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I have terminal cancer, which is like Bergman's chess match with the Grim Reaper: You know you're going to lose, but with skill, determination, and luck, you can delay the inevitable, move by move. Determination is key, because it's all too easy to give up. My music—a collection I've amassed over the last 60 years—inspires me to keep going, to keep listening.

I've spent most of my life trying to keep up with everything new that's happening in the music world, but as cancer weakens me, I listen more to old favorites, exploring the nooks and crannies…

I should explain the quotation marks. Since starting this job, in April 2019, I haven't gotten out much. Even before the pandemic, I was too busy to do much of anything except edit the magazine. So, many of the interesting people I've "met," I've still never seen in person.

One of those is John Swenson, who has written music reviews for Stereophile since his first contribution, a 1996 review of REM's New Adventures in Hi-Fi. In 1999, he wrote our Recording of the Month review…

Might this recording be too "out there" for some? I spent hours mulling alternative recommendations, my favorites being accordionist Ksenija Sidorova's captivating Piazzolla Reflections and cellist Nicole Peña Comas and pianist Hugo Llanos Campos's…

In the words of Bob Dylan, "The times, they are a-changin'." It's a cliché, but sometimes clichés are clichés because they're true.

In Re-Tales and in Industry Update, I've written about some of the ways the pandemic has accelerated changes in the hi-fi business. Government-mandated safety measures, the absence of audio shows, and a marketplace that was already changing have combined to force companies to get creative about how they reach customers, both to…

Ask any headphone geek that's been around for a while for a recommendation between $100 and $200, and there's a very good chance the Audio Technica ATH-M50 will be the first thing out of their mouth.

With good reason, if you ask me. Let's check them out.

The Audio Technical ATH-M50 ($199 MSRP - $159 street)
I'm staring here at my keyboard trying to think of something interesting to say about these headphones to get us started. The problem is the M50 has all the charisma of a 2"x4". They're about as plain-Jane as…

Sound Quality
Here's where the M50 shines. With very few exceptions, sealed headphones below $200 tend to have at least one fatal flaw. Way too bright on many; way too boomy on many; finding a headphone with balanced performance is difficult. That's where the M50 hits a sweet spot, at their worst they're only mediocre, and at their best they do things pretty well. That's remarkable for a $150 full-size, sealed headphone.

Getting good lows on sealed cans is quite difficult; I'm often struck by how bloated and one-note the bass can be when makers try to emphasize the bass on…

I watch the Audio Technica high-end headphone line like a hawk. They're mostly far too bright for me, but they're so cool looking that I keep trying each time AT comes out with a new one because one of these days they'll make one I like, and I'm gonna jump on it when they do.

Now up to bat: the ATH-W1000x "Grandioso."

(Crosses fingers.)

The Audio Technica ATH-W1000x ($699.95 MSRP - $599 Street)
At CES earlier this year, Audio Technica announce the tenth generation of it's W-Series headphone, the ATH-W1000x "…

Sound Quality
The Audio Technica ATH-W1000x has a warm and airy sound. Sometimes called a "V" shaped or "fun" frequency response curve, both bass and treble are somewhat accentuated. This is usually the kiss of death for me. Often this shape frequency response comes from an over-emphasized bass, and uncontrolled biting highs. Fortunately, it doesn't work out quite that way with the W1000x.

Bass extention on the W1000x is pretty poor, with a steep roll-off starting at 90Hz. Above 90Hz the bass is moderately strong relative to the mids, and not particularly tight. The Denon…

The rash of in-ear headphones over the past few years has produced an enormous amount of style over substance. All too often the bling on the outside is accompanied by horrifically bloated or screechy sound on the inside. Likewise, some makers are able to deliver great sound, but fall down in the looks and comfort department. Rare indeed is the in-ear headphone that is stylish, comfortable, and good sounding.

The Audéo PFE seems to have beaten the odds.

The Audéo Perfect Fit Earphone and Perfect Bass Earphone ($99-$179…

Sound Quality
Here's where this product really shines. The sound with the gray filter is very detailed and articulate without being strident or harsh. They sounded amazingly clear to me, quite unusually so; they easily handle complex music without confusion. The sound is balanced and very coherent bottom to top, but the bass does lack a little weight to my ears. (This is very typical for an IEM without a bit of extra bass boost.)

The black filter does bring a bit of balanced bass heft into the picture, but does cause the midrange to withdraw a bit. The green filter goes a…