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Using personal computers to listen to music may be heresy in some audiophile circles, but the practice is definitely on the rise. Recognition of the fact has led at least one maker of computer motherboards to introduce a model with a vacuum-tube audio circuit.

There's no question that restricted-use or copy-protected CDs are finding their way onto retailer shelves and into unsuspecting consumer hands—often with frustrating">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11341/">frustrating results. What is in doubt in many consumers' minds is how to recognize a restricted-use disc before purchase.

Kal Rubinson gets in shape for some heavy lifting to review the B&W">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/600/">B&W Signature 800 loudspeaker. "The Signature 800 is part of B&W's Prestige line, which represents the best that B&W can do with present loudspeaker technology," reports Kal, who watched with anticipation as a team of four hefted the 275-pound beauties into place.

Chip manufacturer ESS">http://www.esstech.com">ESS Technology is no stranger to audiophiles interested in new formats. It was responsible for one of the first "universal" SACD/DVD-Audio decoding">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11059/">decoding chips and more recently was the supplier of a special-purpose">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11296/">special-purpose chip for Linn's SACD "Silver Disk Engine" designs.

Some ultra-high-end two-channel specialists may still be singing the blues, but others in the electronics retailing business are humming happier tunes.

Joe Abrams has an impressive audio resume. "I've been on the manufacturer's side of the desk since 1979," he says. That's when he started as national sales manager for Monster Cable. A few years later found Abrams as director of sales at Sumiko, and then in 1987 he started as VP of sales at Threshold. In 1991 Abrams joined cable start-up Tara Labs and quickly helped them establish a dealer network before moving on to MIT.

Brian Damkroger finds that the Magnepan">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/595/">Magnepan Magneplanar MG1.6/QR loudspeaker and a 1973 Porsche 911 have much in common: "Each has grown out of the vision of a single, brilliant designer. Each reflects the long, steady evolution of a basic design, and the consistent focus on a core set of engineering criteria." BD then listens for the fruits of this approach to speaker design and writes up the results.