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It may read like a page out of a classic corporate crime thriller, but the threat is real. ExpoPul, a company whose factory in Saratov, Russia manufactures vacuum tubes under the brand names Sovtek, Electro-Harmonix, Tungsol, Svetlana, Mullard, and others—tubes that include the 6H30 "super tube"—is threatened by one of the many Russian corporate "raiders" who are increasingly stealing businesses from their rightful owners. If the threatened hostile takeover proves successful, two-thirds of the world's supply of vacuum tubes—tubes vital to the sound of audiophile gear and instruments from such…
In his essay "Let's Face the Music and Dance," John Marks, founder of John Marks Records, asks: "Does high-end audio have a future?" Of course it does, he says. But will it be one worth the price? Marks writes, "for most of its potential consumers, high-end audio is now a matter of sharply diminishing economic returns. A large incremental expenditure guarantees only a relatively modest, even marginal improvement in sound quality." How to forge ahead anyway? Marks offers his advice to our "dysfunctional" audio family.
"You know, Wes," exclaims John Atkinson, "you can't describe us setting…
In his review of the Conrad-Johnson Premier Twelve monoblock amplifier, Michael Fremer notes, "Conrad-Johnson is one of audio's 'marquee' companies, and charges accordingly." MF uncovers what you really get for your $7000, aside from 140Wpc and a top-shelf name.
The year was 1986 and CD players were still in short pants. John Atkinson reviewed the California Audio Labs Tempest CD player (his first review for Stereophile!) and wrote, "Now, at least, it should be possible to enjoy CD without guilt." In his review, JA dissects the Philips-based machine, exploring one of the earliest examples…
The US Copyright Office is being pulled in opposite directions over a recent decree establishing royalty rates for music played by webcasters. On one side are radio stations and Internet-only music sites, which claim that the rates are too high. On the other side is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which claims that the rates are too low. Both sides have filed separate appeals in US federal court.
The rate was set June 19 by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington at 0.07¢ per listener per song, or 70¢ for every song broadcast to an audience of 1000 listeners.…
In his review of the Meridian 508.24 CD player, Wes Phillips finds the machine "a beautiful design with impeccable technical credentials—a CD player that belongs, with only a few others, at the very sharpest portion of the leading edge, and that joins them in producing sound that is highly musical and hard to criticize."
Wes Phillips also delivers his take on the Audio Research CD2 CD player. Noting, as he did with the Meridian 508.24, that most modern CD players are converging on pretty decent sound, Phillips says, "We have reached the point, as the Audio Research CD2 illustrates, where…
On Monday, January 5th, Go-Video, Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire California Audio Labs LLC. Under the California Audio Labs and Cinevision brand names, Cal Audio designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes digital audio and video products marketed to the high-end home entertainment systems market.
The transaction, which will be accounted for under the purchase accounting method, is valued at $775,000 plus assumption of debt, and is expected to be completed on January 31, 1998. Under the terms of the agreement, Cal Audio will operate as a wholly-owned…
Editor's Note: This is Part Three of a six-part series from reader Hervé Delétraz of Switzerland, who is chronicling the development of his DIY (do-it-yourself) audio amplifier. Part One is here, and Part Two is here.
After exploring the different amplifier topologies presented in the last article, I can now better explain what my design goals were—apart, of course, from building the best amp in the world! Your own kids are always the best, aren't they?
The goals:
• All bipolar, unbalanced, symmetrical topology.
• No compensation (no thermal or electrical) circuit.
• No…
February's the month when Stereophile publishes its coveted "Records To Die For" feature, wherein everybody working for the magazine gets to make like a music critic and add their two cents' worth about what gets them excited (musically speaking). R2D4 2001 is on newsstands right now, in the February issue of Stereophile; to commemorate its publication, we add the 2000 "Records To Die For" to the online archives.
"Even right out of the box, it's obvious that the Wadia Digital 861 CD player is something special," writes Brian Damkroger in this month's issue. "Its heft and finish are beyond the usual high-end standards." But how about the sound?
Wes Phillips pops the latest RME Digi96/8 PAD computer soundcard into his PC and sets out to record some music. "As someone who had lusted after the most modest project studio for years—and since I was in the market for a new computer—I knew that a high-quality soundcard was in my future." Phillips reports on the sonic results.
"What kind of speaker…
Will audio dealers be interested in selling a product that's been available so far only via mail-order? Audio Advisor thinks so, and has created a new distribution company, WS Distributing, to begin selling the Musical Fidelity product line through "qualified" high-end audio dealers in the USA beginning May 21. Musical Fidelity has been available through retailers in Europe and Asia for years, but in the US, only from AA's catalog and website sales.
AA's Wayne Schuurman explains that "during our last four years distributing Musical Fidelity, we've received numerous requests from dealers to…