LATEST ADDITIONS

It's not unusual for an artist to have a single great album, nor is it rare for someone to have several strong releases over a career. But what are the three greatest <I>consecutive</I> releases by a single group or artist?

The list corporations would rather you didn't see.

An easy-enough-for-Americans version.

There have been even further developments on the Sony BMG root kit debacle since the last time we <A HREF="http://stereophile.com/news/112105sonys/">updated you</A>. The reports that Sony artists were unhappy that the company had been caught compromising consumers' computers were confirmed by <A HREF="http://businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2005/tc20051122_343542.ht…;. That magazine reported that Trey Anastasio's <I>Shine</I>, which was released on November 1, the day after the story broke, sold 15,000 copies in its first week, but plummeted to 7,000 by week two, when the story was all over the press. Since then, all 52 albums with the XCD "protection" have been pulled. Patrick Jordon, director of marketing at Red Light Management, which reps Anastasio, said, "It's been damaging, and certainly we're going to discuss that with the label."

Manley Laboratories, Inc. has appointed Albert Schippits as its hi-fi division's national sales manager. While Manley Labs has maintained a presence in the consumer high-end market since its 1988 launch, the company's energies have often seemed more focused on its successful line of professional studio equipment, such as its tube preamps, compressor/limiters, and equalizers.

It's been 10 years since Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) introduced their first products: the VK-5 line-stage preamplifier and the VK-60 power amplifier. (I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/766">reviewed both</A> in the December 1995 <I>Stereophile</I>, Vol.18 No.12.) The success of these and other BAT products has allowed designer <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/767">Victor Khomenko</A> (the "VK" of the model designations) and partner Steve Bednarski to quit their day jobs at Hewlett-Packard; they were joined by Geoff Poor as a partner to handle the sales end of the enterprise. BAT's current lineup includes several preamps, phono stages, a CD player, and tube as well as solid-state amplifiers. The top of BAT's preamp range is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepreamps/1103bat">VK-51SE</A&gt;, which costs $9000; their top tube power amp is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/536">VK-150SE monoblock</A> ($17,000/pair); if you want their best phono stage, the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/phonopreamps/871">VK-P10</A&gt; will set you back $8000.

Home theater has dramatically influenced the design of aftermarket subwoofers. Multichannel processors automatically provide a properly filtered low-frequency signal to drive a subwoofer, relieving the need for the sub to be shipped with a passive crossover network or an active electronic crossover. When Genelec offered one of their subwoofers for review, I decided it was important to try to evaluate such a product, even if it meant I'd have to scramble around to find a quality external electronic crossover.