LATEST ADDITIONS

Analog and digital audio technologies should complement rather than oppose each other. That's <A HREF="http://www.rotel.com/"&gt; Rotel</A>'s philosophy with its new RDV-1080 DVD-Audio player. Combining the best of Rotel's expertise in both realms, the RDV-1080 offers "stunning audio quality," according to Rotel general manager Michael Bartlett. "The RDV-1080 is Rotel's answer to those who have asked for a DVD-A player that focuses our Balanced Design engineering approach on the unique challenges of this exciting new format," Bartlett said. "Even though it handles the most advanced format today, DVD-A, the RDV-1080 is nonetheless a direct descendant of our world-class CD players." Bartlett says his company is "using everything we've learned to identify and solve problems unique to digital technologies."

On January 19, <A HREF="http://www.bmgentertainment.com/">Bertelsmann Music Group Entertainment</A> announced changes in senior management that include a new chief financial officer and new directors for its American and European divisions. A major division of the German media conglomerate <A HREF="http://www.bertelsmann.de/">Bertelsmann AG</A>, BMG suffered the loss of music industry veteran <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10930/">Rudi Gassner</A> shortly before Christmas. Gassner, who had been slated to become CEO of BMG, died of a heart attack while vacationing in Bavaria.

Treading the fine line between authorized retailers and the used equipment market, New Jersey online retailer <A HREF="http://www.world-exchange.com">WorldExchange.com</A&gt; announced last week that it has launched a consumer electronics shopping Web site that offers "deep discounts" on a broad array of mid to high-end audio/video components whose manufacturers, the company says, normally adhere to "restricted distribution and price-maintenance policies."

<I>"All</I> of them?!"

With all of the new SACD and DVD-Audio surround-enabled hardware finally coming out, we have to wonder what you'll really want to do with all of those extra channels. What piece of music do you think is especially suited to five or six channels?

Money and legal pressure can make even the fiercest tiger change its stripes. Nearing the end of prolonged litigation with the music industry, <A HREF="http://www.napster.com/">Napster</A&gt; has begun to go commercial.

Writer Chip Stern has regarded the form-over-function products from "lifestyle" companies, such as Bose and B&O, for years now with great amusement. But can audiophiles find a product that looks as good as it sounds? Stern calls the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/307/">Linn Classik CD receiver</A> a "sleek, unobtrusive, uncomplicated design that does double duty as a lifestyle system and&mdash;for those who don't want the hassle of separate components&mdash;a true high-end performer." Too good to be true? Stern expounds.