LATEST ADDITIONS

I first saw the Shure SE530 at the <A HREF="http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2006/010606shure">2006 Consumer Electronics Show</A>, when it was dubbed the E500. The '500 shared the current product's three-armature driver technology and in-ear, sound-isolating, sleeve fitting scheme, but that early prototype seemed almost crude in comparison with the SE530.

When Hong Kong&ndash;based music lover and electronics-equipment distributor Klaus Heymann (footnote 1), now 70, first began organizing classical-music concerts as a way to boost sales, he had no idea he would end up founding the world's leading classical-music label. But after starting a record-label import business and meeting his future wife, leading violinist Takako Nishizaki, the German-born entrepreneur sought a way to promote her artistry. First he founded the HK label, which specialized in Chinese symphonic music (including Nishizaki's recording of <I>Butterfly Lovers</I>, the famous violin concerto by Chen Gang). Next he established Marco Polo, a label devoted to symphonic rarities.

I don't want a symphony orchestra in my room: That's crazy. I want their <I>music</I>, played with enough realism that I can hear how it's done.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, and my need to hear Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bells Rock" has subsided &mdash; I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with those electric guitar flourishes&#151, it's seems an appropriate time to say something about the continuing and astonishing turmoil in the record business which according to most sources experienced a nearly 20 percent decline in sales of physical product compared with last Christmas.

It occurs to me that in the three years I've been posting Friday cat blogging, I have never photographed Bagheera asleep. That wary look of hers is as close to complacent as she gets.

Now <I>Rolling Stone</I> has noticed the <A HREF="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidel… wars</A>.