Leading western scientist have long maintained that the answer to the question of the meaning of life and universe is 42 (or 48, depending on the speaker's denomination). One however, has so far eluded an exact solution: What, precisely, was the corresponding question? This existential dilemma is reflected in the humble world of entertainment electronics (or should we say: it has its reverberations?). Designers, engineers and guesstimators rack their brains for ever more perfect measurements, ever more astounding operating principles and ever more impressive features. Trouble is, many of them have no clue what it is all about. Fortunately, a small Danish manufacturer is coming to the rescue. Dynaudio may not have the correct question for the meaning of life, but at least it can ask which true purpose a loudspeaker should serve: Should a loudspeaker tell the truth? Zen master Haisen Tushimaru points out that every question contains its answer. That's perfectly true of the question above: If you ask the right question (meditate, for comparison's sake, for just one minute about the oft-heard question "Does this speaker have a good sound?"), the answer is obvious. The artisan's mastery will then ensure the truthful and honest execution of the original inspiration. This is the point where the wheat is separated from the chaff, where it is decided if the design will aspire to art or disappear in the morass of uninspired mediocrity. Some things are truer than others. Truth in things is concentration on essentials (a car, for example, should drive, not talk). Truth is the desire to achieve those essentials at no matter what personal sacrifice (many watchmakers, for example, even live in Switzerland).

Truth means paying no heed to price. Truth is manufacturing a thing the way it would want to be if you were to ask it. This book is intended to further the cause of truth, beauty and excellence. "Doing nothing increases the amount of peace in the universe", an American poet has said; may you spend many hours of doing nothing in front of your true loudspeakers. "The Path of Knowledge? Follow the arrows!" (anonymous) In June 1997 Jan Hendrik Geschke, Tregunter Hall, London