Throughout the history of the animal kingdom, sounds have always been full of meaning. They provide valuable information on the whereabouts of prey and predator, the location of family, the intentions of friend and foe. Sound cues have always been as important as information obtained by scent and sight.

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<I>I love the sound of glowing glass,<BR> especially when I'm lonely.<BR> I love the nuances of emotion.<BR> It's nothing new, nothing new,<BR> The sound of glowing glass...</I> (with apologies to Nick Lowe)

<B>Kevin Hayes: </B>Valve Amplification Company arose out of my dissatisfaction with the stereo gear I could buy. I've been an audiophile since before I knew what the word meant, going back to the mid-'70s. I had an epiphany when I first heard a piece of old tubed gear, a Fisher X101, that simply <I>blew away</I> a highly touted receiver that I happened to own. It was a 25W integrated amplifier, using 7591s on the output, and except for sustained organ-pedal notes, it was far better than what I had at that time.

<B>Kevin Hayes: </B>Valve Amplification Company arose out of my dissatisfaction with the stereo gear I could buy. I've been an audiophile since before I knew what the word meant, going back to the mid-'70s. I had an epiphany when I first heard a piece of old tubed gear, a Fisher X101, that simply <I>blew away</I> a highly touted receiver that I happened to own. It was a 25W integrated amplifier, using 7591s on the output, and except for sustained organ-pedal notes, it was far better than what I had at that time.

Records To Die For creates one of two problems for the <I>Stereophile</I> writer: either she can't come up with the names of two (or, in the case of new writers, five) recordings of world-class music in world-class stereo sound, or he comes up with so many his hard-drive crashes trying to narrow down the choices.