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Stereophile columnist John Marks brought an encyclopedic knowledge of music and musicians to the magazine when he started his "Fifth Element" column in March 2001. At HE2007, he played some of his favorite recordings in as many rooms as he could, including his own recording of the Herbert Howells organ piece Larry Greenhill mentioned in another posting (Master Tallis's Lament, a personal favorite of mine) and an extraordinary choral recording, When David Heard, from the young composer Eric Whitacre. As you can see from this photo taken in the Egglestonworks, Rogue, and Echobusters room…
Nothing Is Real
It is a common put-down of audiophiles: "You're imagining things." But is this a meaningful criticism? Is there a real difference between "reality" and "illusion"? Or was Professor Dumbledore on to something?
It is a common put-down of audiophiles: "You're imagining things." But is this a meaningful criticism? Is there a real difference between "reality" and "illusion"? Or was Professor Dumbledore on to something?
I have been interested in human perception almost as long as I have been working in magazines. This sound is something with which everyone in this room will be familiar: a 1kHz tone at –20dBFS.
[Play 1kHz, –20dBFS sinewave tone]
What I'd like you to do now is to imagine the same tone for 10 seconds.
I believe a scan of…
Summing Up
First, I would like to thank the Audio Engineering Society, not only for inviting me to give this lecture but also for making a wealth of invaluable information on audio available on its website. Second my thanks to DRA Labs, Audio Precision, and Miller Audio Research, for allowing me to make use of their measurement tools—absolute accuracy and repeatability are the twin goals of those who measure components, and these companies' tools have been a major help over the years; Larry Archibald, for more than a quarter century ago making me an offer to move to the US that I couldn't…
First, I would like to thank the Audio Engineering Society, not only for inviting me to give this lecture but also for making a wealth of invaluable information on audio available on its website. Second my thanks to DRA Labs, Audio Precision, and Miller Audio Research, for allowing me to make use of their measurement tools—absolute accuracy and repeatability are the twin goals of those who measure components, and these companies' tools have been a major help over the years; Larry Archibald, for more than a quarter century ago making me an offer to move to the US that I couldn't…
At AXPONA 2026, Sierra Sound co-founder Michael Fajen (in the foreground) and Aesthetix sales and marketing specialist Brent Hefley (in the reflection) both discuss the gear being shown in the Sierra Sound room in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel.
I'd been kicking down doors left and right at AXPONA 2026, demanding rooms spin or stream one of my guilty pleasures that is also one of the better-recorded rock albums in existence: ZZ Top’s 1973 masterpiece, Tres Hombres. More specifically, I wanted to hear "La Grange," or the back-to…
In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Barcola Bistro Audio and Harmonic Audio owner (and chef!) Fabrizio Caprioli about the gear shown in Harmonic Audio's nook at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
Bonus coverage concludes! Harmonic Audio's demo at Montreal Audiofest 2026—hosted by owner Fabrizio Caprioli, who is also the owner and chef of Barcola Bistro Audio, which is both a fine record shop and fine dining Italian restaurant!—was unconventional.
Held in a narrow passage abutting an escalator, it featured vintage gear, some on…
In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Simaudio Product Director Dominique Poupart and two reps from Planète Haute Fidélité about the gear shown in the Canadian retailer's room at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
Bonus coverage continues onward! On vinyl versions of a couple of live Jethro Tull tracks I know quite well, I was surprised by the level of transparency I was hearing on the Planète Haute Fidélité system at Montreal Audiofest 2026. In short, it was into-the-grain textural and big-brother-spying-on-the-crowd revealing.
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In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Joseph Crowe owner, operator, and product designer Troy J. Crowe about the gear shown in the Canadian company's room at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
Bonus coverage continues into the home stretch! The Joseph Crowe system I experienced at Montreal Audiofest 2026 impressed, first by its looks—it was like staring at a forest of gorgeous wood—and then with the scale of the music, the dynamics, the transparency, and the soundstage layering.
In fact, this Joseph Crowe system…
In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Lemay Audio founder François Lemay about all the Grimm Audio gear shown in this room at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
Bonus coverage continues! The Grimm Audio system in this room at Montreal Audiofest 2026 was all about seamlessness, coherence, and balance—all that, and a big rich sound within a spacious, many-layered soundstage that was deep and stable with realistic tone and well-defined imaging throughout. There was also a virility to its presentation that made the music sound confident,…
At AXPONA 2026, Nick Fitzsimmons of Rogue Audio discusses the gear being shown in the company's room in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel.
At AXPONA 2026, Rogue Audio delivered all the warmth, color, and tone that tube aficionados have come to expect from this venerable brand. Coupled to digital sources and the big Maggies (a.k.a. Magnepan's 2.7x speakers), Norah Jones sounded effortless, intimate, and in the room.
Next, The Rolling Stones' “Tumblin’ Dice” shifted the focus to large-scale and loquacious, with…
In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Sheldon Ginn, president of Kevro, about the gear shown in the company's room at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
Bonus coverage continues! This fairly simple system—mainly featuring gear from Rotel and Monitor Audio—that was put together by Kevro at Montreal Audiofest 2026 packed a punch, yet could also play sweetly when called for. It delivered detail, transparency, colorful tone, and rich reverberations, inside a big, well-constructed soundstage. Guitar strings and vocals sounded corporeal, stably…