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A drop-off in business these days seems to produce one inevitable consequence: a cutback in jobs.

From the October issue, John Atkinson gets acquainted with the Morel">http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?942">Morel Octwin 5.2M loudspeaker, noting, "Once you become accustomed to its admittedly weird looks, it is actually visually appealing and has a small footprint in the listening room." But there's something about the Morel's sound that causes JA to raise an eyebrow.

Sony">http://www.sony.com/SEL">Sony Electronics will soon institute some big changes in an effort to become more efficient.

Paul Bolin takes a spin with the Vacuum">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/938/">Vacuum Tube Logic TL-7.5 Reference line preamplifier, observing, "For some reason, the light has never shone quite as brightly on VTL's front-end electronics, perhaps in part because it's been so long since the company attempted a headline-grabbing, all-out assault on the state of that art."

Only a few short years ago, Napster quickly took root to show the world how Internet-based audio file-trading was where music distribution's future growth might run wild. But the record labels would have none of it and just as swiftly took a legal chainsaw to Napster's trunk, laying it waste and leaving plenty of room for Kazaa and other unsanctioned services to sprout like weeds.

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 (AFTRAhttp://www.aftra.org">AFTRA;).

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