LATEST ADDITIONS

Clearly, there are plenty of our readers who love vinyl. But what, in terms of time used, is the most important source component in your system?

Recording artists may soon have improved health care coverage, should an historic agreement be ratified by members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (<A HREF="http://www.aftra.org">AFTRA</A&gt;).

<A HREF="http://www.siriusradio.com">Sirius Radio</A> has added an entertainment industry heavyweight to its board of directors.

Wes Phillips slips into his well-worn flame-proof underwear as he bravely introduces audiophiles to the musical merits of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/934/">Apple iPod</A>. WP finds he likes living at the edge of audio trendiness, exclaiming, "Holy cow! I'm running with the fashionistas! Can I still be an audiophile, too?"

Whether listeners like it or not, record labels, including major players like BMG and Arista Records, are <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11734/">now making moves</A> to rein in how their CDs are played and used. Unfettered CDs have been on the shelves for almost two decades, and some industry observers note that changing how they work at this late stage could be a recipe for trouble with consumers.

Digital formats come and go, but quite a few audiophiles still have a vinyl record player in their system. Do you?

On 28 July 2003, TAG McLaren Audio <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11701/">issued a statement</A> saying that it had ceased the development of new products and was undertaking a full strategic review of its participation in the audio market.

GamuT Audio has been acquired by Danish investment firm Rossing Nielsen Electronics A/S, according to an announcement released September 22. Under the new ownership, the number of GamuT products will be reduced to "provide shorter lead times and to make the brand more competitive," according to company principle <A HREF="http://mailto:gamut@mail.dk">Poul Rossing</A>.

Kalman Rubinson looks past the odd knobs to discover what's at the heart of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/929/">Blue Circle BC21 preamplifier & BC22 power amplifier</A>. KR reveals, "In the past, I've found components with small drawbacks that made them unacceptable, but the Blue Circle BC21 and BC22 triumphed over their flaws."