You’re not gonna find any sign of Japandroids or Frank Ocean in my Top 10 albums of 2012. I reckon The Cloud Nothings are overrated too. But then again, I’m not 23 so I probably don’t need that much angst in music anymore. Everyone went gaga for Andy Stott’s Luxury Problems but I think it’s just too pleasant – no

I’m starting to feel that I might not be a true, dyed-in-the-wool audiophile. I dig Momus and Built To Spill. Boards Of Canada and Neil Young. Animal Collective and Sufjan Stevens. Plastikman and Bright Eyes. Peter Gabriel and Talk Talk. If Newport Beach taught me one thing: most exhibiting audiophiles don’t dig too much of this kind of music. Is

One could rarely argue that hi-fi isn’t an indulgence; a life luxury. Some rooms were keener reminders of this than others. The Triangle Art room won out in terms of sheer decadence – so much gear packed into one small room. Just look at those turntables: works of (err) art. AND they were playing opera. Check it: The best budget

The Newport Beach show is more relaxed than the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.  Things just aren’t as intense as they are in Colorado.  A cool breeze continually wafts through through the lobby of the Hilton Irvine. On the upper levels there’s room to manoeuvre and the hallways don’t get quite as jam-packed as in Denver.  With so much exhibitor demand, the