But the universal player dream is still alive and getting a boost from ESS Technology, who last week introduced its third-generation DVD/multimedia chip. ESS says that the new DVD multimedia…
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With the proliferation of audio and video formats based on the 5.25" disc (CD, DVD-Audio, SACD, CD-R, CD-V, DVD, etc), buying a universal player that can decode anything thrown at it is many a consumer's Holy Grail. But to date, the vast majority of manufacturers (Pioneer being a notable exception) have been taking sides, choosing to exclude either SACD or DVD-Audio playback from their machines.
Some long-time Stereophile readers were outraged when the magazine put a photo of a computer soundcard on its cover in September of 2000 (click here for the review and controversy). And then, John Atkinson added insult to injury by doing another soundcard review last November. Some readers may have been scratching their heads about why we did it, but at least one manufacturer is getting the message.
Onkyo announced that it has launched a new Multimedia Division by introducing what it hopes will be perceived as better-sounding and more versatile alternatives to typical PC and Macintosh…
Wes Phillips pries a hard-to-acquire Ayre Acoustics V-3 power amplifier out of company hands and puts it to the sonic test. Does the amp live up to its legendary "Best of Show" status? Phillips has the answer.
In an audiophile blast from the past, J. Gordon Holt ranks the Audio Research D-250 II Servo power amplifier with the competition of 1986. An important review for those interested in the classic amps of yore.
Next, in John Atkinson's "As We See It" editorial from the August 1998 issue, Goodbye & Hello, we're reminded of the highlights of HI-FI '98 and a significant…
Last week at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in New York City, Sonic Solutions announced that it plans to introduce what it says is the world's first digital audio workstation based on Sony's new Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology. Sonic says that the new system, SonicStudio HD-DSD, is being developed in cooperation with Sony Corporation and will provide the recording industry with a mastering tool for the new Super Audio CD (SACD) format.
Robert Doris, president of Sonic Solutions, made the announcement: "The early DSD editing systems Sonic introduced in 1998 were used to…
One of the most common complaints about multichannel audio has nothing to do with sound quality. It's the lack of multichannel switching on most preamps and receivers that irks most audiophiles.
On July 15, Zektor, LLC stepped into the breach with the introduction of its new three-input multichannel audio switch, the MAS3, for use with Super Audio CD (SACD), DVD-Audio, and multichannel PC audio sources. "The MAS3 will enable owners of multiple disc players to enjoy both formats with the convenience of IR remote control and high bandwidth switching," states a company press release.
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Summer is traditionally the slowest time of the year for electronics retailers. July 2001 confirmed the pattern, with sales figures down significantly from previous months.
RadioShack, one of the biggest national electronics retailers, reported total sales of $320.3 million in July, a 5% drop from the previous month. Sales at comparable stores decreased by 6% in the same period. The biggest loser for the Shack was the personal computer category, which declined by 40%. The PC category is expected to regain momentum during the back-to-school season.
The Fort Worth, TX–based retailer…
With Apple Computer's iTunes music service not even one month old, the price wars have already begun.
On May 28, exactly 26 days after the launch of Apple's downloadable music service, Seattle-based RealNetworks, Inc. announced its own new music service—one that undercuts Apple's 99¢/track price by 20%. RealOne Rhapsody, an outgrowth of RealNetwork's recent acquisition of San Francisco's Listen.com, offers a huge library—more than 330,000 tracks available for on-demand listening, and more than 200,000 available for permanent download and "burning" onto CD.
The fee? Only 79¢ per track…
It will probably be years before we can determine the actual effects that Napster and other online file-trading networks have had on the music business. Conflicting evidence suggests that swapping music either increases or reduces CD sales.
But one conclusion seems clear: Consumers are less likely to buy what they don't first have a chance to hear. And as radio's listener base is shrinking, more folks turn to the Internet to find new music. New research from Arbitron and Edison Media Research indicates that "streamies"—defined in the report as people who have watched or listened to…
Not all Washington lawmakers are on the Hollywood payroll. Some even risk offending Big Entertainment by upholding their sworn duty to protect their constituents' interests. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is such a legislator.
On October 2, the Silicon Valley congresswoman introduced the "Digital Choice and Freedom Act," a bill intended as a countermeasure to draconian copy-protection legislation being promoted by South Carolina senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-SC) and congressmen Howard Berman (D-CA) and Howard Coble (R-NC). Ms. Lofgren's bill would protect consumers' rights to…
Progress toward a working digital radio technology took a big step forward in April with the addition of Lowpass Prototype Inc. to the development team. According to an April 27 press release, USA Digital Radio, Inc., a privately held digital radio technology company owned by the nation's largest radio broadcasters, has added the manufacturer of radio-frequency systems for radio and television transmission to its coalition to develop and commercialize digital AM and FM radio.
Lowpass Prototype will design and test digital injectors—devices used to combine digital signals with existing FM…