Where Pogs and Pokemon once ruled, <A HREF="http://www.tigertoys.com/newhitclips/">HitClips</A> have taken over. HitClips are hot. So hot, in fact, that <A HREF="http://www.hasbro.com">Hasbro Incorporated</A>'s Tiger Electronics division has sold more than 20 million of them at $3.99 each. That's $80 million gross on a single product, a figure that probably no high-end audio company has ever reached.
Last week's <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/vote.shtml">online poll</A> indicates that many <I>Stereophile</I> readers have an ongoing affinity for the retro design style of older audio gear. Several respondents say they find the warm glow of tubes and backlit displays seductively attractive in a darkened room, while others pine for the days of analog dials and softly lit meters with gently bouncing needles.
The <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America</A> (RIAA) has requested increased federal funding for the ongoing struggle against the pirating of recorded music. On Tuesday, April 23, the organization's executives asked the US House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee for more money to pursue pirates. Such allocations come directly from tax revenues, according to reports from Washington.
Reader Robert Baum writes that he bought a new KA-7002 Kenwood amp in 1973, and though he's upgraded several times since then, "it's been living under our bed (yes, it's still alive!) for at least a dozen years.
By several common measures, the American economy appears to be emerging from its first recession in a decade. On Friday, April 26, the US Commerce Department reported economic growth of 5.8% (annual rate) for the first quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP), generally considered the broadest indicator of the economy's health, was the strongest since the final quarter of 1999. The 5.8% rate is especially encouraging in view of the 1.7% rate during the fourth quarter of 2001. The US Labor Department also reported a decline in first-time applications for unemployment benefits during the last week of April.
<A HREF="http://www.naras.org">National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences</A> (NARAS) president C. Michael Greene has abruptly resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations by female executives at the nonprofit organization, which produces the annual Grammy Music Awards show.
Jonathan Scull says he likes "stories with happy endings." Will his time spent with the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/565/">Conrad-Johnson Premier 16LS preamplifier</A> leave a smile on his face or a frown? J-10 comments, "As always, after a period of time, I began tweaking until I got the sound <I>just so</I>, then whipped out the laptop and . . . " filed this report.
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.