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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."
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…
Last week, Peavey Electronics and Digital Harmony announced a licensing agreement that they say aims to revolutionize audio production, music publishing, and distribution. By licensing Digital Harmony Pro technology, Peavey says it plans to create the pro-audio industry's first non-proprietary 1394-equipped digital audio products and systems.
Digital Harmony and audio integrated-circuit manufacturer Cirrus Logic also recently announced plans to deliver a Digital Harmony-compliant system-on-chip (SOC) product for the IEEE 1394 protocol. (See related story.) Under Cirrus Logic's Crystal…
It is with regret that we belatedly note the passing of Joanna Nickrenz, one of the most respected American producers of classical recordings, on February 9. Within the small world of those who passionately care about the sound of recorded music, Ms. Nickrenz, along with her partner Marc J. Aubort, was a legend. Many audiophiles—including Stereophile's editors—considered the names Nickrenz and Aubort on a project a guarantee of natural, dynamic, accurate sound.
Yet her death was not even reported by her hometown newspaper, The New York Times, and to our chagrin, we remained unaware of…
As with past HI-FI Shows, we asked visitors to HI-FI '98 to vote for the room that offered what they thought to be the best sound. The ballot in the Show Guide asked visitors to list the best, second-best, third-best, and worst sounds, for which I allocated 3 points, 2 points, 1 point, and -1 point, respectively. Any exhibitor that received more than 0.7% of the total votes cast is listed in the Table. I've tried to include both the exhibitors and the brands demonstrated, as listed in the Show Guide and in our report text in the September issue of the paper Stereophile. My apologies if I'…
It's rare to find people praising a competitor in this hi-fi business, but I first met John Michell soon after one of his biggest rivals had described him as an "engineer's engineer." Memorably, he'd be the first port of call for anyone in the UK who wanted something done properly and without compromise. Another competitor described him as quite the nicest person he'd worked with, and a naturally gifted practical engineer.
After apprenticeship John started out on his own, beginning by applying his skills in the film industry. He built the model Discovery spaceship for Kubrick's 2001: A…
Companies that thrive do so by adapting to a changing market. Sony is revamping its manufacturing and marketing plans in an attempt to become both more efficient and more responsive to consumer needs.
On June 7, Sony Corporation announced that it would begin operating its Japanese manufacturing plants 365 days a year, using the same number of assembly workers presently employed. The new plan should reduce parts inventory and shorten time to market, company executives believe. Plants will run year-round, with workers functioning as teams who show up together for each shift. Full-time…
Following on the heels of its announcement last week of the first commercially available DVD-Audio disc (Swingin' for the Fences, by Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band), Silverline Records says that Aaron Neville will become the first major artist to release an album in the format. Silverline expects that, on October 24, Neville's solo album Devotion will be released on DVD-A. The disc will also include audio tracks compatible with standard DVD players.
Clearly pleased to be treading new ground, Neville says that he is "very honored and excited to have Devotion released as one of the first…