By several common measures, the American economy appears to be emerging from its first recession in a decade. On Friday, April 26, the US Commerce Department reported economic growth of 5.8% (annual rate) for the first quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP), generally considered the broadest indicator of the economy's health, was the strongest since the final quarter of 1999. The 5.8% rate is especially encouraging in view of the 1.7% rate during the fourth quarter of 2001. The US Labor Department also reported a decline in first-time applications for unemployment benefits during the last week of April.

American media companies and electronics manufacturers may be adversaries in the conflict over digital copy protection, but their French counterparts have decided to make love, not war.

What's a home-entertainment show without an assortment of state-of-the-art audio demonstrations? <A HREF="http://www.egglestonworks.com">EgglestonWorks</A&gt; has announced that its next generation Andra II speaker will be featured as part of what it calls an "unprecedented" demonstration of multichannel Super Audio CD (SACD) to be conducted during the upcoming <A HREF="http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com">Home Entertainment 2002 Show</A> May 30 through June 2 at the New York Hilton.

No one knows what online music services may ultimately look like, but new models continue to pop up for consumers to test-drive.

<A HREF="http://www.xmradio.com">XM Radio</A> held a press conference in New York City Thursday, April 18. The event was heralded with great secrecy&mdash;attendees were enticed with promises of "major news," but no one leaked details beforehand, and the press arrived expecting something juicy indeed.

Like the companies in most high-tech industries, audio businesses are a volatile lot, with startups, mergers, acquisitions&mdash;and the occasional bankruptcy or flame-out&mdash;not uncommon. In that ongoing tradition, at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, <A HREF="http://www.ultralinkcables.com">Ultralink Products</A> announced on January 7 its intention to purchase the assets of cable manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.xloelectric.com">XLO Electric</A>.

In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/560/">Music Reference RM-200 power amplifier</A>, Michael Fremer claims, "Reviewing a vacuum-tube power amplifier is like having your pants pulled down in front of a large crowd of people." MF explains why he reviewed the RM-200 despite the inevitable public humiliation.

Reviewing a vacuum-tube power amplifier is like having your pants pulled down in front of a large crowd of people. I don't know how else to describe the feeling of spending a month or two luxuriating in fabulous sound, then writing a glowing review, then receiving a copy of the review as it will appear in the magazine, complete with John Atkinson's assessment of the amp's test-bench performance, which is usually miserable.

Reviewing a vacuum-tube power amplifier is like having your pants pulled down in front of a large crowd of people. I don't know how else to describe the feeling of spending a month or two luxuriating in fabulous sound, then writing a glowing review, then receiving a copy of the review as it will appear in the magazine, complete with John Atkinson's assessment of the amp's test-bench performance, which is usually miserable.