Good old-fashioned American chauvinism notwithstanding, Munich is by consensus the world’s most important high-end audio show, replacing CES as the place to do business—that is, if doing business in Europe and the Far East are ...

The Munich show has become the “must-visit” show on of the year for manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and journalists. One American manufacturer told me that if you’re not exhibiting in Munich, you’ll never break into the ...

The view from my room was Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Photographed at night, the light on this part of Madison Ave is an ethereal thing. The Gothic spires on this grand old church poked serenely through ...

The world of music has suffered a great loss: the great cellist and distinguished teacher Janos Starker died on April 28, 2013. Starker’s public career was at the highest level of distinction. Like most great ...

If last year’s New York Audio Show was a rebirth, 2013 saw its fruition. Everything about this year’s show was better. “We can actually get our gear to the rooms,” marveled Andy Singer of Sound ...

I don’t know anyone who is ambivalent about New York City. It’s a “love it” or “hate it” thing. My wife is not on the “love it” side of that particular fence, and I can ...

The Music Streamer HD is HRT’s top of the line USB DAC. You might assume this is the go-to streamer to use when you’ve tired of HRT’s microStreamer? Not really. Do not, I repeat do ...

There can be a good deal of snobbery in audiophile circles, not only when it comes to audio equipment but also music. Now in some ways this disposition is understandable. Snobbery can sometimes be hard ...

1. Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Further Out. (Issue 209) 2. Andrew Hill: Point of Departure. (Issue 213) 3. Illinois Jacquet: Swing’s The Thing. (Issue 213) 4. Ben Webster: The Soul of Ben Webster. (Issue 216) ...

For a vendor, an audio show is an expensive thing. There’s several thousand dollars they put out for the demo space, there’s the shipping and handling, the room and board, and the opportunity costs associated ...

I read too much, I think that’s fairly clear. Which might explain why, when a fire alarm goes off in a crowded hotel anywhere near Chicago, my first thought isn’t “grease fire over at Gibsons”. ...

The Chicago AXPONA show was a bit of a gamble—as is any first show in a city—but this is one gamble that paid off. The Doubletree Hotel at O’Hare airport featured many fine-sounding exhibits, excellent ...

1. Robbie Robertson: How to Become Clairvoyant. (Issue 216) 2. Dion: Tank Full of Blues. (Issue 223) 3. Dr. John: Locked Down. (Issue 224) 4. Joe Walsh: Analog Man. (Issue 226) 5. Beach Boys: That’s ...

Apropos of nothing in particular, let’s change things up a bit: what do you know about analog tape? The answer in my case is a solid “not much” – but I’m learning. Why? Well, mainly ...

Not since 1994, when the Summer CES stopped camping out yearly along Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, has the Windy City played annual host to a large high-end audio show. That situation will certainly ...