When Giants Walked the Earth
David Halberstam remembers an era when the press wasn't the administration's lapdog. What a great piece of writing.
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How to Lace Athletic Shoes
If you think you know how, it's probably because you don't have problem feet. I have wide feet, which makes it impossible to get comfortable bicycling shoes—which are mostly made on narrow Italian lasts. The wide foot lacing solution on the Dick's Sporting Goods site has been a godsend. I'm sure the other lacing fixes work equally well.
What is Being Human?
Is it in the genes?
Why are so few classical, jazz, or rock musicians audiophiles?
Music is such a big part of musician's lives, but high-quality audio almost never is. Why do you think there are so few classical, jazz, or rock musicians who are audiophiles?
Millennia Offers Online Tutorial on Orchestral Recording
One of the best-sounding recordings I've heard in the last few years is Handel's <I>Messiah</I> performed by Jeffrey Thomas and the American Bach Soloists (Delos DE-3360 CD). The sound is spectacularly natural, with realistic dynamics and a wonderful sense of space. If you haven't heard it, I recommend it highly—but <A HREF="http://www.mil-media.com/homepage.shtml">Millennia Music & Media Systems</A> is now offering you a chance to experience the recording on a completely different level.
Beyond the Soundbytes Conference Scheduled for November 15
On Friday, November 3, <I>The Register</I> published an <A HREF="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/03/peter_jenner/">interview</A> with Peter Jenner, formerly manager of Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett, T. Rex, The Clash, Ian Drury, and Disposable Heroes, as well as Billy Bragg's current manager. The interview was a challenging (and profane) music insider's rant on a variety of subjects ranging from how the dollar download model killed the record store to proposals for a blanket, DRM-free digital music license that would permit consumers to use the music they purchase however they wish.
Advanced Audio 20th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, November 11
As we <A HREF="http://stereophile.com/news/101606advanced/">reported previously</A>, on Saturday, November 11, retailer Advanced Audio will celebrate its 20<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary with "an open format seminar" at the Sheraton Tacoma Hotel (1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, WA 98402. Tel: (253) 572-3200). Seminar participants will include Richard Vandersteen of Vandersteen Audio; Steve Silberman, Ayre Acoustics's national sales manager; Joe Harley, renowned recording producer and AudioQuest vice-president; Shane Buettner, technical editor of <I>Ultimate AV</I>; and Wes Phillips, a senior editor at <I>Stereophile</I>.
Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline The Hornet headphone amplifier
I've been a little remiss in writing about one of the best tools for travel I've experienced recently: Ray Samuels Audio's Emmeline The Hornet ($350), a tiny (3" L by 2" W by 1" H) rechargeable portable headphone amplifier. I tend to travel with my <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/mediaservers/934">iPod</A> packed with hi-rez music files and a pair of low-impedance headphones. That's not a marriage made in heaven, so I also need a headphone amplifier. Over the years, portable headphone amps have gotten better and better while getting smaller and smaller. The Hornet is the smallest I've discovered so far and is my current favorite.
Scientific Fidelity Tesla loudspeaker
<B>Foreword by Sam Tellig: </B>I wanted to like the Sci Fi Teslas. I originally heard these speakers at Dave Wolf's store in New Canaan, Connecticut—no longer in business, alas.
VTL Tiny Triode monoblock power amplifier
During the time of the Native-American Comanches, a young brave had to undergo many trials by fire before he earned the respect of the tribe's adults. He was violently beaten by the men, humiliated by the women, and forced to endure physical torture such as the slow flaying of the foreskin with smoldering pine saplings drawn from the fire. Alienated from the tribe, exiled until he proved his manhood, he had to survive on wriggling cream-colored larvae and infrequent rainwater. Legend speaks of these Indian youths, dehydrated and disoriented, crawling around on their hands and knees and baying like wolves at the moon.