News

One can almost imagine how it all started: "Hey, you got a computer in my audio system." "No, you got an audio system in my computer . . . "

Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet, audiophile recording label Delos">http://www.delosmus.com/">Delos International is not abandoning the DVD-Audio format. A quick call to the Hollywood, CA–based company cleared up some confusion created when a few people noticed that "DVD-A" doesn't appear anywhere on the Delos homepage.

All of us at Stereophile were saddened to learn of the death of mastering engineer Denny Purcell, whose body was found Thursday, August 22 in the offices of his Georgetown Masters studio in Nashville. He was 51.

FireWire's prospects got a little hotter last week, as equipment manufacturers Denon">http://www.denon.com">Denon Electronics and Onkyohttp://www.onkyous.com">Onkyo; announced new license agreements with Digital">http://www.digitalharmony.com">Digital Harmony Technologies. The companies say that they have selected Digital Harmony to add standards-based IEEE-1394 (aka FireWire or iLink) interfaces to their product lines, and both companies expect to release Digital Harmony-powered products in 2000, each certified for compatibility with a number of 1394-based products made by other Digital Harmony partners in the US and Europe.

Denon, Marantz, and Classé announced today that the HEOS wireless audio platform will adopt a new identity, transitioning from "HEOS Built-in" to "Powered by HEOS." The rebranding accompanies a redesigned app interface and expanded platform capabilities, marking a decade since the platform's 2014 launch.

On March 24, the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division stated that, "after thorough and careful review" (translation: more than one year) Sirius Satellite Radio's $5 billion offer to purchase XM Satellite Radio "is not likely to harm consumers."

The numbers are looking better for MP3.comhttp://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com;, the music-archiving site under attackhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10657/">attack; by the Recording Industries Association of America and its allieshttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10708/">allies;. Despite the legal pressure, MP3.com has seen its revenues surge as the popularity of downloadable music continues to grow. On April 20, the San Diego–based company reported that its revenue increased to $17.5 million for the first quarter of 2000 compared to $666,000 for the same period a year earlier. MP3.com now has 10 million registered users, according to CEO Michael Robertson.