This winters 2000 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was the usual hectic combination of assisting Merlin Music Systems in the Merlin-Joule-Cardas suite as well as running around doing my own thing for Signature Sound and Positive Feedback magazine. Though hectic, the show is a great chance to meet and chat with the folks. So the theme for this months Picture of the Month pages is The People Behind the Products! - Enjoy! Rich Brkich, Owner, Signature Sound.

Shown above is George Cardas (left) of Cardas Audio and Bobby Palkovic (right) of Merlin Music Systems enjoying a brief moment to chat and catch up during the show. These two have known each other for many years (Bobby has been wiring his speakers with Cardas wire for many years and George uses Merlin VSM-SEs in his recording studio set-up). To the lower right you can see Bobby's Merlin VSM-SE speaker and to the lower left the $16,500 SpJ La Luce turntable which Cardas Audio is distributing here in the USA.

Some of you are probably aware of  that I'm a big fan of Jud Barber's Joule-Electra HiFi gear. The picture above shows Jud Barber (right) enjoying a beer with Deryl Benson (manufacturer rep - left) as a whole gang of us wait to grab dinner together after typically busy show day. I've pasted into this picture a shot of one of Jud's VZN-100 OTL tube amplifiers (lower left - $9,800/pair) and the wonderful sounding and now better looking VAMP integrated amp (lower right - $3,700).

If I tell you the two smiling folks above are Mr. & Mrs. Power Plant, you'll probably guess that this picture features Paul and Terri McGowan of PS Audio. Paul is the brains behind the design of the PowerPlant (shown lower left above) which actually synthesizes clean, low distortion AC power to allow your HiFi gear to perform at its best. Dig that awesome shirt Paul is wearing!

On the couch and enjoying some tunes in the Merlin - Joule - Cardas Suite is famed LP mastering engineer Stan Ricker (left). Hanging out with Stan, is Positive Feedback Magazine contributor/writer David Glackin who is chatting with Bobby Palkovic (President of Merlin Music Systems) on the far right.