The October 2009 issue of
Stereophile is now on newsstands. I hope you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. It was a lot of work, but it was also incredibly satisfying. The front cover is, in my opinion, our best and boldest of the year, which is appropriate because this issue not only includes our popular "Recommended Components" list but also pays tribute to
Stereophile's founder, J. Gordon Holt, who passed away
in July. It is indeed a special issue.
I love what graphic designer Natalie Baca did with the cover. Matching the bright, liquid red of the Zu Essence loudspeaker with a purple border and gold type was brilliant. In fact, all of Nat's variations on the October issue cover were so outstanding; it was difficult to choose a favorite. So difficult, in fact, that I enlisted a couple of fashion consultants to help make the decision: Sales coordinator,
Rosemarie Torcivia, and Action Sports Group rep,
Coral Watkins, were similarly impressed by the wealth of material on hand, but both felt that the combination of red, purple, and gold would simply leap from the newsstand (and be perfect for Fashion Week). Surprisingly, several top models have been seen prancing about Bryant Park with copies of
Stereophile in their hands. It is the perfect autumn accessory.
Let's turn to "As We See It." Our opening column is usually reserved for editorial think pieces, but here we see that Jeff Wong has contributed an illustrated appreciation of Gordon Holt. Set against a pure white background and framed by nothing but a simple black border, the image pops from the page with a sort of vibrancy and generosity. Gordon is wearing the clothes he felt most comfortable in: a button-down shirt, jeans, old sneakers. On the front pocket of his shirt, he's wearing the famous "
Finger Button." In one hand, Gordon balances a cigarette between two fingers, while the other hand cradles his favorite drink, a martini; his arm is slightly extended as if to raise a toast. There is a sly smile on Gordon's charismatic face, most noticeable in his dazzling blue eyes which peer out from above his black-rimmed glasses with a kind of intensity that could shoot through walls.
When John Atkinson saw Jeff's work, he smiled and exclaimed, "Oh, Jeff got it right!"
Turning to our table of contents, you'll see a scan of the actual "Finger Button." There are only a few of these iconic pieces remaining, so it's fun to share it with readers. Two more pages into the magazine, you'll see a lovely advertising spread devoted to Gordon. On the left hand page, several members of the hi-fi industry share their thoughts and memories. I most enjoyed reading
Kathy Gornik's recollection of an all-night party ("We danced and ate and drank and told stories and danced and drank some more, and later Gordon drove into a woodpile in his own driveway") and
Jonathan Scull's anecdote of seeing Gordon at a hi-fi show early in his career. On the right hand page, we see a wonderful photo of Gordon—the camera really loved the man—taken by Valerie Santagto for the silver anniversary issue of
Stereophile, January 1987, Vol.10 No.1. It's been over 20 years since Edward T. Dell offered
his tribute to "the father of subjective reviewing."
In "Letters," we find a page filled with readers' condolences and, in "Industry Update," Larry Archibald,
Stereophile's
erstwhile publisher, provides a candid and moving memorial:
I have cherished, and will continue to cherish, the great times, the originality of who he was, and the extraordinarily special love he had for the blat of a live trombone and the shriek of massed strings—"palms in the eye sockets schmaltz," in a phrase he coined during a review of Tchaikovsky's Sixth.
Palms-in-the-eye-sockets sorrow is appropriate at this moment. That, and the proper appreciation of a good martini.
I like to think that Gordon would have been proud of this issue. I know that we are. Sam Tellig auditions relatively affordable gear from NAD, the C 375BEE integrated amplifier ($1299) and C 565BEE CD player ($799). Mikey Fremer brings us reviews of the new Graham Phantom B-44 II tonearm and attractive Artemis Labs SA-1 turntable. Art Dudley reminds us that there is nothing better than the real thing: He throws a house concert featuring bluegrass guitarist David Grier! Art:
There are always a few guys who want to know: Who has the best home music system in the world? Is it a celebrity audiophile such as Steve Jobs, Sugar Ray Leonard, or Marlo Thomas? Perhaps the best system belongs to a well-known manufacturer: a Dave Wilson or a Ken Shindo or an Ivor Tiefenbrun? Or could it be that the best system in the world is owned—or at least borrowed for a very long time—by someone in the reviewing community?
For once in my life, I know the answer to my own stupid question: It's me. The best domestic music system I've ever heard was right here, in my living room. Tough titties, Marlo.
And he leaves us with a valuable lesson:
If the sound of a certain ensemble or instrument would overpower your room, then what makes you think a hi-fi playing the same music wouldn't do the same—if, that is, the two experiences really were comparable?
The answer, again, is that they aren't, and rather than resist the difference, we should bless it.
John Marks brings us more affordable (and small!) gear: the $999 Arcam Solo Mini, and held a "monster listening session" to compare the Luxman DU-50 universal player and L-505u integrated amplifier, the Carat I57 CD receiver, and the Arcam Solo Music and Solo Mini. Good times!
We had taken some heat from a few readers for choosing not to review a Zu loudspeaker. Well, I hope those guys are happy now. Art listened to the Essence and he liked it a lot. Meanwhile, JA enjoyed listening to the latest iteration of the
Acoustic Energy AE1, but had some trouble accepting its $4000 price. Bob Reina, on the other hand, saw no problem with the Chario Premium 1000's price of $1015/pair. While those fellows were toying with speakers, Wes Phillips had his soul psychedelicized by Ayre's new QB-9 USB DAC, and offered a primer on getting the most out of digital audio files. In addition, Bob Deutsch had his Ayre
CX-7e CD player updated to MP status; Fred Kaplan fell in love with Nagra's tiny, battery-powered BPS phono stage; Jon Iverson got busy with Sooloos's new Control 10
touchscreen; and JA remembered why he was so fond of the
Totem Mani-2 standmounted loudspeaker.
October's "Recording of the Month" is
Far, the latest from the endlessly charming and poetic Regina Spektor. (JA's got a crush on her!) We have reviews of new music from Black Moth Super Rainbow,
Wye Oak, and The Duke & The King, and an especially excellent review by guest contributor Edith Eisler on several reissues of work by the Guarneri Quartet.
Besides all of this, our editors and reviewers rate the best-sounding audio gear in our special "Recommended Components" feature. I hope you like the issue. Let us know what you think! And please don't kill us if your favorite component isn't on our list.
