Stereophile Staff

The global market for music could reach $42.8 billion within five years&mdash;more than $7.5 billion higher than the present level, according to a recent study by <A HREF="http://www.pwcglobal.com/">PriceWaterhouseCoopers</A&gt; and <A HREF="http://www.wilkofskygruen.com/">Wilkofsky Gruen Associates</A>. In the about-to-be-released study, <I>The Global Entertainment & Media Outlook: 2000&ndash;2004</I>, the firms make their prediction based on buying patterns and other economic factors in several regions of the world.

Jonathan Scull writes that "with its latest series of FPB (Full Power Balanced) amplifiers, Krell is taking careful aim at the <I>seam</I> between classic high-power two-channel systems and quality multichannel installations where sound is yet paramount. Nevertheless, Krell founder Dan D'Agostino was adamant: Krell's Class A components were designed for music playback. 'I'm a purist, like you, Jonathan!' he told me." In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/266/">Krell Full Power Balanced 350mc monoblock amplifier</A>, Scull determines whether or not Krell has struck its musical target.

H<B>ome Entertainment 2001</B> (formerly The HI-FI Show) is heading back to the heart of New York for the first time in five years. Described as "a unique hands-on event where attendees will see and hear the newest and the best in home audio and home theater," HE 2001 will take place May 11&ndash;13 at the Hilton New York.

Back in 1997, DVD-Audio was still miles away&mdash;and it may still be! But, as John Atkinson writes, "After a decade of stability, with slow but steady improvement in the quality of 16-bit/44.1kHz audio, the cry among audio engineers is now '24/96!'&mdash;meaning 24-bit data sampled at 96kHz. Not coincidentally, DVD offers audiophiles a medium with the potential for playing back music encoded at this new mastering standard." The <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/259/">dCS Elgar D/A processor</A> was one of the first consumer units able to decode 24/96, and still stands as a benchmark product. JA gives the details.

Late August news bites: <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced August 25 the completion of its acquisition of chipmaker <A HREF="http://www.burr-brown.com/">Burr-Brown Corporation</A> in a stock swap. Burr-Brown is highly regarded in the audio industry for its low-noise, high-speed digital/analog converters and digital signal-processing (DSP) ICs. The company also makes ultra-high-quality analog components, a segment of the semiconductor industry expected to grow by 25% in the coming year, according to industry analyst Dataquest.

Audiophiles aren't taking to the streets just yet, but John Atkinson is more than a little riled about the proposed watermarking of SACD and DVD-Audio recordings. In this month's "As We See It," "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/257/">Watermarking: the Devil's Work!</A>," JA exhorts the audiophile masses to rise up in protest.

When a manufacturer makes extraordinary claims about a product, the result is sometimes an extraordinary review. That's what happened when Jonathan Scull examined the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/255/">Richard Gray's Power Company 400S AC line conditioner</A> last June. His report raised a chorus of reader and industry reactions, all of them included here along with some additional unpublished observations.