The courtship between two music-retailing giants is over. <A HREF="http://www.cdnow.com/">CDnow</A> and <A HREF="http://www.columbiahouse.com/">Columbia House</A> have decided to call off a merger that had been in <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10496/">discussion</A> since last summer. The official explanation from executives close to the deal was a sharp decline in Columbia House's profitability over the past several months.
On day two of Revel's early-March press junket, <I>Stereophile</I> and <I>Guide to Home Theater</I> writers and editors were treated to a discussion and demonstration of some superb audio and video equipment at Kevin Voecks' spacious home in the San Fernando Valley. Voecks spoke at length about the extensive research his company has done on the perceived realism of reproduced sound, under the leadership of Dr. Floyd Toole.
Regardless of what the skeptics claim, Jonathan Scull is a firm believer in resonance-control devices. For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/210/">"Fine Tunes" #15</A>, Scull investigates some products he has found useful. "<I>Pssst</I>," Scull whispers. "Hey you. Yeah, you . . . we know you're a tweaker. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You just wanna make it better, right? Even as everyone around you wants to know when enough's <I>enough</I> already.</I>"
As the boundaries between audio, video, and information technologies continue to blur, so will the corporate boundaries between <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com">Sony Electronics</A>' audio, video, and information-technology divisions. Last week, Sony announced the creation of a new organization that the company says integrates its A/V and IT companies into one overall "Consumer Electronics Group," or "CEG." Sony adds that the new structure combines the company's Consumer Products Marketing Group and its Personal Network Solutions Company into one organization. Fujio Nishida was named president of CEG; the new organization will become effective April 1.
Last week, the <A HREF="http://www.emplive.com">Experience Music Project</A>, described as an "interactive museum devoted to creativity and innovation in American popular music," announced that it will open its doors to the public on Friday, June 23, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, with a multi-day celebration featuring events in and around the museum, and live performances by a wide variety of musicians. EMP said it expects more than a million visitors during the course of its first year.
One of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers is making a move into digital audio. <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced March 16 that it has acquired Toccata Technology ApS, a small, privately held company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toccata is "one of the leading developers of digital audio amplifier technology and board solutions," according to a TI press release, and will become part of TI's Digital Speakers Business Unit, continuing to operate from Denmark.
This is an era in which products and websites are "launched," but in the past two years Herron Audio has sort of <I>oozed</I> its way into the public ear. With little visible promotion or splashy advertising, Herron is now spoken of within an ever-widening audiophile circle.
<B>GUY CLARK: <I>Cold Dog Soup</I></B><BR> Sugar Hill Sug-CD-1063 (CD). 1999. Chris Latham, prod., eng.; Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson, Darrell Scott, prods. AAD. TT: 40:44<BR> Performance <B>*****</B><BR> Sonics <B>****?</B>
Some of us started with "On Top of Spaghetti" and ended up listening to Bart
John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band's 1971 album <I>Imagine</I> has now been remixed and remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, supervised by Yoko Ono, and will be reissued in a new version on vinyl, CD, and cassette by <A HREF="http://www.capitolrecords.com">Capitol Records</A> on March 28. The re-release precedes the April 11 release of a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary, <I>Gimme Some Truth—The Making of John Lennon's </I>Imagine<I> Album</I>, which attempts to examine the creative process that took place at Lennon's home recording studio during the legendary 1971 sessions.