Choice is good, or so would go the common wisdom. But as John Atkinson points out in "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/270/">The Crazy You Get from So Much Choice</A>," when applied to diapers and DVD-Audio, choice can quickly develop into a nightmare in which comsumers simply walk away from the shelves, unable to make a decision. Will DVD-Audio suffer such a fate?
We <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10339/">reported last year</A> about the new direction that <A HREF="http://www.bang-olufsen.com/">Bang & Olufsen America</A> has taken in distributing its products: the company has recently opened a series of branded BOA stores around the US. The strategy seems to have paid off. The company reports increased sales of more than 60% in the first quarter of its current fiscal year, and claims that individual shops reported an average sales increase of 20%.
At last, a SACD machine from someone other than Sony! This time, it's a Marantz—the Reference Series SA-1, described as a no-compromise "ultimate-quality" player.
<B>CHARLES LLOYD: <I>The Water is Wide</I></B><BR> Charles Lloyd, tenor saxophone; Brad Mehldau, piano; John Abercrombie, guitar; Larry Grenadier, Derek Oleszkiewicz (one track), bass; Billy Higgins, drums<BR> ECM 1734 (CD). 2000. Manfred Eicher, prod.; Michael C. Ross, eng. AAD. TT: 68:29<BR> Performance <B>*****</B><BR> Sonics <B>*****</B>
Convergence. There, I've said it. I swore I wasn't going to use the "C" word, but when you're faced with writing about a product that smashes the boundaries between component categories as completely as the CardDeluxe does, you have little choice.
I left you last month 104 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico, heading east on I-40 accompanied by a dog and two cats, with 1946 miles to go to reach <I>Stereophile</I>'s new editorial home, New York City. To cut a long story short, I did arrive in New York (covered in dog and cat hair). After a nerve-wracking delay, so did our furniture. We will be living out of boxes for a while <I>chez</I> Atkinson, but that's a mere inconvenience compared with the Great Adventure of setting up a new listening room.
Audio Research's first 21st-century, audiophile-quality line-stage preamplifier combines retro-tech vacuum-tube amplification and power-supply circuitry with innovative, remote-controlled gain, balance, tape monitoring, and signal routing. The price is also 21st-century: $9995. As in ARC's Reference phono section, the Reference Two's pair of vertically mounted circuit boards results in a single, relatively tall chassis.
Assume that digital audio streaming will reach or exceed CD quality, and that you'll be able to hear anything you want to hear, any time of day or night. What would such a service be worth to you?
One of the industry's most ambitious digital distribution programs has been announced by <A HREF="http://www.timewarner.com/corp/about/music/wmg/index.html">Warner Music Group</A>. In November, WMG will make more than 1000 albums and singles available as downloads through several online music retailers, using <A HREF="http://www.realnetworks.com/">RealNetworks</A>' RealPlayer software. Music fans in the US and Canada are the target audience for the download program, according to a September 11 press release.
Last week, the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA) released numbers indicating that factory audio sales (as opposed to sales through to consumers) for the first six months of 2000 have surpassed all previous mid-year dollar sales. The CEA adds that the $3.85 billion in sales to dealers put audio sales 12% ahead of the same time last year.