The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) is one of the few official voices standing up for the music-buying public…
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It seems that all of the forces in the music industry have lately been conspiring against the music lover and audiophile. The record labels and their hired gun, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), have so far blocked digital outputs on high-resolution audio players, insisted that watermarks be inserted into both high- and low-resolution audio data, and have even started to restrict consumer's fair use of compact discs and digital downloads.
Wes Phillips is hesitant as he takes a listen to a revised version of the first speaker he ever reviewed for Stereophile. Will the new ProAc Response One SC loudspeaker vindicate his original positive assessment of its predecessor, the ProAc Response One S? Phillips admits all.
With his last installment of "Undercurrents" for Stereophile, George Reisch digs deep into the audiophile psyche with Painting Or Photography? When it comes down to it, what are music lovers—from musicians to audiophiles—really doing while looking for audio nirvana? Brushing or snapping? Reisch offers enlightenment…
Copy-protection hysteria in the entertainment industry is driving possible changes in copyright laws that could make what is legal today illegal tomorrow. Legislation such as Senator "Fritz" Hollings' to-be-introduced Security Systems Standards and Certification Act could erode long-established "fair use" provisions that allow consumers to make compilation CDs and video recordings of favorite TV shows.
Hollings and others in the Senate (notably, California's Diane Feinstein) have swallowed Hollywood's mantra that without legal constraints on digital copying capabilities, the entertainment…
The audiophile Rosetta Stone? From the December issue, Kalman Rubinson goes looking for the perfect all-purpose audio player as he reviews the Linn Unidisk 1.1 universal disc player. As KR notes, "Even more important than comprehensive compatibility will be any truly universal player's ability to optimally play back all of these formats without robbing Peter to pay Paul."
For his first Krell review in 17 years, Michael Fremer hits play on the Krell SACD Standard multichannel SACD player to see what it's got. MF first comments, "Despite its relatively modest price of $4000, Krell's SACD…
A good part of each day around here is spent perusing the internet for all things audio: manufacturer sites, audio news, newsgroups, equipment reviews, etc. What's found ranges from the good-intentioned to the well-financed, and much of what's out there also represents the labors of love many audiophiles lavish on their favorite hobby.
Which brings me to an impressive find that hit my screen out of the black last week. Searching through the rec.audio.opinion newsgroup, this simple announcement popped up:
"For those (few) that have been following my page, I have a new 'interface'…
The music industry intends to leave no stone unturned in its war on piracy. Just a week after reports emerged about crackdowns on sales of pirated CDs at flea markets and swap meets, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced a campaign to eliminate sales of unauthorized discs at gas stations, grocery and convenience stores, and small independent music outlets.
On Monday, December 16, the RIAA issued cease-and-desist letters to 80 retailers throughout the US, threatening them with lawsuits if they don't stop making, distributing, and selling pirated music. Alleged…
One of the cooler toys being shown at the Westin–St. Francis is the $199 hp digital media receiver en5000. This nifty remote-controlled Ethernet device connects to any TV and stereo in your home and links it to your home computing network. After you've loaded its software onto the network's computers, it will instantaneously communicate with all of them, allowing you to access all digital media contained on any of them. You can create playlists, slideshows, or show movies from, say, the room containing your hi-fi without needing to have a computer in the space at all. This struck us as…
Like many specialty audio companies, NHT has had its ups and downs. The Benicia, CA–based loudspeaker manufacturer, founded by Ken Kantor and Chris Byrne in 1986, was sold to Jensen International in the early 1990s, sold again to accesssories perveyor Recoton, and then acquired (and some would suggest saved) by Rockford Corporation towards the end of 2002.
With the Rockford deal, the company was again on solid financial footing leading to another round of innovative product development. Through it all, NHT earned a well-deserved reputation for affordable high-performance products, among…
Jonathan Scull gets intimate with the HeadRoom BlockHead headphone amplifier stating, "I listen to headphones for hours at a stretch while writing my reviews. The equipment I listen to spoils me to death, and I need a headphone rig to match." Has J-10 found the ultimate headphone amp? We'll see.
While reviewing the diminutive Joseph Audio RM7si loudspeaker, John Atkinson grapples with a dilemma: "Why recommend a stand-mounted speaker at all, when it is possible to buy a floorstanding design with more bass for the same amount of money?" JA analyzes the evidence and files the results.
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In late February, many California music fans discovered in their mail a one-page form letter from the state's attorney general, Bill Lockyer, announcing that he was "pleased to enclose payment for your claim in the settlement of the Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation." Attached to the bottom of the form letter was a tear-off check made out to the aggrieved music fan from "CD MAP Antitrust Litigation" in Faribault, MN.
Now almost ancient history, the lawsuit was brought against the music industry a few years back by the attorneys general of 41 states, charging record…