LATEST ADDITIONS

John Atkinson headed to the Midwest last year to record another audiophile disc. In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/musicrecordings/304deep"><I>Deep River</I>: the Cantus Spirituals Project</A>, JA describes the process of capturing a chorus of male voices with high-rez digital equipment. Atkinson notes, "Presented with the magnificent acoustic of Sioux Falls' 1500-seat Washington Pavilion of the Arts & Sciences, the question facing me was how to present what are still fairly intimate works while taking advantage of that supportive acoustic."

A <A HREF="http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showvote.cgi?346">recent online poll</A> indicates that a majority of <I>Stereophile</I>'s online readers still don't like the idea of using computers when it comes to enjoying music. If a new report accurately predicts the future, they might as well get used to the rest of the world's booting up their tunes.

What ails the music business? <I>Stereophile</I> reader Jim Steel, in an <A HREF="http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showvote.cgi?337">online poll</A> last year, opined, "Most of today's pop and metal is lifeless, heartless, and crude. Over-produced, synthetic, and the core product (songs) are mind-numbingly dull and without imagination."

With its high-end heart and home-theater brain, Chord's powerful CPM 3300 integrated amplifier ($9500 with the aluminum-cylinder Integra leg option, $8950 without) is a uniquely fascinating audio product well worth considering. High-tech innards and magazine-cover good looks don't hurt either, but what originally got me interested was the superlative sound Chord products have consistently delivered at trade and consumer shows when paired with Wilson-Benesch loudspeakers.

The old advertising jingle "Who put eight great tomatoes in that itty-bitty can?" bubbled through my head as Musical Fidelity's Antony Michaelson proudly unboxed the new $4500 M3 Nu-Vista integrated amplifier. How did they cram it all in there?

Reader Sam K. says he is tired of all the talk about computers and music, and wants to know when was the last time you upgraded your turntable and how did you do it?

Audiophiles may bemoan the convergence of computers and high-fidelity equipment, but it's a trend apparently as unstoppable as the earth's progression around the sun.