New CE Product Labeling Requirements Particularly Arduous for High-End Audio Companies
Don Bouchard of Cello forwarded this e-mail to us, which outlines the new CE labeling requirements. These are so draconian that we felt the high-end audio community needs to be made aware of them!
New Companies Formed
Two new companies have formed in recent weeks to bring audiophile cable and connector products to market.
New Components at Home Entertainment 2001
Home Entertainment 2001 arrives at the Hilton Hotel & Towers in New York this week for three days, May 11-13. There will be more than 80 rooms stuffed with the latest high end audio and video gear, including dozens of brand new products. For more information about the show, go to the HE">http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com">HE 2001 website.
New Computer Device May Revive Radio Hobby
Remember how your Uncle Charlie used to hole up in the basement with his ham radio rig? He'd spend hours down there, tweaking his equipment and chatting in an arcane jargon with fellow hobbyists around the world.
New Copyright Bill Clears Congressional Hurdle
Protection for the creative community or job security for lawyers? These are but two of many interpretations of the Digital">http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:h.r.02281:">Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which won approval by voice vote in the US House of Representatives August 4. The bill will implement into US law the treaties signed by 157 signatories at the World Intellectual Properties Organization conference in Geneva in December 1996. A separate version was passed by the Senate in May. Differences between the two must be ironed out before a final version can be signed into law by President Clinton.
New Copyright Protection Schemes for Digital Music Announced
Several weeks back, the music industry's fear of MP3 audio technology came to a head with the release of Diamond Multimedia's Rio playback device. (See previoushttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10324/">previous; and relatedhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10389/">related; stories.) The Recording">http://www.riaa.com">Recording Industry Association of America then announced a new plan, called the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI; see previous">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10338/">previous article), in an effort to bring the music and audio-technology industries together to solve the problem of digital music piracy.
New DAC Chips from AKM Semiconductor Push Audio Performance Envelope
High-end digital audio's rapid advancements are pushing integrated circuit designers to exceed their previous limits. San Diego-based AKM">http://www.akm.com/">AKM Semiconductor has joined the chip elite with two new digital-to-analog devices that further push the performance envelope. The AK4394 is a 24-bit/192kHz stereo DAC based on Asahi Kasei Microsystems' advanced multi-bit delta-sigma technology. Its sibling, the AK4356, is a 24-bit/192kHz, six-channel DAC based on the same technology, but boasting a useful and fascinating array of features.
New Device Said To Enable True End-To-End Digital Products
The Comdex trade show, taking place this week in Las Vegas, is flushing out scores of convergence consumer electronics products, in addition to the more traditional computer fare. Apogee">http://www.apogeeddx.com">Apogee Technology, formerly Apogee Acoustics, a name familiar to many Stereophile readers, is among the dozens of companies announcing technology for the modern consumer electronics marketplace.
New Digital Loudspeaker Technology Announced from England
News recently coming out of Cambridge, England promises yet another new revolutionary loudspeaker technology following in the footsteps of NXT's">http://www.nxt.co.uk/">NXT's flat-panel speakers and ATC's">http://www.atcsd.com/">ATC's HyperSonic">http://www.atcsd.com/HTML/whitepaper.html">HyperSonic Sound and Stratified">http://www.atcsd.com/RELEASES/pr020998.html">Stratified Field Technology. Engineering consultant Tony Hooley heads up a team of researchers who have created what they hope will be a breakthrough in small, lightweight, highly accurate-sounding arrays of digitally driven pressure transducers.
New Directions for Key Execs
April brought several important executive changes to the audio industry.