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Paul Bolin reviews the EgglestonWorks Andra II loudspeaker, noting, "It's always tough to follow an award-winning act." Bolin listens carefully to determine if "the lofty ambitions of the Andra II project" have made significant and meaningful improvements to the original design.

Next, Larry Greenhill files his report on the Quad ESL-989 electrostatic loudspeaker, the fourth and latest incarnation in the product's 45-year history. As LG explains, "owning a pair of [the original] ESL-57s required dedication and a generous masochistic streak." Greenhill determines whether the new '989 answers ESL lovers' prayers.

Robert J. Reina listens to the NHT SB-3 loudspeaker, writing, "The SB-3 is finished in a stunning seven-layer finish in a "slightly rounded cabinet that reminded me more of the original Wilson WATT or Entec subwoofer than a budget-priced bookshelf model." But, as Reina observes, it's the sound that counts.

Steve Guttenberg profiles three women who've made a splash in the audio business for Sisters in Sound: Rondi D'Agostino of Krell Industries, Thiel Audio Products' Kathy Gornik, and Transparent Audio's head honcho, Karen Sumner—"all of whom have played major roles in the growth of high-end audio in the past 20 years."

Finally, the latest installment in our Recording of the Month" series for the online archives: Recording of September 1996, Patti Smith: Gone Again. Beth Jacques notes, "The sound is flawless. I've never heard a cleaner recording; when a passage is quiet behind Smith's voice or a solo piano, the silence is as present as black velvet behind gold."