Stereophile Staff

One of the more popular monthly columns in <I>Stereophile</I> these days is Jonathan Scull's "Fine Tunes." To keep our online readers fit and tweaked, we are going to be adding Scull's columns to the online Archives section on a weekly basis, starting with the first column he wrote for the magazine, back in July 1998: "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/169/">Fine Tunes #1</A>." "I think I just got 2000 bucks' worth of difference," writes a reader about the value of the advice contained in J-10's first installment.

If all goes according to publicists' wishes, Web surfers will be able to access music previews beginning November 15 without the necessity of using a third-party software player, such as RealNetworks G2, to play downloaded audio files. Streaming-audio provider <A HREF="http://www.audiobase.com/">AudioBase.com</A&gt; has signed deals with several heavyweight corporate sponsors for the launch of its music previews. Participants include Sony Music, K-Tel, and Levi-Strauss. The deals are being announced in conjunction with Internet audio conference <A HREF="http://www.webnoize.com/">Webnoize</A&gt;.

In his review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/167/">SimAudio Moon P-5 preamplifier and W-5 power amplifier</A>, Kal Rubinson wrote, "something about their aesthetics appealed to me: Canadian ruggedness coupled with a decidedly French panache. I remember that those attributes also characterized the demo's sound, although I can't recall the speakers or the sources involved. At succeeding shows, it gradually dawned on me that the Moon components were the fixed elements in a succession of impressive demos."

In a move that it says is designed to position it for "continued growth and leadership in the consumer electronics field," the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) unveiled last week its new incarnation: the <A HREF="http://www.cemacity.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA). The announcement comes on the heels of a decision, made earlier this week by the Board of Governors of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), to allow separate incorporation for its sector associations.

More members of the <A HREF="http://www.cedia.org/">Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association</A> (CEDIA) are doing retail sales than ever before, although not necessarily out of traditional retail locations, according to new statistics released by the organization. In addition, an increasing number of referrals come from builders rather than from interior designers and architects, indicating that home buyers see home theater and distributed music systems as valuable features.

According to the <A HREF="http://www.cemacity.org">Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association</A> (CEMA), the month of August saw hot increases in the sales of audio products. Factory sales of audio products rose 7%, to $694 million, equaling year-to-date revenues of $4.7 billion, slightly ahead of the first eight months of 1998.

Steven Stone writes that "the Signature SC-VI is probably the most 'anti-tweak' flagship high-end speaker ever made." In his very thorough review of the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/162/">Dunlavy Audio Labs Signature SC-VI loudspeaker</A>, Stone details this legendary audiophile favorite from top to bottom. Is it the perfect speaker? Stone lays down his verdict, and more.