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"Digital audio quality at analog prices." ThatÆs how Cirrus Logic's Crystal Semiconductor division introduced a chip that may bring a new level of audio performance to a much wider audience. On April 6, Crystal announced its CS4334, an 8-pin, small-outline D/A converter. The 24-bit CS4334 will support sampling rates of up to 96kHz, and is being marketed as a low-cost, high-quality solution for computer, automotive, and portable audio applications, as well as DVD systems and set-top converter boxes. Crystal claims the new chip is the industryÆs smallest delta-sigma DAC.
The largest of six divisions of Royal Philips Electronics, Philips Consumer Electronics Mainstream intends to push the audio industry in several directions this year, according to a presentation made by the division's CEO Guy Demuynck at a January 5 press conference in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Long a dominant force in research and development, as well as in marketing consumer electronics, Philips has great hopes for every segment of the audio market. 2000 was a record year for the company, Demuynck said, and 2001 should be very good as well.
For those who prefer music by the ton,…
While at the 2005 CES in Las Vegas, we received word that The Dorian Group had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. More details have emerged in the days following the show.
The Dorian Group has estimated debts of $1 million and filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, on January 5. The largest secured creditor noted in the filing is Portland, ME–based bank Banknorth N.A., listed with a claim for a loan of approximately $300,000.
Chapter 11 is often used to protect a company as it attempts to reorganize its obligations, and allows continued operations while creditors work out a…
While all of the attention was on SDMI and watermarking earlier this month, Diamond Multimedia, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC) quietly announced the settlement of all pending litigation related to Diamond's Rio portable Internet music player. (See previous story.) All three parties say they have dismissed their legal actions, and have announced the mutually satisfactory resolution of outstanding legal issues.
Ron Moore, general counsel of Diamond Multimedia, stated that "Diamond Multimedia and our RioPort…
What can save the music industry? We've asked the question on this website a dozen times in several different ways and your responses are pretty much always the same: lower CD prices—closely followed by better music.
One down and one to go: Universal Music Group (UMG) announced last week that it is lowering the wholesale pricing on "virtually all top line" CDs and instituting a $12.98 Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in the US. The current wholesale pricing to record stores is reported to be around $12.00, but the new price would put it at around $9.09. UMG says there are "no…
Music lovers within driving distance of San Francisco and those planning a visit for later this month should set aside Sunday, February 28, for a feast of black vinyl. That's the day the San Francisco Conservatory of Music holds its Giant LP Sale.
The twice-yearly fund-raiser is hosted by the Music Rack, the school's bookstore, and takes place in SFCM's Hellman Hall Lobby from 10am to 5pm. Flyers for the event promise "Thousands of used classical, opera, jazz, and pop LPs for $1-$2 each." What treasures lie buried in the hundreds of boxes and crates that will be arrayed for your perusing…
On April 8, Recoton Corporation voluntarily revealed that it and all of its US-based subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.
The company reports that "debtor-in-possession" (DIP) financing for the bankruptcy proceedings has been arranged with Recoton's existing lenders, which include Heller Financial and General Electric Capital Corporation. Upon approval, Recoton reports, the DIP financing will provide immediate funding to support the company's ongoing…
It is often observed that audiophiles are an aging, dying breed, and that the obvious antidote is to bring younger 'philes into the fold. To that end, BuzzNet 2000 has been created as a "touring educational festival of new music listening technologies" by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The program launches this fall with two dates on the west coast: California State University at Long Beach and the University of California at Davis.
The CEA says that BuzzNet is designed to provide students and faculty with direct ears-on experience with the latest consumer audio technologies…
John Atkinson has found himself swept away by the expensive speakers from Wilson Audio Specialties, so he set forth to put the company's new, modestly-priced Sophia loudspeaker to the test. JA writes, "The Sophia is all new, from its handcrafted enclosure to its custom-built drive-units."
With his review of the Simaudio Moon i-5 integrated amplifier, Chip Stern concluded "an audiophile's progression through the price/performance ratios of three very musical solid-state integrated amplifiers." The Hipster finds out if the Moon i-5 has what it takes to fully ascend into the High End.
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Better late than never. America Online has finally leaped into the Internet music business with its recent purchase of San Francisco-based Spinner Networks, and Nullsoft of Sedona, Arizona. The combined deals, which were announced on June 1, cost AOL $400 million in company stock.
Spinner is an Internet "radio station" that claims to transmit more than 2 million songs per day in more than 100 categories---everything from baroque pieces to alternative rock---to millions of users worldwide. Nullsoft is the developer of the popular WinAmp software, used by music fans to play downloaded MP3…