Tweeter Group Facing Loss
A continuing sales slump has the Tweeter">http://www.tweeter.com">Tweeter Entertainment Group, Inc. projecting losses for the third straight quarter.
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Downloads Get Respect
Dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, the music industry may finally be settling into an uneasy acceptance that its market and business model have changed. Only two months after the successful launch of Apple's iTunes Music Store, Billboardhttp://www.billboard.com">Billboard; magazine announced that it would begin accounting for downloads in its weekly music rankings.
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Beginning in November 1996, Sam Tellig, Muse Kastanovich, and John Atkinson took turns with the Musical">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/873/">Musical Fidelity X-10D line-level preamplifier. "I'll reveal the true identity of X-10D in a moment," Tellig writes. "But I'll say straight off that for those of you with such CD players as the Marantz CD 63, RadioShack Optimus CD-3400, etc, this may be the most cost-effective CD upgrade ever to come down the pike."
Music Business News
BMG and SunnCommhttp://www.sunncomm.com">SunnComm; Technologies revealed last week that they have entered into a "strategic worldwide" licensing agreement and revenue deal to add restriction technology to CDs in an effort to reduce piracy and the unauthorized duplication of music. The companies report that the agreement will enable the use of SunnComm's newest proprietary CD restriction system, known as MediaMax CD-3 Technology, on BMG discs.
Harmanizing the Brands
Harman International announced July 1 that it will close its Madrigal facility in Middletown, CT on August 30 as it continues to consolidate and reorganize its high-end brands under the Harman">http://www.harmanspecialtygroup.com/">Harman Specialty Group banner. Although the name Madrigal was itself not used as a brand on audio products, it had been the umbrella under which Harman had produced and distributed its Mark Levinson, Revel, Audio Access, and (recently">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11612/">recently discontinued) Proceed brands.
Sirius Hits 100,000
The numbers are up for Sirius">http://www.siriusradio.com">Sirius Satellite Radio. On June 23, the New York–based digital broadcaster announced that it had exceeded 100,000 subscribers for its 100-channel music/news/entertainment service. Sirius offers 60 channels of commercial-free music and 40 channels of news, sports, talk shows, comedy, and other programming.
Mass Hysteria at RIAA
Last October, US Senate Commerce Committee chairman and former presidential hopeful John McCain hosted NBC's long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live. In a spoof of the political talk show Hardball, McCain did a devastating impression of US Attorney General John Ashcroft, a fellow Republican. Speaking of homeland security, the faux Ashcroft intoned, "This country won't be safe until every American is in jail."
The Audiophile Future?
Apple announced last week that music fans have downloaded over five million songs from its iTunes Music Store since its launch two months ago. In addition, the company reports that over 46% of the songs have been purchased as albums, and over 80% of the over 200,000 songs available on the online store have been purchased at least once.
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Starting in 1984, Anthony H. Cordesman and Martin Colloms filed several reports on the Magnepan">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/868/">Magnepan Magneplanar MGIIIA loudspeaker. Cordesman wrote, "In a world which seemed doomed to finding out just how small and dull it could make acoustic-suspension boxes, the Magnepans reminded me that speakers could produce a large open soundstage, real dynamics, and musical life."
Digital Audio Networking
There may be a digital network in your audio future. To help you run it, 17 consumer electronics and computer companies, including Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Intel, IBM, Kenwood, Panasonic, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Thomson recently announced the formation of the Digital">http://www.DHWG.org">Digital Home Working Group (DHWG).