British loudspeaker manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.mission.co.uk">Mission</A> has announced a major marketing push into North America with the launch of its new distribution arm, <A HREF="http://www.mission-usa.com">Mission U.S.A.</A> The company, founded in 1977 and noted for using one of the first polypropylene-cone drivers in 1978, had been distributing its products in the US through Denon Canada.
<B>JOE HENRY: <I>Short Man's Room</I></B><BR>
with The Jayhawks<BR>Mammoth MR0037 (CD only). Joe Henry, prod.; Brian Paulson, eng. AAD? TT: 45:51
Bass management? We don't need no stinking bass management. We use full-range speakers all around!
Maybe Dan D'Agostino was destined to develop and build a line of products distinguished by their sheer might. After all, he grew up just blocks from a natural phenomenon synonymous with power: Niagara Falls. Even today, when the 56-year-old D'Agostino returns to his boyhood home to visit his parents, he enjoys pulling on a pair of shorts and going for a long run in the adjacent park, which resounds with the Falls' unrelenting thunder.
Ten years ago, I'd probably have got pretty good odds from industry insiders on a bet that <I>Stereophile</I> would still be reviewing phono cartridges into the new millennium. Linn's Arkiv B may not be a brand-new design—I heard my first sample in mid-1997—but phono-cartridge technology is about as stable as anything in hi-fi today. This <I>Stereophile</I> review is long overdue.
Do audiophiles really love music? Reader David Lockwood wonders if it's really true that audiophiles spend more on their gear than on their music collections. How many discs do you have (combining all formats)?
We all know that audiophile products are dangerous to the pocketbook, but one high-end audio manufacturer is notifying its customers that one of its subwoofers may be dangerous to the listener's health as well.
J. Gordon Holt and various other <I>Stereophile</I> writers are brought together to create the definitive review archive of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/739/">Audio Research SP9 preamplifier</A>. The SP9 review was controversial in its day, and the complete review archives include manufacturer and reader comments.
Arizona-based <A HREF="http://www.rockfordcorp.com">Rockford Corporation</A> announced last week that it has acquired loudspeaker designer <A HREF="http://www.nhthifi.com">Now Hear This</A> (NHT) from Recoton Corporation. Previous Rockford acquisitions include Fosgate, Hafler, Acoustat, and MB Quart. The company says that specific terms of the new agreement are confidential.
Satellite startup <A HREF="http://www.xmradio.com">XM Radio</A> got a nice Christmas gift on December 24—an infusion of $450 million in new financing that should sustain it well into 2004.