With few exceptions, 2003 has been a slow year for specialty A/V retailers. In late November, both Ultimate Electronics and Tweeter Group reported disappointing figures for their third and fourth fiscal quarters, respectively. New York's Harvey Electronics, however, posted respectable gains given the stagnant economy.

It's bad enough that the consumer electronics giants and small fry compete with each other. Increasingly, they are finding they must defend themselves against an onslaught from the personal computer industry which is eating away at the market share of traditional CE vendors.

Is bigger better? Michael Fremer sets out to determine just that as he reviews the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/1103pass">Pass Labs XA160 monoblock power amplifier</A>. As Fremer explains, "While the industry-feminizing tiny triode set has made a great deal of noise in the past few years (I can hear them hissing now), soft-walking, big-stick-carrying, mega-power amplifiers still circle the globe."

<I>See update at end of article.</I> iTunes continues to grow and Napster has been reborn, but these last few months have been a bumpy ride for <A HREF="http://MP3.com">MP3.com</A&gt;. The music site, known for its large online music library featuring unsigned independent artists, was purchased on December 14 by San Francisco-based <A HREF="http://www.CNET.com">CNET</A&gt;.

<B><I>TOUS LES MATINS DU MONDE</I> (soundtrack)</B><BR>
Jordi Savall, Christophe Coin, bass viols; Les Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall, dir.<BR>
Valois/Auvidis V 4640 (CD only). Pierre Verany Studios, production & engineering. DDD. TT: 76:00

In July 1877, Thomas Edison wrote that he was sure he would "be able to store up & reproduce at any future time the human voice perfectly," and the word <I>phonograph</I> soon began showing up in his lab notes. By the time <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/457/">Ivor Tiefenbrun</A> stepped onto the audio industry soundstage, nearly a century had passed, and even discriminating listeners took the record player for granted. But Tiefenbrun had discerned sonic differences among players, and he knew that his <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/analogsourcereviews/1103linn/">LP12</A>&mdas… had built a prototype for personal use&mdash;was a superior performer. When people told him that turntables do no more than go 'round and 'round, he would rebut them by pointing out that speakers merely go in and out.

In July 1877, Thomas Edison wrote that he was sure he would "be able to store up & reproduce at any future time the human voice perfectly," and the word phonograph soon began showing up in his lab notes. By the time Ivor Tiefenbrun stepped onto the audio industry soundstage, nearly a century had passed, and even discriminating listeners took the record player for granted. But Tiefenbrun had discerned sonic differences among players, and he knew that his LP12—he had built a prototype for personal use—was a superior performer. When people told him that turntables do no more than go 'round and 'round, he would rebut them by pointing out that speakers merely go in and out.

Long before the Swedes at Ikea did it, the singular Scotsman <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/1101ivor/">Ivor Tiefenbrun</A> began giving his products funny-sounding names. For some reason positively phobic about the letter <I>c</I>, he banned its use in any of those names. Someone once told me his real last name is Tiefencrun, but since it wouldn't <I>sound</I> any different with a <I>k</I>, he settled for a <I>b</I>. "I could have been Ivor Tiefendrun, or Tiefenfrun, or Tiefengrun, for that matter," he's quoted as having said once while krunching a krakker.