Jason Victor Serinus

How many times have I asked myself what the purpose of music is? And what music really is, and what exactly I am trying to convey. What feelings? What ideas? How can I explain something that I myself cannot fathom?—Gabriel Fauré, letter to his wife, August 31, 1903

In writing reviews for Stereophile, I face a challenge. Whether I'm evaluating an audio component, a recording, or a live performance, I'm confronted by the fact that, when all is said and done, no one fully understands why or how the sound of a particular component, composition, or artist can affect us as powerfully as so many of them do. How and why music and sound moves us remains, fundamentally, a mystery.

There may be US shows with greater attendance, but there is a special energy about the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest that sets it apart from the rest, and keeps exhibitors and dedicated audiophiles returning year after year.

Thus was it fitting that, at the end of the Rocky Mountain International HiFi Press Awards (RIHPA) on the first night of the show, Gabi Rijnveld of Crystal Cable (left above) presented show organizer Marjorie Baumert (right) with a crystal rose pendant in honor of her dedication to the industry members and consumers who make high-end audio what it is.

For those who have been thinking it's time for the people in white coats to carry me away—they actually did.

Impressive bass control and speed on a recording of taiko drums, excellent timbres, and an equally captivating sense of spaciousness on Lyle Lovett's "North Dakota" left no question that this attractive mid-priced system from Paradigm and Anthem would make many an audiophile very, very happy.

I didn't need Rapunzel to let down her golden hair in order to ascend the Marriott Tower. Rather, on Saturday afternoon, I encountered so many good systems in a row on the 7th floor that the music simply pulled me up.

When the Greek poet Hesiod and Roman comic dramatist Plautus wrote about moderation in all things, I'm not sure they had in mind RMAF's Saturday morning seminar, "High Resolution Audio: Have files Eclipsed Physical Media?" Nor, in fact, did I…

When unquestionably fine components were given sufficient room to strut their stuff, as happened when the new Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 loudspeaker was mated with Constellation Audio electronics, the results were often magical.