Back in November of 2000, Kalman Rubinson took on the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/545/">McCormack DNA-225 power amplifier</A>, following the rebirth of the company that he had so admired. "McCormack is still the guiding spirit behind these new models, which incorporate aspects of the original designs, much of the SMc upgrades, and some new wrinkles. I quickly put in my bid for a test sample of the DNA-225." His analysis awaits.
Andy Warhol's famous dictum—that eventually, everyone will enjoy 15 minutes of fame—could apply equally to Internet startups.
Despite our best efforts, things can still go awry with <I>Stereophile</I>'s "Recommended Components" listing, the most recent edition of which appears in the current, April 2002 issue. I reported a couple of errors <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11289/">a couple of weeks ago</A> and now, sadly, I have more corrections to offer.
We were saddened to learn of the death of inventor and audio engineer David Blackmer. The founder of dbx and <A HREF="http://www.earthwks.com">Earthworks Audio Products, Inc.</A> died at his home in Wilton, NH on March 21. He was 75.
In my <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//thefifthelement/493/">January "The Fifth Element" column</A>, I discussed the concept of value in the context of audio component manufacture. This month's "Letters" includes a response to that column from Austrian distributor Hans Hirner. In his letter, Herr Hirner writes about some of his Web-surfing non-customers: "If that weren't enough, they also call me or my dealers to tell them how proud they are, after having taken all from me that is possible in system matching and trial—and even denoising their systems—to have been able to find 'our' products cheaper out there."
What could be easier to review than a power amplifier? No features or functions aside from inputs, outputs, and a power switch. So when Jonathan Scull asked if I could help out by taking on the Rotel RB 1080, which another reviewer hadn't been able to get to, I accepted the assignment. Before I could click my heels and say "FedEx!" twice, Rotel's 200Wpc RB 1080 had appeared.
It's been a while since we talked about our amplifiers (23 months in fact). So we'd like to know what you are using now and why you like it.
<A HREF="http://www.emigroup.com">EMI Group PLC</A> has gotten serious about surviving in a depressed market. In the wake of a disastrous multimillion-dollar <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11265/">payout</A> to pop singer Mariah Carey, the UK music label has announced sweeping cutbacks in its workforce—including many American executives—and in its roster of artists.
"Even right out of the box, it's obvious that the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/540/">Wadia Digital 861 CD player</A> is something special," writes Brian Damkroger in this month's issue. "Its heft and finish are beyond the usual high-end standards." But how about the sound?
Both SACD and DVD-Audio have been slow finding their way into higher-end players. Sony dominates the market for SACD, and the other major consumer electronics manufacturers are trickling out DVD-A and universal players. The few exceptions include SACD machines from <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/474/">Classé</A> and <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/340/">Accuphase</A>. Soon to be added to the list: Linn.