In 1969, Jimi Hendrix, owing an album…
search
For those of you who need yet another Jimi fix, Experience Hendrix/MCA will release a 2-CD collection of music from Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys concerts at New York City's Fillmore East, which took place on December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970. Drawn from the guitarist's four legendary performances, the new package will contain 16 tracks, 13 of which have never before been released in any form, with two additional tracks making their CD debut. Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Fillmore East will be released on CD and 180gm vinyl (three LPs) on February 9.
The Home Entertainment Show (HE2004), the largest and most comprehensive showcase of consumer electronics and imaging products in America, returns to New York City May 20–23, 2004 at the Hilton New York Hotel—the site of two popular HE Shows held in 2001 and 2002. Over 15,000 attendees are expected to visit the NY Hilton, optimized for the ultimate user experience. Unlike typical trade shows, HE2004 provides visitors with the opportunity of seeing and hearing the finest products in upscale hotel rooms, creating the best-sounding environments for demonstrating high-performance gear.
While…
PARA, the Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association, is bringing its annual management conference to the Hyatt Regency in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this week. The five-day event, running April 22-27, will focus on improving retail strategies. Representatives from more than 600 retailers, suppliers, and industry publications are expected.
Last year's conference in San Diego focused on improving profits, with apparent success. (See related story on high-end sales in 1997.) "Last year we outlined basic strategies for doubling your profits in two years, and we did a survey of dealers…
The year 2001 was a bleak one for the music industry. Of the major labels, only Universal Music Group managed to turn a profit.
Sony Music reported operating losses of $91 million for the last two quarters. Bertelsmann's BMG Entertainment posted a loss of $70 million for the year. EMI was $77.6 million in the hole for the first half of the year, and is still reeling from an ill-conceived $80 million contract with pop diva Mariah Carey, whose film Glitter crashed and burned, as did the soundtrack recording. Even if the British music conglomerate can escape the contract, as it is…
The Consumer Electronics Association has at last quantified common knowledge: An overwhelming majority of Internet users download news stories, product information, pictures, graphics, audio files, and video clips—all for free. Furthermore, Internet users want and expect to continue getting all this content at no cost, and they are opposed to any kind of governmental regulation or interference that will prevent their doing so.
"Digital Download," the CEA's recently published study of consumers' online habits and attitudes, reveals that 89% of Internet users download multimedia content and…
I see her from across the pool. She's tall and beautiful and dressed all in white. She reminds me of someone else. She sees me looking at her. I ignore the temptation; change directions; walk away from her; go to another tall white sign; read another list of names.
When I woke up this morning, all I knew for sure is that I wanted to spend the day alone, and I wanted to spend it at the Alexis Park. I've become comfortable enough here to now get really lost in it all. I'm worried that I've kept things a little too safe. I should be discovering something new. But how will I go about it? Jon…
Mentioning the new Stereophile blog to folks this past week, I usually got two questions. First, "Cool, what will it be about?" Then, "What, in fact, is a blog?"
Here's the second answer first: "Blog" sounds like a name for a pet (this from someone who has a cat named "Pixel" and who always thought "Laptop" would make the perfect feline moniker), but the noun is actually a contraction of "weblog" and, in simple terms, refers to an online diary that is updated often. Wikipedia has a great definition here.
We'll initially be using our blog software in two ways: To allow ambitious…
Like the audio exhibits at the CES earlier this month in Las Vegas, the NAMM show in Anaheim, California is all about the passion for, and the business of, music. Or, to put it another way, both shows are about making music.
NAMM, established over one hundred years ago, originally stood for National Association of Music Merchants. With its international reach and emphasis, the organization is now either simply NAMM or The International Music Products Association. And it's got a great slogan: "Believe in Music."
There are other similarities between NAMM and CES. To stand in the main…
Longtime audiophiles no doubt remember Hafler for their early amp and preamp kits, which offered excellent value for the money. The company soon dropped the kits, but continued production with a complete line of popular amps and preamps throughout the '80s and early '90s, only to hit hard times as the audio recession kicked in.
Hafler, now part of Rockford Corporation (known primarily for their mobile audio companies), has spent the last several years focusing on the pro-audio market and has recently reinvented itself for the consumer-electronics customer. Last week, the company took the…
The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) commissioned a new 144-page report of radio and consumer survey results, based on data collected between February 17 and 22 by Pollara, Inc. in 1229 telephone interviews with respondents above the age of 13. The purpose of the study was to collect data that the CRIA could submit to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission's (CTRC) Commercial Radio Review. (For those interested in reading all 144 pages, click here and download "Appendix A.")
For folks who'd rather have someone else do the heavy lifting, Dr. Michael…