Because its sound proclaims "major significance," our coverage starts with the show premiere of Graham Audio's LS5/5f loudspeaker ($24,995/pair). Unveiled in Munich, albeit only in passive display, the speaker was designed by Derek Hughes, son of the late Spencer Hughes, founder of Spendor.

In just a few minutes as I write these words, T.H.E. Show returns for another installment at the Long Beach Hilton. Rumored to offer approximately 40 exhibit rooms plus untold stands in the Marketplace and Headphonium, it has drawn exhibitors from all over the United States and beyond.

Bruckner: Symphony No.7, Shostakovich: Symphony No.7, "Leningrad", Jonathan Berger, Harriet Scott Chessman: Mỹ Lai and Terry Riley: Autodreamographical Tales.

Ornette Coleman: Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums, Ches Smith: Interpret It Well, Melissa Aldana: 12 Stars, Tommaso Moretti: Inside Out and Immanuel Wilkins: The 7th Hand.

Cosmic American Derelicts: The Twain Shall Meet and Destroyer: Labyrinthitis.

I have never written about the ultraboutique reissues from the London-based Electric Recording Company. Pressed in quantities of 300 or so, each title sells out within days (or hours) of its release, despite a price tag of $400 or more. Why review what can't be had?

Playing records is a delight-filled chore. The simple, quiet act of lowering a tonearm places one's mind at the ready for something marvelous to happen. Surely, this gentle ritual initiates a higher mode of psychic connectedness than poking absentmindedly at a side-facing equilateral triangle on a piece of cheap plastic.