Keep those cable/cord reviews coming!

I like Acoustic Sounds for their Mercury Living Presence remastered classical stuff. I also buy certain titles from their inventory when something catches my attention. I get a lot of new releases in LP format of obscure & hip bands that usually have a limited run of 1000 or less. It's at least as good as a test pressing which often costs between $500.00- $750.00. The cost of those limited run LP's is between $13.00 - $18.00. :) I'm still waiting on Beatles remasters- someday....

F. Road trip (tired and coming home)= Justice "Cross" This album turns the car into a spcaeship and propels it towards home. Particularly effective on a late night freeway.

I agree that writing an engaging, descriptive, experiential narrative is important for a successful review. Without that, I may start reading a review, but I’m not going to finish it. But we are talking about machines and transducers that interact with other machines and transducers to recreate music. So how technically adept should a reviewer be? When the technical description of the product is either obviously wrong or significantly misunderstood, I feel embarrassed for the reviewer. On the other hand, being snowed over with an avalanche of engineering detail in the narrative of the review is no fun either (sidebar please). Worst case is a technical avalanche that is obviously wrong. Poor writing can simply be dismissed as such. Publishing misunderstood and/or potentially harmful technical information can put the product and reader at risk. I think of Doug Schroeder’s article(s) about op amp rolling. As a DIYer myself, I think it’s great that he wrote about swapping op amps and how it impacted the performance of a particular product. But he didn’t do enough homework on what he was doing and he published some recommendations that could wreck the product. He and/or his editor should have cross-checked what he was doing (swapping single op amps for dual op amps and vice-versa) with the manufacturer or a competent circuit engineer before publishing that piece. I like what Doug set out to do. I’m embarrassed for Doug that he didn’t know what he didn’t know. I’m upset at Doug and his editor for not cross-checking a potentially risky practice and publishing harmful advice. I’m proud of Doug and his editor for publishing a follow-up article to correct the issue. Unfortunately, the credibility of the reviewer and the publisher took a hit over the incident. So from a technical perspective, what is the reviewer’s responsibility? What is the editor’s responsibility?

For me it is without a doubt, the legend himself...George Massenburg (Listen to Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt work form the last 15 years or so, and a killer example is Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth), followed very very closely by Don Murray who does all of Lee Ritenour's projects, he is brilliant. These two guys engineer like no one else...the space around instruments is extraordinary. The resulting recordings are text book examples of how to record and mix.

@ed: You are bang on target! And thank you for sharing your experience in detail. And yea, its not easy to recreate the magic... sub-consciously, every upgrade has been because some piece of equipment brought me closer to a powerfully etched sonic experience from the past... but its never been quite like that unforgettable 'first time'! Lol....

Other than making sure the price fit within the family budget, the decision has always been mine alone. Until this past year, I always had a dedicated room, so other family members didn't really care what I did there!

I know of many that feel expensive parts equal the best performance. In hi fi I know that this is especially not true. I only care about good sound, how this acheived is unimportant to me. Tech specs, designs, parts used, glowing reviews ect, are for audiophiles & engineers in my opinion. For music lovers like me only the sound matters. :)

It does not really matter to me. I've always liked the concept " If it sounds better, it is better". :)

I love vintage. Not just in hi-fi but cars, houses, furniture ... I just like classic design. HOWEVER, I'm probably with Dave on this, in that if I was starting from scratch I'd definitely go with high resolution digital files. I will never part with my treasured classic pieces, but I'm excited by the possibilities that lie ahead as this technology matures.