Give an engineering team a blank page and a blank check and there's no telling what they'll come up with. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, for example, one company showed a <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/430/">$25,000 CD transport</A> with laser-pickup mechanism that was separate from its disc drive—almost the cosmic equivalent of having the sun revolve around the earth.
Having the Philips SACD1000 in my system promoted me to spill some ink about the Sony SCD-777ES. In the months I've had this SACD player in my system, my experience of music has been enhanced to the point where I feel more and more confident about the aural judgments I'm called on to make—because I'm convinced that I'm listening to a digital source on which I can bet the ranch.
<I>This letter from Mike Pageau appeared in the April 2001 issue, and triggered the following "As We See It" essay:</I>
Like most pastimes, interest in the audio world can run from hot to cold to contempt. How would you describe your audiophile state?
John Atkinson finds that the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/333/">Dynaudio Contour 1.3 Mk.II loudspeaker</A>—a completely overhauled iteration of the original Contour 1.3 Mk.I, released several years back—reveals details in recordings that most speakers smooth right over. JA reveals other details about the Contour in his review, complete with comments on the Contour 1.3 Special Edition from Sam Tellig.
New York City, one of the world's most diverse and eclectic cities, will play host to an outstanding group of musicians, who will perform live at the Home Entertainment 2001 Show, May 11-13, 2001 at the Hilton New York & Towers.
Now there are three—Cello spinoffs, that is. More than two years ago, prior to Cello Technologies' ill-fated expansion, company founder Mark Levinson <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10360/">departed</A> to create <A HREF="http://www.redrosemusic.com/">Red Rose Music</A>. Late in 2000, former vice president of business development Jim McCullough formed <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11002/">Matthew James LLC</A>, which will make and market a new generation of Cello electronics. In early April, Viola Audio Labs announced its debut.
Large companies may be chopping jobs by the thousands, but there are signs elsewhere that the economy is still booming. Recent figures from electronics retailers <A HREF="http://www.bestbuy.com/">Best Buy</A> and the <A HREF="http://www.tweeter.com/">Tweeter Home Entertainment Group</A> and from <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL">Sony Electronics</A> indicate only a partial slowdown in spending for quality audio/video gear.
You know the trouble with show reports? You read them after the show. So let me give you a brief report on Home Entertainment 2001 before the Show.
A recent email soliciting acquisition partners has given rise to a rumor that George Tice is leaving audio. "Far from it," said the AC power-conditioning pioneer from his Jupiter, FL office. "I want to accomplish three things: move this company to the next level; devote more of my energy to research and engineering; and spend more time with my family." These goals are going to require a well-organized team effort, he insists.