Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime. One day I'm reviewing the $139 <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1006sonic">Sonic Impact Super T</A> power amplifier, and the next day Krell Industries delivers their $10,000 Evolution 505 SACD/CD player, $15,000 Evolution 202 preamplifier, and their $30,000/pair Evolution 600 monoblocks.

Talk about going from the ridiculous to the sublime. One day I'm reviewing the $139 <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1006sonic">Sonic Impact Super T</A> power amplifier, and the next day Krell Industries delivers their $10,000 Evolution 505 SACD/CD player, $15,000 Evolution 202 preamplifier, and their $30,000/pair Evolution 600 monoblocks.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard&mdash;one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's&mdash;much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years&mdash;there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

<I>"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them. There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like&mdash;static."</I>&mdash;Bob Dylan, interviewed by Jonathan Lethem. <I>Rolling Stone</I>, September 7, 2006

<B>JERRY LEE LEWIS: <I>Last Man Standing</I></B><BR>
Shangri-La Entertainment 2006. (CD) Steve Bing, Jimmy Rip, prods. No eng listed. AAD? TT: 66:45<BR>
Performance ****<BR>
Sonics ****