August 2006

Our Continuing Expansion In Audiophile Journalism
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
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  With over decade of helping audiophiles worldwide now in our rearview mirror, quite a few people have e-mailed me with excellent suggestions and inquiries asking what we have planned for the next decade. Being a forward-thinking guy, plans were already in action and it brings me joy to announce three new writers joining our critically acclaimed staff. As you will see below, we are further expanding in various directions, with a keen eye towards those whop enjoy making their own and also audiophile seeking hihg value for the dollar.

In alpha order, Clive Meakins is a DIY guy with articles published in various UK print 'zines. He has great knowledge and wisdom with parts quality, circuit design, and loves an impressive variety of music. To quote Clive, "I love music and building music-making equipment in almost equal quantities. Tube gear, especially single-end amplifiers are labor intensive to build and but not difficult to build. Low component counts make tube equipment easy to tweak and voice to your personal requirements. I just love messing with this stuff. Higher-efficiency, easy-to-drive loudspeakers suited to tubes also are rather specialized and are usually very cost effective as DIY projects."

Next up is Brett Rudolf and will be our new cable guy, though he will also be covering gear as well. Ok, don't call him 'The Cable Guy,' though he has tried many, many wires and we appreciate his wire wisdom. he says, "Luckily about five years ago, I went through a metamorphosis of sorts. Learned that I could not only write, but I could write things that people were interested in reading. Additionally I found that spending hours in front of my home theater and stereo systems doing reviews for sites on various albums in vinyl, CD, DVD, DVD-Audio and SACD taught me more and more about the way things sounded. I began to learn what sounded "right" and more importantly, how to describe it for everyone, well most people to understand."

Last and certainly not least is Todd Whitesel with his day gig as editor of the prestigious Goldmine magazine! Wow, how does a guy score a great job like that? He discovered high-end about four years ago and is seeking that great bang for the buck gear. Of course he has an awesome music collection and loves scouring used record shops. Todd says, "I get the biggest charge out of finding great-sounding gear that the average Joe or Janet can afford and sharing my hobby with others. I don't fret or get upset if music doesn't emerge from the blackest background or if my equipment isn't the last word in in high-end (insert your favorite audiophile cliché here), first and foremost I want to enjoy the music. Oddly enough, that starts with actually enjoying the music — it's about fun. I remember how I felt listening to Rush's All The World's A Stage for the first time when I was 9 and how much I wanted to play the drums. Even on my $130 Panasonic all-in-one stereo, the music moved me and it continues to do so. I know that I can never get that true feeling of excitement back of hearing something for the first time, but listening to one's favorite music on revealing equipment can come pretty close. Some say you can't go back home again; I say you can."

Your e-mails to us have greatly helped to shape our content. Our sister publication, Superior Audio, will stay focused on the state-of-the-art gear where cost may take a back seat to seeking the very best equipment in the world. Meanwhile our Review Magazine, what you are enjoying right now, is continually growing and expanding in many directions. Please feel free to read the biographies of each of the new writers by clicking here. As we always say, in the end what really matters to me is that we all....

Enjoy the Music (Eagles "New Kid In Town" right now),

Steven R. Rochlin

"There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar 
Great expectations, everybody's watching you 
People you meet, they all seem to know you 
Even your old friends treat you like you're something new

Johnny come lately, the new kid in town 
Everybody loves you, so don't let them down

You look in her eyes; the music begins to play 
Hopeless romantics, here we go again 
But after awhile, you're lookin' the other way 
It's those restless hearts that never mend...

There's talk on the street, it's there to 
Remind you, that it doesn't really matter which side you're on. 
You're walking away and they're talking behind you 
They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along...

Everybody's talking 'bout the new kid in town, 
Everybody's walking' like the new kid in town 
There's a new kid in town...