A few weeks ago I visited a large hifi show in the Netherlands where countless systems were on display. One of the highlights was a system with horn-based speakers that made Tracy Chapman’s debut album played on a fancy record player sound brilliant. From that moment on I was spoiled, and other systems we listened to couldn’t match that.
Back home I wondered how it would sound with my own set, so I pulled out my original 1988 copy of the album and I was happy to hear that it wasn’t all bad. So it was more the sweet sound of her voice and the quality of the recording that made it sound so good. So the learnings were: my own system sounds great (and I can resist the upgrade itch a bit longer), and Tracy Chapman’s debut is a fantastic album. That deserves her the weekly tip spot.