LATEST ADDITIONS

The struggle for position in the Internet-based audio downloading market continues unabated. On the format front, Sony has <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10716/">recently announced</A> several deals to bring its ATRAC compressed-audio format to the Web, while <A HREF="http://www.ibm.com">IBM</A&gt; and <A HREF="http://www.liquidaudio.com">Liquid Audio</A> announced last week that they have entered into a strategic relationship intended to "advance the digital music marketplace" with content-management tools.

The age of downloadable digital music is showing signs of maturing. Territory that was explored by hobbyists, pirates, and startup companies eager to stake their claims will soon yield to the irresistible force of multinational conglomerates.

Jonathan Scull has seen the future of audiophile proselytizing and aches to spread the word. In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/217/">"Fine Tunes" #18</A>, J-10 shares the new tweak-audio mantra, and more.

With multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD promised and the increasing pressure to add high-quality 5.1 audio to video systems, has the number of channels in your listening room increased?

In an "increasingly complicated and competitive media environment," public broadcasting intends to be there. So declared the <A HREF="http://www.cpb.org/">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</A> on March 30, when it announced an almost $2 million investment in projects for <A HREF="http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio</A> and Public Interactive. CPB has long held the intellectual high ground in broadcasting, and its new investments are intended to continue that tradition. The goal of the program is to create "new content and services which will broaden the public square of ideas and civic discourse," according to a corporate press release.

Thirty-five years after their heyday, the Beatles remain one of the preeminent phenomena of the modern age. More than 400 books have been written about them, both as a group and as individuals.

Audiophiles and classical music lovers often risk falling into a repertorial rut. The classical standards are constantly being rerecorded&mdash;often to the point of needless repetition. How many versions of Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony or Ravel's <I>Bolero</I> do you really need? Rather than fill up your shelves with recordings of the same tired compositions, I suggest you look into some of these more obscure pieces&mdash;all of them perfect for playing on the first day of April. Below, a list of fresh "basics" that any good audiophile should own: