April / May / June 2016
From The Editor... CEA Versus CTA
Editorial By Andrija Curkovic

  At the recent HIGH END show in Munich, we have witnessed a great number of people at the event, both exhibitors and visitors.

In an interview with the key person that has been behind the project for many years, Mr. Branko Glišović, I was told that they are very happy with the results, but that, unfortunately, they are facing a big problem as well. It consists of the fact that they no longer have free surfaces that the fair could expand on and therefore they are having difficulties with new exhibitors who are interested in participating at the event. Anyone that is in this or a similar kind of business knows that these are actually the ‘sweet problems' many people dream of.

However, in my opinion, within this impressive data element there is another, much more serious problem and it refers to the fact that the prices of shown components are constantly growing each year. Regardless of the quality of these expensive products the logical question is the following: which customers are these products aimed at? Would playing music in high quality soon become the privilege of the rich and the selected few?

Fortunately, this is not entirely likely to be the outcome of the show and some products that have been given to us for testing prove it. You can still find very affordable devices that may surprise you with their quality playback, without having to think too much about how to afford them.

Among these products are the following: Audio Technica AT-LP5 (turntable), ELAC Debut B5 (speaker), Meze 99 Classic (headphones), and even something with a price outside of this framework - Ayon Scorpio (integrated tube amplifier). We hope that these products will not only remain a statistical error in the trend of raising prices but that most manufacturers will realize the importance of maintaining the product which fall into the 'affordable category' in their offer. We are sure that consumers will appreciate it.

After the announcements from concert promoters, this year's summer concert season will be very active and interesting. One of the biggest events is certainly InMusic Festival which will feature our favorite PJ Harvey. On this occasion, we bring review of her new album and an overview her career up to this point. Also, we bring an article dealing with the great return of Iggy Pop, as well as an interview with a distinctive jazz musician Stanley Jordan.

If you have spare time to spend in front of the TV, then we advise you to check out the new TV series ‘Vinyl' and a biographical movie about one of the most important artist of the second half of the 20th century, Miles Davis, both which you can read in this issue.

I wish you a pleasant reading,

--- Andrija Curkovic
Editor-in-Chief

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