Our English Synopsis 1. Audio Culture We have an ever recurring problem, most likely encountered by everyone trying to conduct tests; we can determine quality only momentarily. Their reliability in the long run-considering the average standard of stereo equipments available in Hungary - would be a rather important consideration. For that we should be examining several hundred instead of just one or two sets. Consequently, when we make a value judgement, trying to juxtapose quality and price we are forced to leave out this vital point of view. Even servicing outlets could hardly judge, and not before the goods have been totally sold out by retailers anyway... 2. Soundservice Space for those desiring to inquire, needing advice, wishing to comment or argue or even to advertize. 3. Music Within the Walls The last time we wrote about the acoustics of instruments; now we will consider the acoustics of auditoriums - and how it can be adapted to living room conditions. To an extent we try to provide the basics in helping to avoide making elementary mistakes without encouraging the readers to do the actual design. The task is for us to conduct many many tests in different yet characteristic living rooms. 4. Profiles of the Future In quoting the title of A. C. Clarke's famous collection of futuristic essays we are trying to forecast what is in the future, specifically for the Hi-Fi fans of Hungary. Time limit of our forecast is (of course!) 2001. Even though this date places us in the next century it is just around the corner... Sadly noting that it coincides with the retirement age of Hifi Mag's editors. We are trying to approximate the vistas of technological progress but more so we are trying to understand the Brave New World in its underpinnings, supposedly not very different from today's. For this reason, the emphasis will be based on commercial and economic considerations. 5. Recording Sheet Reviews, criticism. 6. CD - e, f, g, a, h - CD Following the world premier of the Compact Disc Hungaroton is joining the list of manufacturers. In cooperation with PolyGram Hungarian digital recordings will be transferred on Silver Disc using the Hannover facilities of the West German Company. (PolyGram is the only CD manufacturer in Europe.) Hungarian CDs will be made for export primarily. It makes no sense to make them available in Hungarian retail outlets as long as virtually nobody owns CD players. Hungaroton is planning, however, to start a waiting list by subscription for Hungarian audiophiles. 7. The Yellow Brick Road (Press Digest) HiFi Stereophonie, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Hi-Fi Answers, Audio. 8. House of the Risin' Sun So far Hifi Mag has treated PCM technology only in its press digest. 1t has been our policy to use the plural first person only if we tried it ourselves. Now thank to Pioneer, Inc., we are able to test the P-D1 CD player and consequently we use the opportunity to give a detailed treatment of CD (the Risin' Sun on the cover) not only providing the clipping from foreign publications but by using our own results based on objective and subjective testing. 9. Presenting... This column is rather extensive this time. First of all a test of the successor of Ortofon's MC 10 (the Mark 11), followed by reviews of Technics RS-M216 cassette deck, a Polish mini tower (the amp does sound rather human) and finally about six domestically made top of the line speaker - which strangely fall short in comparison to some older and smaller hence simpler domestic models. 10. The Antitower The complete Hi-Fi set, made by the same manufacturer ("tower") has always been objectionable in the point of view of HFM. Although it was this pleasant looking but unnecessarily expensive heap of machinery that made Hi-Fi really popular in Hungary we keep plugging away for alternative ways to Audio Culture. 11. MOD: HFM-I. Phono Preamp 12. Between Takes (Forecast)