CES 2007

Whenever I have caught up with Ken Kessler (left) at audio shows in the past two years, he has uncharacteristically grumbled about all the work he was doing writing and compiling McIntosh...For the Love of Music. "Every time I interview someone connected with the iconic Binghampton audio company, they tell me about two more people I didn't know existed whom I should interview."

The result of Ken's labors made its debut at the 2007 CES. A lavishly produced coffee-table book, the size and thickness of his previous work on Quad, Ken's McIntosh book is a must-have for anyone interested in or fascinated by the evolution of high-end audio in the US. Along with Ken and McIntosh president Charlie Randall, the book-signing reception on January 9 was graced by the presence of legendary McIntosh engineer Sidney Corderman (right), lured out of retirement for the occasion. John Marks will be reviewing the McIntosh book, which is available from McIntosh dealers, in a late-spring issue of Stereophile.

Damping the celebratory mood at the reception was the news that David H. O'Brien, who had tested amplifiers all over the United States and Canada for nearly 30 years at the renowned McIntosh Amplifier Clinics, had passed away that same day at the age of 79. Dave had been a major source for the book.