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Added to the Archives This Week

"At a mere $65,000," Martin Colloms states, the Wilson Audio Specialties X-1/Grand SLAMM loudspeaker system "could be regarded as something of a bargain." MC then goes on to explain himself in great detail. The "longest, most thorough speaker review we have ever published!" notes John Atkinson, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Next, JA invents the explicative audio term "sniffy" as he reviews the Monitor Audio Studio 6 loudspeaker. The Studio 6 may have a bit of a cold, but JA finds that there are still plenty of endearing qualities in this two-way miniature design.

"Each new…

Added to the Archives This Week

Jonathan Scull writes that "with its latest series of FPB (Full Power Balanced) amplifiers, Krell is taking careful aim at the seam between classic high-power two-channel systems and quality multichannel installations where sound is yet paramount. Nevertheless, Krell founder Dan D'Agostino was adamant: Krell's Class A components were designed for music playback. 'I'm a purist, like you, Jonathan!' he told me." In his review of the Krell Full Power Balanced 350mc monoblock amplifier, Scull determines whether or not Krell has struck its musical target.

Next, the prolific J-10 gets slap-…

NHT, DEQX, and PowerPhysics Collaborate

The NHT Xd DSP powered speaker demo was held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City last week and representatives from NHT and its supporting cast, DEQX and PowerPhysics, opened by explaining the philosophy behind the new product and the essential components they each contributed (also see previous).

First up was NHT's managing director, Chris Byrne, who said that the Xd represents the company's approach to providing a small, domestically acceptable (read: high WAF (wife acceptance factor)) system which would not sound like a small system and which would satisfy critical and serious listeners…

Added to the Archives This Week

Our first of three loudspeaker reviews from the April 2004 issue finds Michael Fremer listening to the Aerial Model 20T loudspeaker. MF explains, "Loudspeaker design is an art and a science. Anyone who tells you it's only one or the other is probably building or listening to some awful-sounding speakers." Fremer ponders whether Aerial has managed to achieve that perfect balance.

Next, Larry Greenhill spends some time with the Isophon Europa II loudspeaker, which he first noticed at Stereophile's Home Entertainment 2003 show in San Francisco. LG notes, "The Isophon Europa II is a tall, slim…

CD Radio Announces Agreement with Alpine Electronics

Last week, satellite-to-car radio broadcaster CD Radio announced an agreement with mobile electronics manufacturer Alpine Electronics for the design and development of satellite radio receivers. Under the terms of the agreement, Alpine says it will design and develop three-band (AM/FM/CD Radio) audio receivers for installation by car manufacturers. The company also plans to design and develop satellite radio receivers for sale directly to consumers in the electronics aftermarket.

According to CD Radio, the company is building a digital satellite radio system that will broadcast up to 100…

Products Worth Investigating

Home theater may be the electronic industry's golden goose, but, contrary to nasty rumors, standalone audio is sailing along proudly, as demonstrated by several recently released products.

Just a few months after debuting the well-conceived and well-received Halo line of two-channel separates, San Francisco–based Parasound has launched a high-end monoblock amplifier commissioned from legendary designer John Curl and his CTC Builders group (with Carl Thompson and Bob Crump). The powerful JC 1 is "among the most transparent, dynamic, and sonically neutral solid-state amplifiers in audio…

Retailer Best Buy Soars in Wake of Expansion

Call it the comeback kid. Only a year ago, electronics retailer Best Buy Company was on the brink of disaster. Reeling from rapid expansion---34 new stores in two years---and suffering from an industry-wide sales slump, the retailer was said to be close to defaulting on some large-scale loans. Customers were being offered no-interest long-term credit as an inducement to buy anything on the sales floor.

The picture has brightened considerably since then. Best Buy has streamlined its product lines, begun emphasizing aftermarket warranties, and has benefited from a general rebound in the…

Time to Get Sirius

After more than ten years in development, Sirius Satellite Radio announced last week that it will be officially launching its service with two events in Jackson, Mississippi beginning February 13. Sirius' competitor XM Satellite radio was able to get its service up and running last September.

Sirius had announced last November that its target date to go live would be February 14, initially in Denver, Phoenix, and Houston, and it looks like they've made good on that promise. The company has three satellites orbiting directly over the US and is set to broadcast 100 channels of "digital…

High-Rez PC On the Way?

HTPCs are hot among home theater cognoscenti. Using a personal computer to anchor an audio/video system has boomed in recent years due to the availability of high quality video processing software, Dolby Digital and DTS decoding support, and DVD transports. HTPCs (home theater personal computers) also thrive in part because of the tinkering gene shared by many enthusiasts.

The same is not true for high resolution digital audio. Apple's new OSX supports 96/24, and there are a few sound cards out there to decode DVD-A. But tinkering PC audiophiles are out of luck with SACD's DSD format…

CD Recorder's Dirty Little Secret

The dirty little secret about consumer CD recorders has recently been getting out: In order to record on one of the new "inexpensive" consumer CD machines from such manufacturers as Pioneer or Philips, you have to purchase special "consumer audio" CD-Rs that can cost three to four times as much as the same CD-R formatted for use with a professional or computer-based CD recorder.

This is all thanks to the RIAA Home Recording Act tariffs that apply to those scalawags at home who are robbing the record companies blind by making backups or copies of commercial CDs, their own music, or making a…