CATEGORIES

The Surf Is Their Turf

On the sun-drenched Filipino island of Siargao, a tight-knit community of wave riders is keeping it real in the face of change.

A Family Affair

On a visit to the Coppola family's low-key Belize retreats with botanical skin-care expert Athena Hewett, Arati Menon discovers what homegrown hospitality is all about

Mobile Fidelity, PrimaLuna, and First Watt redux

GRAMOPHONE DREAMS - It's important for readers to remember that I've spent my adult life as an artist and mechanic. Making things. Working as a tradesperson during the day then at an easel or workbench at night.

Moon 861 - POWER AMPLIFIER

It is unusual to begin a review with a detailed discussion of setup. But setup protocol for the Moon 861 power amplifier ($22,000 each), the top-level amplifier in the North Collection from Moon, which I reviewed bridged in mono, proved crucial to its sound.

STEREOPHILE'S 33RD ANNUAL - PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD 2024

When Stereophile's Product of the Year Awards were first published, in 1992, we decided that unlike some other publications and their awards schemes, we would keep the number of categories to a minimum. That way, we would avoid what the late Art Dudley once described as the \"every child in the class gets a prize\" syndrome.

Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 - LOUDSPEAKER

Here's a hard truth: A written review of a full-sized speaker any speaker, really-is, at best, semi-useful. We all listen differently, we have different musical tastes, our system electronics are different, and our listening rooms vary a lot. You will gain a general picture of a speaker's capabilities and foibles from John Atkinson's measurements, and I can tell you how the speakers sound to me, in my room. But that's it. You need to hear them for yourself before making a buying decision. The best I can do is tell you how my music brain felt when the speakers were in my house and making music.

PS Audio Aspen FR5 - LOUDSPEAKER

I remember the first PS Audio product: a simple phono stage. It was so simple - a passive RIAA eq filter flanked by a pair of primitive op-amps - that when the schematic was made public, I built one myself; I was in the midst of my DIY years. I thought it was, to use a word from that time, nifty.

CARIBBEAN CALLING

It's that time of year when white-sand beaches, palm-studded resorts, and cruise ships that gleam against turquoise waters start to sound pretty damn fine. We've got all that for you here, plus a few surprises, to inspire your next vacation to the world's best place for soaking up the winter sun.

where it all began

From Mombasa on Kenya's southern coast to Lamu in the north, Selina Denman charts the story of this part of East Africa-as well as her own

carried away

Northwest Australia's untouched Kimberley region, newly accessible via a Seabourn expedition cruise, is about as far as you can get from everywhere else. But for Erin Florio, the place's very remoteness is a testament to the interconnectedness of all things

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Young creatives are bringing a new kind of cool to the historic Central Coast town of Carmel-by-the-Sea

Warm Welcome

For travelers seeking a window onto everyday life in Hawaii, Honolulu's Chinatown awaits.

bubbling up

With its dramatic volcanic landscapes, intimate new stays, and evolving creative scene, Lanzarote―the easternmost of Spain's Canary Islands-is having a moment

TAKE A BEACH BREAK

French Polynesian pro surfer Vaimiti Teiefitu on the best spots to surf, eat, and unwind around Tahiti

MAD LOVE, MADE EASY

A private-beach resort in Mexico gave Christina Hendricks and George Bianchini the ultimate wedding gift: freedom to rest

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In Dubai, ambitious chefs are fusing their personal stories with regional influences, forging a new vision for fine dining in their city

TEAC UD-701N - STREAMING PREAMP, D/A CONVERTER

In Gramophone Dreams #88, I described the sound of TEAC's VRDS-701T CD transport as \"dense and precise in a way I had never previously heard from digital.\" I went on to explain, \"by dense, I mean there was a tangible corporeality effected by seemingly infinite quantities of small, tightly packed molecules of musical information.\"

EDITOR'S PICK - RECORDING OF THE MONTH

The record business was awash in money and power. Vinyl LPs were still five bucks, and while the pressings could be suspect, the music-buying public still snapped them up en masse.

The Butthole Surfers wipe out

REVINYLIZATION - Music's lunatic fringe drifts further out every hour. As it should. In this century, with computers playing an ever-larger role, music continues to fragment and become infinitely more varied. This splintering is either the essence of what keeps it relevant as an art form or something profoundly disturbing, to be hated and feared.

You're only lonely

AURAL ROBERT - The least surprising story in music today is the inevitable passing of irreplaceable talent. Tenor saxophonist Benny Golson died at age 95 the day I finished this salute to another fallen star, Southern California singer/songwriter John David \"JD\" Souther.

German kitchens, Japanese amps, and Afropop gems

BRILLIANT CORNERS - I have a day job at a museum. One of my favorite things about working there is taking the elevator from my office down to one of the floors open to the public; I walk into the galleries through a discreet panel in the wall. This makes me feel like I'm in one of those horror-movie manors with a tunnel concealed behind a bookshelf. Sometimes I startle people, which I kind of enjoy.

Paul Mescal Enters the Arena - The shorts get shorter. The roles get bolder. The fans grow ever more ravenous. Now Paul Mescal is trading his indie tears for blockbuster blood as the centerpiece of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II.

The shorts get shorter. The roles get bolder. The fans grow ever more ravenous. Now Paul Mescal is trading his indie tears for blockbuster blood as the centerpiece of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II.

'90s-Inspired Sneakers Have Never Looked This Fresh - The 1990s, a golden era for fashion and sport, left an indelible mark on global culture. It was a decade of high-flying slam dunks and superstar athletes with runway-worthy personal style.

The 1990s, a golden era for fashion and sport, left an indelible mark on global culture. It was a decade of high-flying slam dunks and superstar athletes with runway-worthy personal style. The sport-style sneaker, once confined to the court, made its way to the streets, becoming a style staple of everyday life. With its enduring influence, this historic moment continues to shape fashion choices of the supremely stylish, even today. It's this beloved nostalgia for the past that inspired the latest sneaker from Golden Goose: the cutting-edge yet perfectly retro Forty2.

CONNOISSEUR OF CHAOS

The masterly musical as mblages of Charles Ives

THE HONEST ISLAND GREG JACKSON

Craint did not know when he had come to the island or why he had come.

THE HOME FRONT

Some Americans are preparing for a second civil war.

SYRIA'S EMPIRE OF SPEED

Bashar al-Assad's regime is now a narco-state reliant on sales of amphetamines.

THE SHIPWRECK DETECTIVE

Nigel Pickford has spent a lifetime searching for sunken treasure-without leaving dry land.

THE ARTIFICIAL STATE

A different kind of machine politics.

LIFE ADVICE WITH ANIMAL ANALOGIES

Go with the flow like a dead fish.