LATEST ADDITIONS

Back in January of this year, we <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10073/">reported</A&gt; that loudspeaker manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.polkaudio.com">Polk Audio</A> had purchased an interest in <A HREF="http://www.gen-tech.com">Genesis Technologies</A>, a loudspeaker and digital electronics manufacturer, with an option to buy the company in three years. Last week, however, Polk announced that it has decided to pass the company on to new investors.

Among loudspeaker designers, Franco Serblin enjoys an enviable reputation for beautiful creations and meticulous craftsmanship. Until recently, Sonus Faber's resident genius had confined himself to minimonitors with simple crossover networks, such as the Concerto, a <I>Stereophile</I> Class B Recommended Component.

Over three quarters of a million readers served! With several million "page views" and dozens of millions of "hits" in the past 365 days, the <I>Stereophile</I> website has continued to grow steadily, with a record number of folks visiting practically every week. We've also dished out over <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showoldnews.cgi">300 news articles</A>---practically an article each day---covering everything audio, from important new-technology announcements to the demise and then rebirth of several legendary brands.

I've touched on loudspeaker placement in irregularly shaped rooms several times in the last few "Fine Tunes," but reader Peter Machare (Peter.MACHARE@usda.gov) wants more information about setting up L-shaped and other nonstandard listening areas. Here's how he describes his layout: "I have an L-shaped room. The speakers are at the bottom of the L and point up the long part of the L. Not all of us are perfect rectangles, you know."

CD players started life as single boxes, but audiophiles soon broke them down into separate transports and D/A converters. Jitter-reduction devices were soon added, but now some manufacturers are going back to a single-box approach. Which do you prefer?

It had to happen eventually. Britain's internationally successful loudspeaker manufacturers tend to be highly geared exporters, with overseas markets often accounting for 80-90% of sales. The dramatic downturn in sales across virtually all Asian markets, alongside the collapse of the Russian ruble and an ever-strengthening pound sterling, has been making life very tough indeed.

For the seventh consecutive year, <I>Stereophile</I> has named a select few audio components the "Products of the Year." In doing so, we recognize those components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period.