Then Rubinson files the latest installment in his multichannel series, "Music in the Round #4." "For audiophiles who love multichannel music, the center-channel speaker is a problem second only, perhaps, to that of bass management," observes KR, who also assesses the…
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From the March 2004 issue, Kalman Rubinson files his report on the Adcom GFA-7805 five-channel power amplifier. KR notes, "It was easy for me to decide on their top-of-the-line five-channel powerhouse, the GFA-7805, because it embodies the same spirit that the GFA-555 did in its time: lots of power, no frills, good value."
From the March 2001 issue, Michael Fremer finds that, although homely in appearance, the Herron Audio M150 monoblock power amplifier has several endearing qualities. As Fremer explains, "Herron approaches the marketplace in a cautious, stealthy manner, working from the ground up to grab the ears of audiophiles." MF tells us where this amp grabbed him.
Also from the March issue, Kalman Rubinson drops the unique Bel Canto eVo 200.2 power amplifier into his system and analyzes the results. Based on "Class-T" digital amplifier technology from Tripath, the eVo was, Rubinson found, "…
There's gold in them digital music hills. This obvious reality---supported by the music industry's near-panic in the face of the phenomenal growth of MP3 in the past year---was reinforced last week, when Sony Corporation and International Business Machines announced a digital music mutual-aid pact at a press conference in Los Angeles.
The two technology giants are teaming up to make Sony's copyright-protection technology compatible with IBM's electronic music-management system. The combined and finished product will be used for the distribution and downloading of music via the Internet.…
Audio manufacturers who know what's good for them avoid stepping on the toes of Bose, Inc. The Framingham, Massachusetts–based corporation is renowned for it ruthless marketing and zealous protection of its patents.
Harman International Industries is learning this lesson the hard way. On September 1, the Northridge, California electronics conglomerate was slapped with a $5.7 million judgment in a patent-infringement suit. Bose launched the litigation against two of Harman's loudspeaker subsidiaries, JBL, Inc. and Infinity Systems Corporation, over the use of an elliptical plastic port in…
We've been hearing about it for years, but high-definition radio may finally be on its way. Feeling competitive pressure from satellite operations XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, US broadcasters are making what appear to be sincere efforts to upgrade their service by moving from analog to digital.
On August 12, Atlanta-based Cox Radio announced a plan to upgrade most of its 78 AM and FM stations to "HD Radio" over the next four years. The company currently delivers HD only in Atlanta and Miami. Targeted for upgrade next are Cox stations in Houston, San Antonio, Orlando, and Tampa. €…
Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, audiophile recording label Delos International is not abandoning the DVD-Audio format. A quick call to the Hollywood, CA–based company cleared up some confusion created when a few people noticed that "DVD-A" doesn't appear anywhere on the Delos homepage.
"Although it's true that we are emphasizing SACD for the immediate future, we have not given up on DVD-Audio," said a spokesperson who requested anonymity. "Our strength is in sound recording, and we feel that SACD, being a sound-only format, is where we should concentrate our efforts at the…
Want to start an audio newsgroup fire-fight? Just put the three letters "ABX" in the subject line of your post, sit back, and watch the pros take over. Read where it all started 15 years ago in "The Highs & Lows of Double-Blind Testing," which John Atkinson has compiled from the years 1985 and 1986, when an argumentative thread ran through Stereophile's pages discussing the benefits (or lack of) of double-blind testing methods in audio component reviewing—all triggered by J. Gordon Holt's review of the ABX Comparator.
Next up is Larry Greenhill's review, from September 1999, of the…
Although some record labels have scaled back plans to add restricted-use technology to all CD releases, efforts continue to find the protection formula that consumers, and in particular record labels, will accept.
Latest to announce a new alliance in an effort to promote its copy-control system is SunnComm, which has formed a strategic partnership with DCA, a manufacturer of optical disc signal-processing technologies used by CD pressing plants. SunnComm says that the new partnership will enable an "expeditious worldwide rollout" of SunnComm's latest restricted-use CD system, known as…
In a decision delivered in late December, China's top court has elevated intellectual property theft from misdemeanor status to felony. The move may be a sea change for the giant Asian nation, where piracy has long been a way of life.
The 17-part ruling by the Supreme People's Court in Beijing lowers the monetary threshold for piracy convictions, increases fines and potential jail terms, and makes willful profiteering from piracy a major offense. The move came in response to pressure from trading partners, following China's acceptance into the World Trade Organization three years ago.…
Napster may rise from the dead and live again, this time as a commercial venture.
That's the intention behind the $40 million acquisition of subscription online music service pressplay by Santa Clara, CA–based Roxio, Inc., announced Monday, May 19. Spurred by the initial success of Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store, Roxio acquired pressplay from backers Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group (UMG) for approximately $12.5 million in cash and 3.9 million shares of Roxio stock. Best known for its "Easy CD Creator" CD-burning software, Roxio has an installed base of about 100…