Back in my day, rock bands had integrity—they didn't sell their image to shill just any old product.

A spotter's guide.

<I>Web-surf's up:</I> Cable manufacturer Stereovox has a new, improved, easy to navigate <A HREF="http://www.stereovox.com/">website</A&gt;. We're just sayin', is all.

Removal of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/805Bstph.html">directive by the European Union</A> (EU) that goes into effect on July 1, 2006, sounds like apple pie or motherhood&mdash;something that would be hard to argue against. And its expressed purpose of removing hazardous substances&mdash;lead and mercury, for example&mdash;from consumer products is assuredly a noble one.

<B>Editor's Note: </B><I>Those of us who cut our engineering teeth on tubes still remember the advent of the solid-state amplifier with mixed feelings. Yes, they were lighter and cheaper per watt than the thermionic hulks we loved so much, but they broke all the time (thanks to the germanium transistor) and sounded like&mdash;well, let J. Gordon Holt tell us what they sounded like in an "As We See It" article from Vol.1 No.10, first published in May 1965. We also develop the theme with a JGH review of an early transistorized amp, as well as a selection of readers' letters from the early days of </I>Stereophile<I>. Enjoy.</I>&mdash;<B>John Atkinson</B>

<B>Editor's Note: </B><I>Those of us who cut our engineering teeth on tubes still remember the advent of the solid-state amplifier with mixed feelings. Yes, they were lighter and cheaper per watt than the thermionic hulks we loved so much, but they broke all the time (thanks to the germanium transistor) and sounded like&mdash;well, let J. Gordon Holt tell us what they sounded like in an "As We See It" article from Vol.1 No.10, first published in May 1965. We also develop the theme with a JGH review of an early transistorized amp, as well as a selection of readers' letters from the early days of </I>Stereophile<I>. Enjoy.</I>&mdash;<B>John Atkinson</B>