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The CD-303/200 is a stout, handsome unit with a thick front panel of black-anodized aluminum (silver is also available) and a beefy, epoxy-coated aluminum chassis. Even the remote control—a heavy aluminum unit with multi-function, backlit buttons—screams "Quality!" Curiously, however, the remote is clad in chrome plate, rather than brushed aluminum or anodized black to match the player. The coup de grace is the CD-303/200's transport mechanism, a Philips CDM12, which is good enough as is; Cary addition of a thick, machined drawer warmed this metallurgist's heart.

Without having intended to, I seem to have collected several "statement" products. I've already reported on the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/digitalsourcereviews/781">Weiss Medea</A> and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/digitalsourcereviews/204theta">Theta Digital Generation VIII</A> digital-to-analog converters. I saw and expressed interest in the Nagra DAC at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show, when prototypes of it were shown along with a forthcoming multichannel version, the Nagra Digital Audio Processor (DAP). The two units are based on the same chassis and interface, the DAP including additional modules and processing.

"That sounds really great&mdash;what are you listening to?" my wife hollered to me from her home office, adjacent to my listening room.

Live music from popular recording artists is on tap for attendees at the Home Entertainment Show coming to NYC May 20&mdash;23, 2004 at the Hilton New York Hotel. And best of all&mdash;all performances are FREE to all Show attendees!

In one of his old comedy routines, Steve Martin imagines himself hauled into court for bank robbery. He seeks dismissal of the charges on the grounds of forgetfulness. "Your Honor," he pleads, "I <I>forgot</I> that bank robbery was a crime."

In a ground-breaking article from May 1990, Robert Harley uncovers the real digital story with "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/reference/590jitter">CD: Jitter, Errors & Magic</A>." Confusion about CD tweaks leads RH "to conduct a scientific examination of several CD 'sonic cure-all' devices and treatments. I wanted to find an objective, measurable phenomenon that explains the undeniable musical differences heard by many listeners where, at least according to established digital audio theory, no differences should exist."

Running audio signals around a home's AC power wiring has been a <A HREF="integrated
Integrated http://www.stereophile.com/news/10754/index.html">consumer electronics goal</A> for several years. The reasoning goes that most folks live in homes that cannot be easily rewired for multiroom audio or multichannel surround, so why not use the AC wires that are already in the walls? Think of it as the ultimate solid-core interconnect.