Can Jah Atkinson believe his ears? The PS Audio Power Plant P300 touched an audio nerve with JA, who interviewed the designer, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//interviews/222/">Paul McGowan: High-End Survivor</A>, for the May 2000 <I>Stereophile</I>. As a bonus, we include <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/181/6">JA's follow-up</A> to Robert Deutsch's review of the P300, also from the May issue.
After the bungled launch last year of DVD-Audio, where is a digital audiophile to turn? John Atklinson provides some answers in "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/219/">Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution</A>," from the April 2000 <I>Stereophile</I>. "So while the DVD Forum argues about increasingly arcane aspects of the DVD-Audio medium, and John Lennon's record-industry 'men in suits' retreat further into their lawyer-built fortresses, I have bypassed all they have to offer . . . "
Jonathan Scull has seen the future of audiophile proselytizing and aches to spread the word. In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/217/">"Fine Tunes" #18</A>, J-10 shares the new tweak-audio mantra, and more.
In an "increasingly complicated and competitive media environment," public broadcasting intends to be there. So declared the <A HREF="http://www.cpb.org/">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</A> on March 30, when it announced an almost $2 million investment in projects for <A HREF="http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio</A> and Public Interactive. CPB has long held the intellectual high ground in broadcasting, and its new investments are intended to continue that tradition. The goal of the program is to create "new content and services which will broaden the public square of ideas and civic discourse," according to a corporate press release.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.jbl.com/">JBL Consumer Products</A> (a unit of the <A HREF="www.harman.com">Harman Consumer Systems Group</A>) and Korea's L.G. Electronics (manufacturers of Gold Star and L.G. Electronics brand products) announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to jointly develop and market a "broad range of new consumer electronics products." The companies say that the partnership "builds upon the respective strengths of both manufacturers" and will enable both companies to expand their offerings into areas outside their traditional product categories.
For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/214/">"Fine Tunes" #17</A>, Jonathan Scull presents readers with the ultimate bachelor-pad mod for speaker stands: shiny black trash bags. More important, Scull investigates why we even try these things in the first place.
For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/212/">"Fine Tunes" #16</A>, Jonathan Scull offers sage advice on handling the often ephemeral problem of microphonics in audio systems. "So here I am expounding on the tendency of audio components—especially tubes, capacitors, and resistors—to become microphonic, and you're wondering how you can find out if there's any of that shakin' goin' on in your system. And <I>you</I> want to do it easily and for next to nothing," he sez. The solutions await.
Regardless of what the skeptics claim, Jonathan Scull is a firm believer in resonance-control devices. For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/210/">"Fine Tunes" #15</A>, Scull investigates some products he has found useful. "<I>Pssst</I>," Scull whispers. "Hey you. Yeah, you . . . we know you're a tweaker. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You just wanna make it better, right? Even as everyone around you wants to know when enough's <I>enough</I> already.</I>"
As the boundaries between audio, video, and information technologies continue to blur, so will the corporate boundaries between <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com">Sony Electronics</A>' audio, video, and information-technology divisions. Last week, Sony announced the creation of a new organization that the company says integrates its A/V and IT companies into one overall "Consumer Electronics Group," or "CEG." Sony adds that the new structure combines the company's Consumer Products Marketing Group and its Personal Network Solutions Company into one organization. Fujio Nishida was named president of CEG; the new organization will become effective April 1.
One of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers is making a move into digital audio. <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced March 16 that it has acquired Toccata Technology ApS, a small, privately held company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toccata is "one of the leading developers of digital audio amplifier technology and board solutions," according to a TI press release, and will become part of TI's Digital Speakers Business Unit, continuing to operate from Denmark.