The Golden Age of Jazz---loosely defined as the era from the 1930s through the 1960s---was a period when legends as diverse as Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington were extremely…
search
The mid-20th century was a time of tremendous political and social upheaval, technological advancement, and artistic innovation. Jazz---an American invention---is arguably the greatest single development in the history of modern music. Most of its pioneers are gone now, but their legacy lives on in their recordings---and in photographs.
The marque may be gone, but Proceed's PAV audio/video preamplifier is not forgotten. In 1994, Thomas J. Norton examined the breakthrough the PAV represented, stating, "It was inevitable that traditional high-end audio manufacturers would begin producing equipment for the fast-growing home-theater market."
Both J. Gordon Holt and Anthony H. Cordesman tackle the Audio Research SP-11 preamplifier, which represented a milestone for the company back in the mid '80s. JGH notes, "The control lineup on the SP-11 is awesome." And then there is the sound, which gets JGH hopping: "Sometimes I…
Three reviews from January: First, Art Dudley gives us his take on the Final Laboratory Music-4 phono preamplifier, Music-5 line preamplifier, and Music-6 power amplifier. Art writes, "Modern hi-fi is little more than a way of getting electricity to pretend that it's music."
Next, Brian Damkroger listens to the Kirksaeter Silverline 60 loudspeaker, remarking, "One of the nicest surprises at any audio show is encountering a new—to me, at least—manufacturer whose products seem to stand out from the competition."
Then, Chip Stern fires up the Rogue Audio Magnum Ninety-Nine preamplifier…
Warner's new e-label: In an announcement datelined "Aspen, CO," many news services reported, Warner Music Group chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr. introduced a new Internet music distribution system called an "e-label," which would eschew CDs by allowing artists to issue their music in clusters of three songs every few months.
Bronfman explained that Warner's e-label scheme would create a "supportive, lower-risk environment," presumably as compared to the current system that demands complete albums and blockbuster commercial hits. "Rather than releasing an album every couple of years,…
Genesis Technologies, one of the audio industry's most respected names throughout the 1990s, has ceased operation and has filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 7 of US bankruptcy law. The company's website (www.gen-tech.com) has gone dark. Genesis was more than a million dollars in debt near the end, according to a source familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The bankruptcy petition was filed in late November in Colorado, the company's base of operations, according to minority shareholder Mark Schifter, founding partner of Perpetual Technologies.…
For all of the audiophiles who lament that the industry is simply preaching to the converted, Harman International's Mark Levinson® brand has a response: Wait'll you get a load of this.
The manufacturer of high-end audio and video systems has decided to put its name out in front of a real mass audience, proudly announcing its sponsorship of Paul McCartney's current 26-city US concert tour, which began in Miami on September 16th and ends November 30th at the Staples Center in LA. The brand will maintain a highly visible presence at all 37 shows, and concert-goers will have an opportunity to…
Listening room not up to snuff? Kalman Rubinson fires up the Rives Audio PARC 3-Band Parametric Equalizer to see whether it can tame a wild acoustic beast. KR reports that at "low frequencies, electronic EQ can be implemented without introducing significant distortion or noise in the midrange, where the ear is most sensitive."
From 1991, Lewis Lipnick does a detailed analysis of the Krell KBL preamplifier, finding that, "As with everything else Krell's Dan D'Agostino designs, the KBL is a visual and technical tour de force."
In "Listening #7," Art Dudley first uncovers a couple of…
Cirrus Logic has initiated cutbacks in its workforce and other cost-reduction moves that are expected to save as much as $12 million annually. The Austin, TX–based semiconductor company stated May 15 that the measures are part of a general restructuring of its business model, in which its magnetic storage chip business will be de-emphasized in favor of its semiconductor business. Cirrus is the parent company of Crystal Semiconductor, maker of many high-performance digital audio chips.
The layoffs will affect about 120 employees worldwide, or about 9% of Cirrus Logic's total workforce,…
Last week, Asahi Kasei Microsystems Semiconductor (AKM), which supplies audio ICs for professional and consumer products, announced its line of Direct Stream Digital (DSD) Digital-to-Analog converters capable of supporting both Super Audio CD (SACD) Direct-Stream Bigital and 24-bit/192kHz LPCM DVD-Audio formats.
AKM says that the new chips include the AK4383, a two-channel DAC targeted towards high-end audiophile and professional applications, and the AK4357, which AKM says is the world's first six-channel DSD integrated circuit, targeted at multi-channel audio, including home theater and…
Recently, the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) announced the release of a new CD compatibility specification called "MultiPlay" for the computer and consumer electronics industries. OSTA says that the new specification is intended to ensure that Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) and Compact Disc ReWritable (CD-RW) discs created on personal computers can also be played in consumer CD and DVD players.
In a statement, OSTA says that "all CD and DVD players available to consumers clearly state that they are designed to play audio CDs, and consumers generally expect that, regardless…