A dale is a broad valley. The Yorkshire Dales are broad, picturesque valleys in Northern England, mostly named for the rivers or streams that run through them. One of these is Wharfedale, which is the upper valley of the River Wharfe—and which was the original home of British firm Wharfedale Wireless Works, founded in 1932 by Gilbert Briggs.

Every year, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association hands out awards for the best products in each of 19 hi-fi categories, as determined by a panel of judges from the world's leading hi-fi magazines.

Notice the word "world"—for, EISA, one a European organisation, has gone global, with members from Japan, Hong Kong, Australia—and the United States, where Stereophile is the only member of EISA's Hi-Fi Expert group. (Stereophile's partner publications, Shutterbug and Sound & Vision, are also EISA members—in the Photography and A/V categories, respectively.)

This almost happened 13 years ago. Thinking the time was right for a Klipschorn review—2006 was the 60th anniversary of its design—I got in touch with a Klipsch representative, who requested photos of my room and details of its size and construction style. My reply was followed by a three-day lag in correspondence, after which came the disappointing news: "We're sorry: It won't work." The problem: There were baseboard radiators too near the corners of the room where the speakers would be installed; consequently, the Klipschorns couldn't be snugged all the way against those corner walls—an iron-clad requirement for their use.

Patricia Barber: Higher
Patricia Barber, piano & vocals; Patrick Mulcahy, bass; Jon Deitemyer, drums; Neal Alger, acoustic guitar; Jim Gailloreto, tenor saxophone
ArtistShare AS01712 (CD). 2019, Patricia Barber, prod.; Martha Feldman, assoc. prod.; Jim Anderson, rec. and mixing eng.; Bob Ludwig, mastering eng. DDD. TT: 55:18
Performance *****
Sonics ****½

As a singer and writer, Patricia Barber has never been easy to define. In the audiophile world, she's too often defined—and her brilliance obscured—by her ubiquity at audio shows and her regrettable membership in a sorority of generic, well-recorded "female vocalists." But in what idiom?

Register to win one of five actual pieces of the original 1969 Woodstock stage (Value $99.00 ea) or a Back To The Garden - 50th Anniversary Collection 5 Vinyl LP set (Value $124.98) we are giving away.

According to the companies:

"Peace Pendant: Always have a piece of Woodstock magic around your neck and close to your heart, with this Peace Pendant, that is encased with a piece of the original and authenticated stage from the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Acrylic Frame: Ideal for display and connecting with the festival magic, this touchable piece of the original 1969 Woodstock stage is surrounded by rainbow colors with the concert dates and location, Peace of Stage logo, and a tamper-proof hologram certifying its authenticity.

Woodstock 50 – Back To The Garden - 50th Anniversary Collection features 42 of the finest performances recorded at the legendary festival, on 5 vinyl LPs."

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

I was saddened to learn that Jack Renner, renowned recording engineer and cofounder with producer Robert Woods of Telarc Records, died on June 19, 2019, age 84, at his home in Rhode Island. Mr. Renner is survived by his wife, Barbara, three children, and six grandchildren.