Last week, <A HREF="http://www.napster.com/">Napster</A> announced that it had reached a preliminary agreement with US songwriters and music publishers to settle a class action lawsuit currently pending in federal court in California. The beleaguered company says the agreement includes terms under which the songwriters and music publishers will license their music to Napster's new membership-based service.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.cirrus.com">Cirrus Logic</A> unveiled what it is calling the world's highest-performance six- and eight-channel D/A converters, which the company says will give consumers the ability to decode high-resolution multichannel surround content at home or in the car. The converters are the latest addition to Cirrus Logic's Total-E platform group of products.
As the results from last week's Vote prove, having the right tool for the audiophile job makes all of the difference. And a lot of you selected the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/424/"><I>Stereophile</I> Test CD 3</A> as your weapon of choice for uncovering the good, the bad, and the ugly of a component under consideration. Here's the complete story on the most recent test disc from <I>Stereophile</I> and company.
The need to cut costs may push the music industry to experiment with collaborative manufacturing and distribution, according to reports that emerged the first week of October.
One more question about evaluating audio products: What single audio disc is the most valuable tool you use to evaluate components?
How likely would you be to buy a computer, TV, or DVD player knowing that it could monitor your activities and automatically report possible copyright violations to the federal government? That's one of the nightmare scenarios that could evolve from the proposed Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA), drafted by Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings and strongly backed by Walt Disney Company and other members of the <A HREF="http://www.mpaa.org">Motion Picture Association of America</A>.
Let's try to imagine the ideal music-buying landscape from a record company's point of view. As distasteful as this may seem to an ever-growing legion of unhappy audiophiles and music fans, it can go a long way towards explaining why the major labels appear to suddenly be at war with their customers.
The international music industry is once again singing the blues, and CD burning is the refrain.
John Atkinson wrestles with the fabled <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/420/">YBA 2 HC power amplifier</A> to uncover its very essence. Can this meticulous design, engineered (some might say over-engineered) by Yves-Bernard André deliver the audio goods?
It is with great sadness that I report that Howard Mandel, the main man of manufacturer Altis Audio, passed away on September 27 after a long battle with, I believe, leukemia. No age was given in his obituary in the <I>Danbury News Times</I> (CT), but I believe Howard was in his early 50s.