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Anthony H. Cordesman and John Atkinson tackle the classic Vandersteen">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/914/">Vandersteen 2C loudspeaker in a review from 1986. "Whenever I think of cone speaker systems, I think of three brand names: Snell, Thiel, and Vandersteen," says Cordesman, prompting JA to add, "I must say that I just don't understand how Richard Vandersteen can sell the 2Ci at a hair under $1200/pair and expect to make any money."

We kick off three speaker reviews from the September issue with Brian Damkroger's assessment of the Audio">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/919/">Audio Physic Virgo III loudspeaker. A perfect meld of minimonitor and full-range bass extension? BD reveals all.

With two new high-rez audio formats on deck, is a CD-only player still relevant? John Atkinson listens to, and then measures, the Class&#233">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/924/">Classé CDP-10 CD player to discover why it sometimes takes 20 years to perfect a format.

Wes Phillips slips into his well-worn flame-proof underwear as he bravely introduces audiophiles to the musical merits of the Apple">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/934/">Apple iPod. WP finds he likes living at the edge of audio trendiness, exclaiming, "Holy cow! I'm running with the fashionistas! Can I still be an audiophile, too?"

Paul Bolin takes a spin with the Vacuum">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/938/">Vacuum Tube Logic TL-7.5 Reference line preamplifier, observing, "For some reason, the light has never shone quite as brightly on VTL's front-end electronics, perhaps in part because it's been so long since the company attempted a headline-grabbing, all-out assault on the state of that art."

From the October issue, Art Dudley mounts the Dynavector">http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?947">Dynavector DV10x5 MC phono cartridge (on his tonearm, that is) and spins a few records. AD explains, "This is the first entry-level Dynavector to incorporate the company's colorfully named flux damping and softened magnetism."

From the May 2002 issue, Michael Fremer positions the Odeon">http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?951">Odeon La Traviata loudspeaker in his listening lair, writing, "Interest in super-efficient, horn-loaded, compression-driver loudspeakers has grown in the past few years." But as MF finds, horns may not always do the trick.