. . . to break a copier. Remember folks: Do not drink and photocopy body parts at the office party. You might have to submit to small arms inspection.

There have been even further developments on the Sony BMG root kit debacle since the last time we <A HREF="http://stereophile.com/news/112105sonys/">updated you</A>. The reports that Sony artists were unhappy that the company had been caught compromising consumers' computers were confirmed by <A HREF="http://businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2005/tc20051122_343542.ht…;. That magazine reported that Trey Anastasio's <I>Shine</I>, which was released on November 1, the day after the story broke, sold 15,000 copies in its first week, but plummeted to 7,000 by week two, when the story was all over the press. Since then, all 52 albums with the XCD "protection" have been pulled. Patrick Jordon, director of marketing at Red Light Management, which reps Anastasio, said, "It's been damaging, and certainly we're going to discuss that with the label."

Manley Laboratories, Inc. has appointed Albert Schippits as its hi-fi division's national sales manager. While Manley Labs has maintained a presence in the consumer high-end market since its 1988 launch, the company's energies have often seemed more focused on its successful line of professional studio equipment, such as its tube preamps, compressor/limiters, and equalizers.

At stereophile.com, John Atkinson, Jon Iverson, and I troll the Internet constantly looking for audio-related news, so on November 21,when I spotted an article by <A HREF="http://news.com.com/iTunes+outsells+traditional+music+stores/2100-1027_… Borland</A> about iTunes outselling traditional retail record outlets like Tower and Borders, I passed it on to the other two without even thinking about it.

It's been 10 years since Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) introduced their first products: the VK-5 line-stage preamplifier and the VK-60 power amplifier. (I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/766">reviewed both</A> in the December 1995 <I>Stereophile</I>, Vol.18 No.12.) The success of these and other BAT products has allowed designer <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/767">Victor Khomenko</A> (the "VK" of the model designations) and partner Steve Bednarski to quit their day jobs at Hewlett-Packard; they were joined by Geoff Poor as a partner to handle the sales end of the enterprise. BAT's current lineup includes several preamps, phono stages, a CD player, and tube as well as solid-state amplifiers. The top of BAT's preamp range is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepreamps/1103bat">VK-51SE</A&gt;, which costs $9000; their top tube power amp is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/536">VK-150SE monoblock</A> ($17,000/pair); if you want their best phono stage, the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/phonopreamps/871">VK-P10</A&gt; will set you back $8000.