News

Welcome to the July issue
The big news is that CD sales just rose for the first time in 17 years in the US. According to data from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) orders for compact discs went from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021 – increasing by 47 percent. The last time sales of CDs were travelling northwards was way back in the early Noughties, the peak clocking nearly a billion discs shipping in the US in just one year. Streaming still accounts for the lion’s share of the music industry’s income in 2022, and the vinyl revival, despite the supply hiccups, continues apace. But CDs are back in business, the combination of their collectable physical presence, their handy size and their favourable cost in comparison with vinyl seeing a renewed affection for the little silver frisbees. Now, thanks to Rega and its new Saturn Mk3 (p56), there’s a stellar player to enhance your listening pleasure. It’s this month’s cover star and: “across hours of listening to anything we can think of, makes music an emotionally pleasurable experience”.

Also in this issue you’ll find a Group Test of cool in-ear headphones, an appreciation of the guvnor of all things funky, Mr George Clinton, and a bumper Audiofile section of all the new kit that matters.

Have fun