LATEST ADDITIONS

Register to win an Audioengine B2 Bluetooth Speaker (MSRP $299) we are giving away.

According to the company:

"The audio quality of most Bluetooth products isn't usually very inspiring and their limited range can be frustrating. The B2 solves these problems by implementing the aptX codec, which is a high-quality audio converter designed specifically for audio. The B2 also has special circuitry and a precision-tuned antenna to extend the wireless range, providing much more versatility than other Bluetooth speakers."

[This sweepstakes is now closed.]

The psychology of shows: Upon exiting an especially pleasant, successful demonstration, one almost expects to be disappointed by the next one down the line. Yet after leaving behind the excellent playback quality and (literally) rare music in the PS Audio room, I was surprised and delighted by the fine sound in the room of Gershman Acoustics—a brand that, for whatever reason, has seldom if ever been a part of my beat.

One of the characteristics of shows like SSI, where many of the exhibitors are dealers rather than manufacturers or distributors, is that you may get a chance to hear equipment combinations you would never encounter at CES. At SSI 2015, the Totem Earth speakers were combined with McIntosh electronics, to good effect. Another thing that distinguisher these dealer-exhibitors is that you can buy the products on display—something that's strictly forbidden at CES. The Totem Earth has a list price of CAD$9000/pair, but you could have it a "show special" price of CAD$6000/pair...

When it comes to designing and building loudspeakers, I confess immunity to the DIY bug, mostly because I wasn't drawn to woodworking until age 50. (At age 10, my Pinewood Derby car was a simple wedge, requiring only a single saw-cut on a rectangular block of wood—although I felt vindicated when the Triumph TR7 came along.) Had things turned out otherwise, I would be spending all of my time in the room of Solen Acoustics: Salon Son et Image stalwarts who make available nearly every sort of drive-unit known to humankind . . .

All of us Stereophile were deeply saddened this morning to learn of the death of Bob Reina, after a brief battle with cancer. Bob was 61. After a stint at The Absolute Sound and cofounding a high-end audio magazine, Sounds Like..., Bob joined Stereophile in 1995 and his first review was of a Creek amplifier. . .

So there I was, taking the subway in Toronto to Union Station, where I would be taking the train to Montreal, and this coming weekend’s Salon Son & Image (SSI), when I spotted this sign, advertising the availability of grants for education related to the love of music. Is that fitting, or what? The list of occupations related to music was extensive, and included, in addition to some obvious ones like audio technician, sound mixer, and electrical engineer, some that I would not have thought of, like intellectual property lawyer and accountant. But I was happy to see “magazine editor” on the list.

A few years ago, Ryan Truesdell, a jazz composer and arranger, gained access to a treasure trove of Gil Evans' handwritten scores from the 1940s to '80s—some of them recorded, many not—and set out to form a big band to play them. Lines of Color (Blue Note/Artists Share) is the second album to come out of what he calls the Gil Evans Project (the first, Centennial, was released in 2012), and it's something to savor.