First Netrebko's <A HREF="http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live… placement tip</A>, now this.

Self would have never guessed that.

My "Musical Cultural Literacy for Americans" write-in competition seems to have been a smashing success. I received 65 entries, and only a very few missed the mark. A few more were obvious, so-so, or lacking in passion. Many were good. But a score or more were of enviably high quality. Choosing the top 12 was tough. At the end, who won a prize and who did not was entirely my own subjective decision. The winning entries are posted in full on <I>Stereophile</I>'s website as an <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/407fifth/index3.html">append…; to my <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/407fifth">April column</A>. Here are the points I made online in announcing the results:

My "Musical Cultural Literacy for Americans" write-in competition seems to have been a smashing success. I received 65 entries, and only a very few missed the mark. A few more were obvious, so-so, or lacking in passion. Many were good. But a score or more were of enviably high quality. Choosing the top 12 was tough. At the end, who won a prize and who did not was entirely my own subjective decision. The winning entries are posted in full on <I>Stereophile</I>'s website as an <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/407fifth/index3.html">append…; to my <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/407fifth">April column</A>. Here are the points I made online in announcing the results:

I had been sent a sample of the Woodside SC26 tube preamplifier during my June 1994 review of Woodside's <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/694wood">MA50 monoblock amplifier</A> (Vol.17 No.6). Although I used a number of preamplifiers during that review, I was most impressed with the MA50s' spacious, three-dimensional soundstage when driven by the SC26. At the time, I had an impression that the SC26's sonics combined a midrange richness with a good dynamic range. Although I had to return the Woodside MA50s to the importer after I reviewed them, I continued listening to the SC26.

I had been sent a sample of the Woodside SC26 tube preamplifier during my June 1994 review of Woodside's <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/694wood">MA50 monoblock amplifier</A> (Vol.17 No.6). Although I used a number of preamplifiers during that review, I was most impressed with the MA50s' spacious, three-dimensional soundstage when driven by the SC26. At the time, I had an impression that the SC26's sonics combined a midrange richness with a good dynamic range. Although I had to return the Woodside MA50s to the importer after I reviewed them, I continued listening to the SC26.