designers are taking what they've learned and applying it to less-expensive products in order to broaden their customer base. Cary Audio Design, for example, of single-ended triode fame, has entered the ring with the SLM-100 pentode monoblocks.

During the past 10 years, perfectionist audio has garnered for itself an impressive accretion of lore, much of which has never been accepted by the so-called scientific community.

Although, as noted last week, some companies falter, there are always new ones trying to establish themselves and grow. What are the brightest stars among new audio companies?

<a href=" http://www.inlivingstereo.com/index.htm">In Living Stereo</a> is located at 13 East 4th Street, one door down from Other Music and just across from where Tower Records once stood tall. It's a great place for a hi-fi shop. To get there, you might take the 6 train to Astor Place, where you will climb right into a blur of so much height and movement and memory.

A gorgeous family of Shindo gear makes its home on a Box Furniture Co. rack ($3700), handmade in Brooklyn, New York.

The Shindo Player System Turntable costs $25,000, but seems worth every penny. "Look at it. It's pure elegance," says Steve Mishoe.