Fine Tunes #22
Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
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Who is your favorite 20th-century composer?
Many "Greatest Composers of the 20th Century" lists would include Copland, Gershwin, et al, but could also include Roy Orbison, Lennon-McCartney, and Scott Joplin. Who is <I>your</I> favorite?
Napster Still Under Siege
The Napster saga continues. As <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10725/">reported last week</A>, software maker <A HREF="http://www.napster.com">Napster</A> and several colleges were looking at a likely court battle, instigated by music group Metallica and others attempting to prevent their songs from being distributed via MP3 audio files without official consent or payment of royalties. After Metallica announced its suit, rapper Dr. Dre also jumped in, giving Napster until last Friday to remove links to his work.
Added to the Archives This Week
Can Jah Atkinson believe his ears? The PS Audio Power Plant P300 touched an audio nerve with JA, who interviewed the designer, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//interviews/222/">Paul McGowan: High-End Survivor</A>, for the May 2000 <I>Stereophile</I>. As a bonus, we include <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/181/6">JA's follow-up</A> to Robert Deutsch's review of the P300, also from the May issue.
Another Hot Season for Audio Products
The healthy trend for the audio market continues: the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> reported last week that revenues from factory shipments of audio products to dealers this February increased by 8% over last February, to a total of $542 million. "The fantastic sales in February spurred the year-to-date total for audio sales to more than $1 billion; a 6% increase over the first two months of 1999," said the CEA.
Merger in Works for BMG, Columbia House?
The world's two largest and most active music clubs may become one if preliminary talks between their parent companies bear fruit. <A HREF="http://www.timewarner.com/">Time Warner Inc.</A> and Germany's <A HREF="http://www.bertelsmann.de">Bertelsmann AG</A> have conducted discussions with that outcome in mind, according to several reports appearing in late April.
Despite Legal Pressure, Business Soars for MP3.com
The numbers are looking better for <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A>, the music-archiving site under <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10657/">attack</A> by the Recording Industries Association of America and its <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10708/">allies</A>. Despite the legal pressure, MP3.com has seen its revenues surge as the popularity of downloadable music continues to grow. On April 20, the San Diego–based company reported that its revenue increased to $17.5 million for the first quarter of 2000 compared to $666,000 for the same period a year earlier. MP3.com now has 10 million registered users, according to CEO Michael Robertson.
PSB Alpha A/V loudspeaker
The original PSB Alpha was reviewed for <I>Stereophile</I> by Jack English in July 1992 (Vol.15 No.7). A modest-looking two-way priced at just $199/pair, it combined a reflex-loaded 6.5" woofer using a plastic-doped paper cone with a 0.5" plastic-dome tweeter. JE summed up the Alpha by saying it "is simply one of the best buys in audio, providing a musically satisfying sound...a sensational audio bargain." It went on to become one of the best-selling audiophile speakers ever, with over 50,000 pairs sold.
How old are you?
Conventional wisdom has it that older audiophiles are not being joined by young 'uns. We're curious to test the theory online.
Metallica to Napster: "Don't Tread On Me"
They may sing about death and destruction, releasing albums with titles such as 1983's <I>Kill 'em All</I>, but underneath the menacing exteriors, <A HREF="http://www.metallica.com">Metallica</A> is really just a group of sensitive artists.