Stephen Mejias

I've never owned a set of headphones. Is that what they're called? Or should it be <i>pair</i> of headphones? Headphones? Earphones? I don't even know. I've stayed away from headphones for a couple of reasons: I don't like having things on my head or in my ears, and I actually do enjoy hearing the sounds around me &mdash; the banjos on the F train, the buses on Madison Avenue, the sirens around the corner, the construction in our hall. Oh, and the birdies chirping, too.

After experiencing Shure's Push-to-Hear control switch, I was in a headphone kind of mood, so I walked on over to HeadRoom's aptly named Headphone Heaven. I imagine that this heavenly set-up will serve as a much-needed respite for many weary showgoers. I found smiling faces, comfy lounge chairs, happy flowers, and lots of sunshine. Everything in the room begged, "Try Me!"

Also in the Belkin room, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Bruce Edgar who had furnished the room with his Edgarhorn Titan II loudspeakers ($16,000). Dr. Edgar is an experimental physicist. And also a mind reader. I sat beside him, facing the system with its outrageous array of silvery PureAV interconnects and speaker cables jutting out like all sorts of tentacles and arms and legs, thinking: "Any other cables would make this system look ugly," when Dr. Edgar said to me: "Any other cables would make this system look ugly, don't you think?"

<i>Written on the way to JFK Airport, Tuesday afternoon.</i>

I remember &#151; it must have been about five years ago &#151; when Jonathan arrived in the office, fresh from a Home Entertainment Show and as happy as can be. He had finally discovered the secret for avoiding the show flu, despite the handshakes and late nights.

I'm getting excited about the Show. You know what <a href="http://www.he2006.com/">Show</a&gt; I'm talking about. I have this good feeling that I'm going to rock it. Hmm, thinking back, I've actually had this good feeling before every show I've attended. Then, I get there, I shake somebody's hand, and I get sick. Disappointed and fatigued, I get left in the dust. <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/010606neer/">The guys call me names.</a> But, that's not going to happen this time. No, it isn't. Today is a new day.

I'm listening to Margot & the Nuclear So and So's now. They sing songs about vampires and kittens, mice and clowns. You might like them. Their story is one of poverty and despair and desolation thwarted by sudden friendship, a burst of creativity, and life on the road. It sounds familiar, but then not. They make music with trumpets and cellos and keys.