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Tower Records: No Bankruptcy

The fate of Tower Records has been the subject of music industry speculation for months. The company's financial difficulties have been no secret; several stories recently appeared alluding to a new Tower policy of making some suppliers share the burden—especially distributors of small specialty classical labels.

The Sacramento, CA–based music retailer has also been rumored to be a candidate for bankruptcy, a possibility that could sink the small labels who depend on Tower's "deep catalog" operation.

Tower owners Louise and Russ Solomon have put such rumors to rest, at least…

Driving the Digital Den

The advent of ubiquitous online digital audio file availability, not to mention a growing number of ways to effectively use a computer to organize and store a media library, has prompted futurists to begin declaring this the eve of the "digital den" era.

While we must recognize that few high-end audio companies will take part in or drive the initial phases of this predicted transition to a hard-drive–centric media life, there have been exceptions: notably products from Linn, Sutherland, and others.

But what of the major consumer electronics brands that we've come to know and love (…

Added to the Archives This Week

"Is there anything genuinely new under the audio sun?" asks Michael Fremer as he describes the technology behind the T+A V10 integrated amplifier. "For the most part, industry cynics say 'No,'" MF remarks, "claiming that most new amplifier designs merely rehash well-worn circuits. [But] T+A developed a new circuit for the V10 that it calls the SPPP, for 'Single Primary Push-Pull.'"

Kalman Rubinson settles in with the Nagra DAC D/A processor, asking, "Why would anyone think about spending $10,000 or more for a DAC to play standard "Red Book" 16-bit/44.1kHz CDs?" Perhaps, suggests KR, there's…

25 Million iTunes

The music industry's traditional packaged-goods retail business may be continuing its long decline, but the sale of downloadable tunes is hot and getting hotter.

On December 16, Apple Computer announced that it has sold more than 25 million songs through its iTunes Music Store since its inception four months ago. The Cupertino, CA–based technology pioneer is now selling about 222,000 individual songs per day, at 99¢ each, a volume more than three times the 70,000 per day the company was selling in September, when the iTunes service was available only to Apple users. In October, the service…

Philharmonic Downloads Top the iTunes Charts

On March 24, Universal Classics labels Decca and Deutsche Grammophon announced a pioneering global initiative to release live recordings of recent performances by the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics for download on iTunes. By the end of the year, four major European orchestras are expected to follow suit, releasing live concerts on the web on the DG Concerts or Decca Concerts virtual labels.

Other digital service providers such as Real's Rhapsody and Napster are expected to follow iTunes' lead in the coming weeks. While all of the files are currently compressed, Universal Classics is…

Critical Period for Satellite Radio

The nascent satellite radio industry has entered a critical phase, with both XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio posting losses for the fourth quarter. Combined, the two companies have yet to sign up a half-million subscribers.

Sirius is in the worse shape of the two, suffering heavy startup costs and sluggish subscription activity. For the fourth quarter, the company posted a net loss of $122.1 million, compared with a loss of $72.7 million for the same period a year earlier. Revenue for 2002 totaled $685,000.

Sirius went live in July, and ended the year with fewer than 30,000…

Audio-On-Demand Gets Some Major Funding

Last week, Command Audio announced $56 million in new funding from several media, technology, and venture capital companies for its audio-on-demand service. The company says that the new funding will help fuel the rollout of their entertainment and information service to major US markets in the coming year.

Led by Canaan Partners, the round of funds also includes Chase Capital Partners, Motorola, Vulcan Ventures, TI Ventures, Macrovision, St. Paul Venture Capital, and Franklin Resources. Command Audio's Don Bogue says that "The involvement of investors of this caliber is a significant…

Industry Roundup

Credit-card amps: Miniaturization could change the look and feel of many audio products. On October 29, Austin, TX–based D2Audio announced its new line of MXS amplifiers, each only 1.5" tall with a footprint no bigger than a credit card. Intended for use with in-wall or on-wall loudspeakers, MXS amps can deliver up to 125Wpc into 8-ohm speakers or up to 250Wpc into 4-ohm speakers, with THD+N of 0.1% at full-rated power from 20Hz to 20kHz. Dynamic range is specified at "up to 145dB." The tiny digital amplifiers have programmable DSP features and 93% power efficiency, thereby eliminating the…

RIAA Files Report Outlines Copyright and Market-Access Problems in 55 Countries

In cooperation with the International Intellectual Property Alliance, the Recording Industry Association of America filed a report in February with the United States Trade Representative outlining the problems that US record companies face conducting business in foreign marketplaces. The report highlights inadequacies in copyright protection with respect to standards and enforcement, and identifies major impediments to market access.

The RIAA commended the USTR for having identified Paraguay as a Priority Foreign Country last month, and recommended that Bulgaria be moved from the Priority…

Added to the Archives This Week

From the December 2001 issue, Robert Deutsch tries something completely different when he fires up the 47 Laboratory 4706 Gaincard power amplifier. RD notes, "The pursuit of simplicity in the design of solid-state audio electronics is perhaps best exemplified by the products from 47 Laboratory." Less is often more, but with the 4706 Gaincard, is it better?

Next, Kalman Rubinson goes on a blind audio date with the Coincident Speaker Technology Super Conquest Series II loudspeaker. Contrary to standard procedure, KR says, "I had no knowledge of Coincident Speaker Technology until Wes Phillips…