search
Artists' groups are celebrating what they hope will be more than a symbolic victory over the recording industry in the wake of legislation signed by President Clinton the last week of October. Known as "The Works Made for Hire and Copyright Corrections Act," the repeal negates a provision that was inserted into last year's "Satellite Home Viewer Act" at the insistence of the Recording Industry Association of America, designating musical recordings as "works for hire." Such a designation catergorizes a musical recording as a commodity that can be purchased at a fixed price, such as a table…
One of the oldest names in American audio is venturing into new territory. Indianapolis, IN–based Klipsch Audio Technologies has acquired "selected assets" of privately held Mondial Designs Ltd. of Dobbs Ferry, NY, maker of the Acurus and Aragon brands of amplifiers, preamps, and signal processors. Paul Rosenberg, Mondial's co-founder and former vice president, will become a director at his new parent company, with primary responsibilities in marketing and product development for Acurus and Aragon. Mondial chief engineer Adam Gershon and senior engineer Michael Kusiak will also remain…
"No company has done more to vigorously fly the audio tricolor as has Focal-JMlab," declares Paul Bolin, who visits the Focal factory and then reviews the Focal-JMlab Nova Utopia Be loudspeaker. PB adds, "One thing about the Utopia line has not changed: the exquisite level of finish." But what about the sound?
Also from the June issue, Robert J. Reina writes about the $990/pair Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mk.III loudspeaker. RJR says, "Although relatively new to America, Jean-Marie Reynaud has been designing and manufacturing high-end speakers in France since 1967."
Next, Michael Fremer…
Stereophile readers with a hunger for licorice pizza may wish to turn their attention to the Phonogram mailing list---an online, noncommercial discussion forum for those interested in vinyl and related topics. According to Phonogram's material, "the group is an open, informative, interesting, and just plain fun place for people to share their enthusiasm for, knowledge of, and opinions on music on shiny black discs. Although the focus is primarily on 33 1/3rpm vinyl LPs, comments and questions on 45s, 78s, open-reel tapes, or other media (even CeeDees) are welcome. Discussion of hardware…
It had to happen eventually. Britain's internationally successful loudspeaker manufacturers tend to be highly geared exporters, with overseas markets often accounting for 80-90% of sales. The dramatic downturn in sales across virtually all Asian markets, alongside the collapse of the Russian ruble and an ever-strengthening pound sterling, has been making life very tough indeed.
Domestic UK sales were doing pretty well up until the end of the summer, but worldwide financial uncertainties seem to have sapped consumer confidence right across the UK retail sector, while from a specialist hi-…
Corey Greenberg channels his heroes Beavis and Butthead to review the NHT SuperZero loudspeaker and SW2 subwoofer. As CG explains, the NHT may be the first speaker "that really kicks ass—one that offers true high-end, full-range sound, all for under $1000." Huh-huh, huh-huh.
To open his review of the Etymotic Research ER-4S Canal Phone earspeakers, Wes Phillips asks, "What's more important: clean underwear or good music?" Phillips reveals that he's more likely to remember his Etymotic earspeakers than his luggage when he hits the airport.
John Atkinson takes a stand (or two) in The…
From its origins as an obscure off-Broadway novelty act, Blue Man Group has grown to monster proportions, with authorized spinoffs performing in major cities throughout the world. The group is a permanent attraction in Las Vegas.
On September 14, DTS Entertainment will deliver Blue Man Group to music lovers and home theater fans everywhere with a 5.1 channel surround-sound release of the group's second recording, The Complex, originally released in stereo in 2003. That recording followed Blue Man Group's Grammy-nominated gold record, Audio, which was also released on DVD-A.
The…
American media companies and electronics manufacturers may be adversaries in the conflict over digital copy protection, but their French counterparts have decided to make love, not war.
On Friday, April 19, media conglomerate Vivendi Universal SA and electronics giant Thomson Multimedia announced a partnership to develop anti-piracy technology. Vivendi is the parent company of European television network and cable system Canal Plus, Universal Music Group, and Universal Pictures. Thomson Multimedia is parent of RCA Electronics. Thomson, curiously, helped develop the MP3 audio format that…
Joe Abrams has an impressive audio resume. "I've been on the manufacturer's side of the desk since 1979," he says. That's when he started as national sales manager for Monster Cable. A few years later found Abrams as director of sales at Sumiko, and then in 1987 he started as VP of sales at Threshold. In 1991 Abrams joined cable start-up Tara Labs and quickly helped them establish a dealer network before moving on to MIT.
In 1997, Abrams realized that instead of hopping from company to company, the time was right for him to form Equus Audio and work independently as a marketing…
August is shaping up as a great month for audiophiles and good causes. The Cable Company's annual "Summer Against Hunger" campaign is in full swing, and Rockford Home Group has announced that the first production unit of the 50 limited-edition FAP V1 vacuum-tube surround processors (see previous) will be auctioned via eBay with proceeds donated to charity.
The FAP V1 will be open to bidding August 22–August 31, 2003. During that period, RHG suggests that interested bidders should visit http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/fosgateaudionics/. RHG reports that all proceeds from the sale of the…