If the new satellite radio products are any indication, the format has a bright future. During the first week of September, Kenwood and Antex Electronics announced new <A HREF="http://www.sirius.com">Sirius</A&gt; satellite receivers, and XM Radio has already dropped the price on its recently introduced "XM PCR," a controller that lets you listen to XM via your computer.

The <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America</A> (RIAA) may issue a general amnesty to the music fans who have amassed libraries of favorite tunes by downloading them over the Internet, according to information leaked to <I>Billboard</I>, the <I>Hollywood Reporter</I>, and other publications the first week of September.

What can save the music industry? We've asked <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showvote.cgi?241">the question</A> on this website a dozen times in several different ways and your responses are pretty much always the same: lower CD prices&mdash;closely followed by better music.

Embattled audio brand <A HREF="http://www.tagmclarenaudio.com">TAG McLaren Audio</A> is showing more signs of life since <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11701/">hitting the ropes</A> earlier this summer. After completing "a full strategic review of its participation in the audio market," the company had <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11718/">announced</A&gt; a re-focused effort to continue.

Anthony H. Cordesman and John Atkinson tackle the classic <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/914/">Vandersteen 2C loudspeaker</A> in a review from 1986. "Whenever I think of cone speaker systems, I think of three brand names: Snell, Thiel, and Vandersteen," says Cordesman, prompting JA to add, "I must say that I just don't understand how Richard Vandersteen can sell the 2Ci at a hair under $1200/pair and expect to make any money."

Although the CD was successfully released into the music industry gene pool 20 years ago, several companies are still tinkering with its DNA in order to assist record labels in restricting how consumers use their discs.

"At a mere $65,000," Martin Colloms states, the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/909/">Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM loudspeaker system</A> "could be regarded as something of a bargain." MC then goes on to explain himself in great detail. The "longest, most thorough speaker review we have ever published!" notes John Atkinson, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Late summer isn't typically a time when new audio products appear, but on August 29 we received two noteworthy announcements.