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Akihabara News: Announced earlier this year in Europe and North America and widely available overseas since this summer, the DBP-1611UD, Denon latest 3D Universal Blu-Ray player will finally be available in Japan within this month (December).

Supporting BD, DVD, CD as well as DVD-Audio and SACD disks, the DBP-1611UD comes also with the support of DivX Plus HD, AVCHD, DLNA, YouTube, Netflix (for the USA), as well as the usual MP3 and WMA file support.

The DBP-1611UD will be sold in Japan at around 52,000 Yen MSRP.

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Akihabara News: JVC today expanded its Procision series of premium-level products with the introduction of a new high-performance micro audio system. The new JVC UX-J51 is a three-piece system that combines class-leading performance with clean, elegant design.

The new JVC UX-J51 is a CD micro component system with a built-in dock for iPod, USB (2.0) input and an FM/AM tuner. It’s comprised of a single main unit and a pair of two-way, bass reflex speakers. Most functions are controlled using flush, top-mounted touch keys illuminated in blue, with the exception of volume, which is handled by a large, silver knob on the main unit’s front panel. A full function remote control is also included.

A key performance feature is the system’s separate left and right channel amplifiers, each rated at 40 watts. The two-way speakers feature a one-inch (2.5cm) soft-dome tweeter and a 4.3-inch (11cm) cone woofer. The audio performance is optimized using CONEQTM technology that matches amplifier and speaker performance to ensure equalized power levels across all frequencies, resulting in a clean, natural sound throughout the listening room.

For system expansion, the UX-J51 includes a digital optical input and output, analog input and output, aux input, and a subwoofer preout. There’s also a headphone jack, FM and AM antenna jacks and banana speaker jacks. The system also features a clock/timer.

The JVC UX-J51 will be available in October for $399.95.

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Akihabara News: Yamaha, the musical instrument company that also builds motorcycles, is preparing to sell a component stereo with a an iPod dock in early October. The component receiver accepts audio CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs, as well as an iPod dock with digital sound in; it also comes with a USB port and analog AUX in jack for compatible sound sources. Yamaha’s Music Enhancer technology cleans up compression artifacts in iPod-source audio for a dynamic and deep sound. Also onboard is an FM radio. The unit measures 215x125x309 mm (8.46×4.92×12.17 in) and weights 4.8 kg or 10.6 lbs. The speakers use 12 cm cone woofers and 3 cm soft dome tweeters; but what makes this set of speakers stand out most is the piano black finish on the sides of the units and covers with a guitar-like shape.

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Pioneer.eu: From October, Pioneer’s new X-HM50 micro hi-fi system will be available across Europe.
Despite its compact size, the X-HM50 is rich in features, incorporating:

• a built-in docking station for iPhone and iPod,
• a CD player,
• an FM/AM tuner for listening to radio broadcasts,
• an USB audio input and
• an auxiliary line input that allows music lovers to connect other source components.

The new X-HM50 is designed to meet the needs of iPhone and iPod users as well as CD devotees who enjoy listening to their favourite music in outstanding quality at home.

Compact style
With clear, dynamic audio and sleek styling, the all-in-one X-HM50 is available in a silver or black finish. The solid front panel of this only 215 mm wide model is made from brushed aluminium.

Its compact size allows for easy setup on a bookshelf, in a bedroom or home office. The use of premium audio components provides the foundation for audio with an enormous sense of presence and expression, regardless of the source.

Versatile connectivity
A multitude of connectivity options give you the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of digital music as well as your favourite radio stations.

The X-HM50 features a Digital Direct Connection for iPhone or iPod, offering you the purest sound performance by skipping intermediate digital-to-analogue conversion steps.

The system plays your music straight from a docked iPhone or iPod exactly as it’s stored and charges the mobile device at the same time. Equipped with a video output, the X-HM50 also allows playback of videos from iPhone or iPod on a large screen.

Playback of MP3 or WMA files is supported from both the conveniently located front USB input as well as from its built-in CD-drive mechanism, which is compatible with CD and CD-R/RW discs. Rounding off the X‑HM50 is an AM/FM RDS tuner with 40 memory presets for straightforward radio listening.

High fidelity quality
A critical factor for the sound quality, the hi-fi system’s 2-way bass-reflex speakers further enhance its performance. These 260 mm high, black wood finish enclosures, include a 120 mm woofer and 20 mm soft dome tweeter.

With 50 Watts of output per channel – driven by quality digital amplifiers and output through high-quality speaker terminals – the system is the ideal solution for music lovers looking for a lot of power and brilliant sound in a small package.

Those in search of an enhanced bass experience will appreciate the X-HM50’s subwoofer pre-out or the ‘extra bass’ boost function. For easy genre-matching music enjoyment, the hi-fi system features 6 equalizer presets: Flat/Game/Classic/Pops/Vocal/Jazz. Completing the system is a convenient timer/sleep function, which enables you to wake up and go to sleep with your favourite music.

Key features

• iPhone/iPod docking station with charging facility
• CD playback/USB terminal/Aux in
• RDS FM/AM tuner with 40 presets
• MP3/WMA playback from CD and USB
• 50W + 50W Amplifier
• Aluminium front panel

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BBC: A manufacturer of hi-fi systems has sounded what it said could be the death knell of the compact disc player.

Linn Products has become the first manufacturer to announce it will give up on CDs from the start of next year.

Instead, the niche company, based in East Renfrewshire, will focus on producing digital streaming equipment.

The firm, which makes systems costing from £2,500 to more than £100,000, said discerning customers recognised the superior quality of digital streaming. Yet it continues to make turntables for vinyl records, as there remains a demand for the quality of sound compression offered by older record technology.

Linn, which has its own small record label, foresees a move to what it calls Studio Master Quality material, available for download.

The shift from CD players to digital music streamers has been very recent. It was only during 2009 that the digital players outsold Linn’s CD players. The newer technology allows digital streaming through other operating systems, including home computers and networking throughout homes.

Gilad Tiefenbrun, managing director of Linn Products, said: “Our customers have fast recognised the limitations of CD players and in the age of home networking, people now want better control of their music and the ability to enjoy it in any room of their home.

 ”CD players no longer belong in the specialist domain.”

The company reckons that the CD format will continue to be useful as a way of recording and storing music. It claims that a CD recorded onto a hard disk can achieve a higher quality than one played on a CD player.

Compact discs began commercial music sales in 1982, replacing the cassette tape as well as vinyl records.

The shift from compact discs to digital downloading is again changing the music market. BPI, representing the British recorded music industry, announced last month that 2009 had already broken last year’s record number of legally downloaded single and individual track sales.

Of 117 million sales, nearly 99% were digital downloads. But there is a different market for album sales.

CD sales continue to dominate, but their share of the market is sliding. In 2006, there were 154 million album sales, of which CDs accounted for 151m, and digital for 2.7m. In 2007, with 138m sales, 131m were CDs and 6.2m were digital.

In 2008, there were 137m album sales, with 123m CDs and 10.3m digital downloads. Vinyl records, cassettes and other formats accounted for around 300,000.

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Gizmodo: Compact discs weren’t always impromptu drink coasters. Once, in the not-so-distant past, they played music, contained pictures, and let people play video games with tacked-on FMV sequences.

And today, the venerable CD turned 30. Happy birthday! 1979-2009.Thirty years. Pretty amazing that it’s been that long since those crazy Dutchmen at Philips spun the technology off of laser discs as part of an optical digital audio disc demo in Eindhoven.

Of course, the CD didn’t immediately take off right then and there. It needed a little help from Sony, which worked with Philips to get the format standardized.

The standard they named Red Book, which included everything from playing time (initially 60 minutes), to the disc diameter to sampling frequency. Put simply, the collaboration worked out, and Red Book was a success.

In the book The Compact Disc Story, Philips reps lauded the task force they established with Sony. The CD that team created was “invented collectively by a large group of people working as a team,” Philips said. If only Apple and Microsoft could say the same, no? Oh, the things they could build.

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DotGizmo: Kenwood has released its new CD player (catering for the shrinking number of people who still listen to CDs) that will feature DTS Surround Sensation, a new technology that helps roll out surround sound over two-channel audio systems, regardless of whether they’re headphones or stereo speakers.

Unfortunately, there is no word on a name, release date or price for this device despite Kenwood’s claim of it being the first in the world. The Japanese media are touting an April release, so we’ll just have to sit tight for slightly over a month to find out more about this mystery device.

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vnunet: Woolworths has launched a digital download site for music, video, games and mobile, while announcing that it will no longer sell CD singles in its stores from August.

The high street retailer said that 55 million CD singles were bought in the UK in 2000 but that this had slumped to just eight million in 2007 and that the trend has moved to online sales.

Woolworths will axe sales of CD singles in its stores with the exception of one-off events like the X-Factor winner which still sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

“Digital downloading is now the true customer choice for listening and purchasing single music tracks,” said Jim Batchelor, commercial director at Woolworths.

“CDs are alive and well for album sales, but the physical singles market is in terminal decline. Our customers are now embracing the world of download which is why we feel the time is right to launch our new digital site.”

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The Register: Blu-ray and MP3 may be conquering the world, but vinyl, CD and VHS still hold a special place in the hearts of UK adults, according to survey into so-called graveyard-bound technology.

A survey of just over 2000 people by Moneysupermarket.com discovered that the three aging media formats would each be a top ‘resurrection’ choice for most Blighty adults, should they have a chance to revive a technology that’s either been consigned to the dustbin or that’s on its way there.

Surprisingly, the humble telegram fell into fifth place – perhaps because some people like the idea of waiting several days for a message to arrive, instead of the near-instant delivery that email offers.

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Audio Junkies: Maxell has announced that they are ending production of CD, DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD discs at the end of March. Frankly this isn’t much of a surprise, as the majority of Maxell branded discs are currently produced by Ritek of Taiwan, with most of the rest divvied up by CMC Magnetics, Mitsubishi Chemical, Ricoh, and Taiyo Yuden.

The Maxell brand name will continue to be used on packaging, but the era of being “blown away” by Maxell is definitely over as they are buying from the same OEMs used by the rest of the optical disc industry. If you are curious about where your Maxell blank discs actually came from, a free program called DVD Identifier will provide the real manufacturer name and media code for any blank DVD, HD DVD, or Blu-ray disc.

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GfK: In 2007 the overall market for Hifi separates fell by just 2% in value compared to 2006.  This represents a significant slowing in the decline of the market which fell by 8% in 2006 vs. 2005.  Total expenditure equated to €265 million in 2007 according to GfK. 

Loudspeakers are the largest contributor to that value and represent just over half of the total value sales.  Some of the smaller markets have seen declines, such as the Static CD Player and Tuner sectors, but aside from a renaissance in the Turntables sector (value growth of 13% in 2007), it is the core of Amplifiers and Receivers which have been performing well.

Those product sectors have increased by 4% and 7% respectively in value over the last year which is an increase from €42,5 million to €44 million for Amplifiers and €37 million to €40 million for Receivers.

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The Register: The Compact Disc is 25 years old. Though the digital audio format’s development stretches back many years before 17 August 1982, that was the date on which the world’s first CD pressing plant punched out its very first disc.

According to Philips – with Sony, the format’s co-developer – the first disc off the Hanover, Germany production line was Abba’s The Visitors.

While CD production commenced in August 1982, the format wasn’t formally brought to market until November, and then only in Japan. US and European music lovers had to wait until March 1983 for the first discs specifically tailored for them.

They embraced the format wholeheartedly. In the UK, Dire Straits’ 1985-released Brothers in Arms was immediately snatched up by early adopters keen to put their new CD players through their paces. It was one of the first CDs produced from a digital master made from digital recordings – a so-called ‘DDD’ album.

But other albums proved even more popular. For many years, it was claimed record label EMI had a single CD pressing plant to producing copies of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, such was the demand for that album.

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