Mastered using CD-protection software developed by SunComm of Phoenix, AZ, Pride's new recording will hit the streets in early May. Its music tracks won't show up on any file-sharing systems, CD-ROMs, or MP3 players, according to Music City's Bob Heatherly, because no one will be able to copy it, at…
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More than a year after BMG Germany had to recall a massive shipment of "copy-proof" CDs, an American record label is preparing to attempt a similar experiment. In April, Nashville independent label Music City Records will issue Charley Pride: A Tribute to Jim Reeves, copy protection included.
On January 19, Bertelsmann Music Group Entertainment announced changes in senior management that include a new chief financial officer and new directors for its American and European divisions. A major division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, BMG suffered the loss of music industry veteran Rudi Gassner shortly before Christmas. Gassner, who had been slated to become CEO of BMG, died of a heart attack while vacationing in Bavaria.
Gassner's successor is Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, who will assume the roles of both president and chief executive of BMG. Former RCA Records president…
While Thiel Audio is primarily known for highly refined floorstanding speakers, John Atkinson thought it might be a good idea to give the stand-mounted Thiel PCS loudspeaker a spin. In doing so, he confirmed, once again, that wire is not wire when it comes to speaker cables. But what of the speaker? JA's conclusions may surprise a few audiophiles.
Those in the audio business know all too well the stress and strain of the annual Consumer Electronics Show. In her essay, "High-End Audio is Here to Stay!," Gigi Krop explains why it's all worth it, and why high-end audio will likely survive…
"Rarely, if ever, can this densely written sonata have been presented so lucidly with each note precisely in place...the dramatic and lyrical aspects were never slighted or taken for granted."
—Peter G. Davis, writing in the New York Times about Robert Silverman's New York debut in 1978, when he performed the Liszt B-Minor Piano Sonata in Alice Tully Hall.
—Peter G. Davis, writing in the New York Times about Robert Silverman's New York debut in 1978, when he performed the Liszt B-Minor Piano Sonata in Alice Tully Hall.
Franz Liszt only wrote one piano sonata that has survived, and this heroic work—it lasts for more than half an hour—was written in 1853 to celebrate the virtuoso pianist's metamorphosis into a conductor. As the sonata has played a…
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street: In the 1960 Twilight Zone episode with this title, inexplicable power outages and celestial lights cause the citizens of an idyllic American town to accuse one other of being aliens. Fear feeds suspicion, hysteria turns to mayhem, and soon lynch mobs roam the streets and former friends are burning down each other's homes.
Something similar may be happening in the music industry, which is now in the second year of the longest sales downturn in its history. In late September, the LA Times reported that major record labels are debating whether to sue…
There are several easy ways to start arguments among music fans: ask for a list of the most significant albums of all time, or who the greatest songwriters are, or the best bands, or ask which albums sported the all-time greatest covers.
It's that last question Vinyl Record Day founder Gary Freiberg asked via the VRD website, with the cooperation of radio stations around the US. Once the tallies were in, the debate began, erupting even on audiophile message boards.
Freiberg says that he resisted the temptation of using a panel of "experts," preferring to go straight to the public for…
The recent success of online retailers---especially when launching initial public offerings---has been phenomenal. In the past two years, Internet shopping has taken off in a big way, and shows no indication of slowing down. Technology trendwatcher Forrester Research predicts that worldwide Internet commerce will hit the $3.2 trillion mark within four years, accounting for 5% of all commerce.
Music lovers long ago discovered the offerings of mainstream online music sellers like CDnow and audiophile specialists like MusicDirect; the latter not only offers a deep catalog of ultra-high-…
It's a Mac attack! First up is Jonathan Scull's take on the McIntosh MC1201 monoblock power amplifier. Festooning his listening loft with a pair of the "Great American Icons," J-10 is ready to rumble with "the biggest power meters you ever saw this side-a Milwaukee."
Sam Tellig also gets in on the Mac action with his review of the McIntosh MC2102 power amplifier. For those of you who missed your chance to get one of the limited run of 559 MC2000s (Stereophile's "Amplification Component of the Year" in 2000), Tellig reports that the company has designed "yet another new tube amp—a Son of…
Sirius Satellite Radio is concerned about The Bottom Line. Not the company's profitability, but the venerable Greenwich Village music cabaret, which has suffered since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Since that fateful day, the club's business has fallen off to the point that it was facing eviction by its landlord, New York University. In September, Sirius stepped in with an offer to provide financial support to help the club continue operating. "Sirius has pledged funds to help the club with past obligations and future expenses," according to a…
April Music's high-end audio products should soon be available to music lovers throughout the US, thanks to a distribution agreement with Bertrand Audio Imports announced August 11.
To bring April Music's Stello and upcoming Eximus lines to American audiophiles, Nashua, NH–based Bertrand Audio Imports has signed on nine American specialty retailers: Audio Limits (Cannon County, CA), Pure Audio (Scotts Valley, CA), PKM Audio (Chino Hills, CA), Acoustic Image (Studio City, CA), High Notes (Raton, NC), Father and Son Audio (Nampa, ID), High-Rez Audio & Video (New York, NY), Quest for…