The artist

Japanese audio manufacturer Yamaha announced the release of their new 5000 series of audiophile products including a $15K pair of speakers, a $10K preamp and $10K amp. Their stated goal is to deliver audio components for the “most discerning and passionate audiophiles.” I wish them well. It would be great if one of the bigger audio manufacturers managed to craft great sound at any price. Their success can only help spread the word of what we're all after. But, I wonder. Does their 8 years of development and the expense of the products provide an indication of sound quality? What floats my boat is not the level of investment in years and research but the artist. The sound craftsman. The person or team that cares enough about how it sounds over everything else. If you tell me a company has invested millions in examining every aspect of art—finding out what makes us love a particular painting, for example—and then formed a team to produce it, it would elicit a yawn. Where's the soul? I want to immerse myself in art. Soul. Personal statements. Performance is an art.