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Added to the Archives This Week

Kalman Rubinson looks past the odd knobs to discover what's at the heart of the Blue Circle BC21 preamplifier & BC22 power amplifier. KR reveals, "In the past, I've found components with small drawbacks that made them unacceptable, but the Blue Circle BC21 and BC22 triumphed over their flaws."

From 1992, Robert Harley conducts an exhaustive analysis of the two-box Linn Karik/Numerik CD player. "After years of anticipation, speculation, and rumor, the Linn CD player has arrived," writes Harley. Was the Linn CD player worth waiting for? "We'll find out," proclaims RH.

Brian…

Audio Divinations for 1998, Part Three

As this is filed, there are only a couple of days until the end of the year, but still plenty of time to get these predictions under the interconnect. You can find part one here, and part two here.

7) "Breakthrough" speaker technologies still don't dent the high-end market.
1997 saw the emergence of some radical, highly publicized new speaker designs. First we were enticed with the Flatland products from NXT, and then the hypersonic wonders from ATC hit the press. But follow-up evaluations, though confirming that the devices make sound, haven't convinced us that they're ready for…

Audiophile Delights

Audiophiles tend to be a fussy lot. But there are always a few sure-fire items that will put a smile on their faces without breaking the bank. We've got dozens of great ideas, guaranteed to suit every taste, available online (links are below) from our secure Web pages.

Stereophile's editor, John Atkinson, is a busy man. In addition to carefully shaping each issue of our beloved magazine, he tries to create at least one reference quality recording each year. Last year saw the release of the much heralded, ground-breaking 10-CD box set of Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas with Robert…

FTC: <I>Three Tenors</I>—The Fix Was In

Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group are more than friendly competitors, in the view of the Federal Trade Commission. They are also partners in crime, according to charges filed against the two on July 31 in New York.

The FTC has charged that the two partners in the 1998 joint-venture release of The Three Tenors Live In Paris conspired to fix prices on the disc. The agency determined that Warner Music, a subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, and Vivendi Universal's UMG agreed to suspend promotion and discounting of previous Three Tenors releases to maximize the profits on the latest…

Matsushita's "Sound Window"

As normally conceived, loudspeakers use electrodynamic forces to control the movements of their diaphragms, which in turn move air. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. has come up with an interesting twist on this principle, one in which air pressure itself ("aerodynamic-drive technology") is used to control the diaphragm. The result is a transparent panel speaker called the "Sound Window," announced by the Japanese industrial giant March 27.

The invention is intended to mate acoustic radiating surfaces with video displays, enabling the launch of sound and image from the same…

Carlton to Acquire Nimbus for $264 Million

On June 17, Carlton Communications, owner of Technicolor, announced that it has entered into a merger agreement to acquire Nimbus CD International, one of the world's largest independent manufacturers of optical discs, including CD-Audio, DVD, DVD-ROM, and CD-ROM.

According to the announcement, Carlton plans to expand the business alongside Technicolor, which currently produces 650 million videocassettes and 40 million CDs a year, and which expects to triple DVD capacity to 15 million units a year.

Following the agreement, Carlton will make a cash-tender offer of $11.50 per share for…

<I>Stereophile</I> Reader Survey

One thing we've learned about Stereophile readers is that, no matter the subject, they all have opinions. We'd like to hear yours and also enter you in a chance to win a $250 American Express gift certificate.

Click on the link below to answer a handful of questions and enter to win.

www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224EPVHK4EQ

An Online Treasure Trove for Nakamichi Cassette Deck Fans

Some products inspire unwavering loyalty among their owners: Gibson's "Les Paul" Guitars, for example, or Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Only a handful of audio manufacturers have been lucky enough for their products to attain this kind of cult status. McIntosh is perhaps premier among them. Individual products---Audio Research preamps, Marantz tuners, Linn turntables---also have deservedly loyal and sizable followings.

But if the sheer number of loyal owners is considered, along with a manufacturer's historically relentless pursuit of perfection, no brandname can compete with Nakamichi…

Added to the Archives This Week

The ultimate system evaluation disc? John Atkinson has been busy putting together Editor's Choice: Stereophile's Sampler & Test CD. JA chooses his favorite Stereophile recordings from the past 10 years and throws in a few test tones.

With the June issue, a new column is born! Kal Rubinson goes multichannel audio with "Music in the Round #1. " As KR explains, "Multichannel music is the future. I intend to preach that to Stereophile readers who believe it and to convert the obstinate objectors."

Also from the June issue we have Art Dudley's "Listening #6," wherein AD grapples…

Concord Buys Telarc

On December 19, the Concord Music Group announced its acquisition of Telarc International Corporation, which includes the venerable audiophile label Telarc and the instrumental jazz and world music label Heads Up. Concord already owned many formerly independent labels such as Peak, Playboy Jazz, Stretch, and Concord Picante; in 2004, it acquired Fantasy Records, which encompassed Milestone, Pablo, Prestige/New Jazz, Riverside/Jazzland, Stax/Volt/Enterprise, Specialty, Takoma, and others.

Glen Barros, the Concord Music Group's president and CEO said, "We are incredibly proud to welcome…