In order to cram all of that Beethoven onto its airwaves, the BBC is cancelling all other Radio 3 programming to focus on round-the-clock Beethoven for six days. In addition, the BBC is broadcasting the complete cycle of nine symphonies in specially commissioned performances by the BBC Philharmonic, under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda, during the month of June. And, in an unprecedented action, those…
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Starting on Sunday, June 4, and continuing through Friday, June 10, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will broadcast all of Beethoven's compositions as "The Beethoven Experience."
Until the end of January, the Federal Communications Commission had opposed the proliferation of low-power FM radio stations. "Microradio," as it is sometimes called, has been an ongoing problem for the agency since inexpensive broadcasting gear became widely available several years ago. Primarily an urban phenomenon, microradio consists of individuals and small groups with a hodgepodge of equipment, who wedge themselves into unoccupied slots in the crowded FM band.
Under optimum conditions, microradio's low-wattage output extends a few miles and is heard by only a few hundred listeners…
A surreal event took place at the 1991 Audio Engineering Society Convention when loudspeaker cables were put on the witness stand. Robert Harley details the amazing event as it unfolded, along with many unexpected twists and turns, in "Audio McCarthyism."
Next, we bring Web readers part two in a three-part series that attempts to reveal how Stereophile's audio writers practice their craft. The second installment, "Stereophile Writers on an Audio Quest," features the participation of cable manufacturer Bill Low of AudioQuest, along with the usual gang of writers.
When audiophiles speak of the pioneers who laid the foundation for their hobby, certain names are spoken with particular reverence: Kellogg, Rice, Klipsch, Voigt, Walker, and Janszen all indisputably make the all-star team. Arthur A. Janszen, like John Hilliard at Altec Lansing, worked on US Navy projects during WWII, but after the war focused on developing an electrostatic speaker for cockpit use in Naval aircraft. The resulting Office of Naval Research Technical Memorandum was groundbreaking in its description of construction techniques and sonic performance, but the Navy declined to…
Audiophiles have complained since the earliest days of the compact disc that music reissued in the digital format often doesn't sound as good as it does on the original LPs. For nearly 20 years, such complaints have been dismissed by ordinary music lovers and by music-industry executives as the rantings of purists, but at least one major label is now admitting that many early CDs were not very good.
In mid-July, Warner Bros. Records, Inc. announced the launch of a massive reissue campaign—this time, with careful attention paid to the transfer from master tape to final CD. "I think it's…
As the results from last week's Vote prove, having the right tool for the audiophile job makes all of the difference. And a lot of you selected the Stereophile Test CD 3 as your weapon of choice for uncovering the good, the bad, and the ugly of a component under consideration. Here's the complete story on the most recent test disc from Stereophile and company.
Yikes! A Bose review in Stereophile? J. Gordon Holt shares with us his experiences with the Bose 901 loudspeaker from back-in-the-day. In classic understatement, JGH begins, "The Bose 901 has created more of a stir in audio…
Michael Fremer says he has heard many phono preamps in his career as vinyl's pre-eminent advocate, but a few do stand out. MF lived with the Conrad-Johnson Premier 15 phono preamplifier for several months to see if it would be one of the medalists. Jonathan Scull also adds some thoughts on the Series 2 version.
For a bit of historical audio perspective, we go back to John Atkinson's 1988 review of the $1500/pair Acoustic Energy AE1 loudspeaker. JA ponders, "Has this new British company managed to pack a quart, perhaps even a half-gallon, into a pint-sized package?"
"Why had a high-…
It's been a rough season for some in the e-commerce crowd, as several consumer-electronics Internet startups find themselves amid changes. Last week, CyberShop.com announced that it will close the e-tailing sites CyberShop.com and electronics.net (created as a joint venture with Tops Appliance City, which is now under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection) and sell these operations' remaining retail assets. At the same time, the company says it will launch an "Internet incubator" through the establishment of Grove Street Ventures to attract and develop startup Internet companies.
In a…
Conrad-Johnson has been on a roll with their Anniversary Reference Triode preamplifier, aka the ART, which garnered the Stereophile Product of the Year award in 1998. (See previous article.) According to Lew Johnson, "We realized that Conrad-Johnson is coming up on its 20th anniversary, so we thought we might produce something special to celebrate. This is a version of the preamplifier we use in our listening room at the factory---we never even thought about producing it because it would be god-awful expensive. But it really is our last thought on what a preamp should be, so we figured we'…
If the new satellite radio products are any indication, the format has a bright future. During the first week of September, Kenwood and Antex Electronics announced new Sirius satellite receivers, and XM Radio has already dropped the price on its recently introduced "XM PCR," a controller that lets you listen to XM via your computer.
On September 3, Kenwood USA announced the impending arrival of its DT-7000S, the industry's first "dedicated home satellite radio receiver." Unveiled at the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo in Indianapolis, the $300 DT-7000S…