I'd heard rumors about Peak Consult. John Marks was all a-burble, having reviewed the InCognito in "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/932/index2.html">The Fifth Element</A>" in the September 2003 <I>Stereophile</I>, but I'd never actually <I>heard</I> anything designed by PC's Per Kristoffersen. Therefore, when US distributor Chris Sommovigo proposed that I audition the $25,000/pair Empress, I was intrigued. Well, who wouldn't be?

Back in March, I wrote a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/305stph.html">reviewlet</A…; of Channel Islands Audio's VHP&bull;1 headphone amplifier for the <I>Stereophile</I> eNewsletter. (What&mdash;you aren't receiving that free download yet? Well, log on to www.stereophile.com and opt in.) The VHP&bull;1 has continued to enchant me&mdash;reason enough to examine it in greater detail, I reckoned. But the real reason I returned to the VHP&bull;1 ($349) is that CIA's Dusty Vawter recently sent me his new VAC&bull;1 ($159), a replacement power supply for the VHP&bull;1's stock wall-wart supply. Could a new power supply <I>really</I> offer a substantial improvement in performance?

Back in March, I wrote a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/305stph.html">reviewlet</A…; of Channel Islands Audio's VHP&bull;1 headphone amplifier for the <I>Stereophile</I> eNewsletter. (What&mdash;you aren't receiving that free download yet? Well, log on to www.stereophile.com and opt in.) The VHP&bull;1 has continued to enchant me&mdash;reason enough to examine it in greater detail, I reckoned. But the real reason I returned to the VHP&bull;1 ($349) is that CIA's Dusty Vawter recently sent me his new VAC&bull;1 ($159), a replacement power supply for the VHP&bull;1's stock wall-wart supply. Could a new power supply <I>really</I> offer a substantial improvement in performance?

Back in March, I wrote a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/305stph.html">reviewlet</A…; of Channel Islands Audio's VHP&bull;1 headphone amplifier for the <I>Stereophile</I> eNewsletter. (What&mdash;you aren't receiving that free download yet? Well, log on to www.stereophile.com and opt in.) The VHP&bull;1 has continued to enchant me&mdash;reason enough to examine it in greater detail, I reckoned. But the real reason I returned to the VHP&bull;1 ($349) is that CIA's Dusty Vawter recently sent me his new VAC&bull;1 ($159), a replacement power supply for the VHP&bull;1's stock wall-wart supply. Could a new power supply <I>really</I> offer a substantial improvement in performance?

Back in March, I wrote a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/305stph.html">reviewlet</A…; of Channel Islands Audio's VHP&bull;1 headphone amplifier for the <I>Stereophile</I> eNewsletter. (What&mdash;you aren't receiving that free download yet? Well, log on to www.stereophile.com and opt in.) The VHP&bull;1 has continued to enchant me&mdash;reason enough to examine it in greater detail, I reckoned. But the real reason I returned to the VHP&bull;1 ($349) is that CIA's Dusty Vawter recently sent me his new VAC&bull;1 ($159), a replacement power supply for the VHP&bull;1's stock wall-wart supply. Could a new power supply <I>really</I> offer a substantial improvement in performance?

Back in March, I wrote a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/305stph.html">reviewlet</A…; of Channel Islands Audio's VHP&bull;1 headphone amplifier for the <I>Stereophile</I> eNewsletter. (What&mdash;you aren't receiving that free download yet? Well, log on to www.stereophile.com and opt in.) The VHP&bull;1 has continued to enchant me&mdash;reason enough to examine it in greater detail, I reckoned. But the real reason I returned to the VHP&bull;1 ($349) is that CIA's Dusty Vawter recently sent me his new VAC&bull;1 ($159), a replacement power supply for the VHP&bull;1's stock wall-wart supply. Could a new power supply <I>really</I> offer a substantial improvement in performance?

I recently spent a few days filling in for a local engineer, recording middle-school and high-school bands and choral ensembles. This was a requirement of the statewide music-educator adjudication process. (Don't laugh; recording high-school bands is how Telarc got its start.)

I recently spent a few days filling in for a local engineer, recording middle-school and high-school bands and choral ensembles. This was a requirement of the statewide music-educator adjudication process. (Don't laugh; recording high-school bands is how Telarc got its start.)

Like many specialty audio companies, <A HREF="http://www.nhthifi.com">NHT</A&gt; has had its ups and downs. The Benicia, CA&ndash;based loudspeaker manufacturer, founded by <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/232/">Ken Kantor</A> and Chris Byrne in 1986, was sold to Jensen International in the early 1990s, sold again to accesssories perveyor Recoton, and then acquired (and some would suggest saved) by Rockford Corporation towards the end of 2002.