Michael Fremer says he has heard many phono preamps in his career as vinyl's pre-eminent advocate, but a few do stand out. MF lived with the Conrad-Johnson Premier 15 phono preamplifier for several months to see if it would be one of the medalists. Jonathan Scull also adds some thoughts on the Series 2 version.

An intriguing loudspeaker technology which generates believable surround effects from only two small enclosures will be arriving at stores later this year, according to a February 24 announcement from Nirotek America Corporation.

The music industry's in a deep slump, but you won't know it by the glitz, glamour, and hype surrounding the 44th Grammy Awards.

One of the most revered names in the audio industry is seeking legal protection from its creditors. On November 19, Nakamichi Corporation Japan "applied to the court of Japan for a civil rehabilitation," in the words of a company press release on the development, issued the next day. On the 19th, Nakamichi stock closed at ¥22/share (approximately 17¢); the Tokyo Stock Exchange announced that the company would be de-listed effective May 20.

In the record industry's ongoing battle against its customers, score one for the consumer. Amid recent industry rumors that Universal Music Group has retreated from its position of adding restrictions to all of its new CDs, a lawsuit over a Charley Pride release has been settled in California, paving the way to alert the public to playback restrictions on discs.

Robert Harley analyzed the $1995 McCormack Power Drive DNA-1 power amplifier back in 1992. His goal? To determine if this product "would be a high-end amplifier for Everyman." Reprint includes Kal Rubinson's Y2K experience with the SMc mods for the DNA-1.

Napster may have finally won a round in court. The Federal District judge in the music industry's ongoing case against the file-sharing service has allowed for the possibility that the plaintiffs may have abused their own copyright privileges in the launch of their online music services, MusicNet and pressplay.

Music publishing organizations such as ASCAP and BMI have long worked out licensing deals with radio broadcasters, who pay royalties in exchange for playing music over the air. A US Copyright Office panel is now suggesting that online broadcasters also pay royalties, this time directly to the record labels, in a recommendation that has so far left all parties unhappy, particularly broadcasters.

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