LATEST ADDITIONS

For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/212/">"Fine Tunes" #16</A>, Jonathan Scull offers sage advice on handling the often ephemeral problem of microphonics in audio systems. "So here I am expounding on the tendency of audio components&mdash;especially tubes, capacitors, and resistors&mdash;to become microphonic, and you're wondering how you can find out if there's any of that shakin' goin' on in your system. And <I>you</I> want to do it easily and for next to nothing," he sez. The solutions await.

When <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showvote.cgi?135">polled</A&gt; earlier this month, <I>Stereophile</I>'s online readers were split on the topic of DVD-Audio's surround capabilities: 30% expressed interest, but an equal number were not so thrilled with the idea. While the release of the official high-resolution DVD-A format is still several months away, some record labels have been quick to capitalize on the ability of current DVD players to play compressed AC3- and DTS-encoded audio DVDs, in the hopes of developing a market for a lower-fidelity surround-sound format.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.edig.com">e.Digital</A&gt; announced a licensing agreement to incorporate Sony's ATRAC3 sound-compression technology into e.Digital's portable Internet music-player designs. e.Digital claims that its multi-codec platform, including ATRAC3 support, can be incorporated into a variety of products including portable digital music players, home and automotive stereos, and functionally enhanced wireless phones.

Time magazine has chosen Albert Einstein as the Person of the Century. As the great man said, everything's relative, so in this installment of "Fine Tunes" I'll cover a few relatively inexpensive tips for homeowners, or those building their own audiophile domiciles.

Many of us have picked up at least one bizarre CD or LP in our audiophile careers. Tell us what you've found

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>"