Claude Debussy composed some of the most sublime music ever written. Clair de Lune, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, La mer, Pelléas et Mélisande - all are impressionist masterpieces. The maestro may thus be surprised to learn that his name has become a brand of a start-up company incongruently named Funky Sound Studio.
When I entered the Hi-Res Audio pavilion, my eye was immediately attracted to the Lincoln Continental parked there. This $70,000 vehicle is a luxury looker, and since it was sitting in an official Hi-Res area, I suspected it would sound good too. My suspicions proved correct.
The Mytek Digital is now shipping the Clef. What, exactly, is the Clef? Oddly shaped, it is a digital-to-analog converter and headphone amplifier that lets you significantly up the quality of playback from your phone.
I am a fan of 1More. Their wired earphones have provided me with audiophile playback quality at reasonable price points. In particular, their triple-driver earbuds have been a personal favorite of mine. Now, this design, and others, will be available in a wireless format.
CES, of course, is all about consumer electronics. And as you've probably noticed, today's cars are jam-packed with electronics. But that's nothing compared to what's coming down the road in the near future.
It seemed like a good idea. Novel, kind of offbeat, hip for sure, and overall just a nice bit of PR. But, of course, on the Internet, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
I was late to class that morning. So I was a bit over the speed limit, astride my trusty BMW R50/2 motorcycle, heading into town and onto campus. I spotted something shiny lying in the middle of the highway. No time to explore — I was late. But on the way home that night, my weak headlight (6-volt, you know) saw that glimmer again, now on the side of the highway. I braked and circled back...
Work with me here. I'll try my best to explain. The gist of it is this: Millennials are going to move out of cities and start buying home theaters. Lots of home theaters.
Ground control to Major Tom. Ground control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills. And put your helmet on. Your roadster is washed and waxed. Turn your stereo on. That's earth in your rear-view mirror.
How important is internet connectivity? In a poll of 18- to 25-year-olds in the U.K., they valued a good internet connection more highly than trifles such as a healthy diet, hot water, daylight, and the welfare system. Now, I admit that vegetables have never been high on my favorites list. Hmm....
I once observed that the business of running a recording studio was like renting out a Gutenberg Bible for parties. Your upfront costs are enormous, the anticipated income is relatively slight, and the potential downsides can be tragic. Largely because of that terrible business model, the studio business has changed dramatically.
It's perplexing, that's what it is. In fact, it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma — that sound in Havana that is said to have sickened or deafened diplomats there. No one can explain what it is. Here — you listen to it, and see if you can identify it.
“The Quality Goes in Before the Name Goes On.” If you are of a certain age, that trademarked slogan is imprinted in your brain. It was marketed relentlessly. And it was a darn good slogan. It assured you that any product with the company’s name on it was of high quality. It also redirected your attention to the importance of the name of the company itself; you didn’t need to know anything else about the product; the company’s name ensured that it was good. My, how times have changed.
The plan was straightforward. Founded on the overwhelming popularity of the iPod, and then boosted by the dominance of the iPhone, iTunes was ready to own audio and video downloads and streaming. The executives in Cupertino probably had a calendar on the wall, with the exact date of achieving world domination circled in red. That hasn't worked out.