Two years after downsizing seemed inevitable, Tom Gibbs finds himself retired, mortgage-free, and surrounded by two dream audio roomsโone digital, one analogโwhere Maggies, KLH Fives, and top-tier gear turn every listen into an event.
Metallicaโs 72 Seasons may not reinvent thrash, but it refines it with maturity and muscle. With Greg Fidelmanโs production and standout tracks like โInamorata,โ the band delivers their strongest album since Death Magnetic.
Back in full force, AXPONA 2023 saw 366 exhibitors take over 12 floors of Chicagolandโs Renaissance Hotel, with standout launches from Luxman, DALI, Innuos, and Cabasseโand plenty of eye-watering cable prices to match.
Defying the trend of home-based hi-fi retail, Mark Jones renovated a century-old house into a full-fledged audio store, driven by a love for vinyl, a commitment to accessibility, and a disdain for industry snobbery.
Trent Suggs reveals how Audio Researchโs Certified Pre-Owned program boosts customer loyalty and resale value, while teasing major product launches and reaffirming the companyโs uncompromising focus on sonic perfection and sustainability.
MoFiโs 45rpm reissue of Jeff Beckโs Truth delivers seismic bass and analogue warmth that outshines many rock classics; released just before Zepโs debut, it remains a blues-rock benchmark for sound and influence.
From Acoraโs granite giants to Endowโs space-age arrays, Mike Harkins captures the innovation and immersive sound at Florida Audio Expo 2023, where 77 exhibits showcased audioโs finest and boldest in Tampaโs warmth.
Trent Suggs of Audio Research defends hi-fiโs future, citing surging interest from younger listeners and the runaway success of the $5K I/50 amp. With expansion plans underway, heโs betting on loyalty built early.
In Part 2, Norman Varney dismantles audiophile mythsโfrom misunderstood power upgrades to the flawed logic of spikesโarguing that true sonic improvement begins with the room, not the gear.
Trent Suggs recounts his emotional, improbable journey to buying Audio Researchโa story of passion, perseverance, and a vision to make high-end audio more accessible without compromising the brandโs iconic hand-built legacy.
Norah Jones shines on I Dream of Christmas, blending warm production and soulful originals with holiday classics. Her standout single, โChristmas Calling (Jolly Jones),โ may just earn a spot among modern seasonal staples.
Ciprian from Bucharest shares his meticulously crafted Wilson-LAMM system, built to dissolve his room and transport him emotionallyโproof that passion for lifelike music reproduction knows no borders, only commitment.
MoFiโs 40th anniversary One-Step reissue of Michael Jacksonโs Thriller stuns with unmatched clarity, staging, and vocal presenceโso revelatory it feels like a remix, yet itโs the original master unveiled as never before.
Montrealโs Samuel Furon blends French artisanal audio with retail savvy at Atelier Audio, where a system featuring Diptyque speakers and Ocellia electronics delivers uncannily lifelike, emotionally resonant digital playback.
Though now dominated by home automation, CEDIA 2023 still had sonic gemsโPerlistenโs standout room, MBLโs immersive Radialstrahlers, and a thunderous B&O display hinted at high-end audioโs enduring presence amid the smart-home surge.