Visit any consumer audio show these days and you'll see rooms full of systems costing from six to seven figures. Manufacturers like to put their best foot forward, and demoing systems with loudspeakers designed to sell for $50,000/pair and up (often up) seems an obvious way to go.

It's also common for an audio company to launch its flagship models first, and only later release more affordable products, for a wider range of buyers. The hope is that the promotional shine of the dream products will be reflected onto the budget models.

The good-sounding products that pass through a reviewer's system fall into three categories: those he liked but felt little sense of loss about when they were sent back to the manufacturer or distributor; those he loved and could afford to purchase; and those he loved but that were financially out of reach. The Rossini Player from British company dCS, which I reviewed along with the Rossini Clock in our December 2016 issue, was an example of this last category: the Player costs $28,499, the Clock $7499.

Wednesday April 24 and Thursday, April 25, starting at 5pm, Denver high-end audio retailer ListenUp (685 South Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80209, (303) 778-0780) is presenting its Music Matters 2019. Titled "Mastering the Art of Sound," the event will celebrate what's next in sound and the keynote speaker will be Stereophile's erstwhile Editor and now Technical Editor John Atkinson.