Here's a little something to warm your hearts: The March 2014 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands, and it's a very special issue, indeed. Inside, you'll find that our editor, John Atkinson, has fallen in love with a new pair of headphones. Has the sexy Audeze LCD-X seduced him away from his old, beloved Sennheiser HD650?
Of course, there's more.
Are you interested in portable hi-fi, computer audio, and desktop products? These days, many of us are. For you, we have reviews of the Channel Islands Audio Transient Mk.II USB D/A processor, the Astell&Kern AK100 portable media player, the Arcam rBlink Bluetooth receiver, Sennheiser Momentum on-ear headphones, PSB SubSeries 100 desktop subwoofer, and the ASUS Xonar Essence One Muses Edition and AudioQuest DragonFly v1.2 USB DAC-headphone amplifiers. Wow!
Are you interested in LP playback? These days, many of us are. We also have reviews of the Abis SA-1 tonearm and Lyra Etna phono cartridge. Or are you interested in multi-channel sound? In "Music in the Round," Kal covers a versatile and powerful combo from Yamaha: the Aventage CX-A5000 preamplifier-processor and matching Aventage MX-A5000 11-channel power amp!
If all of this newfangled hi-fi is a bit out of your bailiwick, we also have something for the more traditional audiophile: Art Dudley reviews the Stirling Broadcast BBC LS3/6 loudspeaker and, in his "Listening" column, he restores a vintage Thorens turntable. (Art is always restoring something!)
Have you ever wondered what the audio hobby will look like in the not-so-distant future? In "Audio Engineering: The Next 40 Years," John La Grou, founder and CEO of Millennia Media, tells us all about it. It's a fascinating (and slightly frightening) piece.
And we're thrilled to have artist and longtime audiophile Herb Reichert open our issue with a thoughtful and compelling piece on the purpose of music. Herb writes, "When music is deeply felt, the artist is simply reminding us that we are not alone."
Speaking of music, our music editor, Robert Baird, sits down for a chat with legendary songwriter Guy Clark, whose new record, My Favorite Picture of You, is one of his best and most personal. Meanwhile, our music writers provide reviews of new releases from Keith Jarrett, Franco Fagioli, Gov't Mule, Marty Ehrlich, Jane Ira Bloom, and Wild Beasts. I wrote that last one, actually. It's a hell of an album, and perfect for love.
Happy Valentine's Day. Pick up a copy of Stereophile for yourself and buy a second for your sweetheart.
We hope you enjoy the issue. Care to talk about it? Head to the forum. Thanks for reading Stereophile!
