Will the threat of lawsuits have any effect on the file-sharing phenomenon? The music industry hopes and prays that it will. As of July 19, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) had sought and obtained "at least 871 federal subpoenas against computer users . . . with 75 new subpoenas being approved each day," according to an Associated Press report.
While the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is working overtime to jail file traders, members of the US Congress are introducing <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11691/">bill after bill</A> targeting with criminal prosecution the 60 million Americans engaged in Internet file sharing.
One of the most common complaints about multichannel audio has nothing to do with sound quality. It's the lack of multichannel switching on most preamps and receivers that irks most audiophiles.
More than 70 producers, engineers, and representatives from consumer and professional equipment manufacturers, record companies, and recording studios recently came together in Europe to discuss new ways to promote and establish Super Audio CD. After a two-day conference in London, the attendees say they have agreed to establish the Super Audio Forum to foster a "supportive environment for the exchange of knowledge and marketing information, as well as providing a platform for industry-wide collaboration."
In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//artdudleylistening/801/">my column</A> for <I>Stereophile</I>'s March issue, I criticized a handful of records for combining very good sound with very bad music. A few readers expressed dismay, wondering what gave me the right to call music good or bad, especially since virtually all music is loved by someone (its mother?). But as far as I know, the magazine received a total of zero letters wondering what gave me the right to call <I>sound</I> good or bad. Hmmm.
<I>The mind of man, when he gives the spur and bridle to his thoughts, doth never stop, but naturally sallies out into both extremes of high and low.</I>—Jonathan Swift
Last January, the <I>Stereophile</I> website conducted a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showvote.cgi?236">poll</A> asking readers what they thought was their audio system's weakest link . The results indicated that 24% thought that their room was the most problematic component. What this says is that, though often accused of being obsessed with hardware, we audiophiles <I>are</I> aware of what a potent effect the speaker-room setup has.
In last week's Vote, many readers reported that they had solved their speaker/room problems with a digital equalizer. What do you think about using digital EQ?
Brian Damkroger ponders the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/878/">Classé Omega monoblock power amplifier</A>. "The Classé Omega is expensive, costing $25,000/pair," notes BD. But he also finds the amp a "drop-dead-gorgeous, massive, industrial-art chunk of aluminum and steel set off with a subtle mix of curves, contours, finishes, and textures." And then there is that Classé sound.
The owners of Spanish website Puretunes.com are the latest to feel the wrath of the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America</A> (RIAA) in its campaign to rid the world of unauthorized music. The site's parent company, Sakfield Holding, will defend itself against a lawsuit filed July 3 in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The accusation: providing illegal downloads.