LATEST ADDITIONS

Norm Strong  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  112 comments

The makers of new audio formats like SACD and DVD-Audio are betting that consumers are looking for something more than they already have. Reader Norm Strong wonders what it is <I>Stereophile</I>'s readers are looking for, and why.

What would most likely make you interested in a new format?
Multichannel sound
6% (16 votes)
Better sound quality
78% (192 votes)
More special features
2% (5 votes)
Longer playing time
2% (4 votes)
Other:
6% (16 votes)
Nothing would help
6% (14 votes)
Total votes: 247
Barry Willis  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
Several class-action lawsuits have been thrown against the music industry in the wake of its admission that it engaged in a price-fixing scheme known as Minimum Advertised Pricing, or MAP. The policy arose as a response to widespread CD price wars in the early 1990s that drove prices of some CDs below $10 each, and was intended to prevent mass-market merchandisers from offering CDs below cost as lures to pull customers into stores. The MAP policy was officially discontinued after the Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with the industry in May of this year.
Jon Iverson  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
It's bad enough for stores competing with each other for consumer loyalty—imagine how retailers must feel when the largest consumer-electronics company in the world decides to compete with you as well. This grim reality came true for dealers around the world last week, when Sony Electronics outlined its plans for SonyStyle.com, which the company describes as "an information-rich e-commerce website." The site is scheduled to be launched this fall.
Stereophile Staff  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
Sometimes a product can take a while to reach its potential. As Jonathan Scull writes, "First, the Accuphase DP-75V CD player took a full two weeks to warm up and pull its act together. If anything, it was too polite, warm, and over-the-top bloomy when I first lit it up. The '75 requires a long warm-up period. But wait . . . just wait for it." When the wait was over, J-10 filed his observations in detail.
Jon Iverson  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
According to a new report, the number of adults going online to access music-related content has exploded in the few months, increasing 48% between December 1999 and March 2000. These numbers are based on recent findings released by market analysts Cyber Dialogue, who say that "The dramatic growth in online music users can be attributed to the media's newfound obsession with Napster, Gnutella, and MP3. When combined with a marked increase in online music offerings and the proliferation of file-sharing software, the increase in demand for online music makes perfect sense."
Stereophile Staff  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
The Recording Industry Association of America's lawsuit against Napster may be an attack on one of its best friends, if results of a recent study by research organization Jupiter Communications can be believed.
Jonathan Scull  |  Jul 23, 2000  |  0 comments
Although the Accuphase DP-75V looks like a conventional single-box CD player, it's actually a separate transport section and digital processor, each of which can be used independently. The transport is a 16-bit/44.1kHz mechanism, the datastream appearing on RCA coax and TosLink optical output connectors on the rear panel.
Stereophile  |  Jul 16, 2000  |  110 comments

Sturgeon's Law asserts that 95% of everything is crap

What percentage of your collection is glorious music?
2% or less
1% (4 votes)
3
13% (35 votes)
11
12% (31 votes)
21
14% (37 votes)
31
10% (28 votes)
41
7% (20 votes)
51
7% (20 votes)
61
7% (19 votes)
71
9% (24 votes)
81
8% (21 votes)
91
10% (28 votes)
Total votes: 267
Barry Willis  |  Jul 16, 2000  |  0 comments
A merger announced Wednesday, July 12 by Columbia, Maryland–based USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio of Warren, New Jersey may hasten the creation of a unified US standard for terrestrial digital radio, according to industry analysts. The merger was approved by the National Radio Systems Committee, which is in charge of developing a set of digital radio specifications for the US. It was also backed by 15 companies involved in the rollout of digital radio, including Viacom Inc.'s Infinity Broadcasting Corp. and Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
Stereophile Staff  |  Jul 16, 2000  |  0 comments
Chip Stern notes that, "as often as not, it ain't the heat—it's the stupidity. When confronted by the smattering of self-referential dilettantes, acrimonious Internut wannabes, and obsessive-compulsive types who suck the air out of our aural fun-house, I find myself overcome with the desire to program my phaser for Clip." And fire away he does in "Snobs, Slobs, & Marley's Ghost," added to the Archives this week.

Pages

X