Okay, now that we've sent the March issue off to become beautiful and real, it's time to move on to the April issue.
"Do we have to?" JA asks.
"Sure, why not?" we reply. April, of course, means [Shh! Don't say it!] "Recommended Components" [Oh, damn, he said it!]. I sigh. That's right: "Recommended Components," the issue people love to love and love to hate and hate to love and and and. For you, it may be a guide or a resource; for me, it's something much different. For me, it's a mission. A mountain to climb, a wall to knock down, a song to compose, a story to tell, a neck to bite. Of course, we mean it simply to be a thoughtful and informed collection of recommendations:
That says it all, really. Doesn't it? We begin each listing with that explanation. Why does it seem no one ever reads it?
Anyway. It's time to create the April 2006 edition of our little darling.
There's this thing that happens to me around this time of year; I start talking, writing, and thinking like a blurb. I'm all:
"The revived 75Wpc MC275 preserves the look of the original while adding modern innovations. Chimneys are used to cool the tubes by convection, and three circuit boards have been replaced by a single board on which are mounted all components, tube sockets, and power-supply parts..."
My friends love it. It's incredibly exciting, really.
Maybe, in the days to come, I'll tell you a bit more about the process. Then again, maybe I'll be too tired to even try.
"Sure, why not?" we reply. April, of course, means [Shh! Don't say it!] "Recommended Components" [Oh, damn, he said it!]. I sigh. That's right: "Recommended Components," the issue people love to love and love to hate and hate to love and and and. For you, it may be a guide or a resource; for me, it's something much different. For me, it's a mission. A mountain to climb, a wall to knock down, a song to compose, a story to tell, a neck to bite. Of course, we mean it simply to be a thoughtful and informed collection of recommendations:
Carefully read our descriptions here, the original reviews, and (heaven forbid) reviews in other magazines to put together a short list of components to choose from. Evaluate your room, your source material and front-end(s), your speakers, and your tastes. With luck, you may come up with a selection to audition at your favorite dealer(s). "Recommended Components" will not tell you what to buy any more than Consumer Reports would presume to tell you whom to marry!
