All of us Stereophile were deeply saddened this morning to learn of the death of Bob Reina, after a brief battle with cancer. Bob was 61. After a stint at The Absolute Sound and cofounding a high-end audio magazine, Sounds Like..., Bob joined Stereophile in 1995 and his first review was of a Creek amplifier. Bob's final review will be of VAC's Signature SE preamplifier in our June issue.
Although Bob could appreciate the sonic virtues of the finest audio gear, he was always excited to discover budget-priced components that delivered better sound quality than they had a right to.
This photo, taken at rehearsals for the John Atkinson Quartet's jazz gig at Home Entertainment 2002 in New York, shows him doing what he loved best, creating music. Audiophile, oenophile, composer, musician, music lover, reviewer, MIT graduate, husband to Ellen, father to Jordyn and Caitlin, and my friend, Bob was indeed a "gentle man."
