Johnny Cash, the 71-year-old American icon, died September 12 of respiratory failure caused by complications from diabetes. The singer/songwriter had been released from the hospital the preceding day after a two-week struggle with an unspecified stomach ailment.

There is one date I dread every year: my wife's birthday. After nearly 16 years of marriage, I have exhausted every last iota of my spousal resources in trying to think of a suitable present. Nothing too ordinary, nothing too <I>out</I> of the ordinary, nothing that will trigger those dreaded words, "You <I>did</I> keep the receipt, right?"

<B>FRANCK: Violin Sonata in A<BR>RACHMANINOFF: Cello Sonata in g</B><BR> Renaud Capu&#231;on, violin; Gautier Capu&#231;on, cello; Alexandre Gurning, Lilya Zilberstein, piano<BR>EMI Classics 5 57505 2 (CD). 2003. Carlo Piccardi, prod.; Ulrich Ruscher, eng. DDD. TT: 65:33<BR>Performance <B>****</B><BR>Sonics <B>****</B>

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I reviewed JMlab's Mezzo Utopia loudspeaker in the July 1999 <I>Stereophile</I> (Vol.22 No.7). By chance, the Mezzos had followed a pair of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/207/">B&W Nautilus 801</A>s into my listening room, and the substitution had proved rather interesting. For all their many fine qualities, the 801, with its 15" bass driver, was distinctly bass-heavy in my room, whereas the 11" drivers of the Mezzos seemed just right in this regard.

I was riding BART home from <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11662/">Home Entertainment 2003</A>, thinking about the day&mdash;the new products, the old friends, the rooms with really great sound. It's a long ride from downtown San Francisco to Livermore, so I next got to thinking about all of the hi-fi shows I've attended over the years and which companies, year after year, always seem to have good sound. At the top of the list were Audio Physic and its US importer, Allen Perkins' Immedia.