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Keen-eyed readers may have noticed that I recently added a new category to the Associated Equipment section at the end of my reviews. In addition to listing the speakers, sources, and cables used for a review, I’ve started listing my network setup. For most of the products I review, every note I listen to is streamed over a network. That makes the network an important part of my home-entertainment system.

This fall marked the 10th anniversary of file-based, high-resolution audio playback. The New York City-based website HDtracks opened its virtual doors in March 2008; in October of that year, it added to its catalog 24-bit/88.2kHz and 24/96 FLAC files.

A year ago this month, my missus and I made a life-changing decision. We would sell the Toronto home where she had lived for 26 years, and move to a smaller house in the same neighborhood. Our kids had long since left the nest (lucky us!), and that big five-bedroom house was way more real estate than we needed. Downsizing would free up money for our retirements (we are now both, officially, geezers) and simplify our lives.

Sometime soon, hopefully before the end of 2018, North American audiophiles will have their choice of two high-resolution music-streaming services. One of them is a familiar name -- now available in 57 countries, Tidal has been operating in North America since 2015. The other is a relative unknown, at least on the west side of the Atlantic.

Music lovers have been trying to solve a problem ever since they began collecting recordings: How to have convenient access to large music libraries?

Toronto has a new audio show. The first-ever Toronto Audiofest was held at the Westin Toronto Airport Hotel October 19-21. In one year, it has effectively supplanted the Toronto Audio-Video Entertainment Show (TAVES), which began in 2011 but gradually lost its way.

Last month, I talked about the advantages that voice command can bring to audio enthusiasts -- and the complications that limit its applicability to music listening. This month I talk in a bit more depth about the prospects for voice-command technology: How much better can voice-command systems get, and might they someday be the primary user interface for audio systems?

  1. Are Smart Speakers Any Good for Audiophiles?
  2. High End 2018, Simplifi'd
  3. Is the Smart Speaker a Dumb Idea?
  4. What's Up with Apple AirPlay 2?
  5. The Spotify Dilemma
  6. CES 2018, Simplifi’d
  7. Farewell, CES
  8. Room Tunes
  9. Social Streaming
  10. CEDIA 2017, Simplifi’d
  11. Classical Prime Time
  12. The Röst Reconsidered
  13. High End 2017, Simplifi'd
  14. Vinyl: There's an App for That
  15. Metadata: Life with Roon
  16. The Internet and Audio: The Good, the Bad, and the Impossible
  17. The State of Streaming
  18. CES 2017, Simplifi'd
  19. Why "Simplifi"

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