Stereophile's Latest As We See It Column Now Online

Jason Victor Serinus' "As We See It" column in this month's Stereophile, which partially discussed my Part-Time Audiophile article on attending high-end audio shows, is now available to read online at http://www.stereophile.com/content/play-or-not-play. So far no nasty comments!

Our Hootenanny gets written up by Stereophile!

Our upcoming Hootenanny at Whetstone Audio on December 2 just got a little press coverage on the Stereophile website. As someone who has subscribed to the magazine since 1985, I find this very exciting--even more so than when they started publishing my letters to the editor back in 1990 or so!

As I write this, we're gearing up for the event. It looks like we'll have two separate systems on display at Whetstone. Bob Clarke will have a system showing off the new Trenner & Friedl Pharoahs (pictured above) backed up by a full system of Heed Audio components. For those of you who follow my blog, you'll know how much I love Heed and how well they match up with Trenner & Friedl loudspeakers.

Colleen and I are still planning out our system. Although we intended on featuring the brand new Unico 50 integrated amplifier, the truth is that we're selling almost every unit we can import. We also have one of the first Unico 50s in the US making the rounds with several reviewers. In other words, we may not have one available, but we will have the extraordinary S6 all-tubed integrated instead. This is one of my absolute favorites in the Unico line (I haven't heard the 50 yet), and I think it's really going to be a huge hit at the event.

We're also going to try to bring my Unison Research Giro turntable to the event. It's the only one currently in the US, and right now it's being reviewed by TONEAudio, so I'm hoping to get it back in time.

The Hootenany will be held at Whetstone Audio here in Austin from 6 to 9pm on December 2. Whetstone is located at 2401 East 6th Street #1001, Austin, TX. The phone number is (512)477-8503. Please come out and meet with me, Colleen Cardas, Bob Clarke and Brian Di Frank. If this event is a success, we'll plan on future events at Whetstone on a regular basis.

Axpona Audio Expo North America

The Axpona Audio Expo North America is happening in Atlanta next month, and I thought I'd spend a little time discussing why this audio show is noteworthy. First, Axpona is only in its second year and it's already looking like it will be much larger than last year's event. A popular subject among audiophiles these days is whether future generations will continue to listen to two-channel audio and physical formats such as LPs and CDs and heck, even 8-tracks and cassettes. (I keep running into people who are still into the last two, so that wasn't a joke.) Many audio hobbyists like to adopt a "the end is near" attitude when it comes to the simple act of listening to music for pleasure, and the success of new shows such as Axpona certainly gives many of us hope that we will be able to pursue our hobby for decades to come.

Second, Stereophile magazine is sponsoring Axpona. The first audiophile show I ever attended was the Stereophile show in Los Angeles back in 1992, and it really whetted my appetite for audio shows in general. The mood at the Stereophile shows were much more encouraging for novice and casual audiophiles, as opposed to the all-business vibe at professional gatherings such as the Consumer Electronic Show. These shows were a fantastic opportunity for audiophiles to get exposed to a wide variety of high-end equipment. For me, the 1992 show was the first time I really had a chance to listen to world-class equipment. In recent years, Stereophile stopped hosting audio shows, so it's good to see them getting involved once again.

These photos were taken today at the Sheraton in downtown Atlanta, where Axpona will be held on April 14 through 17. As you can see, it's a beautiful venue. I didn't attend last year's show, but I'm really going to try to make this one. If you want to learn more about the show, check out the Axpona website at www.axpona.com