News

Manhattan dealer Innovative Audio Video Showrooms (150 East 58th Street) is celebrating its recent renovation with three “VIP” events: Thursday, November 12, 6–9pm; Friday November 13, 4–7pm; and Saturday, November 14 12–6pm. Special presentations will feature Peter McGrath of Wilson Audio Specialties, Ryan Donaher of Meridian Audio, Dr. Edgar Choueiri of Theoretica/BACCH-SP, and Bill McKiegan of D'Agostino Master Audio Systems.

Spectral Audio , the northern California company whose director of engineering is Prof. Keith O. Johnson, gave the first public preview of its SDR-4000SL Master CD Processor on September 24, at Music Lovers Audio, in Berkeley. Introduced by Johnson and Spectral founder Richard (Rick) Fryer, the $19,000 Spectral Digital Resolution (SDR) model sounded sensational playing 16-bit/44.1kHz, HDCD-encoded files Johnson had made for Reference Recordings, through a system that included Spectral's DMC-30SS preamplifier and monoblock amplifiers, Wilson Audio MAXX 3 speakers, Spectral Ultralink II speaker cables, the MIT Z Duplex conditioner, Synergistic Research's controversial ART system, and other room treatments.

Music industry executives may have a special dread of this year's Halloween festivities.

Logitech's Squeezebox Network Systems has added a new model, the Duet, which adds a 2.4" color-LCD screen and a scroll-wheel to the unit's hand-held remote (not unlike the Sonos system). The screen can display song titles, album art, customized wallpapers—even RSS feeds and radio station IDs.

In my report on Red Rose Music's HE2005 debut of the Burwen Bobcat, I complained about the lack of before and after demonstrations of the technology, as well as the difficulty of extracting information about what the product actually did. In the last week, I have received correspondence that sheds light on both cavils.

Sad news this week: We heard from Ken Kessler of the passing of legendary UK engineer Stanley Kelly, who died in his sleep on November 13, after suffering a stroke the previous week. Stan would have been 89 next month. While he was, of course, the "Kelly" of the classic Kelly Ribbon Tweeter, he was also one of the founders of Hi-Fi News and was the only person to have been listed on the English magazine's masthead since Vol.1 No.1, the June 1956 issue. In recent years, Stan had developed a series of high-sensitivity speakers for UK manufacturer Musical Fidelity.