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Continuing Coverage of CES

Jon Iverson Jan 07, 2001 First Published: Jan 07, 2001 0 comments

Audiophiles on a budget will be pleased to learn that not everything on display at Alexis Park requires a second mortgage. We were particularly impressed by the Audes model 037 loudspeaker, of similar size and sound to Revel's excellent Performa F-30. At $1200/pair, the Audes offers extraordinary value. All the company's products, including the drivers, are made in Estonia for export to North and South America, Western (and parts of Eastern) Europe, and Asia. The company has yet to establish a dealer network in nearby Russia because of economic uncertainties there, according to an Audes executive, who cited Russian prejudice against Eastern European products as another discouraging factor.

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Charlie Lourie, Co-Founder of Mosaic Records, Dead at 60

Wes Phillips Jan 07, 2001 First Published: Jan 07, 2001 0 comments

Charlie Lourie, longtime jazz recording industry executive and co-founder of the enthusiast-oriented Mosaic Records, died December 31, 2000 from cardiac arrest, a complication of the rare viral disease scleroderma, from which he had suffered for the last three years. He was 60.

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CES Day 2

Jon Iverson Jan 06, 2001 First Published: Jan 06, 2001 0 comments

Evolutionary. That's the word that comes to mind after strolling about the Alexis Park, home of Specialty Audio exhibits at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show. The revolutionary stuff usually makes its debut at the Las Vegas Convention Center; here, in the high-end halls, we find manufacturers and designers more interested in perfecting existing technology.

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2001 CES Begins with Optimistic Predictions

Jon Iverson Jan 05, 2001 First Published: Jan 05, 2001 0 comments

The largest of six divisions of Royal Philips Electronics, Philips">http://www.philips.com/">Philips Consumer Electronics Mainstream intends to push the audio industry in several directions this year, according to a presentation made by the division's CEO Guy Demuynck at a January 5 press conference in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Long a dominant force in research and development, as well as in marketing consumer electronics, Philips has great hopes for every segment of the audio market. 2000 was a record year for the company, Demuynck said, and 2001 should be very good as well.

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Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 31, 2000 First Published: Dec 31, 2000 0 comments

Kalman Rubinson didn't expect to complete a full review of the Revel">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/302/">Revel Ultima Studio loudspeaker, planning instead to investigate only the company's F30 (also">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/244/">also available in the online archives). But after the Studios ended up spending several months in his home, there was only one honorable option available: 'fess up and submit his true feelings.

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Common CD Compatibility Complaint Conquered?

Jon Iverson Dec 31, 2000 First Published: Dec 31, 2000 0 comments

Recently, the Optical">www.osta.org">Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) announced the release of a new CD compatibility specification called "MultiPlay&quot">www.osta.org/multiplay">MultiPlay" for the computer and consumer electronics industries. OSTA says that the new specification is intended to ensure that Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) and Compact Disc ReWritable (CD-RW) discs created on personal computers can also be played in consumer CD and DVD players.

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Digital Radio: Big Development for 2001

Barry Willis Dec 31, 2000 First Published: Dec 31, 2000 0 comments

Radio will finally go digital in 2001. Among the oldest analog media, radio will be the last to make the transition, but it should make much faster headway in the market than digital television has. Satellite digital radio broadcasters XM">http://www.xmradio.com/">XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. and Sirius">http://www.siriusradio.com/">Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. are both on schedule to go live in the coming year, aided by partnerships with automakers to make digital receivers available as options in new cars. A strong automotive aftermarket for digital radio receivers is expected, with some industry insiders predicting that the first models will retail at approximately $100 apiece. Both XM and Sirius will offer multiple channels of music, news, comedy, sports, and talk show entertainment—all for about $10 per month per subscriber.

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Grado Labs, Singapore's FreeSystems Announce Wireless Headphones

Stereophile Staff Dec 31, 2000 First Published: Dec 31, 2000 0 comments

As almost all audiophiles have discovered, headphone cables just don't reach far enough. You want to lie on the sofa for a late night listen, but you find out the cable is about two feet short. You can rearrange your room, buy a cable extender—or go wireless. That's what Gradohttp://www.gradolabs.com/">Grado; is inviting you to do with the FreeSystems Grado Digital Headphone System.

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Radio Stations Must Pay for Webcasts, Copyright Office Rules

Barry Willis Dec 24, 2000 First Published: Dec 24, 2000 0 comments

American radio stations which stream music programming over the Internet may be facing substantial outlays in royalty fees paid to record companies, under a December 8 ruling by the US Copyright Office, a division of the Library of Congress. After months of legal wrangling, the office decided that radio stations are just as liable for such fees as other music sites. "Transmissions of a broadcast signal over a digital communications network such as the Internet are not exempt from copyright liability," the ruling states.

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Added to the Archives This Week

Stereophile Staff Dec 24, 2000 First Published: Dec 24, 2000 0 comments

DVD-Audio has been brewing for a couple of years now, finally going public with the Technics">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/300/">Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player. Jonathan Scull got his eager hands on this groundbreaking machine last September, only to find that evaluating a new format is a complicated affair. Will this player, and DVD-Audio in general, soothe the audiophile heart? Scull takes a listen and spills the bits.