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That, somehow, the "absolute sound" of live music is locked up within the grooves or pits of the discs we play and can be retrieved in its entirety if only we had a a good enough playback system is one of the enduring myths in high-end audio. Yet the art of recording is just that, an art, and it is entirely possible that a better playback system will sound worse with some recordings. And with the mainstream press telling would-be audiophiles that low–bit-rate MP3s are of "CD quality" and that even CD is overkill for audiophile sound quality, why would anyone need high-resolution recordings?…
In a week in which Radiohead released non-DRM digital files of its new recording, In Rainbows, for whatever price consumers felt obliged to pay, and Madonna and Nine Inch Nails both announced they were going to release their own music without help from record labels, two of the big four labels had drastically different reactions to the new realities of music distribution.
Universal Music Group (UMG), which discontinued its annual re-registration with Apple's iTunes Store in July and began offering non-DRMed digital downloads through iTunes' competitors, announced that it will offer a…
MartinLogan: MartinLogan has launched its Custom Shop application, which will enable consumers to utilize a 3D model and a palette of finishes to configure custom loudspeakers. ML claims that its flagship Summit loudspeaker ($10,995/pair) can be ordered in 400,000 custom combinations. The consumer can chose everything from cabinet finish to the color of the screws on the rear panel, the company claims.
And if the consumer wants something not offered through the Custom Shop? ML will make it happen. MartinLogan assistant marketing manager Devin Zell said that a Russian customer recently…
Attention shoppers! With any purchase of $100 or more from our secure E-commerce page, we’ll be happy to include one wonderfully cool and comfy, XL Stereophile T-shirt, absolutely free of charge. Offer applies to orders of $100 or more before shipping and handling fees, and is only available while supplies last, so act now. Browse our large collection of CDs, LPs, and back issues and splurge on yourself, or get a little extra something special for your favorite audiophile—just in time for the holiday season!
A Show like last week's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest presents me with conflicts. As a member of the press I should be spending my time covering the Show. However, I am also spending my time as a participant, in this case giving a series of presentations in which I allowed Showgoers the opportunity to listen to the hi-rez masters of many of my Stereophile recordings and compare them with CD and MP3 versions.
These presentations clashed with something that I really wished I could have attended: legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman—he was nominated for no fewer than 37 Grammy…
Jammie Thomas Appeal: Just weeks after having been found liable for $220,000 in damages for allegedly offering 24 music tracks on her KaZaa account, Jammie Thomas has filed a notice of remittitur with the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, asking the judge to slash the jury's damage award, contending that she should receive a retrial that assesses the damages based on the actual damages suffered by the labels resulting from her making the files available.
This is not the first time a defendant in a file-sharing lawsuit has taken that tack—it was a central argument in the…
Jazz fans rejoice! Not only is Music Matters releasing new 45rpm double LP reissues of classic Blue Note titles, but so is Analogue Productions.
Following the model of Analogue Productions' superb Fantasy 45 reissues, the new Blue Notes will be remastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Grey and Steve Hoffman and cut at 45rpm on two 180gm virgin vinyl discs. "Why mess with success?" asked Chad Kassem.
Some enthusiasts will be surprised by AP's decision to master the stereo version of the Blue Note sessions. Kassem was animated on this subject: "The truth is, every Rudy Van…
When Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Goldman Sachs decided to call off their projected $8 billion takeover of Harman International Industries, Inc., industry experts predicted the audio company would take the two financial firms to court, if not to gain the $225 million termination fee, to force them to abide by their material adverse effect statement and complete the transaction.
However, other analysts predicted that the era of bloated leveraged buyouts might be over, citing the pullout of J. C. Flowers, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America from their proposed $25 billion takeover of…
A consortium of media and Internet companies announced a set of guidelines to protect copyrights online on October 19. Among the group, which has been negotiating for nine months, were Walt Disney Co.; Microsoft; NBC Universal; Viacom, Inc.; CBS Corp.; News Corp.'s MySpace and Fox constituents; Veoh Networks, Inc.; and Dailymotion S.A. Noticeable for its absence was Google, including YouTube, which has recently been sued for $1 billion for infringement by Viacom.
The group pledged not to pursue Internet companies that posted material if they adhered to a set of rules, which include…
The invitation looked intriguing: "We are happy to welcome you to The Netherlands in September for the offical introduction of the Siltech Pantheon Loudspeaker." Siltech introducing a loudspeaker? I was well familiar with the Dutch company, celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, as a cable manufacturer. Indeed, some of the first high-end cables I had found to sound better than what I had been used to were Siltechs, back in the mid-1980s. Paul Bolin had been impressed by his auditioning of more recent G5 models in 2004. And Siltech's founder, Edwin van der Kley, is married to the…