LATEST ADDITIONS

When we received notice several days ago from <A HREF="http://www.panasonic.com">Panasonic</A&gt; that the company was finally releasing its DVD-Audio players next month, we filed the press release for a couple of days to see if it would last the week (see <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10620/">previous story</A>). Apparently, the products are still a go. Panasonic says it will offer a full line of DVD-Audio/Video models under both the Panasonic and Technics brand names, with the first units arriving in stores in July. As <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10509/">previously announced</A> back in August 1999, the Panasonic DVD-A7 will have a suggested retail price of $999.95, and the Technics DVD-A10 will have an SRP of $1199.95.

Build the audiophile kingdom and they will come . . . or do we need to get out there and proselytize? In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/233/">"Fine Tunes" #22</A>, Jonathan Scull looks at the debate both ways and comes to a conclusion.

<B>DR. JOHN: Duke Elegant</B><BR> Blue Note 5 23220 2 (CD). 2000. Mac Rebennack, prod.; Suz Dyer, eng.; Steve Revitte, Tovi Rodriguez, asst. engs. AAD? TT: 66:40<BR> Performance <B>****?</B><BR> Sonics <B>****?</B>

At <I>Stereophile</I> we often gets requests for product reviews. What would you like to see reviewed?

In an effort to smooth the way for websites that wish to legally reproduce copyrighted music, <A HREF="http://www.bmi.com">BMI</A&gt; announced last week that it has now become the world's largest online digital rights management company with the launch of its Digital Licensing Center (DLC) and "Klick-Thru" online copyright licensing system. The company says that the DLC is intended to help Internet companies digitally obtain a music-performance license through BMI.com, allowing them to publicly "perform" any of BMI's 4.5 million copyrighted works from its 250,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers.

A year after <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10445/">introducing</A&gt; the Super Audio Compact Disc player to upscale audiophiles, <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/sel/">Sony Corporation</A> has decided it is time to make the technology available to a wider audience. On May 17, Sony announced that its third-generation SACD player will be launched in Japan in June at approximately $730 US (&#165;80,000). The company's current SACD players, which debuted last fall, list at $3200 and $5000.