At one time the music industry was known as a cultural force. It could excite the public and change the course of history, even prodding some governments to attempt censorship. These days, the record labels themselves are acting more and more like a police force, looking for ways to restrict and control how music consumers behave.

Online music is inching its way toward commercial viability.

Digital jitter was a lively topic in the mid-'90s, and the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/824/">Genesis Technologies Digital Lens</A> was created to tame it. Robert Harley reviews the product and explains why the Lens became an essential part of his system at the time. JA adds comments.

Recent financial reports from the consumer electronics industry are all over the map, with some manufacturers reporting declines while others report gains. Sony and Samsung have both posted losses, but Toshiba and JVC made money. Pioneer is holding steady.

Consolidation is a fact of modern corporate life, but the consumer electronics industry has generally bucked this trend and remained relatively fragmented. Notable exceptions include Harman International and Rockford Corporation (which recently acquired loudspeaker manufacturer NHT)&mdash;now it's time to add <A HREF="http://www.dm-holdings.com">D&M Holdings</A> to that sparse list.

Federal judges have issued somewhat conflicting rulings in the ongoing legal battle over illegitimate file sharing. As the situation stands at the end of April, individuals may be held responsible for copyright violation, but the services they use in the process may not.

The <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/814/">dCS Verdi/Purcell/Elgar</A> system's ultra-high resolution and superb focus, and its ability to drive an amplifier directly, provided a good opportunity to compare my current reference cables, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/305/">Harmonic Technology's Magic Woofer</A> ($2000/8' set) and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/305/">Pro-Silway II</A> interconnects ($399/m pair, $240/add'l. meter) with Analysis Plus's far less expensive Solo Crystal Oval 8 speaker cable ($969/8' set) and Solo Crystal Oval 8 interconnect ($399/m, longer lengths available).

The dCS Verdi/Purcell/Elgar system's ultra-high resolution and superb focus, and its ability to drive an amplifier directly, provided a good opportunity to compare my current reference cables, Harmonic Technology's Magic Woofer ($2000/8' set) and Pro-Silway II interconnects ($399/m pair, $240/add'l. meter) with Analysis Plus's far less expensive Solo Crystal Oval 8 speaker cable ($969/8' set) and Solo Crystal Oval 8 interconnect ($399/m, longer lengths available).

Last week found Recoton <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11618/">struggling</A&gt; to keep its head above water. This week Gemini Industries tossed the beleaguered company a rope, announcing that it had reached an agreement to acquire Recoton's consumer electronics accessories business. In support of this transaction and Gemini's growth plan, the company raised new funding from Boston-based Parthenon Capital.