Sam Tellig triggered a hailstorm of comment with his original review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/480/">RadioShack Optimus CD-3400 portable CD player</A>. After Tellig suggested that the modest player just might be a cheapskate audiophile delight, writers Corey Greenberg, Jack English, John Atkinson, Barry Willis, and Robert Harley each added his two cents. Some revealing but hitherto unpublished measurements are also included.
Writing 30 years ago, in the November, 1971 issue, J. Gordon Holt tried to anticipate the cries of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/483/">Sellout!?</A> as <I>Stereophile</I> began taking its first ads from dealers. Holt wrote, "Before you throw your hands up in horror . . . bear with us for another couple of paragraphs while we explain why this decision on our part need not prompt you to cancel your subscription immediately."
On December 14, the music industry and small webcasters concluded their long and often-acrimonious negotiations on royalties. The two parties—the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) "SoundExchange," a royalty-collecting body, and the Voice of Webcasters (VOW)—filed an agreement with the US Copyright Office in Washington that details generalities agreed to under the Small Webcaster Settlement Act (SWSA), signed December 4.
Larry Greenhill wonders, "In crossing over into transistor products, would Conrad-Johnson be able to retain the simplicity, low distortion, and musicality of their tube designs?" LG fires up the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/734/">Conrad-Johnson Premier 18LS line preamplifier</A> to satisfy his curiosity.
Wireless local audio/video networks and surround sound systems have long been one of the electronics industry's holy grails, given the fact that a major cost in installing home theaters or whole-house audio systems is the wiring. The market potential is so great that major chipmakers have invested enormous amounts of research in developing products that would enable easy placement of audio and video systems anywhere in a home without the need for dedicated wiring.
Sam Tellig and Kalman Rubinson each take a run at the unique <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/729/">PS Audio HCA-2 power amplifier</A> to see what it's made of. Will Tellig and Rubinson agree on the HCA-2's worth? Furthermore, what do the odd results of John Atkinson's measurements mean?
You thought it was crowded last year? The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced last week that, as of the beginning of December, it looks like the <A HREF="http://www.CESweb.org">2003 International Consumer Electronics Show</A> (CES) will feature a record-breaking amount of exhibit space, surpassing 1.2 million square feet.
John Atkinson and Stephen Mejias tally the writer and editor votes to present "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/724/">The 2002 Products of the Year</A>." As JA comments, "For more than a decade now, <I>Stereophile</I> has recognized components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period."
Paul Bolin reviews the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/719/">EgglestonWorks Andra II loudspeaker</A>, noting, "It's always tough to follow an award-winning act." Bolin listens carefully to determine if "the lofty ambitions of the Andra II project" have made significant and meaningful improvements to the original design.
From the current issue, Wes Phillips and John Atkinson tell the story of <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/714/"><I>Against the Dying of the Light</I>: the Second Cantus CD</A>. Phillips sets out to find the true genesis of this astonishing new recording from the Minnesota-based male-voice choir, while JA fills in the technical details.