For the tenth consecutive year, <I>Stereophile</I> writers and editors ferret out those components that have proved capable of giving musical pleasure beyond the formal review period and have wrapped them all up as <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/464/">The 2001 Products of the Year</A>. The envelope please.
Audiophiles tend to be a fussy lot. But there are always a few sure-fire items that will put a smile on their faces without breaking the bank. We've got dozens of great ideas, guaranteed to suit every taste, available online (links are below) from our secure Web pages.
In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/459/">Soliloquy 5.3 loudspeaker</A>, Kalman Rubinson says that when he heard a pair, his first thoughts were, <I>"Gotta get my hands on these!"</I> After careful listening, did the speaker live up to Rubinson's first impressions? KR tells the whole story.
Jonathan Scull takes a gander at the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/454/">dCS Purcell D/D converter</A>, and tries to make sonic sense out of the merits of upsampling. Scull writes, "So while the true differences between upsampling and oversampling remain murky, my pleasant mission is to report on the sound of the Purcell and compare it to the latest version of the pro-audio version, the 972."
See it, hear it. That is the essence of an engineering project underway at the University of Applied Sciences in Fribourg, Switzerland—one that needs the assistance of a highly qualified PhD student.
Michael Fremer wraps his ears around the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/449/">Westlake Audio Lc5.75F loudspeaker</A> in an effort to figure out "what's a pro audio company doing at CES?" Fremer discovers why a brand that, until recently, was rarely heard outside of recording studios is now selling 70% of its products to consumers.
Thanks to an agreement reached in October, musicians, rather than their record labels, will receive royalty payments for the use of recordings distributed over the Internet or broadcast over cable and satellite systems. Royalty collection agency <A HREF="http://www.soundexchange.com">SoundExchange</A> will distribute payments directly to performers, regardless of their contracts with the record companies, according to a statement issued the second week of November.
For his review of the diminutive <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/445/">Acarian Systems Alón Petite</A> loudspeaker, Wes Phillips explains that the "li'l guys frequently image like bandits—which some of us just can't resist." Also included is Robert J. Reina's followup review of Alón's matching PW-1 woofer system, from February 1997, along with <I>his</I> take on the Alón Petite.
From the March 2001 issue, Michael Fremer finds that, although homely in appearance, the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/441/">Herron Audio M150 monoblock power amplifier</A> has several endearing qualities. As Fremer explains, "Herron approaches the marketplace in a cautious, stealthy manner, working from the ground up to grab the ears of audiophiles." MF tells us where this amp grabbed <I>him</I>.
There's no question that the computer is at the heart of the recorded music experience for many people, but saving, sorting, and accessing digital music files can be a real chore. Now two Los Angeles technology companies have combined forces to create what they are calling "one-click" digital music management.