Charles Hansen said it best, in a recent e-mail: "People have been holding back from criticizing this technology because they weren't certain that some new discovery hadn't been made." Ayre Acoustics' main man was talking about "upsampling," whereby conventional "Red Book" CD data, sampled at 44.1kHz, are converted to a datastream with a higher sample rate. (Because of its association with DVD-Audio, 96kHz is often chosen as the new rate.)
No question that most audiophiles who read <I>Stereophile</I> are concerned about the performance of their home systems, but what about their car systems?
One of the constraints of the DVD format that is much hated by consumers around the world is the notorious "region code," whereby a DVD disc will only play in a machine that was bought in the country or region that the disc is licensed for. Hollywood claims that this is the only way to protect a work's licenses, which may vary from country to country. But region codes have made it tough on citizens in countries with few DVD releases and world travelers who try to bring home and play discs that they find abroad, leading to the widespread use of "hacks" to circumvent the restrictions.
DVD-Audio is getting a big push from <A HREF="http://www.technicsusa.com/">Panasonic</A> this season. A promotion running from November 7, 2000 until January 31, 2001 includes rebates on the purchase of new players and free discs from a wide assortment of performing artists.
Recordings more than 100 years old can now be heard on the Internet, thanks to a <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/oldest">new program</A> established by San Diego-based startup <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A>. Among the sonic treasures is Thomas Edison narrating a "phonographic trip around the world" recorded in 1888. The site offers copies of Edison cylinder recordings and early 78 rpm discs, all available for free.
The <A HREF="http://www.siriusradio.com/">Sirius Satellite Radio</A> constellation will soon be in position, thanks to the successful launch November 30 of Sirius-3, the third satellite in the Sirius system. The transponders are being arrayed in geosynchronous orbits above North America for maximum radio coverage, which will begin in 2001. The previous two satellites were launched last summer and in early autumn.
Widely known for its consumer electronics products and musical instruments, <A HREF="http://www.yamaha.com">Yamaha</A> actually got its start making pianos 100 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, as well as the 300th anniversary of the piano, the company is introducing its first CD player-equipped, "high-tech" player piano that, it claims, is capable of "singing" along with its piano performance.
First up is <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/294/"><I>Stereophile</I>'s 2000 Products of the Year</A>. This is an important resource for readers, and <I>Stereophile</I> editor John Atkinson has once again decided to post this oft-requested article in our online archives in the same month the original appears in the paper edition.
It's the season when <I>Stereophile</I> salutes the Products of the Year. You can read about our picks in print this month's (December) issue, or on the Web next week. But in the meantime, what is your choice for this year's best?