Record companies are having a tough time making new friends these days as they toy with ways to restrict consumer use and distribution of their products. Amid sliding sales, mediocre new releases, high prices, and failed attempts at implementing restricted-use CD technology, the big labels clearly need some advice on getting back on track.
It is with regret that we belatedly note the passing of Joanna Nickrenz, one of the most respected American producers of classical recordings, on February 9. Within the small world of those who passionately care about the sound of recorded music, Ms. Nickrenz, along with her partner Marc J. Aubort, was a legend. Many audiophiles—including <I>Stereophile</I>'s editors—considered the names Nickrenz and Aubort on a project a guarantee of natural, dynamic, accurate sound.
In addition to fostering the exchange of audio files, peer-to-peer websites may be sharing the problems of increased legal liabilities and bandwidth drains for businesses which allow employees to access file-sharing sites from corporate networks.
A great audio system is nice, but there's nothing like the real thing to remind us of why we love music. One of our readers, sporting the moniker "]-[arry", comments, "I'd be very interested in learning how many readers actually attend classical or jazz concerts on a regular basis. I suspect the results may be shocking."
In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/560/">Music Reference RM-200 power amplifier</A>, Michael Fremer claims, "Reviewing a vacuum-tube power amplifier is like having your pants pulled down in front of a large crowd of people." MF explains why he reviewed the RM-200 despite the inevitable public humiliation.
Like the companies in most high-tech industries, audio businesses are a volatile lot, with startups, mergers, acquisitions—and the occasional bankruptcy or flame-out—not uncommon. In that ongoing tradition, at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, <A HREF="http://www.ultralinkcables.com">Ultralink Products</A> announced on January 7 its intention to purchase the assets of cable manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.xloelectric.com">XLO Electric</A>.
<A HREF="http://www.xmradio.com">XM Radio</A> held a press conference in New York City Thursday, April 18. The event was heralded with great secrecy—attendees were enticed with promises of "major news," but no one leaked details beforehand, and the press arrived expecting something juicy indeed.
No one knows what online music services may ultimately look like, but new models continue to pop up for consumers to test-drive.
What's a home-entertainment show without an assortment of state-of-the-art audio demonstrations? <A HREF="http://www.egglestonworks.com">EgglestonWorks</A> has announced that its next generation Andra II speaker will be featured as part of what it calls an "unprecedented" demonstration of multichannel Super Audio CD (SACD) to be conducted during the upcoming <A HREF="http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com">Home Entertainment 2002 Show</A> May 30 through June 2 at the New York Hilton.
American media companies and electronics manufacturers may be adversaries in the conflict over digital copy protection, but their French counterparts have decided to make love, not war.