The audition that keeps knocking

I walked into a showroom ready to dislike the HiFi Rose. Gorgeous devices, the best touchscreens in the industry, priced like an 85-inch OLED television. That's just a glorified LCD, I thought.

I auditioned the RS150 anyway, and my jaw dropped. It was not about the screen any more: that liquid, analogue-like quality, the detail, the organicness, a sound that stood level with my McIntosh electronics. I went in looking for a reason to say no and came out without one.

But I was not ready to go $5,000, so I left with the memory instead of the box. That is the dangerous part. In this hobby of ours, the recollection of a great audition keeps knocking on your door for days, weeks, even months.

Every audiophile knows the sequence. First you remember the sound, then you remember the price a little differently, then you find a reason that sounds like logic. And you know what is coming next.

Be careful what you audition. You may forget the price; you will not forget the sound.