I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).

Audiophile societies are frequently sources of interesting new equipment to review. Recently, trolling New York's Audiophile Society, I discovered a tremendous buzz about the Onix Reference 1 Mk.II, an affordable bookshelf speaker from AV123. Founded by Audio Alchemy cofounder Mark Schifter, AV123 is a Colorado-based manufacturer and retailer that specializes in affordable audio gear, mostly speakers and electronics, which it sells exclusively over the Internet with a 30-day money-back guarantee. AV123's factories in China and Colombia design, manufacture, and distribute speakers under the brand names Onix, X-Series, and Rocket, and, I am told, also make speakers for a number of other companies. If the name Onix rings a bell, this former UK brand has long been known for its dedication to making affordable audio gear. AV123 bought Onix from the Rogers speaker company more than 10 years ago.