ISPs vs RIAA
Internet service providers (ISPs) have begun fighting back against the blitzkrieg of lawsuits launched by the Recording">http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in its struggle to contain the file-sharing phenomenon.
It Was 40 Years Ago Today
Writing 30 years ago, in the November, 1971 issue, J. Gordon Holt tried to anticipate the cries of Sellout">http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/483/">Sellout!? as Stereophile began taking its first ads from dealers. Holt wrote, "Before you throw your hands up in horror . . . bear with us for another couple of paragraphs while we explain why this decision on our part need not prompt you to cancel your subscription immediately."
It's "Recommended Components" Time!
Not only does the April 2018 Stereophile feature our new "Recommended Components" listing, updated and revised (p.47), featured on the cover and reviewed inside is Bel Canto's Black ACI 600. This is a revolutionary kind of all-in-one product, a network-connected integrated amplifier that accepts both digital and analog inputs, including phono. Turn to p.110 to see what we think of it.
It's a Bed! It's an iPod Accessory! It's Shiny!
Stereophile gets press releases every day. Some days, they are for products that strike us as really great ideas, sometimes they make us go huh? And sometimes we think both.
It's An Internet Jungle Out There
According to a new comparison of online music business models and companies prepared by Red">http://www.redherring.com/research">Red Herring Research, Napster simply cannot exist without the complete consent of the recording industry, and the company's recent attempts to appease the copyright infringement concerns of the industry have so far failed. The study also finds it highly unlikely that the company's peer-to-peer model will find success, given the history of its relationship with the recording industry, its declining membership, and impending competition from services like MusicNet and Duet.
It's April & Recommended Components
Our 180-page April issue is hitting newsstands, mailboxes, and tablets this week and, as always with Stereophile's April issues, it includes the revised and updated edition of our "Recommended Components" featurecapsule reviews of the best-sounding gear available. And featured on the April issue's cover is Klipsch's RP-600M speaker, which features a horn-loaded tweeter. Read Herb Reichert's report to see how he felt about this little gem...
It's Been a Busy Year for Pirates and The Man
Last week, The Recording">http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America released its year-end anti-piracy statistics, which it says reveal an increase in the number of counterfeit and pirate CDs and CD-recordables confiscated in 1998. "We've had tremendous success this year with our anti-piracy initiatives," said Frank Creighton, senior vice president and director of anti-piracy. "Between the many CD plants around the country adopting better business practices to the scores of universities signing up for our copyright education program---we're making strides on all fronts."
It's Not All Gloom—News from the Classical Front
You thought the only new articles about CDs you'd be reading would be about further declines in sales? Well, it turns out that ArkivMusichttp://www.arkivmusic.com">ArkivMusic;, the country's leading website for new and formerly out-of-print classical recordings, posted, um, record sales last year.
It's Official: DVD-Audio Version 1.0 Finally Set
After dozens of thorny issues slowed its progress (see previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10281/">previous report), last week the DVD">http://www.dvdforum.com/">DVD Forum announced that its Steering Committee has approved Version 1.0 of the DVD-Audio Disc specifications, making it the fifth of the DVD format family after DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, and DVD-R. According to a statement, the DVD Forum says it will soon publish the DVD-Audio Format Book, which contains the detailed specification of the format, and make it available to authorized companies by "early spring of this year."
It's Party Time at Christopher Hansen!
When I compiled the votes HI-FI '98 attendees had cast for "Best">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10239/">Best Sound at the Show," the ultimate winner was the room and system assembled by Los Angeles retailer Christopher Hansen 2---the latest Evolution 2 version of the mighty Martin-Logan Statement electrostatic speaker system, driven by multiple VTL Wotan two-chassis tube monoblocks. Cabling was Cardas Neutral Reference, and the digital front end was by Wadia---a 270 CD transport and the new 27i digital decoding computer---with some tonal shaping courtesy of a Z-Systems Transparent Tone Control. Component stands were from pARTicular.