Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the day the first consumer compact disc was produced.

On August 17, 1982 production began on compact discs intended for delivery to consumers. The first cd produced? ABBA's The Visitors. The compact disc replaced vinyl records (some would argue that point) and cassette tapes. Initially derided as a "rich man's 8 track" (credit Steve Albini for that moniker), compact discs had become the dominant storage medium for audio content by the end of the eighties. Mp3 failed to replace the compact disc. SACD and DVD-Audio failed to gain a significant foothold in the marketplace, even though they offered superior sound. New audio storage mediums loom on the horizon, but it will take a while to convince people they need anything more than what the compact disc offers.

Here's to ten more years of the compact disc.

Danish loudspeaker maker Dynaudio is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a special edition loudspeaker, the Dynaudio Sapphire.

The Sapphire was unveiled this weekend at the 2007 Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show. What we do know at this time is that it's a floorstanding, 3 way design that will sell in the $16,000.00 ballpark, and that it will be a limited release and not a new addition to the Dynaudio home range of products. The Sapphire will be available sometime this Fall.

Further details on the Sapphire are to be revealed September 1, according to Dynaudio.

Usher Audio has introduced a bookshelf loudspeaker to their Dancer series.

It's a small two way design utilizing their top of the line Beryllium tweeter and a 7" mid-woofer handles the low end. Available in piano black or silver, both with attractive birch side panels. A suggested price has not yet been set, although they have said they will sell for about $2500.00 a pair. Usher Audio, located in Taiwan, makes a range of loudspeakers, from reasonably priced up to high end audiophile. They produce nearly all the parts that go into their loudspeakers, and combined with having their production in a Taiwan-based facility, they generally sell for a fraction of what their western-produced equivalents cost.

Stereophile has discovered what HD DVD users already know: that Dolby TrueHD provides fantastic, lifelike sound.

To be sure, adoption of one or both HD disc formats by the mass market is going to decide whether consumer electronics manufacturers and studios ever make TrueHD audio discs a reality, and even then, people are going to take more convincing that they need high definition audio.