Steve Pilgrim: Audio

Aldous Huxley. "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]

A GOOD BIBLIOGRAPHY

Conclusion. Due to a long-standing bug in Radio, I am unable to include the full text of this post here, for fear of damaging your News page. Please click the item title to read this post safely. [dive into mark]

A $2000 GADGET

A Multifaceted Machine Handles (Nearly) Everything. The FireBall, from Escient, can recognize and organize thousands of CD's, hundreds of MP3 files and dozens of Internet and satellite radio stations. By Sarah Milstein. [New York Times: Technology]

ACTUALLY A GREAT REVIEW OF AN INNOVATIVE PRODUCT
And not so much on the politics of Microsoft or Sony's domination

"Why Not Hate Sony?" David Pogue asks, sort of rhetorically, in his latest column for the NY Times. He's comparing Sony to MS, and the negative emotions that law-breaking, monopolistic enterprise evokes in some people, including yours truly. Perhaps it's because while Sony makes a lot of different products, they haven't driven anyone out of the marketplace. I can buy a TV, or a video camera, or a digital camera, or a PDA, or tape recorder, or a robotic dog from any of a number of other credible vendors. Perhaps it's because Sony products are often actually innovative, and usually work the way you expect them to. [Time's Shadow]

Oliver Wendell Holmes. "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body." [Motivational Quotes of the Day]

AUDIO REVIEWS AND SUSPENDED BELIEF
From the people who tell you they can hear a power cord

An employee of a local Starbucks once took an entire paragraph of some six or eight sentences to describe the "Coffee of the Day." It was "nutty, but had the hint of a mossy flavor as it cooled..." I was in tears, but tried to be polite and stifle the laughter.

However, I've read these audio reviews for years just for the hilarity! Power cords hooked to speakers provide you with a deafening sixty cycle hum right before they melt. Apparently, some folk can hear them even when they're quiet. "qbullet.sidesmiley"

Casting doubt on hi-fi reviews. "particularly solid and clear bass, extended but without ever being excessive" "tonality of most instruments and voices seems generally natural, with just a hint of dryness occasionally" "a slight loss in tangibility of sound, which in turn makes for a little less listener involvement" "Imaging is excellent and there is no detectable change in character with level." On their own, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that these quotes come out of a hi-fi magazine. However, you might be surprised to learn that these quotes are describing different digital interconnects. [kuro5hin.org]

IEEE SPECTRUM ON DIGITAL HUBS

"Digital Hubbub" is an article about the digital alternatives in future home entertainment centers. It's quite well done and worth the read.

DAVID POGUE DOES ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW

Headphones Untethered. A new generation of wireless headphones offers even greater freedom for mobile listeners. By David Pogue. [New York Times: Arts]

TO SWITCH OR NOT TO SWITCH
Read Walter Mossberg's notions last week & this week

PowerBook runner-up in Worth Magazine's laptop category [MacCentral]

CBDTPA
Nonsense

READ THIS POST from Dan Hanson on the Hollings bill. Then get mad. [Instapundit]

Victor Borge. "The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer." [Quotes of the Day]

THIS IS TEMPTING

Apple: Top 10 Reasons to switch to a Mac [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]

THE HOBBY I'VE FORGOTTEN

Acoustics Crash Course 1 - Room Modes. With the proliferation of home recording studios, many more people have questions about room acoustics than before. This article first in a series meant to be a starting point in your understanding of acoustics in rectangular rooms. [kuro5hin.org]

Collection Skyrockets in Value

THE RIAA has stumbled upon a an approach that may just solve their problems. [InstaPundit]

Audiophiles want to know

How to Build The Perfect Home Theater PC [Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters]

Go Napster!

BERTELSMANN AGREED to acquire Napster's assets. The stunning reversal means the return to the online music service of several top executives who had resigned after an earlier deal collapsed. [Wall Street Journal]

More thanks are in order!

Last night I thanked Dave Winer for pointing to me (and my questions) from Scripting News.

This morning, a number of you have come through with comments or emails. Here are the details:

On my question about Audio, MP3 and audiophile (high-end) systems, Alwin Hawkins pointed me to a US Robotics device for wirelessly sending MP3 files from a PC or server to an audio system.

Then, I got a comment and an email from Dave Luebbert. He took the time to start my education in MP3's and high end audio systems. Take a look at his comment here. More importantly, take a look at SongTrellis. A great Manilla site.

Trusting that "thanks" is not bad form in weblogging, ...

I'll say thanks to "Dave" for the Scripting News link. I appreciate it.

I'm also interested in where the music business is headed, although for slightly different reasons. Smarter folk than I will figure out the business issues and the technology issues that reward creative people for developing great art, music, books, plays, movies, etc.

I'm interested in the pace of change and the types of changes that will allow my selections of music to play through a serious stereo system. iPods, Walkmen and assorted PC speaker systems aren't what I have in mind. I want to use a fairly high-end audio system without taking every MP3 to a CD burner. We should be able to feed a stereo system from a server.

Audiophiles that blog?

In the distant past I was an audiophile. If reading about the latest tweaks, gear and notions about what sounds good counts, I'm still an audiophile. I've never used the internet to look for audiophile sites or to look at the popular magazine sites - stereophile, the absolute sound, etc.

My interest today is in building a nice sounding system around MP3 files and a server that could behave like a jukebox. The server as a member of a component stereo system is fairly new. Anyone doing this? Any clues, tips or weblogs out there?