Do we need to settle on one format, or should there be many?
WIth DVD-Audio on the horizon, the standards wars have led to a dizzying number of new format variations. Not only do we have different data-rate proposals, we're not even sure how many channels we need. Which do you prefer: a universal audio standard, or a niche-market approach?
Do you adjust your balance control at all?
Last week we picked on tone controls, so this week, we'll put the spotlight on the balance knob. Do you use it in your system? Is it at any setting other than dead center?
Do you agree with the RIAA's strong-arm approach for dealing with downloaders?
The RIAA has been very aggressive in going after audio downloaders that it says are violating copyright laws. Do you agree with its tactics?
Do you attend classical music concerts?
Though the recordings sell in <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR20100… numbers</A>, the real thing continues to thrive. Do you attend classical music concerts?
Do you buy classical music?
A <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR20100… article</A> details the lackluster sales of classical music discs. Do you buy classical music?
Do you buy new LP records?
The vinyl boom is one thing, but do analog-loving audiophiles actually buy new records? How about you? Do you buy new LP records?
Do you buy used CDs?
Some folks have to hear the sound of the plastic wrap snapping off every time they get a new disc, while others just want to save some dough. Do used CDs find their way into your collection?
Do you care about DRM technology being used with the music you buy?
With official audio downloads and even CDs and high-rez audio now encumbered with DRM (digital rights management) technology, it would appear we are at the dawn of the restricted music format age. Is this a problem for you, or just another bump in the audio road?
Do you connect your loudspeaker cables to your amp and loudspeaker with bare wire at the ends or with connectors? If you use connectors, what kind do you use?
Sometimes less is more, but then again, maybe not when it comes to audio. Do you connect your loudspeaker cables to your amp and loudspeaker with bare wire at the ends or with connectors such as pins, spade lugs, or banana plugs? If you use connectors, what kind do you use?
Do you consider yourself an audio subjectivist or objectivist?
The battle rages on in the audio shops, the pages of <I>Stereophile</I>, and in the online news groups: Subjectivist (relies on direct experience to judge audio quality) versus Objectivist (relies on experimental evidence to judge differences and quality). What are your tendencies?