Wes Phillips

Counterfeit products proliferate. Know your source, as we used to say in the '60s.

Our galaxy, that is. Wanna know why?

Small seems to be the next big thing—the new black, maybe. Viola Audio Labs introduced its 9" W by 4.3" H by 16" D 75W Forte monoblocks ($10,000/pair). Like its big brothers, the Forte has a minimum of internal wiring, which along with its compact dimensions, keeps signal paths short. It has a 1M ohm input impedance, making it easy to drive, and this is said also to improve HF performance and transient response, according to designer Tom Colangelo's colleague Paul Jayson. It uses minimal negative feedback and a choke input filter power supply.

There seems to be a fairly common evolution among audiophiles: First, they notice that there is better sound available than they have ever experienced before, so they buy (we hope!) better-sounding equipment—but sooner or later, upgrading becomes terrifically expensive, while the urge to improve the system remains constant. What to do then?

But change the name of the companies involved and I heard every one of the claims in "The Top 10 Lies of Entrepreneurs" uttered at one point or another this past week.

I just solved your unsolvable math problem.

World's longest concert sounds second chord after one-and-a-half years. It's A, C, and F#&mdash;gonna take a while to resolve <I>that</I> one.