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Ensconced in one of the Hilton Long Beach's larger rooms, Tom Vu had intended to present an all-TriangleArt system until the Great Egyptian Shipping God in the Sky announced total displeasure at the state of the world. Demanding a sacrifice for our collective sins, GESGitS blew a gasket and chose as his victims TriangleArt's Metis loudspeakers ($59,999/pair), which never reached the Hilton Long Beach. Borrowed Usher speakers saved the day.

Alma Audio of San Diego went all out at T.H.E. Show, with three different rooms showcasing different products at different price points. Dominating their least-expensive room were Audio Alto's made-in-Slovenia AA 1A stereo amplifier ($1990), AA 1P preamplifier ($1990), and AA R101FR loudspeakers ($4000/pair).

Only as I was leaving this room did Theresa Merchant tell me that when she, her husband Sunil, and the Sunny Components team first encountered the abysmal acoustics in this room, they thought all was lost. Thanks to the set-up acumen of David Ellington, AudioQuest Director of Sales for Independent Dealers, and a bunch of acoustic paneling, the room was a major success.

"This has to be one of the best sounding rooms at T.H.E. Show," said self to self. Listening to Count Basie and his Orchestra's rendition of "After the Rain," the beauty, clarity, and absolute spot-on rightness of every single high-end parameter I could think of impelled me to write in my notes, "The price reflects the pedigree of the sound."

Hands down winner of my "Anything but Hotel California" Unusual Music Award, the first of Common Wave Hi-Fi of Los Angeles' three rooms kept platters spinning and visitors happy.

John McGurk's Audioshield distribution, together with Johnathan Ellis's Audio Chamber of Murrieta, CA, featured a system that delivered fine, clear, all-of-a-piece sound that brought a smile to my eyes and happiness to my heart.