Friday, November 4, 2011

The Windy City

Periodically The Audiophile and I take a trip to Chicago, which really needs to consider adopting a tag line that doesn't blatantly announce my every waking moment will be spent dragging my hair from my mouth.

On a recent trip, The Audiophile called ahead to area stereo shops to see if there was any gear he needed to visit at a remote location that likely doubled as a cover for other questionable activities. Sure enough, there was just such an item in just such a location for our homicidal pleasure, so we hailed a taxi and took off in a northerly direction from the heart of the city. We departed the taxi in an area of town that easily-frightened tourists commonly describe as "why didn't we tell the cabbie to wait" ville.

The owner of the establishment eagerly invited The Audiophile inside while I stood in the entry and ran the calculations on whether three people could simultaneously fit inside the store without personal violation. Ultimately the visit only lasted a couple of minutes because the proprietor had, it seems, exaggerated the quality, condition, and sheer existence of his inventory.

Fortunately it was a beautiful day for a purposeful walk with The Audiophile. I complimented him on his prophetic suggestion to start the day with sensible footwear as we quietly discussed whether we were still capable of sprinting should the need the arise. Thankfully, the need did not arise, and we eventually found the Brown Line and returned to familiar territory just in time for an architectural boat tour narrated over a pair of all-weather speakers, which, if I'm not mistaken, could have benefited from better cables and a tweak to the mid-range.

And that, my friends, is audio winning.