LATEST ADDITIONS

Morten Lauridsen's magisterial work for chorus and orchestra, <I>Lux aeterna</I>, appears in a fresh new recording, in truly excellent sound, on England's Hyperion label. The vocal ensemble Polyphony is accompanied by the Britten Sinfonia; both are led by Stephen Layton. Better yet, in addition to the CD-only version, there is a separate SACD/CD hybrid release (Hyperion SACDA67449), meaning that it is backwardly-compatible with CD players. Furthermore, the SACD layer contains a surround-sound program in addition to the stereo one.

Okay, what does a turntable look like? Take your time&mdash;I'll wait. <I>Dum de dum de dum dum dum...</I> Oh, you're tired of this game already?

Attacking the compact disc has lately become almost a blood sport among audiophiles and audio writers. Not a month goes by that I don't read&mdash;often in <I>Stereophile</I>&mdash;some vehement statement about how CDs are a musical abomination.

<A HREF="http://www.soundsareactive.com/catalogue.php?album=sub2005">Soundsareac…;, an eclectic independent label specializing in "jazz/improv, experimental hip-hop, and electronic artists," is offering a subscription package for its 2005 release schedule. For $35 (US price; the international price is $50), the label will send monthly downloadable MP3 (192kbps) releases for the rest of 2005, four "physical" CDs, and a "tour" DVD titled <I>XN+</I>.

Forget SACD vs DVD-Audio or even DualDisc. DRM, or digital rights management, has become the biggest audio format issue this year, and will likely continue to be for the next several years. At stake is the future of all consumer interactions with, and uses of, copyrighted digital media.

In his Soapbox this week, Wes Phillips talks about reliability <I>vs</I> the cool factor in choosing or recommending a product. What qualities get you most excited about an audio product?

<I>"Good career move."&mdash;Michael O'Donoghue on the death of Elvis Presley</I>