It's been a while since the <I>Stereophile</I> website was freshened up. Probably too long. So this time we decided to start from scratch and combine the stack of reader suggestions we've received with the thousands of articles and other features already online to create something that we hope scratches your audiophile itch better than ever.
Using a personal computer as an audio component has certainly gained ground with gearheads in the last several years, and many new products, such as media servers, blur the line between a traditional component and a PC. At the same time, the general public is still resisting the idea of booting up their stereos or TVs.
Most audiophiles probably consider low-fi media such as podcasts irrelevant. But this may change when accessories manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.boston-audio.com">Boston Audio Design</A> launches its new HiFi Industry Podcast Series later this fall.
The first epiphany I experienced in blind audio testing took place in the Dunfey San Mateo Hotel, in Northern California. We were stuffed into a largish, well-lit room in which dozens of listeners sat in chairs, and others stood around the back or sat on the floor. Up front were two large <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/506">B&W Matrix 801</A> speakers on tall stands spaced far apart, behind them, opaque curtains hid a small pile of audio equipment. John Atkinson and Will Hammond stood at stage left.
The last couple of years have been a bumpy ride for <A HREF="http://referencerecordings.com/">Reference Recordings</A>. The company's troubles began two years ago this week when it was <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11719/index.html">announced</A> that it had been acquired by The Dorian Group after more than 25 years as an independent label dedicated to audiophile sonics.
For years now, Internet users willing to walk on the audio wild side have had access to millions of illicit music files via peer-to-peer file-trading services. But those who have tried to find locate of the commercial sources for online music files have found their choices limited.
Several <A HREF="http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showoldvotes.cgi">recent surveys</A> on the <I>Stereophile</I> website have uncovered a surprising trend among audiophiles: Many of you are heading online to both used- and new-product vendors to make equipment purchases that have traditionally been made at specialty audio retailers.
Once again, audiophiles can help themselves and help others at the same time by participating in The Cable Company's 10th annual "Summer Against Hunger" campaign. <A HREF="http://www.fatwyre.com/">The Cable Company</A> and a wide cross-section of its vendors (listed below) have set up a program in which up to 10% of The Cable Company's August sales are donated to <A HREF="http://www.careusa.org/">CARE</A> and the <A HREF="http://www.theirc.org/">International Rescue Committee</A>, with contributions to be used to assist the worldwide disaster relief efforts of those humanitarian organizations. This year, the situation is more critical than ever.
Ready or not, here comes the audio download future—and a sizable portion of it may be wireless (think cellphones). Or at least that's what IDC is predicting in a new study called "US Wireless Music 2005-2009 Forecast and Analysis: Grooves on The Move."
If you find yourself purchasing more new audio gear online each year, you are not alone. A recent study from the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA) reveals that online shopping for consumer electronics products is gaining in popularity. The CEA study finds that an average of 5% of all consumer electronics purchases are made online, with portable audio devices in particular selling more than 10% of product through online channels.