Tube stores also predominate in the used audio market.

Some questionable calls here. "Daydream Believer?" Did Boyce and Hart ever write a wussy song? Also some good advice: "Waltz time is a direct, foolproof route to wussiness."

Own the 12" acetate of <I>The Velvet Underground with Nico</I> for only $110,000. For that price <I>I'd</I> at least want an intact banana sticker.

All the way across town from the audio market is the area where used equipment and parts are sold. Many small shops are specialists, such as this transformer kiosk. Not only can you buy thousands of transformers, but you can pick up plates and wire and roll your own.

Actually, I have no idea what Sheng Ya means, but at the Sheng Ya showroom, I felt right at home. There were audiophiles hanging out, listening, and, of course, yakking when we walked in. The sales guy was <I>really</I> into what he was doing and immediately began playing these interesting looking speakers made by Consonance.

Down the street, we found a store running an active demo that had these strange devices flanking the loudspeakers. Seated on their own speaker stands, they had thin wires connecting on the positive inputs of both loudpseaker and super tweeter.

We went to the "audio district" of GuangZhou&mdash;in China, all shops of similar character tend to group together, so the audio district is where all the hi-fi shops are. Actually, they're there twice: many store have display showrooms in the central mall and listening rooms ranked along a nearby alley.

An audiophile's nightmare?