When it comes to digital music players and the future of computer-based entertainment, the computer industry appears to be going in two directions at once. Apple Computer has recently made a strong move into the portable music arena with its $399 iPod, a player that can store as many as 1000 songs. The company is also rumored to be developing software and computer-based editing equipment for the pro-audio industry.

For his review of the diminutive <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/445/">Acarian Systems Al&#243;n Petite</A> loudspeaker, Wes Phillips explains that the "li'l guys frequently image like bandits&mdash;which some of us just can't resist." Also included is Robert J. Reina's followup review of Al&#243;n's matching PW-1 woofer system, from February 1997, along with <I>his</I> take on the Al&#243;n Petite.

<A HREF="http://www.ti.com">Texas Instruments</A> says it is on a quest to provide "high-performance audio solutions" for the home entertainment market. To prove it, last week the company announced its first stereo analog-to-digital converters supporting the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) specification and the Super Audio CD format (SACD).

Thanks to an agreement reached in October, musicians, rather than their record labels, will receive royalty payments for the use of recordings distributed over the Internet or broadcast over cable and satellite systems. Royalty collection agency <A HREF="http://www.soundexchange.com">SoundExchange</A&gt; will distribute payments directly to performers, regardless of their contracts with the record companies, according to a statement issued the second week of November.

<B>BOB DYLAN: <I>"Love and Theft"</I></B><BR> Columbia (85975) (CD). 2001. Jack Frost, prod.; Chris Shaw, engs. Jeremy Welch, asst. eng. AAD? TT: 57:35<BR> Performance <B>****1/2</B><BR> Sonics <B>****</B>

Hard-disk&ndash;based audio systems having been gaining traction in recent months, with a half-dozen consumer electronics companies announcing or selling products. These new components model what savvy computer users have been hacking together for years&mdash;a software-controlled music library based on hundreds or thousands of CD or MP3 files stored on a hard disk.

Audiophiles know that cleaning up their AC supplies can yield a cornucopia of sonic benefits, including a quieter background, better retrieval of detail, and a subjectively wider dynamic range. The phenomenon is so well-recognized that it has spawned an entire industry devoted to making electrical conditioners, line filters, noise suppressors, and specialty power cords.

There's no question that the computer is at the heart of the recorded music experience for many people, but saving, sorting, and accessing digital music files can be a real chore. Now two Los Angeles technology companies have combined forces to create what they are calling "one-click" digital music management.

Most folks have enough room in their homes (some college students excepted) to easily place 100W amplifiers without regard to size or heat. But in the car, high-powered amps have always been relegated to the trunk or under a seat, often requiring creative solutions for anything with real heft.