Listening to music in a vacuum--or why some audiophiles love the sound of tube amplifiers

Vacuum tubes are hot!(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

It's like the difference in taste between a tomato you grew in your backyard or one of those plastic things at the supermarket, or frozen pizza vs. a slice fresh out of the oven in Little Italy. We're talking big differences here. And those are the sort of sensual pleasures high-end audio delivers compared to iPods and ear buds. Sure, the little buggers sound good enough, but if you really love music, don't you want to hear your tunes sound as good as they can?

I'm sitting here listening to the late British singer/songwriter Nick Drake, and his lines "Do you feel like a remnant of something that's passed?/Do you find things are moving a little too fast?" put the consumer electronics' current ball of confusion in perspective. If you've had enough of the never ending parade of formats: cassette, LP, CD, DVD-Audio, SACD, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS Master Audio, Blu-ray, DVD, HD DVD, HDMI, HDMI, 1.1, HDMI 1.2, HDMI 1.3, HDMI 1.3a, and now HDMI 1.3b, you might be ready to drop out.

This little Darling 1626 amplifier that came to me from George Lenz of TubesUSA is the perfect antidote to that malaise. The amp is an all-vacuum tube design (no transistors) and hooked up to my Zu Audio Druid Mk IV speakers the sound is spectacularly beautiful. There, I said it, the "B" word, which is after all, why musicians seek out old Martin guitars and Steinway pianos. It's why some folks go for early analog Moog synthesizers. It's the sound baby!

The Darling 1626 in all its glory.(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

It's the same deal with vacuum tube audio amplifiers, they somehow coax more natural sound from recordings than solid state or digital amplifiers do. The tone feels richer, warmer, sweeter, more like the way instruments sound in real life. My recordings take on a dimensional solidity, and vocals sound distinctly more flesh and blood human. Tubes also look really cool; sure, they have their followers here in the land of Coca Cola, but European and Asian audiophiles are even more devout believers.

The Darling 1626 amplifier goes for $2,500, but this amplifier wasn't born in a factory; Lenz only builds one when he has a buyer. He imports all sorts of tubes and not only tests each one, he actually takes the time to listen to them as well! He also sells exotic Japanese amps, like the Kurashima 2A3 integrated amplifier ($4,995) that pumps out four (4) watts per channel, double the juice of the Darling, but since my Zu speakers are extremely efficient, they can sing with a couple of watts. These handmade amplifiers aren't cheap, but the pleasures of living with handcrafted designs are a big part of their appeal. The people like Lenz who build these things do it for the love of it, and that's a rare commodity in the twenty first century. The TubesUSA Web site is loaded with great info, especially for the hard-core DIY (do it yourself) audiophile crowd.

'Star Trek' horn is enough to rile aliens

(Credit: Amazon)

In case anyone was wondering, the ringtone craze is officially out of control. Well past their cell-phone roots, custom tunes for home land lines are just one example of a phenomenon that has even extended to doorbells. But its application in car horns are clearly the worst of the bunch.

And accessories such as the "Wolo 485 Star Trek Air Horn," we fear, may indicate that the trend is gaining in popularity. For better or worse, this device blares only one tune with its five air trumpets--the theme from the final frontier--similar to the custom old-school horns that played the likes of the opening notes of The Godfather theme.

Given universal obession with all things Star Trek, however, the Wolo 485 has the potential to go where no horn has gone before--at 118 decibels the whole way, according to Geek Alerts. If alien life forms were to launch an attack in retaliation, their actions would be perfectly justified.

Washington Post sticks by RIAA story despite evidence it goofed

It's late on Wednesday evening and the Washington Post has yet to correct a story that accused the recording industry of trying to paint law-abiding music fans as criminals.

But the paper should make things right and soon.

Marc Fisher, a Post columnist, wrote on Sunday that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asserted in a legal brief that anyone who copies music from a CD onto their computer is a thief. The document, filed last month, was part of the RIAA's copyright suit against Jeffrey Howell, an Arizona resident accused of illegal file sharing.

Quoting from the brief, Fisher wrote that the RIAA had argued that MP3 files created from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" and violate the law. If it were true, the move would represent a major shift in strategy by the RIAA, which typically hasn't challenged an individual's right to copy CDs for personal use.

The problem with the Fisher's story is that nowhere in the RIAA's brief does the group call someone a criminal for simply copying music onto a computer. Throughout the 21-page brief, the recording industry defines what it considers to be illegal behavior and it boils down to this: creating digital recordings from CDs and then uploading them to file-sharing networks.

A sentence on page 15 of the brief clearly spells out the RIAA's position: "Once (Howell) converted plaintiff's recording into the compressed MP3 format and they are in his shared folder, they are no longer the authorized copies distributed by Plaintiff." "Rather than suing its customers and slamming reporters, the RIAA might better spend its energies focusing on winning back the trust of an alienated consumer base." --Marc Fisher, columnist

The key words there are "shared folder" and it's an important distinction. It means that before the RIAA considers someone a criminal, a person has to at least appear to be distributing music.

The Post story, which followed similar pieces in Ars Technica and Wired.com, has spurred scores of other media outlets to repeat the paper's erroneous assertion. Ironically, even typically anti-RIAA blogs, such as Engadget, Gizmodo and TechDirt have jumped in on the side of the RIAA.

"The Washington Post story is wrong," said Jonathan Lamy, an RIAA spokesman. "As numerous commentators have since discovered after taking the time to read our brief, the record companies did not allege that ripping a lawfully acquired CD to a computer or transferring a copy to an MP3 player is infringement. This case is about the illegal distribution of copyrighted songs on a peer-to-peer network, not making copies of legally acquired music for personal use."

After reading Lamy's statement, Fisher didn't back down.

He responded in an e-mail to CNET News.com: "The bottom line is that there is a disconnect between RIAA's publicly stated policy that making a personal copy of a CD is ok and the theory advanced by its lawyers that in fact, transferring music to your computer is an unauthorized act."

He took one more shot before signing off: "Rather than suing its customers and slamming reporters, the RIAA might better spend its energies focusing on winning back the trust of an alienated consumer base."

Still, Fisher received little support from respected and independent copyright experts. William Patry, the copyright guru at Google--not exactly known as a lackey for copyright holders--wrote on his blog that the RIAA is being "unfairly maligned" in the Post story.

Patry does, however, caution that recent statements made by the RIAA and included in Fisher's story reflect the group's growing tendency to use language as a means of control.

Fisher quoted Sony BMG's chief of litigation, Jennifer Pariser, who testified recently in court that "when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song."

Patry disagreed.

"This new rhetoric of 'everything anyone does without (RIAA) permission is stealing' is well worth noting and well worth challenging at every occasion," Patry wrote. "It is the rhetoric of copyright as an ancient property right, permitting copyright owners to control all uses as a natural right; the converse is that everyone else is an immoral thief."

Greg Sandoval is a former Washington Post staff writer.

Radiohead on iTunes? Yup

Filed under: iTunes

As many of you (judging by the number of e-mail tips we have received) know, the latest Radiohead album, "In Rainbows" is now available on iTunes. The album is $9.99 in the US and released via iTunes Plus, meaning the files are DRM free. This is the first Radiohead album to appear on iTunes (though fans will note that frontman, Thom Yorke's solo album, "The Eraser," has been on iTunes since its debut in 2006), where Radiohead has remained one of an ever-shrinking group of high profile artists not to list their catalog with the digital service.

Previously, "In Rainbows" was available as a free or "pay what you want" download directly from the band. While the success of this promotion has been debated, it was always clearly devised as a promotion nonetheless. Shortly before launching the "In Rainbows" download promotion/experiment, Radiohead announced that the record, at that time, would not be released via iTunes. So what has changed? Well, the biggest change is that Radiohead is no longer with EMI. Digital sales have long been a point of contention between the band and their former label (and it is a primary reason the back catalog is not on iTunes and will probably not be on iTunes in the foreseeable future), now that the band has control over its own music and licensing terms (and is releasing the album via independent labels online and in retail stores), iTunes has become a viable distribution method.

To make it even more clear: Radiohead decided to split from their large record label, in order to build-up hype for the album's official charting release, they did the free/pay-what-you-want online promotion. Now that the album has been officially released (so that it can be tracked by SoundScan and other technologies), it is being made available through both online and retail outlets. For instance, the album is also available at Amazon.com's DRM-free MP3 store for $7.99 US. Amazon also carries the majority of the EMI back-catalog (excluding "Kid A," for reasons unclear to me), which I assume is the result of differing contracts between the two digital services.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

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Gift ideas for your dysfunctional boss

This might have been more timely a week or two ago, but there's always Boss's Day (October 16th in case you were wondering) and the inevitable birthday. Regardless of the occasion, giving and receiving gifts are typically joyous experiences for both parties.

But when it comes to an employee giving his or her boss a gift, well, let's just say there might be a whole lot more going on there than meets the eye.

Your boss will likely think you're sucking up; dysfunctional executives love that sort of thing. But in fact, you're sending a message. And whether it's out in the open or subtly or even not-so-subtly hidden is entirely up to you. In any case, here are some novel suggestions for the nutcase boss on your gift list.

Blood pressure monitor(Credit: A" >

Controlling People by Patricia Evans(Credit: Steve Tobak)

BOOK ON CONTROLLING PEOPLE. Bosses are always trying to get employees to read books and take classes to improve their skills. Why not the other way around? It's a great way to send a not-so-subtle message about what you think of their behavior. This is one of my favorites.



Market analysis tool(Credit: Steve Tobak)

HIGH-TECH MARKET ANALYSIS TOOL. Decision-making for dysfunctional executives is often more about their emotional state or superstition than anything resembling logic or deductive reasoning. Who knows, buying and selling stocks at random might actually be an improvement.



Armida Poizin Wine(Credit: Steve Tobak)

POIZIN "THE WINE TO DIE FOR". What better way to reduce the stress of acting out and throwing tantrums like a spoiled child all day long than a glass or two of vino. Not only is this very good wine, but like the book, your boss may even get the hint.



Danbury Greatest Boss Clock(Credit: Steve Tobak)

"GREATEST BOSS" CLOCK. Sadly, dysfunctional bosses are often in denial about their behavior. Most believe they have to be tough for their employee's own good. More than likely your boss will think you mean it, but you and your coworkers will know the truth.



Favorite Pet Picture Frame(Credit: Casey Tobak)

FAVORITE PET PICTURE FRAME. Dysfunctional executives don't relate well to people, which explains why they act like self-important jerks much of the time. But they love their pets, which they often elevate to iconic status. Otherwise your boss can use it for the person she loves most - herself.

Now you know the real reason why it's better to give than to receive ... at least until you become a boss and start getting strange gifts with double meanings.

BenQ shares SideShow spotlight

(Credit: Crave Asia)

BenQ is the latest to offer laptops with an external LCD screen featuring Microsoft's "SideShow" technology, following Asus and LG.

SideShow is the feature of Windows Vista that allows playback of multimedia files, as well as email and calendars, on a separate screen without having to boot up the machine. Unfortunately, one pays a premium for this feature. For example, the SideShow LG R200-Q compared to the cheaper LG R200-G variant costs an extra $500 or so. For that price one can get a basic PDA that serves a similar function.

The BenQ Q41, however, ups the ante by adding Skype to the mix. Using the external LCD, you can connect, call and talk to your pals over the internet without booting the machine. Though it may not be the killer app for SideShow to really take off, it's a step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the other specifications for this Core 2 Duo machine does not really impress. It uses an integrated SIS Mirage 3+ graphics engine, which means hardcore gaming is out of the equation. Its memory support ends at 2GB of RAM and only has a 10/100 Ethernet port and 802.11b/g compatibility. This 14.1-inch laptop weighs more than 4.6 pounds and is rated for 2.5 hours of uptime. Hence, other than the external SideShow LCD, the BenQ Q41 is really a basic computing system. No pricing and launch date are available at this time.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Apple developing dynamic keyboard

Filed under: Hardware, Rumors

According to Apple Insider, Apple has filed a patent for a dynamic, OLED-based keyboard that will allow on-the-fly keyboard layouts via software. Each key would have a matrix of OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) that display that key's currently configured character.

Not only would this dynamic keyboard design be able to show you the effects of meta keys on standard keys, it would also allow for swappable language configurations. As a user with a bizarre keyboard fetish, I would personally jump all over this, even if it didn't have the Matias Mechanical Keyswitch.

[via Apple Insider]

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Mac 101: Keyboard text selection

Filed under: OS, Mac 101

For someone who loves keyboard launchers like Quicksilver, I have to confess an embarrassing deficiency in my keyboard competency: I've never really learned to select text with the keyboard. So I thought the topic would make for a nice beginning of the year Mac 101.

The keyboard text selection commands on the Mac are basically standard. To select text you hold down the SHIFT key and then use the arrow keys or HOME, END, PAGEUP, and PAGEDOWN. The left/right arrow keys (plus SHIFT) will increase the selection one character in that direction, if you hold down the OPTION (⌥) key the left/right arrows will select an entire word in that direction, and if you hold down the ⌘ key the left/right arrows will select to the beginning or end of the line. The up/down arrow keys (plus SHIFT) will select a full line up or down; with the OPTION key held down the up/down arrows will select a paragraph. The HOME key (plus SHIFT) will select all the text to the beginning of the document and the END key (plus SHIFT) will select all the text to the end of the document. Finally, the PAGEUP and PAGEDOWN keys (plus SHIFT) will select a full "page" up or down.

Basically the upshot is this: hold down the SHIFT key while in a text field and it will shift to text selection. Also, if you use the keyboard shortcuts without the SHIFT key they will move the cursor without selecting text. If you play around with and internalize these commands I think you'll find that keyboard text selection is often faster than moving your hand to the mouse. These commands can be really handy if you're selecting text in very small boxes where you can't see much (e.g. long names in open and save dialog sheets). One proviso: these shortcuts should work in all Cocoa applications, but they may not all work in non-Cocoa ones.

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MacHeist 2 bundle will include Pixelmator

Filed under: Software, Deals

As the MacHeist 2 software scavenger hunt winds down this weekend, the release of the MH software bundle for full-fare paying customers is just around the corner. TUAW has learned that the contents of the bundle will be announced next week on January 9th, and pricing will be the same as last year ($49). As usual, MacHeist donates 25% of the purchase prices of the bundles to charity.

What exactly is going to be in that package of code-y goodness? Well, the precise mix of apps is still under wraps; what we know right now is that there will be 10 or more products represented, with "some major names" among them. One thing that we are told will definitely be in the bundle is Pixelmator, so you'll be looking at a bargain on the basis of one $59 app by itself.

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QuickShareIt 2.0

Filed under: Software, Internet Tools

QuickShareIt, which we covered a while back, has received an upgrade to 2.0, adding many of the originally promised features as well as a host of new ones.

QuickShareIt is a Mac app that provides online storage and file sharing with both Mac and PC users. It's growing up amongst a host of similar products, but differentiates itself by offering some unique features centered around the teaming of its dock icon drop-box, "recent uploads" floating panel and web-based file access. For example, if you drag multiple images onto the dock icon, it will ask you if you want to create a gallery. When the upload finishes (with Growl notifications), it will give you a url that you can share and provide options for handling that gallery in the floating panel. It also accepts text clippings and creates a line-numbered, online document for quick sharing of code samples or text snippets. Previews for other filetypes are available.

Right now uploading to QuickShareIt is anonymous and public access. The developers are rolling out registration options in the near future, as well as paid options with extra features. If you want to try QuickShareIt out, just download the application and run it. There's no configuration or sign-up necessary (despite the option being present), just drag files or text clippings onto the dock icon and watch it go.

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Mark/Space ships Missing Sync for iPhone

Filed under: Software, iPhone

We mentioned back in September that Mark/Space was planning a version of Missing Sync for the iPhone and now they've finally released it. In many ways it seems mainly focused on backing up your iPhone data to your Mac. It allows you to download SMS messages, your call log, and Notes. Unfortunately, the Notes functionality remains one-way; it lets you download notes from the iPhone to your Mac, but not upload them. It addition it will help in transferring personal data if you're migrating from a Palm, Blackberry or Windows Mobile device.

Missing Sync for iPhone is $39.95 thought a $24.95 crossgrade is available for owners of other qualifying Missing Sync products.

[via PowerPage]

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Widget Watch: HD Radio

Filed under: Internet Tools, Widget Watch

RadioSherpa has released an Apple Dashboard widget that streams radio stations from Boston, New York and San Francisco (they promise more are on the way), including several HD2 stations. It's pretty cool, and even displays the name of the current song in real-time before you load the stream.

Note that you've got to install the VLC web browser plug-in to get this to work, so keep that in mind.

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More iChat Effects

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Internet Tools

I've got two toddlers who love video chatting with grandma and grandpa. It starts out cute, but quickly deteriorates into the two of them jumping around in front of the different effects and backgrounds.

More iChat Effects has made it worse.

This free download adds 48 new effects to iChat, including outer space, a mildly disturbing cube effect and a pretty cool hologram. More iChat Effects is a Universal Binary and includes an uninstaller, just in case you don't want to chat as the Mona Lisa.

Thanks, Grant!

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