a friend of mine became a legacy dealer this week. he toured the factory and brought home a set of Whispers. I helped him unload so was there when he hooked up his 8 watt custom made Morrow Audio SET mono blocks. If you want to see unusual design in a very large speaker, check out their website. Anyway, right out of the box, the sound was smooth and mellow. Just a little down on bass, but the 8 15" woofers were brand new and it was an SET. I had also brought over an Arcam P80 stereo amp that I no longer use, so we hooked that budget solid state amp up (65w 8ohm, 105w 4ohm).

That was a fun read, Art! I especially like Jeff's illustrations of A.vs.P. ...and the bit about ..er..a being who is a bit like an unwanted relative. "No, I don't know him, man, he's like, from the other side of the family."

I've been playing and listening to music for over 40 years. I played trumpet from grade school through college, and now days sing in an acapella octet. I work as a broadcast engineer, run front of house at a large church, and am the sound chair for our local community theater. My favorite speakers are a pair of home made TQWT's in my office at work, and I love making and using various electronic devices.

I bought a pair of VA Soloists for a ridiculously low price at a second hand store. The very scanty information I've found about them indicates that they are well received for having good imaging, and that's about it.

It's frustrating that there's an article here at Stereophile about a Levinson 38 preamp where the reviewer mentions using Soloists as reference speakers, and says that they are reviewed 'elsewhere in this issue' but which issue...?

Reading "Juliet, Naked" this week. Nick Hornby is getting back on a killer track.

I liked but was more lukewarm regarding "Slam!"...but to be fair, I had just read "King Dork" and "Slam!" may be better than I recollect! Funny how that can work.

"How To Be Good" and "A Long way Down" are OK, but didn't get my sympathies up for the characters.

"Juliet, Naked" has lots of music-fan related insight that can be almost too astute!

So far, two thumbs up.

Gold (basis the active Comex December 2009 contract) gapped through old resistance at 1033 last Tuesday. It is now technically (and fundamentally, due to the $USD's continuation of its year-long downtrend) set up to run. Nobody knows how far.

Most of the best miners are still playing catch-up. AUY, GG, NXG, AEM, GOLD, and RGLD still haven't made new all-time highs (exceptions would be GOLD and AEM), but are poised to do so by year-end.

For all you folks who own a CD player that cost under $9000;
your player is now more or less obsolete!

I have been using the Ayre C5xe for the past three years, and before I bought it I listened extensively to everything under 10 grand, and it sounded the best to me so I forked out $6000 for it (which for me was a very big deal). I thought I had bought my last CD player.