Some six or so years ago, the Linn Asak cartridge set new standards for imaging and soundstage reproduction. I can remember the first time I heard an Asak in a system using <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/416">Quad ESL-63s</A>&mdash;I had never experienced such depth of soundstage and solidity of imaging from <I>any</I> system, and that with Quad amplification! The Asak was relatively quickly overshadowed in this area, however, and in any case, soundstaging precision by itself didn't seem to be a high priority for the Linn design team, who were apparently more concerned with dynamics and a musical integration of the sound across the frequency range.

Despite griping and grumbling about <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/100206ces/">the change</A>, many makers of high-performance audio gear appear to have settled on their new official venue at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Two months before the start of the 2007 CES (to be held January 8&ndash;11), all but 12 of the Venetian's 198 exhibit rooms and suites had already been sold.

Bagheera, unlike Huck, found the possibilities tantalizing.

Huckleberry is appalled to learn that there are birds that are bigger than he is. He finds the ossibilities disturbing.

The groaning board&mdash;love that frilly cuff sticking up on the stripped carcass.

The perfect bird&mdash;before.