LATEST ADDITIONS

Remember when we were going to be outward bound in the 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century?

Here's a good example of why it is sometimes better to only know a writer through his writing.

I've known that lie detectors are far from reliable for years, but I never realized that our faith in them was a distinctly American trait.

<I>Discover</I> magazine joins me in demanding one, <I>stat</I>!

Its imminent demise has been reported for months by a variety of sources, from major labels to consumers. Are the Compact Disc's commercial troubles a good or bad thing for audiophiles?

When I unpacked the Rogue Audio Atlas, I didn't know how much it cost. After examining its chassis of high-grade steel, its silver-anodized aluminum faceplate, its sleek and slightly rounded edges, and, above all, its two chunk-o'brick transformers&mdash;for such a little thing (a foot-and-a-half square by half-a-foot high), it's heavy&mdash;I guessed around five grand. Then I called Rogue Audio and learned that it retails for $1395.

It must be difficult for makers of audio equipment to decide how to best exhibit their products at events such as the annual Consumer Electronics Show. If you're doing a demo, you want it to impress audio journalists and potential dealers, and sometimes just playing music is not enough: you need something extra. A few years ago, Joseph Audio put on a demo, supposedly of their top-of-the-line floorstanding speaker, during which Jeff Joseph removed a cloth that had been draped over what was assumed to be hotel-room furniture. Under that cloth were the speakers that were actually playing: Joseph's new in-wall model, mounted on flat baffles. Wilson Audio Specialties demonstrated their speakers with purportedly ultra-high-end electronics and digital source, then revealed that they were actually using a modestly priced preamp and power amp, and that the source was an Apple iPod.