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PS Audio's Power Plant P500

Over the past few years, PS">http://www.psaudio.com">PS Audio's P300http://www.stereophile.com//accessoryreviews/181/">P300; AC regenerator has been very well received by the audiophile community, winning praise (and a Stereophile "Recommended Components" listing) for its ability to lower the noise floor to vanishing levels and to extract unforeseen levels of performance from users' hi-fi systems. Good as it is, the P300 disappointed some because it can't supply enough current for power amps or other juice-hungry gear needing more than its 300W maximum. Some users also complained that despite the sonic improvement offered, the P300 was too bulky for its power rating, ran too hot, and drew too much current when simply idling.


D&M Takes Another Bite

The streak of acquisitions for D&M">http://www.dm-holdings.com">D&M Holdings continues. Last month saw the company pick">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11595/">pick up its third major consumer electronics brand when McIntosh Laboratory was brought into the fold with Denon and Marantz. Last week, D&M announced that it was successful in a bid to acquire certain assets comprising the digital video recorder and MP3 business units of troubled SONICblue.


Recoton Saved

Last week found Recoton strugglinghttp://www.stereophile.com/news/11618/">struggling; to keep its head above water. This week Gemini Industries tossed the beleaguered company a rope, announcing that it had reached an agreement to acquire Recoton's consumer electronics accessories business. In support of this transaction and Gemini's growth plan, the company raised new funding from Boston-based Parthenon Capital.


Apple + Universal?

A month after news of Apple Computer's start-up subscription music service, reports began circulating that the company was negotiating to buy Universal Music Group, the dominant player in the global music market. The rumored buyout, first reported April 10, was variously quoted at $5–6 billion. The discussions between Apple and UMG may have been blown out of proportion; by April 12 the New York Times was suggesting that Apple might invest in UMG, but was in no position to make an outright acquisition.


Herb Papier Dead at 86

Stereophile was saddened to learn of the death of Herb Papier earlier this month. He was 86. A musician—he was an amateur trumpeter—music lover, and inventor, Papier was best known in the audiophile community as the designer and original manufacturer of the Wheaton Tri-Planar tonearm.


Added to the Archives This Week

Michael Fremer almost grasps upsampling when he looks into the dCS">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/814/">dCS Verdi SACD transport, Purcell D/D converter, and Elgar Plus D/A converter. MF notes, "Explaining what you get for your $34k is somewhat easier than explaining upsampling, but due to the dCS gear's enormous flexibility and multitude of features, it's not that much easier."


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