10 / 28 / 04
In the light of recent labor strikes and picketing in front of over 10 hotels in San Francisco, including the Westin-St. Francis Hotel, the upcoming PRIMEDIA Specialty Group Inc
"Stereophile Show" has been officially cancelled. There is no further information at this time.
10 / 26 / 04
Enjoy the Music.com's
November Review
Magazine features our annual Blue Note Best Of 2004 Awards! Our
established staff hand picked audio gear that deserves extra merit and
considering for those looking to upgrade their system. November's Superior
Audio showcases two ultra-fi products, Hyperion Sound Design's
HPS-938 loudspeaker and CODA's Power Amplifier S12, that combined cost
less than $8,000! Who says high-end audio must cost more than an automobile...
or home! Our staff works hard to find the very best, yet without needing a
second mortgage. See the November issue of our Review Magazine by clicking
here and Superior Audio can be seen by clicking
here.
10 / 25 / 04
Life for four major recording labels shows that history appears to repeat itself.
EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner Music have been handed a subpoena from the New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accusing the music
labels of payola. This is an illegal practice where bribes are given from the music labels to influential persons in exchange for airplay. This is not the first time such things have
occurred within the music industry and proves how major recording labels may attempt to control the airwaves. It also should send a signal to congress to disband such companies as Clear Channel because they own over 1,200 radio stations, with investments in 240 radio stations globally. In fact Clear Channel is in 248 of the top 250 radio markets, controlling a staggering 60 percent of all rock programming. This makes payola all the more frightening and why many people are choosing to support
independent radio stations.
10 / 22 / 04
PranaWire
now offers their Deva Series of interconnects and loudspeaker cables. Taking advantage of technology developed for their Cosmos and Nataraja Series cables, the Deva Series offers a more economical entry into the world of PranaWire. The company's top-of-the-range Cosmos Series uses very thick 99.99 percent pure silver ribbon while the Nataraja utilizes the same
purity of silver ribbons that are subjected to multiple chemical and metallurgical
treatments. They are then wrapped with a total of twenty four layers of insulating materials.
10 / 21 / 04
SpJ's Alba turntable offered by Arcici
($26,000) has been upgraded with new motor position and leveling screws. The motor is placed on a wooden base with three needle sharp black chrome tiptoes while the turntable's three leveling screws rests on an isolation foot made of hardened wood and heavy duty rubber. Due to the turntables uneven weight distribution, a foot is placed under the heavy 40 Kg platter. The SpJ Alba's base is made from 41mm thick aluminum.
10 / 20 / 04
It appears various legal events
have come to the forefront within the online high-end audiophile community.
One situation is with Monster Cable Corporation is in legal entanglements with
an online vintage cloths store. Another is the recent events concerning Atma-Sphere's
founder Ralph Karsten and the new majority share holders Glacier Audio. We at
Enjoy the Music.com has released our November editorial a few days before the
full issue concerning these matters. To read our commentary concerning the aforementioned
matters please click here.
10 / 19 / 04
Enjoy the Music.com
has now published our Hi-Fi News' Hi-Fi Show & AV Expo 2004
coverage! Written by world famous British journalist Ken Kessler, the show
report offers great information concerning new products and a vast amount of
photos taken during the London event. Please see Ken's impressive report by clicking
here.
10 / 18 / 04
PRIMEDIA's
(Stereophile) Home Entertainment West
show will be held from November 4th through the 7th at San Francisco's Westin St.
Francis. Many rooms will features home theater and/or audiophile equipment. Various seminars and live music events will also be available. Ticket prices range from $22 to $37.
10 / 15 / 04
The battles rages on for the ability to enjoy music not only in the home, but on portable devices as well.
Microsoft has just released their Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with a host of new
features. Most audiophiles know that Microsoft own the HDCD format, the company
also have a lossless compression scheme for digitally encoding music with high bit and sampling rate. Some of the new
features in Media Center Edition 2005 include built-in CD and DVD burning, ease of moving files to various devices, and supports high definition TV. It also integrates with
Microsoft's Media Player 10 that supports online music purchasing from various websites. Consumers can compress and convert audio files and create CD/DVD labels. Another feature is the ability to automatically sync, stream, and transfer music and more to a large array of portable players and digital media receivers. The audio portion fully supports stereo, 5.1 and 7.1
loudspeaker systems.
10 / 14 / 04
Naim's new
True Stereo Sampler compact disc (CD080) is said by Naim to be "the most faithful techniques in existence to capture music in a recorded format. The final sound results from just one single pair of microphones having been used set up in a space with good natural acoustics." Each track employed a pair of AKG 414EB microphones in an ORTF
stereo array (two microphones spaced 17 cm apart at an angle of 110 degrees), with the signal sent to a Nagra 1V-S analog reel to reel.
The disc features performances by Jim Gailloreto's Split Decison, Laurence Hobgood, Stew Cutler, Fred Simon, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls, Charlie Haden & John Taylor, Union, Bonnie Koloc, John Moulder & Ken Hall, Patrick Noland, Tom Gullion, and John
Moulder.
10 / 13 / 04
While the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has become only useful for information on their seemingly never ending lawsuits, they also appear to refuse to publish the fact that music sales have been increasing for quite some
time. Their agenda appears to be in constantly finding ways to legally entangle music lovers. Meanwhile the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)
has releases world recorded music sales figures for first half of 2004. There has been a 1.7 percent increase in
sales from the same period in 2003 for a financial improvement of 1.3 percent. Also of interest is that DVD music video sales are experiencing double digital growth while audio only discs are on the decline. Jay Berman, IFPI Chairman and CEO said: "There are some signs that the world's markets are beginning to recover, boosted by the continued growth of DVD music video, digital sales and added-value releases.... More and more consumers are using authorized download services - a distinctly positive sign."
10 / 12 / 04
Search engine Yahoo is purchasing
Musicmatch for $160 million cash in hopes of
expanding their online music range. With Apple's iTunes, Napster,
Microsoft's MSN Music, and RealNetworks already vying for consumer's online music dollar, Yahoo is hoping to get their share of music lovers. At this time Musicmatch includes 700,000 songs for an $8-per-month subscription fee and claim to have 225,000 subscribers. Dave Goldberg, general manager of Yahoo's music division, said "This really rounds out everything we do in music. We want to offer users a way to interact with digital music in any way that they want."
10 / 11 / 04
Rotel's new RX-1052 stereo receiver ($899) combines audiophile-grade stereo sonics with basic video-switching
features. Producing 100 watts per channel, the Rotel RX-1052 has two loudspeaker outputs for selectable "A" and "B" and support bi-wiring. An interesting note is that this unit also incorporates three sets of "zone" outputs, with each routing independently
source-selectable and volume-controlled stereo line-level audio and composite video. An impressive "over-engineered" power supply insures stable voltage and current for the power supply. The output
delivers are fully discrete with high-current output said to be "ultra-fast and highly linear." The new RX-1052 is finished in matte black or black/silver front panels.
10 / 06 to
10 / 10
The Rocky Mountain Audio
Fest takes place from October 8th through the 10th at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel in
Colorado. There will be over 70 of the hotel's rooms will feature stereo systems for attendees to audition and enjoy. Singer/songwriter
Patricia Barber will be entertaining show goers while various seminars during the show include Secrets of Improving the Sound of Your Hi-Fi, The Science and Art in Cartridge, Tonearm and Turntable Setup, and DIY - Do It Yourself Audio.
To see Enjoy the Music.com's exclusive show
coverage please click here.
10 / 05 / 04
JL
Audio, known for their award winning car audio subwoofers, has introduced three home audio subwoofer
systems. The company's Gotham ($7,500, pictured here), Fathom 112 ($2,200), and Fathom 113 ($2,800) incorporate many of the company's patented loudspeaker and amplifier technologies to insure music reproduction
accuracy. All JL Audio subwoofer models feature Automatic Room Optimization (A.R.O.), an innovative system that uses test tones and a measuring microphone to allow for quick acoustic optimization of the subwoofer system into the listening space. The flagship Gotham includes a pair of 13.5-inch long-throw drivers and 3,800 watt amplifier all held in a 305
lbs enclosure measuring 34 x 21.25 x 23.75 (HxWxD in inches). The compact Fathom f112 has a 12-inch woofer and 1,500 watt amplifier while the Fathom f113 has a single 13.5-inch woofer with 2,500 watt amplifier. Other features include:
Unbalanced Inputs: Stereo or Mono (RCA jacks)
Balanced Inputs: Stereo or Mono (female XLR jacks)
Output To Slave: Balanced (male XLR jack)
Input Modes: Master or Slave
Level Modes: Reference (fixed gain) or Variable from full mute to +15dB over ref. gain
Power Modes: Off, On or Automatic Signal-Sensing
Light Modes: Off, On or Dim
Low Pass Filter Mode: Off, 12 dB per octave or 24dB per octave
Low Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency: Variable from 30Hz to 160Hz
Polarity: 0 or 180 degrees
Phase: Variable from 0 to 280 degrees
E.L.F. Trim: Variable from –10dB to +5dB at 20Hz
Availability: April / May 2005
10 / 04 / 04
Naim
Audio's new n-SUB is designed to complement their new N-SATS as part of a satellite/subwoofer
system. The n-SUB employs a 250mm long-throw bass driver operating within a 20 liter sealed box enclosure. Supporting electronics are located within a completely separate compartment. An included 300 watt power amplifier has line level and loudspeaker wire inputs while a 22-step variable low-pass filter allows for tuning the unit to the main loudspeakers. Phase inversion is also provided for while the cabinet has spiked feet for
surface decoupling. All functions can be controlled via an infra-red remote control and a total of six saved setups can be
stored into memory. Naim Audio's new n-SATS small monitor includes a 19mm annular radiator HF driver, same as in
their Ariva loudspeaker, plus a 150mm pulp cone midrange/bass driver all held in a 5 liter sealed box. The n-SAT monitor is magnetically shielded for ease of placement near televisions.
10 / 01 / 04
Enjoy the Music.com's
October issue of our Review Magazine offers many new equipment reviews including ASC's new subwoofer stand, the Mi Rollers vibration control device, muRata's amazing ES103 super tweeter, the Roksan Caspian integrated amplifier plus flashbacks of the critically acclaimed Grand Prix Audio Monaco equipment stand and various headphones. This month's Joe Audiophile shows he is truly a twisted individual. Because we love music,
Enjoy the Music.com™'s world recognized variety of classical, jazz, and rock reviews will have you taping your feet. See the October
issue of our Review
Magazine by clicking here.
High-Performance Audio Reviews
