The Planning of the Apes
Great article on ape cognition, but even if it wasn't, how could I resist a title like that?
Wes Phillips
Continue Reading »
Hard-Wired For Music?
Scientists agree that humans are stimulated by music in the same ways as we are by sex and food. So now for the big question: How come?
Geetars and Ook-uh-laylees
Okay article, but it has a fabulous photograph of Ronnie Wood accompanying his grandmother.
The Fifth Element #37
While you might have been paying attention to other matters, there has been a quiet revolution in affordable recording technology. What if I told you that I've been making pure Direct Stream Digital (DSD), SACD-quality two-channel recordings using equipment that, from soup to nuts, costs less than $6000? Read on.
Plinius SA-100 Mk.II power amplifier
Man, you've got to watch out for those preconceived notions—they'll kill you every time. For the last several years I've seen Plinius amplifiers at hi-fi shows and—even though I didn't know the first thing about the company or its products—figured that I knew what they were all about. Spotting their brawny façades festooned with feathery heatsinks, I smugly assured myself that they were some kind of antipodean pretender to the muscle-amp throne—Krell or Threshold wannabes.
Thiel CS2 2 loudspeaker
"Well, Sam, are there any speakers you are really excited about?"
Is Dylan full of static or has he got it right when he declares that modern recordings suck?
Bob Dylan says modern recordings sound "atrocious . . . There
Turn That Noise Down!
Yes, we've reported on this before, but it bears repeating—especially if you didn't hear us because you were playing your iPod too loud: Prolonged exposure to loud music can damage your hearing.
Brussels Hi-Fi & Cinema Show 2006
On Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1, over 50 exhibitors and 200 brands will be on display at the Brussels Sheraton Hotel (Rogier Place, 3—1210 Brussels) between 10am and 7pm. <A HREF="http://www.brussels-hifi-show.be/">Register in advance</A> and have your pre-printed badge waiting for you—plus, you'll be eligible for door prizes.
Industry Update
<B>Amina Tech Plaster-In-Walls:</B> <A HREF="http://www.amina.co.uk./"> Amina Technologies Ltd.</A> of Huntingdon, England is introducing its Plaster-In-Wall speakers to the American market. The Plaster-In-Walls employ NXT-patented high-power flat diaphragms to create "undetectable in-wall or in-ceiling speakers." NXT technology is said to offer improved dispersion characteristics over conventional speakers, making location and listening position far more flexible, according to Amina.