What ails the music business? <I>Stereophile</I> reader Jim Steel, in an <A HREF="http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showvote.cgi?337">online poll</A> last year, opined, "Most of today's pop and metal is lifeless, heartless, and crude. Over-produced, synthetic, and the core product (songs) are mind-numbingly dull and without imagination."
The women in my family and extended circle of friends are generally captivated by good sound, but are often appalled by the brutish, monolithic packaging that passes for "styling" in high-end gear. "Not in <I>my</I> living room," is the refrain, often played in a minor key.
<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/cdcantus3.jpg" WIDTH=170 HEIGHT=152 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>When <A HREF="http://www.cantusonline.org">Cantus</A>'s artistic coordinator (and <I>Stereophile</I> reader) Erick Lichte phoned me in the summer of 2000 about my recording this Minnesotan male-voice choir, it didn't occur to me that I was entering a long-term relationship. But just as sure as 16-bit digital is not sufficient for long-term musical satisfaction, my first Cantus CD led to a second, and now a third. (All available from <A HREF="https://secure.stereophile.com/stereophile/recordings.shtml">this website</A>). For <I>Deep River</I>, I traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the city has spent millions of dollars to transform the downtown high school into a gloriously warm-sounding, state-of-the-art performing arts center.
Reader Sam K. says he is tired of all the talk about computers and music, and wants to know when was the last time you upgraded your turntable and how did you do it?
Audiophiles may bemoan the convergence of computers and high-fidelity equipment, but it's a trend apparently as unstoppable as the earth's progression around the sun.
Does the SLP in the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/204cary">Cary SLP-98P tube preamplifier</A>'s name stand for "sweet little preamplifier"? Art Dudley sets out to determine if Cary's latest version in the SLP preamp series lives up to the moniker.
What's in a name?
Two new companies have formed in recent weeks to bring audiophile cable and connector products to market.