New York City still had a lot of record stores — big chain outlets and small neighborhood shops — as recently as 10 years ago. One by one they dropped out, but now that Other Music is counting down to its last day on June 25, the news has hit me hard. Other Music is …

This selection of your headphones, speakers and components might turn out to be downright inspirational for any of you just starting your journey into good sound. Each of us puts together our music systems our own way, and I never tire of seeing what you guys are up to. Shortly after I announced this latest “Show Us Yours” request I …

I define “comfort music” as any tune or album that instantly makes you feel better. It might be music you loved in high school or college, and never tire of. Comfort music might be anything by your favorite band or artist. The Grateful Dead’s music is the “drug” of choice for many, or a Michael Jackson tune that puts you …

First things first: unlike other audio components, you wear headphones. They’re in intimate contact with your ears, hair and head. That might be a deal-breaker for some folks considering used headphones, and I understand. Some will no doubt be put off by hygienic concerns, but others won’t. Do you ever put on headphones in record stores or museums? I do, …

In the midst of writing my Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 review I heard another, similarly sized B&W speaker, the CM6 S2 and really liked the sound. The CM6 S2 sells for around one-third the price of the 805 D3, so I wondered how the two speakers would compare. Then I remembered we had a pair of B&W’s 685 S2 …

The headphone market seems to be a never-ending parade of celebrity headphones and speaker manufacturers trying their hand at headphones. Now it’s Fender’s turn. Obviously the company is best known for its iconic guitars and basses, but Fender just introduced a line of five in-ear monitors, ranging from the $99 DXA1 to the $499 FXA7. I opted for two middle-of-the-line …

Over the last week or two, I listened to my copy of Prince’s “Purple Rain” LP a bunch of times — it’s the one I bought in 1984 when it was first released. Great music like this never gets old, and with a stellar turntable like my VPI Classic, Ortofon Cadenza Black moving-coil cartridge, and the Parasound Halo JC-3+ phono …

As I was working on the review of the new Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 monitors it became obvious I needed an amplifier that could bring out the best in these speakers, and to make a long story short I opted for the Rotel RA-1592 stereo integrated amplifier ($2,499, £1,895, AU$3,499). It’s a velvet brute with 200 watts per channel …

Time flies, I can’t believe Pro-Ject Audio is 25 years old! Heinz Lichtenegger’s company now makes an assortment of terrific, mostly affordable turntables and compact, lifestyle friendly audiophile components. Pro-Ject is based in Austria and manufactures its designs throughout Europe. Enlarge Image A Pro-Ject 2Xperience SB turntable partnered with Box Design RS Line components. Gani Pinero Photography I recently met …

Virtual-reality surround sound — also known as 3D audio, binaural, 5.1 or whatever you want to call it — never caught on for music. Surround sound that goes hand-in-hand with video has taken off, and now nearly all new movies, concerts, games and TV shows have multichannel audio. But new music on LP, CD, SACD, download or streaming is still …