A moment of silence, please, for the mouse in my shed: I've had a trap there for weeks, baited with peanut butter—I should have just waited for the food poisoning to do its work—and the poor little bastard finally found it.
The great format battle of our time continues to rage between the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps. For many reasons, some discussed in the July installment of this column, this battle may be the last one waged over physical media formats. But whether either or neither format wins, the outcome will be decided on the basis of video quality—issues of <I>audio</I> quality are being ignored. This is unfortunate for audiophiles for two reasons. First, we have a big stake in whatever will be the standard medium for movies and music, but second, this battle makes it apparent that the major forces in the marketplace are ignoring what matters most to us.
The Federal Express delivery man was having a hard time carrying the box containing the Krell KSA-100S up the front steps.
<B>EDDIE DANIELS: <I>...This Is Now</I></B><BR>
Eddie Daniels, clarinet; Billy Childs, piano; Tony Dumas, Jimmy Johnson, bass; Ralph Penland, Vinnie Colaiuta, drums<BR>
GRP GRD-9635 (CD only). Bernie Kirsh, eng.; Eddie Daniels, Billy Childs, prods. DDD. TT: 64:31
On September 26, Showstoppers had its "digital holidays" event in Manhattan. If you aren't a member of the gadget press, you probably won't know about Showstoppers, but it's a press event that gathers all manner of gadgets, gizmos, and computer peripherals under one roof, adds in an open bar and free food, and invites anybody with a press credential to come mingle and ogle the new products. The events are well-run, well-attended, and almost never have much of interest for <I>Stereophile</I> readers.
On September 25, Amazon <A HREF="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&I…; that its <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/163856011">Amazon MP3 download store</A> was open as a "public beta" test. Amazon claims it has "more than two million songs by more than 180,000 artists from over 20,000 major and independent labels," which makes it somewhat less diverse than Apple's iTunes Store, which claims six million songs. However, Amazon MP3 has a few advantages in its corner: its MP3s are higher-resolution, variable bit-rate 256kpbs with no digital rights management—and they are cheaper, 89–99¢ per track, as opposed to iTunes' 99¢ for its 128kbps AAC files (or $1.29 for iTunes+ files, which are DRM-free and 256kbps AAC files).
These are great times for analog, and I'm happy to have played a small part in the revival, but recently the demand for some products has outstripped supply; getting review samples has been next to impossible. I've requested an Audio Research PH7 phono preamplifier for literally years now, but ARC can't build them fast enough, so they don't need a review. The more they sell, the greater the buzz, and the greater the buzz, the more e-mails I get from readers asking for a review. It's not nice to not be needed.
EMI and Virgin Classics, one of the oldest and two of the most respected names in classical music, have undertaken a series of audiophile-friendly initiatives designed to strengthen their online presence. At the start of September, the labels together launched the EMI and Virgin Classics Listening Club. Open to music lovers who purchase new EMI or Virgin Classics discs marked with the Opendisc logo, the club's "exclusive" online environment offers participants the opportunity to build relationships with some of the labels' top artists.
Bagheera is a past mistress at the art of <I>cat fu</I>, the ability to comfortably inhabit spaces too small for her to fit into.
Huckleberry, on the other hand, practices his <I>cat fu</I> mind-tricks out in the open—where they aren't at all effective.