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They're scared of changing you. Not that you will lose or gain, not that you will grow or that they'll inadvertently destroy some base level instinct that must be protected from the elements, they are scared they will be held responsible for opening your own box of pandoras.

In terms of writing reviews, and getting cash money, you need to grow your equipment vocabulary. Pick something you love about the music you love listening to, and listen to see if it is communicated to you differently through different circuits. I have always believed when JA, or AD, or BJR refer…

Running through it is the old conflict between spontaneity and control, between unbridled creativity and studied artifice. Refusing to submit to "conventional methods," you said, "Am I naive or stubborn?" Both, I say. You voice the fear that "Learning conventional methods might erase all of my natural..." what? There is no "what," unless your natural state is incommunicable gibberish. Everything…

Alex Ross got Fantel's permission to reprint it on his marvelous The Rest Is Noise blog.

Fantel used to write about hi-fi for the NYT and audiophiles frequently derided his choices of equipment to review, but when I was an audio salesman, I demonstrated systems and components for Mr. Fantel and he clearly recognized special gear when he heard it—he reigned in his inner geek to reach a wider audience. As…

As far as I'm concerned, the money quote is: "'James Joyce was a synthesizer, trying to bring in as much as he could,' he said. 'I am an analyzer, trying to leave out as much as I can.'"

We've started with ten specific galleries:
Home Audio Systems, where you can let us see what you see when you're sitting in the sweetest spot of all.

Manufacturers' Showcase, where the kings and queens of the trade can share their hottest products.

Dealers' Open House, where hi-fi…