Electronics Retail Up?
It's widely acknowledged that the American economy is in a downturn, but some economic indicators point otherwise.
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As Jonathan Scull reports in his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/474/">Classé Omega Super Audio CD player</A>, "Classé has guts. These are uncertain times, but here they are with an audiophile classic: an expensive two-channel Super Audio CD player." Read how one of the first SACD machines from a high-end audio company stacks up.
Cyrus Jumps the Pond
Well known in the European audiophile community, British hi-fi manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.cyrusaudio.com">Cyrus Electronics</A> is preparing for the introduction of its brand in America. The company says it plans to use the upcoming 2002 Consumer Electronics Show next month to scout out US dealers and introduce several new products.
Linn Knekt Kivor hard-disk multizone music system
My friend Ed (not necessarily his name) used to be an audiophile. Ed had a great-sounding pair of floorstanding Joseph speakers, optimally placed so as to create a magic soundstage when he sat in the sweet spot. His component rack featured such famous high-end names as Mark Levinson, Meridian, and Z-Systems. But then Ed went DSL and discovered MP3s. Pretty soon, he was hanging as many hard drives on his PC as he could manage. His Josephs and his Levinson CD player gathered dust. Ed was enjoying his music sitting in front of his high-end Dell, with an active NHT Pro mini on either side of the monitor.
VPI TNT V-HR turntable & JMW 12.5 tonearm
I'm a tinkerer. From homemade audio isolation and room-treatment products to a local area network (LAN) connecting my Macintosh laptops, I'm always building or modifying something. One of my latest projects is a combination of parts swaps and custom-machined bits to better adapt the ergonomics of my exotic Italian Bimota motorcycle to my distinctly un-Italian 6'3" frame. But regardless of what I'm into, I can't resist the urge to tinker.
Is SACD and/or DVD-Audio well represented at your high-end audio shop?
The fate of a new format is often tied to a great demo on the showroom floor. Has your local high-end audio shop done SACD and/or DVD-Audio justice?
Bucks Up for XM Radio
<A HREF="http://www.xmradio.com">XM Satellite Radio Holdings</A> is now in a position to operate well into the fourth quarter of 2002, thanks to a $129 million stock offering underwritten by Morgan Stanley Company. XM made the announcement in a press release dated December 10.
Philips' Audio Fingerprinting
The received wisdom has it that among the billions of humans on earth, no two have identical fingerprints, no matter how closely related they are.
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As Larry Greenhill reports in his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/469/">Sony SCD-C555ES SACD changer</A>, "I didn't know what to expect from multichannel SACD. Would a multichannel music-only disc give me high-energy dramatics? Would there be any room for meditative, closed-eyed, total progressive muscular relaxation?" As Greenhill says, "The best was yet to come."
Copyright or Copywrong?
It seems that all of the forces in the music industry have lately been conspiring against the music lover and audiophile. The record labels and their hired gun, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), have so far blocked digital outputs on high-resolution audio players, insisted that watermarks be inserted into both high- and low-resolution audio data, and have even started to <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11178/">restrict</A> consumer's fair use of compact discs and digital downloads.