Stephen Mejias

Great Britain is dreaming of a silent night. A new recording of John Cage's controversial piece, “4'33",” stands a good chance of becoming Britain’s best-selling single during Christmas week. (Woo!)

Michael Fremer wears a pair of special Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers by John Varvatos. Now, when Mikey shops for gear, he can also listen to some. John Varvatos fashion boutiques have become an official dealer for select McIntosh components, such as the MXA60 "Manhattan Home Audio System."

On the evening of August 18th, I made some space in my kitchen, got a beer from the fridge, pointed a fan directly at my sweaty face, and went about the simple but rewarding task of assembling a Nomad Crate.

Sarah Lipstate is Noveller. Desert Fires, her full-length follow-up to 2009’s Red Rainbows, is one of three Noveller releases I enjoyed in 2010 and one of the very few compact discs I purchased this year. Tomorrow, December 9th, Sarah Lipstate will perform an improvised set with Shahin Motia (Oneida/Inferior Amps) at Cinders Gallery (103 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn).

Jolida's FX10 ($450) is one good-looking integrated amplifier, but how does it sound?

The 2011 Stereophile Buyer’s Guide will be on newsstands through February 8, and can also be found in our new Stereophile Shop. It makes a great stocking stuffer!

The December 2010 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. On the cover you’ll see the Ayre DX-5 “Universal A/V Engine.” This thing slices, it dices, it juliennes, and even Mikey likes it. Really: The DX-5 plays Blu-ray, DVD-V, DVD-A, SACD, CD, CD-R, and every other combination of “C,” “D,” and “V” you can think of, and, with its front-panel USB input, it becomes a music sever, too.