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As John Atkinson puts it, Meridian usually does things "their way," putting amps and DACs inside of speakers in an all-out attempt at "re-creating the original soundfield, no matter how many speakers and channels it takes to do it right." But as Atkinson finds, the Meridian">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/367/">Meridian 518 Digital Audio Processor might be the company's most perverse product: "The $1650 518 offers digital inputs and outputs only. It can digitally perform gain and source selection; it can change data with one digital word length to data with another; and it does all these things with 72-bit internal precision." So JA asks, "How does the 518 fit within a conventional high-end audio system?" Read along as he figures it all out.

Brian Damkroger finds that, while struggling unsuccessfully to fit the Conrad-Johnson">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/370/">Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS line-stage preamplifier into his preconceived notions of the company and its products, a paradigm shift in his thinking occurred. Damkroger explains that "it was only during a marathon session of listening and comparing the C-J to a couple of other preamps that the truth dawned on me . . . I went back and forth between the C-J and the other units several times over the course of the next week, and one evening it hit me." The truth awaits.

Several months back, Stereophile editor John Atkinson asked David Rich to investigate the technical merits of SACD. With Super">http://www.stereophile.com//features/374/">Super Audio CD: The Rich Report, DR discovers that there is both more and less than meets the ear to the new format, including why it is being promoted in the first place.

Larry Greenhill says he'll never forget his first encounter with the Krell">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/382/">Krell LAT-1 loudspeaker at a meeting of the Westchester Audiophile Society. Suitably impressed, Greenhill reports, "I'd been bitten. I made arrangements to continue the audition in my own listening room." His complete analysis awaits.

Wes Phillips is hesitant as he takes a listen to a revised version of the first speaker he ever reviewed for Stereophile. Will the new ProAc">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/386/">ProAc Response One SC loudspeaker vindicate his original positive assessment of its predecessor, the ProAc Response One S? Phillips admits all.

From the August 2001 issue, we have Michael Fremer's illuminating review of the Audio">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/394/">Audio Physic Avanti III loudspeaker. Fremer wonders how Audio Physic can top the outstanding price/performance success of its middle-of-the line Virgo">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/147/">Virgo model with a speaker that costs twice as much. As Fremer asks, "Is the Avanti twice as good as the Virgo? More than twice as good? Or is it just another competent but undistinguished design?"

In his review of the Cary">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/398/">Cary Audio Design CAD-300SEI integrated amplifier, Robert Harley admits up front that he's been "biased against single-ended tube amplifiers because of their quirky measured performances." Can the Cary redeem itself and the SET approach with a single hearing? Harley reports, with a "Follow-Up" from Jonathan Scull.