I am amazed that more of the outrageously price boutique and vanity hifi companies haven't folded. Why does anyone need a $13,000 mini monitor, and why is the expensive even remotely justifiable? Snell and Dunlavy built well-engineered speakers that weren't THAT expensive and they folded. Has any amp costing $10K proved it could do something that a $2K amp can't? (Not in blind listening tests anyway.)

While the average stereo component (not speaker) is significantly better than what was around in the 80's, we have hit a consumer crossroads. Bose may have hit a design niche, but has sacrificed fidelity. So has some home theater gear. A SUBWOOFER reproduces the 1st octave of audio. Now we have too many WOOFERS disguised as subs that boom at 80hz and die by 40hz. Great for explosions, bad for fidelity.

Rule #1: there is no replacement for displacement. Subs have to be fairly big to speak with authority at 20hz (none of those 6" bandpass boxes or single 8" things...) Speakers do not have fidelity that are comprised of a 2" whizzer cone. Me? I hate to hide speakers. Speakers should be elegant and furniture-like, not invisible. I don't care if they are standmount or floor standing, but they are part of the soundscape. Some speakers are too pretty or cool looking to hide.

As much as the term "Audiophile" has become ruined in my book, there is the antithesis of fidelity which is mp3's played through a jewel-cube system.