The new venture, which HiFi.com says builds on its business-to-business initiatives, is planning to offer in-wall speakers, multi-source/multi-zone systems and amplifiers, speaker selectors, in-wall controls, and…
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Spotting another online niche, Hifi.com announced the debut of CustomHifi.com last week. The new site is aimed at custom installers. HiFi.com claims that CustomHifi.com is the first "comprehensive national, Internet-centric marketplace to offer custom electronic design and installation professionals access to leading audio/video products, information, and installation support."
There is no denying that buying pre-owned high-end gear can easily provide the biggest bang for the audio buck. Many of us got our first glimpse of sonic nirvana after scoring some second-hand component at a fraction of its retail price. Or perhaps you've just bought a new product and need to unload that old classic hanging out in the closet. Stereophile wants to help.
Folks have long been asking us to add an online classifieds feature similar to the one we run in the back pages of the magazine. We've partnered with Santa Barbara, CA–based HiFi Classifieds to add a classified ads…
Napster may be down for the count, but audio file-sharing is more popular than ever, according to a study released October 10 by research firm Jupiter Media Metrix Inc.
Napster's free service may never be revived, but music fans have migrated elsewhere on the Internet to continue sharing their favorite recordings. Jupiter estimates that the use of other file-sharing services, such as Morpheus and Grokster, has risen by almost 500% since March, with as many as 6.9 million users logging on in August. Napster's user base dropped by 49% to 5.5 million during the March-to-August period, after…
More than 70 producers, engineers, and representatives from consumer and professional equipment manufacturers, record companies, and recording studios recently came together in Europe to discuss new ways to promote and establish Super Audio CD. After a two-day conference in London, the attendees say they have agreed to establish the Super Audio Forum to foster a "supportive environment for the exchange of knowledge and marketing information, as well as providing a platform for industry-wide collaboration."
Delegates at the gathering included senior representatives from Universal Music and…
It's safe to say that few audio engineers are more famous than Ray Dolby. On May 1, the founder and chairman of Dolby Laboratories was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, joining such luminaries as Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb and the phonograph.
The 71-year-old Dolby was inducted into the Hall of Fame "in recognition of his invention of the Dolby noise reduction system, which electronically reduces the tape hiss and other noise inherent in analog audio tape recording and playback,"…
With the April issue of Stereophile, the "Recommended Components" list is again on its way to subscribers' audiophile homes around the world. But there has always been controversy surrounding the popular feature. George Reisch explores the problem in "Recommended Components"—the St. Hubbins' Syndrome!
The name "Circe" comes to us from ancient Greek legend. But, as Wes Phillips asks in his review of the Acarian Systems Alón Circe loudspeaker, "What's the audio connection?" In the legend, Circe was able to cast a spell upon Odysseus' crew. Phillips explores whether or not the loudspeaker…
According to a new report, the number of adults going online to access music-related content has exploded in the few months, increasing 48% between December 1999 and March 2000. These numbers are based on recent findings released by market analysts Cyber Dialogue, who say that "The dramatic growth in online music users can be attributed to the media's newfound obsession with Napster, Gnutella, and MP3. When combined with a marked increase in online music offerings and the proliferation of file-sharing software, the increase in demand for online music makes perfect sense."
Cyber Dialogue's…
eBay and Primedia have announced an industry-wide online charity event, which will culminate during the Home Entertainment 2002 Show (HE 2002), May 31–June 2, 2002. The charity event will bring the latest and greatest in home-theater and audio products to enthusiasts around the world, while benefiting The Elf Foundation, a charity created and supported by the consumer electronics industry.
The Elf Foundation builds entertainment and Internet-based education systems in children's hospitals and ancillary facilities around the country. The event provides a means for HE 2002 exhibitors to…
The creator of Koetsu phono cartridges passed away on Sunday, January 20, 2002, just a couple of months short of reaching the age of 95. A wake was held in Chiba, Japan on January 22; the funeral took place on the following day.
A descendant of the Japanese medieval artist Honami Koetsu, Yoshiaki Sugano was brought up in a tradition of crafting swords. As a young man he practiced boxing, including participation in events in China. It is said that he never lost a fight. Later he joined automaker Toyota, where he rose to the rank of an executive in the domestic sales division. He retired…
There was at least one story we missed at last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and that was the announcement of two new plans to provide 5.1 music surround: XM Satellite Radio announced the addition of two 24-hour surround channels to its line-up and download service; MusicGiants announced its intention to add 5.1-channel "high-definition" audio files to its premium subscription service.
XM's news conference at CES bruited its partnership with equipment manufacturers Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Yamaha, who will produce home-audio systems that will play XM's new surround channels; and…