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The trend of computers redefining the price/performance ratio for digital audio shows no signs of slowing down. A new PCI-slot soundcard has been released by Digital Connection that could help change preconceived notions about the level of sound quality achievable from a computer. The $295 DC Pro 24/96 enables a brand-new function for the PC, playback of DTS 5.1 music CDs, as well as support for 24-bit/96kHz playback and recording, currently available only on high-end soundcards such as the CardDeluxe from Digital Audio Labs and the RME DigiPro/8.
It only makes sense. PBS, the most visible national broadcaster of classical-music-related programs, has decided to launch its own classical-music label. According to a recent story in Variety, several major record labels are competing for the rights to distribute the new label. It's common in the music business for larger labels to distribute smaller ones, and an association with the new PBS label is seen as a feather in the cap of whoever makes the deal.
This can only be good news to the beleaguered classical-music record industry, which has seen steady but modest sales over the last…
Dynaudio US's president, Al Filippelli, tells Wes Phillips that "Dynaudio speakers are a lot like the Danes who make them. They don't look all that fancy, but they tell the truth and they get the job done. To a lot of audiophiles, that's boring. But there are a lot of people who have been looking for those qualities in a loudspeaker, and for them, boring can be cause for excitement." Phillips takes an in-depth look at the Dynaudio Contour 3.3 loudspeaker to determine if "boring" can make him happy.
Next, Jonathan Scull dissects the Nagra PL-P preamplifier: "And there it was, cute as a…
DualDisc has apparently stumbled hard right out of the gate. Earlier this year, test marketing of the DualDisc in Boston and Seattle indicated that music fans would eagerly accept the new format, one that combines standard Compact Disc audio content on one side with DVD (audio and video) on the other.
DualDisc's official debut has been anything but auspicious. In early November, Sony issued a warning that the discs might cause problems when used in many models of the company's popular PlayStation gaming consoles. Among the many cautions was a note that the CD side of a DualDisc "does not…
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is continuing its legal campaign against file sharing. In late March, the trade organization launched a new salvo of lawsuits against 532 individuals and 21 university computer networks across the country—89 of the accused violators used school networks for downloading or sharing large numbers of copyrighted recordings. The RIAA claimed that the alleged violators shared an average of 837 songs.
The latest move is the first time the RIAA has gone after university networks, whose administrators have generally cooperated with investigators.…
Last week, GlobalNet Systems announced that violinist Itzhak Perlman has joined its subsidiary On-Line Entertainment Network as consultant and advisory boardmember. The company says that Mr. Perlman will consult on its acquisition and production of live classical-music events and the licensing of master catalogs of recorded classical music. He also joins an advisory board that will advise on future trends and opportunities for the company. The company intends to add other major artists to its advisory board in coming months.
According to OEN, their network specializes in the netcasting…
Record 10 CDs worth of music in one weekend? John Atkinson writes: "I blanched. This was an enormous task: 32 sonatas; 103 individual movements; more than 11 hours of music—11 hours, 26 minutes, and 25 seconds, as it turned out." How to record Canadian pianist Robert Silverman performing Ludwig van Beethoven's 32 Piano Sonatas in such a short time? JA explains the revolutionary process in detail.
What? Yet another digital audio PC/Mac soundcard review in the pages of Stereophile!! In his review of the RME Digi96/8 Pro computer soundcard, JA finds that this is not just any 24/96 soundcard…
For "Fine Tunes" #16, Jonathan Scull offers sage advice on handling the often ephemeral problem of microphonics in audio systems. "So here I am expounding on the tendency of audio components—especially tubes, capacitors, and resistors—to become microphonic, and you're wondering how you can find out if there's any of that shakin' goin' on in your system. And you want to do it easily and for next to nothing," he sez. The solutions await.
For 26 years, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival has brought more than 50 internationally renowned musicians to Santa Fe for six weeks in July and August…
First Annual P2P Litigation Summit:: On November 3, the Northwestern University School of Law will host the one-day First Annual P2P Litigation Summit, sponsored by Privacy Resolutions, P.C. and Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The summit will bring together public and private defense attorneys, clients, investigators, advocates, and academics to share their insights into "the latest developments in peer-to-peer litigation through panel discussions and presentations." Speakers will address issues including how the RIAA and MPAA go about identifying plaintiffs; the most effective legal…
The consumer-electronics industry is riding the wave of a still-booming economy, according to most mid-year reports. Although the generally rosy picture is marred by a few glitches, both equipment makers and retailers say that sales continue to soar.
Major manufacturers have posted some big gains. Matsushita's first-quarter operating profits are up 48% over the same period a year before, due to efforts to reduce costs. Sales for the Matsushita group of companies rose 1% overall, to $16.72 billion, divided almost equally between domestic (Japanese) sales and overseas sales. Matsushita's…