The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The best tonearm I ever heard was a second-generation Mission Mechanic, <I>ca</I> 1986. It was mounted on a Roksan Xerxes turntable, and I spent several happy hours listening to records on that combination (with a low-compliance EMT cartridge) in two very different systems: one with solid-state amplification from DNM and Roksan's own dynamic Darius loudspeakers, and the other&mdash;my home system of the time&mdash;using tube amplification from Conrad-Johnson and a borrowed pair of Stax electrostatic speakers.

The music industry is facing its toughest business climate in recent memory, and slow sales are hurting not only the record labels, but music retailers as well. In the face of continuing sales declines, store closings, mergers and consolidations, layoffs, and seemingly intractable digital distribution issues, the industry came together last month for its annual <A HREF="http://www.narm.com">National Association of Recording Merchandisers</A> (NARM) convention and trade show in Orlando, FL.