Koss 76 manual “Cool” Gets Warmer, Goodbye Alexis, Hello Venice

“COOL” GETS WARMER

You have to be intrigued by the ad: “Home stereo. Reinvented.” We like the way home stereo has been moving just fine, thanks very much, but does Apple Computer (whose on-line ad this is) actually have a better idea?

It doesn’t look that way. The iPod Hi-Fi’s name is what’s been reinvented. What is it? It’s a powered speaker with an iPod slot, not the sort of ground-break- ing innovation you might expect Steve Jobs to launch. Is it better than the little powered speakers from Bose or Harman Kardon? Tough acts to follow, we’re sure you’ll agree!

Actually the device was the star of Steve’s launch party only because this was the dullest Apple launch since the days of the Macintosh Performas (the other products launched were an iPod leather case costing a hundred bucks, and a new version of the Mac mini with

an Intel processor but no video card). The reviews we’ve seen praise the

iPod Hi-Fi for “powerful bass.” We hope that doesn’t mean boominess, but considering the unit can be powered optionally by D cells, we have no illu- sions it can reach realistic concert levels. They downgrade it for weak treble and the absence of an FM tuner or a wireless receiver. And for not being cool.

As for us we don’t go around bashing boomboxes for not being high end high fidelity, and besides this thing costs only US$299. But the expression “hi-fi” has been grossly abused for years, and the iPod Hi-Fi’s slogan looks like a snide attack on those who want quality products.

But without the people willing to seek out quality, no one would remember Apple. Promoting mediocrity, Steve, is what really isn’t cool.

GOODBYE ALEXIS, HELLO VENICE

GOSSIP&NEWSFEEDBACK

It seems like forever (but it isn’t) that the high end exhibits of the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas have been held at the Alexis Park, an increasingly shabby “villa” (or motel, to be more exact).

Oh, it wasn’t as shabby as the Sahara bilevel complex which preceded it, whose electrical system was so horrible CES

78 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine

had to rent giant generators and run cables into the window of every exhibit room. To some exhibitors, the use of these two awful venues was evidence CES didn’t care about high end.

So next year high end moves upscale, to the Venetian, right on the Strip. The Venetian includes a replica of the Grand Canal and even the Plaza San Marco (shown at right), with all the trimmings except the pigeons.

The Venetian has more large salons that we can count (compared to maybe two or three at Alexis), and at its back end, down the corridor, is the Sands Convention Centre, which CES is already using. It also has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of rooms in its hotel towers. What they’re like we don’t know, but our bet is that this will be a consider- able improvement.

But there’s a secondary advantage for CES.

For many years, disgruntled audio companies have snubbed CES and attended an alternative show, which for

some years has been known as The Home Entertainment Show (T.H.E.Show, get it?). It had set up shop at a hotel called the St. Tropez. By an amazing coincidence,

the St. Tropez was next door to Alexis, with a walking time of…oh, maybe 45 seconds. But with CES on The Strip, the St. Trop might as well be on the Moon.

There’s speculation, of course. The Strip is upscale territory, but the Impe- rial Palace is about eight minutes from the Venetian, and is just shabby enough to be cheap.

We shall see.