Stephen Mejias

The Entry Level #12

Stephen Mejias Dec 15, 2011

My thirst for vinyl can be blind and wild. I know this when I find myself dashing through the midday sun, from the Stereophile office and up Madison Avenue, into Grand Central Station, onto the 6 train to Astor Place, and into my favorite record shop, Other Music, like a man in lust or love or, worse yet, possessed wholly by need. But unlike some of my more dogmatic friends and colleagues, I have no real problem with the Compact Disc. It's just that CDs often lack a certain intangible charm, the ability to make my heart race.

Stephen Mejias

The Audio Doctor: Prescribing the Best of Everything

Stephen Mejias Dec 13, 2011

On the corner of Sherman and Sanford in the quiet, residential neighborhood of Jersey City known as The Heights, just a block from Leonard Gordon Park and two blocks from Pershing Field, there is a beautiful, old Victorian house. Standing a little taller than the other houses in the neighborhood, 112 Sherman Place, with its turreted rooms, stained glass windows, and distinct green and ochre exterior, has a proud, stately, almost royal, appearance. This is the home of Dave and Paula Lalin, their three children, their three pets, and more high-end audio components than you would ever expect. This is the Audio Doctor.

On a perfect, late autumn morning, Uncle Omar and I made the short drive from Downtown Jersey City to meet with the Lalin family for a little tour and a lot of hi-fi.

News Stephen Mejias

Sonus Faber Introduces the Aida

Stephen Mejias Dec 09, 2011

Sonus Faber is celebrating the launch of their Aida loudspeaker ($120,000/pair) with a series of dealer events beginning this weekend.

Stephen Mejias

My Favorite Records of 2011

Stephen Mejias Dec 08, 2011

Mirror to Mirror's Here You Leave Today&#151one of my favorite records of the year.

In the January 2012 issue of Stereophile, I list my 15 favorite records of the year (p.52). Here is an expanded, slightly more detailed list.

News Stephen Mejias

Greenhaus Events at Pitch Perfect Audio

Stephen Mejias Dec 07, 2011

Photo: DeVore Fidelity

Sunday, January 15, 59pm and Monday, January 16, 69pm: As a way to recuperate from the madness of the Consumer Electronics Show and with a hat tip to Devore Fidelity's popular Monkeyhaus listening parties, Pitch Perfect Audio (300 Brannan Street, Suite 209, San Francisco) will host their first “Greenhaus” events.

Stephen Mejias

JA Sings at the 18th Annual LAOCAS Gala

Stephen Mejias Dec 07, 2011

Clearly, my boss, Stereophile’s esteemed editor, John Atkinson, lost another bet.

Here we see him singing, furiously, at the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society’s 18th Annual Society Gala and Awards Banquet, held last weekend in the Grand Ballroom of the Buena Park Holiday Inn. He really hits his stride at about 40 seconds in. (Thanks to "The Audio Otaku" for capturing the magic.)

Stephen Mejias

A Sunday Drive, an Unbeatable Experience

Stephen Mejias Dec 02, 2011

The big difference between car audio and home audio, explains WIRC Media's Micah Sheveloff, is car audio’s need to overcome ambient noise. In fact, to a large extent, it’s this simple requirement which dictates a system’s overall design. In the case of the Caprice, the system had to have enough power to overcome the car’s custom-built 2.25-inch stainless dual exhaust.

By this point in our conversation, Micah has already apologized for the noise a number of times.

“Let’s listen to the system for a bit and I’ll see if we can find some good roads,” Micah suggests. “Ready?”

Stephen Mejias

Sinkane: “Jeeper Creeper”

Stephen Mejias Dec 01, 2011

Ahmed Gallab is perhaps best known for his work in Caribou, Of Montreal, and, most recently, Yeasayer, all bands which combine electronic elements with more organic sounds to get listeners thinking and moving on the dance floor. But Gallab is also keeping busy with his own project, Sinkane.

Stephen Mejias

Javelin: “By Hook or By Crook”

Stephen Mejias Dec 01, 2011

In collaboration with the clever people at Buzz Media, creative electronic duo, Javelin (Tom van Buskirk and George Langford), roamed the streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn, with samplers and mics in hand, and created an interesting new track called “By Hook or By Crook.”

Products of the Year

Stereophile's Products of 2011

Stephen Mejias Dec 01, 2011

What makes one particular hi-fi component stand apart from all others in its class? In this issue's "The Entry Level," I state that an outstanding hi-fi component will fuel the listener's desire to explore new music. If a component does not achieve that fundamental goal, it has failed altogether and should be passionately heaved from the nearest listening-room window to hit the unforgiving asphalt with a definitive, satisfying boom (or traded on one of the online auction sites). But that rule is most pertinent when the discovery of new music is the listener's only goal. Most of us want our hi-fi components to also be attractive, well-built, versatile, and user-friendly; we want them to represent good value for our hard-earned money; and we would appreciate it if they stuck around for a while, rather than have to be too soon replaced by something new and "better."