In my review of Krell's FBI integrated amplifier in the July 2007 issue, I noted that $16,500 (it now costs $18,000) seemed an astonishing chunk of change to spend on a product category generally associated with "budget" gear. Now, the 2011 edition of the Stereophile Buyer's Guide lists no fewer than 19 companies selling integrated amps for five figures—one goes for $100,000!—which perhaps suggests that economic slumps prod even the well-heeled to alter their habits. There are, after all, advantages to cramming a preamplifier and a power amplifier into a single box: you need one less pair of interconnects, one less power socket, one less cabinet shelf. And if the integrated contains state-of-the-art parts, elegant circuitry, and a hefty power supply, what's the problem?

And so we have Simaudio Ltd., the veteran Canadian high-end electronics firm, leaping into this realm after 30 years of business with the Moon 700i, priced at $12,000—only two-thirds the price of the Krell, but aimed at the same downsizing but still toney demographic.

Boston Acoustics A Series loudspeakers&#151on the beach, which is where I'd like to be right now.

Is it just me or are we really experiencing the beginnings of a new stereo renaissance, a return to dedicated, high-quality, two-channel sound? Could it be that the home theater sector has become almost entirely commoditized so that little besides cost and availability are important to the consumer? In an age when craftsmanship and dedication have become clouded by convenience and fashion, hi-fi&#151good, old-fashioned, two-channel hi-fi&#151symbolizes the importance of quality experiences and a more meaningful life. But that’s just my opinion.

The latest two offerings from Music Matters Jazz—Lee Morgan's Indeed! and Jackie McLean's Destination Out!—are the company's best in a while: most worthy of the exclamation points.

On the face of it, the power amplifier has the simplest conceptual task of any audio component. Fed an audio signal at its input, all it has to do to satisfy the demands for current made by the loudspeaker is to modulate a high-voltage voltage supply with that signal. Yet power amplifiers vary enormously in their ability to perform that task without editorializing. As a result, when I find an amplifier that appears to step out of the way of the music in the manner I desire, I make the commitment, I buy it, and I stick with it.

Today is Ornette Coleman's 81st birthday, and we can celebrate with smiles, thanks, and The Shape of Jazz to Come.

Tune in to Columbia University's WKCR for a full day of Coleman's work as the station celebrates "innovation, relentless individualism, and commitment to artistic freedom." Right on. You might also enjoy Matthew Ditullo's excellent "This Shape of Jazz" blog, where Ditullo thinks about jazz, blues, and beer.