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Attention, high-end audio manufacturers ready to crack the exporting nut: The <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA) has just released its "General Guide for the Export of Consumer Electronics," providing a step-by-step process which the CEA says manufacturers can use to navigate the often uncharted and challenging regulatory waters of the export market. According to the CEA, the guide focuses on assisting manufacturers in exporting their products to the South American and Pacific Rim countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The organization reports that, in a survey of its membership, these countries were identified as primary growth markets of interest.

<B>ROBERT WALTER'S 20TH CONGRESS: <I>Money Shot</I></B><BR> Fog City FCCD 004 (CD). 2000. Dan Prothero, prod., eng.; Kevin Ink, asst. eng. AAD? TT: 59:24<BR> Performance <B>****?</B><BR> Sonics <B>****?</B>

Back in 1992, Robert Harley's <I>Stereophile</I> review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/520/">McCormack DNA-1</A> and Parasound HCA-2200 amplifiers (April 1992, Vol.15 No.4) and the accompanying technical measurements piqued my interest. So, with great curiosity, I arranged to borrow a DNA-1 to audition, along with competitive amps from Aragon, Bryston, and PS Audio. They were all a leap ahead of my Adcom GFA-555, but it took an act of great courage to accept that, despite its less-than-stellar measured performance, the DNA-1 was my favorite. The bottom line was that the DNA-1 excelled at driving my Apogee Duettas to make lively and harmonically pure sounds. I bought my McCormack DNA-1 amplifier before I began reviewing equipment for <I>Stereophile</I>, and it still occupies an honored place in my system.

According to the latest figures from the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA), the month of August showed positive gains in the overall factory sales of audio products to dealers. The CEA reports that sales for the month rose six percent compared to the same period last year, resulting in year-to-date sales of $5.3 billion, an 11.2% rise over last year.

It's a brave new audio world: Coinciding with last week's release of Medeski, Martin & Wood's latest work, <I>The Dropper</I>, to retailers' shelves as a polycarbonate-and-aluminum CD, <A HREF="http://www.liquidaudio.com">Liquid Audio</A> announced that the title was simultaneously being made available as a full-album digital download. Liquid reports that this is the first time a <A HREF="http://www.bluenote.com">Blue Note</A> title has been released in a digital format at the same time as its physical release.

A group of researchers has claimed success at cracking four digital audio watermarking technologies presented in a challenge by the <A HREF="http://www.sdmi.org/">Secure Digital Music Initiative</A> in September. The claim has been denied by David Leibowitz, chairman of <A HREF="http://www.verance.com/">Verance Corporation</A>, creator of one of the challenged watermarks. SDMI has made no public statement on the claim, and has resolved to remain silent until all 447 submitted hacks are evaluated.

John Atkinson points out that "a much-touted benefit of DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD is that these new media can store digital audio data extending one or more octaves higher in frequency response than the capabilities of the CD." But is this a difference that makes a difference? Atkinson examines the mounting pile of data in <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/282/">What's Going On Up There?</A> Is there recorded life above 20k? The answer may surprise you.