I thought this was an interesting description of trying different capacitors to see what difference they made to the sound and how he tested them

Scroll down to the Grounded Grid Cap Test part way down the page.

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/GG.htm#GG%20cap%20test:

Also, check out the Russian Capacitors in pic #4. Jeez

I'm looking to improve my headphone experience, either with better cans or a small and portable amp. Some background:
I've been using Sennheiser 497s for years. I love the sound from a plugged-in source, but from my mp3 player they are questionable.
I used Etymotic ER-6 in-ears until I lost then on a trip, then got the ER-6i, which is almost as good. These drive well from the MP3 player.
At my desk I run FLAC-compressed CD rips (run through Dolby Headphone in software. Bliss.). On the MP3 player I select high bitrates when converting.
Total budget under $500.

When I receive the next Stereophile issue, I

Anyone know of a good car audio magazine?

Preferably a sane one that doesn't cater exclusively to the market for separate amps, flashing lights and ridiculous thumping subwoofers.

I just want decent speakers and a stereo with a well-designed interface, nothing fancy.

Sweet article on NPR:
Bringing Up Baby, As Music Lovers Might

Do you parents out there remember the first song you played for your children?

(One complaint with the article: WFMU is not in NYC. It's in Jersey City, NJ, dammit.)

We are very excited about the Overdrive DAC product. Some history first:

A number of friends have these and want 24/96 copies of the tracks on their computers. Is there a tool available and is this legal?

Steve N.