Audiophile Delights
Audiophiles tend to be a fussy lot. But there are always a few sure-fire items that will put a smile on their faces without breaking the bank. We've got dozens of great ideas, guaranteed to suit every taste, available online (links are below) from our secure Web pages.
Audiophile Gold Among the 2006 Grammy Nominees
The 2006 Grammy nominations are in, and audiophiles have much to rejoice about. In a year when far too many pundits are sounding the death knell for the CD in general and high-resolution formats in particular, there's a bumper crop of great sounding, high quality recordings vying for a listen.
Audiophile Inroads at AES
You hear a dismaying amount of bad sound on the Audio Engineering Society (AEShttp://www.aes.org">AES;) convention floor. Tizzy high frequencies and mushy bass are more common than not, but encouragingly, good-sounding products tend to draw small crowds or generate a buzz among attendees.
Audiophile Podcasts
Most audiophiles probably consider low-fi media such as podcasts irrelevant. But this may change when accessories manufacturer Boston">http://www.boston-audio.com">Boston Audio Design launches its new HiFi Industry Podcast Series later this fall.
Audiophile Sales Booming Online: One Entrepreneur's Tale
The recent success of online retailers---especially when launching initial public offerings---has been phenomenal. In the past two years, Internet shopping has taken off in a big way, and shows no indication of slowing down. Technology trendwatcher Forrester Research predictshttp://www.forrester.com/Press/Releases/Standard/0,1184,114,00.html">pr…; that worldwide Internet commerce will hit the $3.2 trillion mark within four years, accounting for 5% of all commerce.
Audiophile's Journey
Like most Americans, US audiophiles have little idea how difficult life can be for people in other countries. Imagine facing official censure for possessing some innocuous pop music, or taking 12 years to accumulate the complete works of one of your favorite rock groups. That was life in the old Soviet Union for Stereophile colleague Leonid Korostyshevski, who flew to Istanbul from Moscow on short notice, so we could spend a few days together prior to my embarking on a sailing trip in the eastern Mediterranean. The visit cemented a long-distance friendship established through numberless emails. It was also an in-depth education.
Audiophile's Journey, Part 2
Audiophile's">http://www.stereophile.com/news/072604journey/">Audiophile's Journey continues.
Audiophiles Scoff, but Rio MP3 Players Proliferate
MP3 may be under constant attack by audiophiles, and by music-industry attorneys in the courts, but the format shows no indication of disappearing. Santa Clara, CA–based S3http://www.s3.com/">S3;, maker of the Rio portable audio player, has reason to believe that MP3 has plenty of growth potential. The company is going after licensees for the Rio to make knockoffs, and has plans to produce Rio-type players for home and car audio this summer.
Audiophiles Targeted by New Removable Hard Drive
Last week, IBMhttp://www.ibm.com/harddrive">IBM; announced a new device that it says will allow mobile users to add an extra 10 gigabytes (GB) of hard-drive capacity to their notebook PCs. Why is this important to audio fans? IBM is intending the new drive, called the Travelstar E, to primarily appeal to those wanting to take extended music libraries with them on the road.
AudioQuest Dealer Event in New Mexico Saturday
Saturday, July 23, 10am12pm: Constellation Home Electronics (215 North Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe) will host a digital-audio seminar and listening event designed to equip music enthusiasts with the tools needed to understand, embrace, and optimize digital-audio playback systems.