Valerio Cora, Scott Walker, and Kevin Hayes—Acora Acoustics, Scott Walker Audio, and VAC—consistently deliver high-quality audio. Their setup in the ballroom and adjacent rooms at the Sheraton’s entrance showcased this. Don’t want to tangle with four floors of audio gear? These rooms offered an exceptional listening experience—no stairs required.

Gary Lea of Supreme Acoustic Systems graciously allowed me into his room pre-show, because he knows I am a horn-loaded loudspeaker fanatic. After one look at Odeon Audio’s German-made Semper loudspeakers ($49,900/pair), I had to contain myself.

Victor Kung was my virtual mom in Tampa, feeding me Ritz crackers, bananas, Cheerios, Kind bars, and delicious instant coffee when my energy flagged. Victor’s generosity was also on display in the lovely, tubed components he brought to his small room, easily one of my favorites of the show.

Ron Buffington’s Liquid HiFi was a chance to hear excellent orchestral music and learn something in the process.

At an exclusive event hosted by Manhattan Motorcars in New York City, I had the chance to speak with Walter Schofield, a consultant representing Oneiros loudspeakers. Surrounded by luxury automobiles, our conversation explored why these ultra-high-end speakers fit perfectly into a dealership known for its selection of rare, exclusive, and exotic vehicles.

Rhino Records started in 1978 as an eclectic indie label specializing in compilations and offbeat reissues. Its emblem was a scowling rhinoceros-human hybrid with a record spinning on the tip of its horn. Time Warner acquired the label during the 1990s, and today Warner Music uses it as its chief nonclassical reissue vehicle.

As a back-catalog label, Rhino was active early in the vinyl revival—and it continues to be. Rhino quickly learned that a popular older album, when released as a high-quality physical artifact—whether it's an LP, a CD box, a multichannel Blu-ray audio disc, or a combination of formats—engages fans more than merely dropping a new remaster onto streaming. I spoke with Rhino's president, Mark Pinkus, about the company's three-tier vinyl strategy soon after the company announced the third of those tiers, a new, lower-priced all-analog vinyl line called Rhino Reserve.

Humble Pie: Smokin'
Analogue Productions APP 168 (LP). 1972/2024. The Pie, prods.; Alan O'Duffy, Keith Harwood, Kevin Gray, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****½

The ultimate indication that an audiophile reissue is worth paying for lies in its resale value on the secondary markets, especially eBay and Discogs. If there are lots of copies for sale that are open and played, it's usually a sign that folks are disappointed. On the other hand, if a reissue title—and this covers Analogue Productions' 2009 reissue of Humble Pie's Smokin'—routinely fetches upwards of $100 on the secondary market (and sealed copies above $200), it means, first, that the pressing has probably sold out (a good sign) and, second, that it's probably worth the lucre.

In October 2024, AP repressed its much-sought-after 180gm reissue of Smokin', mastered by Kevin Gray from a ½" flat-tape copy of the original master tape. As this review was being written, copies were still available. It comes packaged in a Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. It's a high-quality product all around.

Hasn’t everyone owned a pair of Triangle speakers? Early in my audio journey, Triangle’s clean, precise, flowing sound won me over. Then the company seemingly disappeared. Well, they’re back, and FLAX 2025 showed them in prime stead, in yet another House of Stereo room.

Joe Parvey of Jacksonville’s House of Stereo and Chris Shaw of Focal Naim America had their sights set on something sleek, a room where listeners could focus on music without lifting a finger, literally and physically. That’s what digital is all about, right?

Jazz and film have long sustained an intimate creative relationship. Jazz is a cinematic art form because it is intuitive, improvisatory, and embedded in the moment. The aural imagery of jazz is perfect for insinuating shifts of mood. No wonder jazz is often used in film scores. No wonder there are so many jazz interpretations of movie themes. The three excellent new albums discussed below are cases in point.