January/February 2010 By Brent Butterworth

The Ear's Best

Brent Butterworth culls the most outstanding audio gear of 2009

October 2009 By Brent Butterworth

New Spins on the Old CD

Nearly three decades after their birth, CD players are still evolving.

August/September 2009 By Brent Butterworth

Power Trios: Sweet Speakers, A Solid Amp and a Smooth CD Player Are All You Need For Great Stereo Sound

Flip through a few magazines from the 1970s, and you might conclude that men were judged by the size of their stereos. Indeed, a towering rack (or two) of stereo gear once seemed as mission-critical as bushy sideburns and a Qiana shirt. While abundant facial...

May 2009 By Brent Butterworth

The Sidemen of the System

Quick—name three jazz artists. Who’d you pick? Bird? Miles? Hub? It’s a pretty safe bet you didn’t pick Jimmy Cobb or Paul Chambers. Great as they are, they’re best known as sidemen. They seldom get the recognition that the hotshot saxophonists and trumpeters...

April 2009 By Brent Butterworth

Visual Aids

Some music fans just hate movies. And after perusing a few of Hollywood’s recent tours de force, who among us would blame them? Still, it seems unfair to pamper your ears with Charles Lloyd’s latest while giving your eyes nothing to savor except a few liner...

March 2009 By Brent Butterworth

CES Unseen

Practically everybody knows about the Consumer Electronics Show, which occurs every January in Las Vegas. Network news is packed morning and night with segments about the latest gadgets at CES. Celebrities appear by the dozens to check out the latest technologies...

January/February 2009 By Brent Butterworth

Following the Heard: The Best New Audio Products Of 2008

The audio business works on a different model than other electronics industries. That’s because unlike, say, the cell phone industry or printer trade, it’s not just a business, it’s a passion. The big North American audio shows—Festival Son & Image in Montreal...

December 2008 By Brent Butterworth

Alms for the Audiophile

Picture it: You’re spending a chilly December evening at home, savoring Nat “King” Cole’s The Christmas Song, a cup of eggnog, and the warmth of a wood fire and a favorite blanket. What denizen of the Western world wouldn’t enjoy that? Fortunately, most...

November 2008 By Gary Altunian

Look, Listen, Learn: Must-Have Gadgets Abound at 2008 CEDIA Expo

Imagine a fantastic, outsized home-entertainment toy store, although nothing is for sale—that’s the CEDIA Expo, the Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association tradeshow, where manufacturers exhibit their newest, most cutting-edge audio, video...