News

No CDs for you, Tower: The Los Angeles Times reportedhttp://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tower4aug04,0,736949.story?coll=l…; August 4 that Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI have cut off CD shipments to Tower Records because the record chain has stopped paying its bills. Sony BMG may have also stopped shipping to Tower, but the Times was not able to confirm those reports.

Audia Flight: Musical">http://www.musicalsounds.us/">Musical Sounds will be distributing the Italian electronics manufacturer Audia">http://www.audia.it/">Audia Flight's line of components in North America. Audia Flight manufactures the CD One CD player, Flight 100 and Flight 50 power amplifiers, Flight ONE integrated amplifier, Flight PRE preamplifier, and Flight 3.100 multichannel amplifier. (North American prices TBA)

Amina Tech Plaster-In-Walls: http://www.amina.co.uk./"> Amina Technologies Ltd. of Huntingdon, England is introducing its Plaster-In-Wall speakers to the American market. The Plaster-In-Walls employ NXT-patented high-power flat diaphragms to create "undetectable in-wall or in-ceiling speakers." NXT technology is said to offer improved dispersion characteristics over conventional speakers, making location and listening position far more flexible, according to Amina.

New Naims: At CEDIA 2006, Naim introduced two new products to the North American market: the $1500 NAC122x preamplifier and the $5750 n-Vi all-in-one home entertainment system (DVD-CD player/processor/five-channel amplifier).

Free, as in "no charge": RealTraps reports that it has upgraded ModeCalc, a graphical room-mode prediction software that it offers as a free download (Windows only, 1.3MB) to help people design new listening rooms, or assess the low-frequency response in existing rooms. The company says the new version of ModeCalc offers "several clever features, including a display that better identifies modes that are too close together, and a revised and expanded tutorial in the included Help system."

Wireworld: Wireworld has "completely redesigned" its Series 5² (pronounced "five squared") audio cables. Chief engineer David Salz says they deliver the "highest fidelity the company has ever offered."

Jammie Thomas Appeal: Just weeks after having been found liable for $220,000">http://stereophile.com/news/100807jammie/">$220,000 in damages for allegedly offering 24 music tracks on her KaZaa account, Jammie Thomas has filed a notice of remittitur with the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, asking the judge to slash the jury's damage award, contending that she should receive a retrial that assesses the damages based on the actual damages suffered by the labels resulting from her making the files available.

EMI drops: The EMI Group, the British music company, sent its stock prices plummeting 16% with its announcement last week that sales for the fiscal year ending next month would be as much as 9% below those of last year.

ListenUp NHT: NHT's 75W M-00 powered two-way studio monitor has long been an audiophile favorite for the title of "best computer loudspeaker"—not that the competition has been all that fierce. The Benicia, CA–based loudspeaker manufacturer recognized that the powered monitor, initially marketed direct to recording engineers and in-home studio owners, was selling beyond its target audience and repositioned it as part of its PC Hi-Fi line. When Walt Stinson, co-founder of Colorado-based Audio/Video chain ListenUp discovered the M-00s when he was searching for something to pair with his portable player, he was so taken with their performance that he called ListenUp's marketing manager, Phil Murray, and told him that the chain had to carry them, because they were "simply the best multimedia speakers, bar none."

T+A adds tubes and analog to SACD: German high-end manufacturer T+A has announced its new, tubed, $9500 D10 SACD/CD player. The D10 incorporates many of the same components found in the company's SACD 1245R, including the disc mechanism and DAC However, the D10 contains two more powerful power supply sections, a toroidal transformer with a secondary switching section for its digital parts, and a high-voltage mains section with 100,000µF of reservoir capacity for its analog tube stage.