As Shannon Dickson puts it, the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/328/">Audio Artistry Beethoven loudspeaker system</A> "is a four-piece, bi-amplified, dynamic dipole design which has been taken to the <I>n</I>th degree of refinement." After much time spent reveling in the speaker's sonic splendor, Dickson arrives at his aural conclusion.

After enduring <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10942/">frustrating delays</A>, <A HREF="http://www.xmradio.com">XM Satellite Radio</A> announced the successful launch last week of its first satellite, which the company has named Rock. XM reports that lift-off occurred off the Sea Launch Odyssey Launch Platform in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean on the equator, and that the first signals from the satellite were captured by a ground station in Australia a little over an hour later, as planned.

The prognosis was looking dim for yet another Internet music business, but last week the <A HREF="http://www.iuma.com/">Internet Underground Music Archive</A> (IUMA), revealed that it has signed an agreement to be acquired by Vitaminic, a European digital platform for the promotion and distribution of music over the Internet. IUMA had recently run out of cash and says that the acquisition will allow it to relaunch all suspended services within the week.

Tweaks can rear their pointy little heads in the most unexpected of places, as <I>Stereophile</I>'s inimitable Jonathan Scull discovered recently when he stubbed his toe. In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/325/">Fine Tunes #33</A>, J-10 reveals the floor screw tweak and many more.

There are a variety of ways to empty a large bucket of water: The entire contents can be quickly dumped in a dramatic rush, or a small hole can be punched in the bottom, allowing a smaller but continual flow over an extended period of time. Digital data can be seen as the water in the DVD "bucket," with 24/192 multi-channel sound being the equivalent of a big audio splash.

Last week, the US Secret Service reported that, assisted by the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) New York Anti-Piracy Unit, it had executed two search and seizure warrants in Queens and Manhattan, resulting in what the agency called "the break-up of a massive counterfeit music operation." The Secret Service reported that approximately 20,000 recorded CD-Rs and 1200 masters were seized from the Queens and Manhattan locations.

Recorded music was a $14.3 billion business in the United States last year, according to the newly published 2000 Consumer Profile from the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industry Association of America</A> (RIAA). Released March 13, the report details who music buyers are, what they are buying, and how much they are spending.

Is the world ready for another portable music format? <A HREF="http://www.dataplay.com/">DataPlay Incorporated</A> thinks so. On March 12, the Boulder, CO&ndash;based company announced an agreement with <A HREF="http://www.bmg.com/">Bertelsmann Music Group</A> to release new titles later this year on miniature pre-recorded discs, which are about the size of a quarter.

Creek Audio founder/designer/co-owner Michael Creek is a quiet, friendly, unassuming man. Unlike some ego-driven electronics designers who tout their products very loudly from their pulpits, Michael Creek has been quietly designing high-quality, musical, and affordable integrated amps in black-metal boxes for nearly 20 years. His target market is the passionate music-lover who wants something a notch above an entry-level NAD or Rotel receiver, but whose bank manager would frown on splurging on electronic separates.