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HE2005 Day Three: The Show Turns up the Volume

No, we really weren't feeling kind of seasick, but the crowd definitely called out for more—and at HE2005, more is what we usually got.

First things first. We promised to get back to you about that sexy Chord stack we were salivating over in day two's coverage: the $5995 One CD player, the $5495 Prima preamplifier, and the $6495 Mezzo 140 power amplifier, which, oddly enough is rated at 120Wpc. Put 'em all in the $1700 Choral rack and you'll have all of your fashionista friends panting. We're assuming the system sounds as good as it looks, but we still haven't heard it.

That same…

MiniDisc Makes Headway

Four years after its first unsuccessful foray into the American consumer marketplace, Sony's MiniDisc appears finally to be winning serious numbers of converts. Several large-scale retailers, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Service Merchandise, and (soon) Sears department stores, have dedicated MiniDisc displays, with home recorders, portable players, and blank discs available individually or as a package deal. The displays were built with Sony's support, according to Mike Viken, senior VP for Sony's personal audio/video marketing division.

Sony has tried three times to break the…

Universal Goes Universal

Last year in late October, Universal Music Group finally announced its first set of SACD titles and the high-rez format's supporters jumped for joy. Then, at the January 2003 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Universal stood on the podium next to Sony and announced several key SACD releases from the Police, Peter Gabriel, and others.

Talk about hedging your bets: Universal, the world's largest music company, announced last week that it will play both sides of the field by making its music available on the DVD-Audio format as well. Beginning with 20 US releases slated for the…

Audiophiles Targeted by New Removable Hard Drive

Last week, IBM announced a new device that it says will allow mobile users to add an extra 10 gigabytes (GB) of hard-drive capacity to their notebook PCs. Why is this important to audio fans? IBM is intending the new drive, called the Travelstar E, to primarily appeal to those wanting to take extended music libraries with them on the road.

David Uriu, director of IBM Mobile Storage Products, explains that "this is a significant and strategic move for IBM, [which] has now made it easier for people to upgrade their mobile storage as well as download music for the road. Travelstar E is very…

Denny Purcell Dies at 51

All of us at Stereophile were saddened to learn of the death of mastering engineer Denny Purcell, whose body was found Thursday, August 22 in the offices of his Georgetown Masters studio in Nashville. He was 51.

The cause of death was not immediately determined, but was most likely either a stroke or heart failure, according to people close to the situation. Purcell had suffered some health problems in recent years, but had appeared to be improving. "He had gained some weight back, and was upbeat about his new projects," said his friend and colleague Chuck Ainley in a telephone…

Added to the Archives This Week

Online readers rejoice: Stereophile is posting the first of what we hope will be many equipment reviews in our Archives database. First up is the Linn Sondek CD12 CD player (recently reviewed in Stereophile), along with a review of the Linn AV 51 System (from the February 1999 issue of Stereophile Guide to Home Theater).

John Atkinson lays out the basics of why cables do sound different from one another in "Wired!": "Some, none, or all of these factors may play a role in cable 'sound.' What I don't understand is why responsible engineers would dismiss any of them out of hand."

And as…

Added to the Archives This Week

Back in November of 2000, Kalman Rubinson took on the McCormack DNA-225 power amplifier, following the rebirth of the company that he had so admired. "McCormack is still the guiding spirit behind these new models, which incorporate aspects of the original designs, much of the SMc upgrades, and some new wrinkles. I quickly put in my bid for a test sample of the DNA-225." His analysis awaits.

Larry Greenhill goes surround sound! For his review of the Bryston 9B-THX five-channel power amplifier, LG explains, "Like other middle-aged American males, I have reinvented myself. I have shed my…

If At First You Don't Succeed, Try the Internet

The audio business has been claiming its share of victims lately, with few companies able to reanimate once economic problems set in. Working hard to break this cycle, Carver Corp. became one of the first manufacturers to switch from a dealer-based operation to both dealers and internet sales.

"Internet and direct marketing sales have exceeded expectations. Sales on the Internet and through telephone orders have occurred in all product categories with no advertising expense and with high gross margins," stated Raj Bhatia, Carver's new Chairman and interim CEO.

Bhatia went on to say…

RIAA: Record Industry Attacks All?

When is a music sample not a sample but an actual product? Are those 30-second audio snippets used at online music-retailer websites and in stores considered samples and therefore covered under fair use copyright laws? These are some of the questions that the National Association of Recording Merchandisers are asking the copyright office as another battle heats up between the record labels (represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)) and the music retailers (represented by NARM).

In a letter sent to the RIAA last week, NARM is outlining its position with respect to…

Added to the Archives This Week

It was 15 years ago this week that an enthusiastic John Atkinson was lured From London to Santa Fe to take the helm of Stereophile. As JA recounted back in 1986, "From London, England, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a pretty big jump, both geographically and culturally. From Hi-Fi News & Record Review to Stereophile, however, is a mere hop; the similarities overwhelm the differences."

Next we have Chip Stern examining the Philips SACD1000 SACD/DVD-Video player. Stern finds that even at $1999, the first SACD machine to provide six channels of sound as well as play standard video DVDs may…