LATEST ADDITIONS

One of the most revered names in the audio industry is seeking legal protection from its creditors. On November 19, <A HREF="http://www.nakamichi.com">Nakamichi Corporation Japan</A> "applied to the court of Japan for a civil rehabilitation," in the words of a company press release on the development, issued the next day. On the 19th, Nakamichi stock closed at &#165;22/share (approximately 17&#162;); the Tokyo Stock Exchange announced that the company would be de-listed effective May 20.

The music industry's in a deep slump, but you won't know it by the glitz, glamour, and hype surrounding the <A HREF="http://www.grammys.com">44th Grammy Awards</A>.

<B>Introduction</B>

Many audiophiles are incensed that the digital outputs on high-resolution disc players are limited to the 16bit/44.1kHz standard of the "Red Book" CD when playing DVD-Audio discs. To read some postings on audiophile newsgroups, you'd think it's a massive conspiracy to prevent people from adding their own processors to the playback chain. Putting as many boxes as possible in an audio system is a constitutionally guaranteed right, isn't it?

Branford Marsalis is unhappy with the music industry. Unlike many of his colleagues, he intends to do something about it.

Should performing arts be limited by health or environmental concerns? The Association of British Orchestras thinks not, according to a recent <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk">BBC News</A> item.

It's a brave group of souls who run today's audiophile music labels. Sane business minds would likely deem it foolhardy to start a new specialty label these days, but sometimes one's passion for music overrides the rational impulse to try something a little bit more secure (like perhaps an Internet company?).