News

Mission to the US

Jon Iverson Jan 05, 2004 First Published: Jan 05, 2004

British loudspeaker manufacturer Missionhttp://www.mission.co.uk">Mission; has announced a major marketing push into North America with the launch of its new distribution arm, Mission">http://www.mission-usa.com">Mission U.S.A. The company, founded in 1977 and noted for using one of the first polypropylene-cone drivers in 1978, had been distributing its products in the US through Denon Canada.

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New Financing Boosts XM Radio

Barry Willis Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

Satellite startup XM">http://www.xmradio.com">XM Radio got a nice Christmas gift on December 24—an infusion of $450 million in new financing that should sustain it well into 2004.

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Shocking Audio News

Jon Iverson Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

We all know that audiophile products are dangerous to the pocketbook, but one high-end audio manufacturer is notifying its customers that one of its subwoofers may be dangerous to the listener's health as well.

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Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

J. Gordon Holt and various other Stereophile writers are brought together to create the definitive review archive of the Audio">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/739/">Audio Research SP9 preamplifier. The SP9 review was controversial in its day, and the complete review archives include manufacturer and reader comments.

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NHT Makes Another Move

Jon Iverson Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

Arizona-based Rockford">http://www.rockfordcorp.com">Rockford Corporation announced last week that it has acquired loudspeaker designer Now">http://www.nhthifi.com">Now Hear This (NHT) from Recoton Corporation. Previous Rockford acquisitions include Fosgate, Hafler, Acoustat, and MB Quart. The company says that specific terms of the new agreement are confidential.

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Retailing: Mixed Results

Barry Willis Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

The last months of 2002 were uneven ones for electronics retailers. American consumers, apparently trying to stretch their home entertainment dollars as far as possible, patronized discount stores while bypassing more upscale competitors.

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Industry Roundup

Barry Willis Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

Price fixing rumors squashed: On Tuesday, December 23, the US Department of Justice officially ended a two-year investigation of price fixing by major record labels, with a report that it had found no evidence to support any of the allegations. The investigation began in summer 2001 and concentrated primarily on online music service MusicNet, a joint venture by Warner Music Group, EMI Group, BMG Entertainment, and RealNetworks; and Pressplay, a joint venture by Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. The majors had been accused of conspiring to keep startups out of the online music distribution business.

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Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

Incorporating the company's new "black box" crossover design, the Acarian">http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/1203acarian">Acarian Alón Li'l Rascal Mk.II loudspeaker captured Robert J. Reina's attention. "I fired up the Li'l Rascals, wondering if I'd catch a glimpse of the dynamic performance I'd heard from the Exotica Grand References at HE2001," explains BJR.

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HD Radio Goes Live

Jon Iverson Dec 29, 2003 First Published: Dec 29, 2003

There's traditional AM and FM radio, there's XM and Sirius satellite radio, and there are various cable and satellite dish "radio" music services. And finally, there's HD Radio.

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The Return of Fried Products

Jon Iverson Dec 22, 2003 First Published: Dec 22, 2003

One of audio's true originals, Irving "Bud" Fried first made his mark in the late 1950s by becoming an early US importer of Lowther corner horn and Quad electrostatic loudspeakers. By 1975, he had established his own company and began releasing speaker models under the Fried nameplate.