Michael Fremer has a Shipping Problem
Michael Fremer has a problem.
News
Vacuum Tube Valley Audio and Music Expo
Vacuum">http://www.vacuumtube.com">Vacuum Tube Valley, "The Classic Tube Electronics Journal & Tube Audio Electronics Resource," is hosting the VTV Audio and Music Expo at the Piscataway Embassy Suites May 6–7, 2006. (Embassy Suites, 121 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Tel: (732) 980-0500.)
Industry Update
Meet the new boss: Tannoy has announced the promotion of sales and marketing director Andrzej Sosna to managing director of the Scotland-based loudspeaker manufacturer. The company's former managing director, Anders Fauerskov, will now assume the title of CEO of Tannoy's parent, TC Group, which bought the TGI group of companies, including Tannoy, in 2002. Sosna, in his role of product development director, has been called "the driving force behind Tannoy’s recent product successes."
Philharmonia Baroque Focuses on Downloads
Enjoying classical music performed on original instruments has just gotten easier. After 25 years of issuing recordings on LP and CD, the invigorating Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra has decided instead to make recordings of its live performances available for download.
Industry Update
Totally new Heads: HeadRoom has released new versions of its Total">http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/1204headroom/">Total BitHead and Total AirHead headphone amplifiers. Both models feature new, quieter volume potentiometers and improved audio chips for superior sound.
Looking For the Soul of Music
Two scientists from McGill University—Daniel Levitin, a cognitive neuroscientist, and Stephen McAdams, a cognitive psychologist—and a professor from the College of New Jersey joined forces with the conductor and five members from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, not to mention 50 audience members, this past weekend to attempt to measure how people process music.
iPods & Hearing Loss
Apple Computer, faced with research, complaints, and litigation claiming that the iPodhttp://www.stereophile.com/mediaservers/934">iPod; can cause hearing loss, issued a new software update on March 29 that limits the personal maximum volume level of the iPod Nano and iPod models with video-playback capabilities. The free download, available at www.apple.com/ipod/downloadhttp://www.apple.com/ipod/download">www.apple.com/ipod/download;, prevents the player from outputting its potentially damaging maximum volume of 115dB. Parents can also use the feature to set volume limits on their child's iPod, and lock settings with coded combinations.
RoHS Chills Electronics Companies
Removal of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), a directive">http://www.stereophile.com/images/newsletter/805Bstph.html">directive by the European Union (EU) that goes into effect on July 1, 2006, sounds like apple pie or motherhood—something that would be hard to argue against. And its expressed purpose of removing hazardous substances—lead and mercury, for example—from consumer products is assuredly a noble one.
Industry Update
Web-surf's up: Cable manufacturer Stereovox has a new, improved, easy to navigate websitehttp://www.stereovox.com/">website;. We're just sayin', is all.
Conflicting Data?
Last week, www.stereophile.com posted an article concerning Pollara, Inc.'s Canadian Recording Industry Association–commissioned 144-page">http://www.stereophile.com/news/032006cria/">144-page report on the downloading habits of Canadian music consumers. We reported that the University of Ottawa's Dr. Michael Geist interpreted the Pollara data differentlyhttp://michaelgeist.ca/component/option,com_content/task,view/id,1168/I…; than the polling group did, in particular noting his conclusion that people who had downloaded music had legally purchased more music than their counterparts who had never done so.