Best Audiophilia Podcasts (2024)

1
Sound Engineer/Educator Marcela Rada on Immersive Audio - Education | Experimentation | Mix Maxing 49:00

4d ago49:00

49:00

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by sound engineer, educator, and content developer Marcela Rada to discuss her obsession with sound, her personal history, how she became involved with the recording industry, and what’s different about mixing for immersive formats like Dolby Atmos. Sources: Marcela Rada: https://marcelarada.com/ “Audiophile At…

1
Axiom Audio’s Ian Colquhoun and NRC - Origin | Dr. Floyd Toole | Music Types | Twin Tweeters | Measurements 1:11:36

10d ago1:11:36

1:11:36

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Ian Colquhoun, founder of Axiom Audio and now also the owner of Bryston and Magnum Dynalab, to discuss the origins of the company, its connection with the National Research Council, his own relationship with Dr. Floyd Toole, and how the company’s speakers evolved after the legendary NRC research wound down. …

1
Dr. Peter Schuck: Room-Correction Pioneer (Part 2) - Anthem Room Correction | FIR and IIR Filters | In-Room Response 42:50

24d ago42:50

42:50

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc. The two cover the birth of Anthem Room Correction, the pros and cons of IIR and FIR filters, side quests, diversions, why flat in-room response isn’t actually the goal, and how ARC has evolved in response to market pressures…

1
Dr. Peter Schuck: Room-Correction Pioneer (Part 1) - Education | NRC | DSP | Athena Project 53:42

1M ago53:42

53:42

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc., to discuss his history in hi-fi, how he ended up at the NRC, how his work with Dr. Floyd Toole evolved into the pioneering Athena project, and exactly what sorts of tests he and others constructed and conducted to determine listener preferenc…

1
Philips Hue & Other Noisy Things | Bonny Light Horseman 35:02

2M ago35:02

35:02

When someone named Spammy emails you, you have a choice: flag as a phishing threat, or read in entirety? Well, we do get a kick out of seeing the moniker appear in our mailbox, from a listener whose skewering takes leave us chuckling every time. While most emailers use the show email to send questions, Spammy mostly offers witty commentary with no …

1
PSB's Paul Barton (Part 2) - Measurements | Diffraction | Waveguides | Diminishing Returns 43:58

2M ago43:58

43:58

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers. If you haven’t listened to season 3, episode 1 yet, do check that out first! In this second half of their conversation, the two discuss how the research at NRC contributed to the evolution of PSB speakers. Along the way, Paul gives the most cogent expl…

1
The New Lost Dunlavy Episode | Blake Mills 52:10

2M ago52:10

52:10

By popular demand, we present the new lost Dunlavy episode. Longtime listeners know that Darren and Duncan originally recorded 10 podcasts before publishing the very first one, as practice. One of those, referenced in early talks about the guys' dearly beloved Dunlavy speakers, was a thorough explanation of how they landed them for free, and insigh…

1
PSB's Paul Barton (Part 1) - Music and Violins | Starting Making Speakers | Dr. Floyd Toole and NRC 32:02

2M ago32:02

32:02

Welcome to season 3! This week, host Jorden Guth sits down with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers, to discuss his personal history, his love of music, his passion for violin, and the origin story of PSB Speakers—all as a lead-in to a discussion about his time at the NRC doing research with Dr. Floyd Toole. Sources: PSB Speakers: https://www.psbs…

1
Selling Emotions: Conradin Amft on T+A's History and Future - Then to Now | Hi-Fi Tomorrow 38:18

3M ago38:18

38:18

For the final episode of season 2 of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by T+A COO Condradin Amft to discuss the company’s history and heritage, its entry into the headphone market, and how hi-fi will evolve into the future. Sources: “44 Years of T+A—Germany's Hi-Fi Giant in Detail”: https://youtu.be/lzW18SuAJW0?si=SUjQk…

1
Searching for the Highest Value | Mighty Poplar 38:36

3M ago38:36

38:36

With apologies for the delay, and for the audio which was nearly impossible to fix, the guys are back to answer a question from listener Rob Shrode. This episode is about the idea of a special price point threshold in each product category above which one can expect substantial performance improvement compared to below the threshold. As usual, it's…

1
Sonus Faber Suprema Speaker System Deep Dive - Technical Highlights | Trickle-Down Technologies 1:11:01

3M ago1:11:01

1:11:01

When Sonus faber introduced its massive new flagship loudspeaker system, Suprema, at this year’s CES, most of the press responded by asking about the price and finishes and little else. In this episode of the podcast, host Jorden Guth and SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider ask the real (and really tough) questions about the design and technical spe…

1
The Beauty of FM | Fabiano do Nascimento 28:06

3M ago28:06

28:06

The HiFi Podcast is back with a tech-centric take on FM Radio, answering a listener question and delving into why so many audiophiles gravitate toward it as a favorite source. As so many conversations do, this one meanders toward noise and distortion, but Darren's take on the loveliness of the sound of FM may surprise you. Brazilian musician Fabian…

1
The Tao of the Reviewer - Hi-Fi Reviewers' Systems and Needs | Writing a Hi-Fi Review 55:11

4M ago55:11

55:11

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Access editor and producer of the podcast Dennis Burger to discuss his recent article about how reviewers’ reference systems are often necessarily different from the systems they wish they could own. Dennis also gives Jorden some tips on writing a good review. Sources: “The Needs of the Many vers…

1
Room Treatment As We See It | Voces8 38:33

4M ago38:33

38:33

In this episode, a listener requests a deeper dive into room treatment for optimizing sound in a HiFi listening space, and the fellas oblige. In fact, Darren and Duncan leap at the chance to talk about the curious look of some commercial treatment products, bemoan the high prices of some seemingly cheap-to-develop elements, and generally touch on m…

1
All About GaN FETs | Mitski 43:24

4M ago43:24

43:24

Welcome to the new season and new format for The HiFi Podcast. This time, the boys are back and apparently recording under a popular confluence of flight paths, but if you can get past the air traffic noise, this episode is one you don't want to miss. Darren dives deep into the makeup and uses and pros and cons of Gallium-Nitride Field Effect Trans…

1
2023 SoundStage! Awards - Products of the Year | Outstanding Achievements | Choosing 49:30

4M ago49:30

49:30

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Australia editor Edgar Kramer to discuss their respective 2023 year-end awards. Sources: “The 2023 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievements and Products of the Year” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1843-the-…

1
From Wilson Audio to T+A , then Back - InSight Videos | The Two-Day Rule | The Filming Approach 44:54

5M ago44:54

44:54

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to tell the origin story of SoundStage! Network’s InSight video series, how they’ve evolved, and the details of their most recent globetrotting trip to Wilson Audio and T+A. Sources: Muraudio's Domain Omni Series Speaker | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/VkHQC8pz2H8?s…

1
Simaudio’s North Collection: The Future of Hi-Fi? - Development | BRM-1 | Reception and Reviews 58:19

5M ago58:19

58:19

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss the company’s new North Collection, how it was developed, what it means for the future of hi-fi, why the remote control is the best in the world, and how the lineup has been embraced by audiophile press and customer…

1
How SVS Built a Hi-Fi Community - History | Products | Community Building 45:02

5M ago45:02

45:02

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SVS president Gary Yacoubian and VP of marketing Nick Brown to discuss the company’s history, its unique approach to hi-fi and home theater, and how it actively engages with its customers. Sources: SVS: https://www.svsound.com/ “The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World” by Audio Unleashed: https://audio…

1
Audio Video Show 2023 Highlights - Warsaw Vibe | Good and Bad Shows | Bringing Matt | Best and Worst Products 53:15

6M ago53:15

53:15

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Ultra senior editor Jason Thorpe to discuss Warsaw 2023, why it’s such a special show, what it’s like to be there, and what it was like to see it through the eyes of a young audiophile. Sources: SoundStage! coverage of Audio Video Show 2023 - Warsaw, Poland:…

1
Dan Laufman on the Value of Emotiva - Origin | Hi-Fi Manufacturing | Profits | Ethics 59:41

6M ago59:41

59:41

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Emotiva’s Dan Laufman to discuss the origins of his passion for hi-fi, the history of electronics manufacturing in the neoliberal era, how to make an profit in the audio business ethically, the long hard road to revitalizing North American manufacturing capabilities, and the virtues of being inclusive instea…

1
Martijn Mensink On the Magic of Dutch & Dutch - Active Speakers | Cardioid Dispersion | Acoustics 55:21

7M ago55:21

55:21

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Martijn Mensink of Dutch & Dutch to discuss how an old clock radio incubated a love of music that developed into a passion for good sound that evolved into a career in speaker design. During the course of the conversation, they explore Martijn’s history of speaker development, the business ventures that prec…

1
House of Sound NYC - McIntosh | Sonus Faber | The Other Brands | New York | Luxury 47:38

7M ago47:38

47:38

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by David Mascioni, Global Director of Brand Marketing for McIntosh, to discuss the origins of the original World of McIntosh Townhouse in New York City, how it developed, why it closed, and how the concept evolved into the new House of Sound at a new location, with much more representation for the entire McInto…

1
We're Back! New Season Format Announcement, Plus An Album 23:55

8M ago23:55

23:55

Apologies for the wait. Apologies for the sound glitches and skips in this one - still figuring out the new mobile recording rig. But the boys of The HiFi Podcast are back, and in this pre-season announcement, Darren and Duncan explain the plan for the next chapter of the podcast, which will now be divided into seasons and feature shorter but more …

1
Legendary Laurence Dickie - Bowers & Wilkins | The Iconic Nautilus | Vivid Audio | Loudspeaker Engineering 1:09:33

8M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by legendary speaker designer Laurence Dickie to discuss his history with Bowers & Wilkins, the design of the iconic Nautilus, how his thinking on speaker design has evolved over to years, whether or not he draws inspiration from nature, and why his speakers are an exercise in engineering, not industrial design…

1
Six Months into a PhD in Hi-Fi - Learning | Controversies | Revelations | The Future 53:44

8M ago53:44

53:44

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and podcast producer Dennis Burger to discuss what Jorden has learned in six months of hosting the podcast, since he’s been able to speak to some of the hi-fi industry’s most influential and respected luminaries. As Doug often tells him, “Talking to these people is like get…

1
Monitor Audio: From Concept 50 to Hyphn and Beyond - Into Hi-Fi | Making Monitor Audio Speakers | The Response 44:06

9M ago44:06

44:06

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Monitor Audio global marketing director Michael Johnson and technical director Michael Hedges to discuss how the Concept 50 speaker was developed; how it evolved into the company’s new flagship retail offering, the Hyphn; what makes a Monitor Audio speaker sound like a M…

1
Anthony Grimani on Speakers, Rooms, Acoustics - Dolby to THX | Rooms| Hi-Fi vs. Home Theater | Speakers | Room Correction 1:12:10

9M ago1:12:10

1:12:10

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Anthony Grimani, former director of technology for THX and founder of Performance Media Industries, to discuss his history with Dolby and THX, why the room is such a crucial component of any sound system, home theater vs. hi-fi, room correction, and whether the world nee…

1
Speaker and Headphone Measurements Mash-Up - Misinformation | What Matters | Active vs. Passive | Listening 1:07:19

10M ago1:07:19

1:07:19

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and former SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast cohost Brent Butterworth to discuss the what, how, and why of speaker and headphone measurements. What measurements correlate with listening impressions? How do active and wireless products complicate …

1
KEF’s Jack Oclee-Brown - Tangerine Waveguide | Blade Speakers | Uni-Q | Meta Materials | Lotus Cars | Aspirational Hi-Fi 46:44

10M ago46:44

46:44

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Jack Oclee-Brown, VP of Technology at KEF, to discuss speaker design and engineering, the development of the Tangerine Waveguide, how electromechanical design and industrial design come together, KEF in cars, and more . . . Sources: The Sweet Sound of KEF's Tangerine Waveguide:…

1
James Hale on “Art+Tech” - Mixing Hi-Fi and Music | The Inspiration for… | Technology and Art 42:05

11M ago42:05

42:05

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by James Hale, author of SoundStage! Xperience’s popular “Art+Tech” column, to discuss his unique approach to hardware and music reviews, how the column came about, the value of today’s audio gear as compared with that of decades past, and how technology influences the creation an…

1
Music Maven Mark Waldrep Rolls with the Changes - High-Res Controversy | MQA Snow Job? 54:28

11M ago54:28

54:28

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Mark Waldrep of AIX Records fame to discuss changes in the audiophile music marketplace over the years, as well as Mark’s controversial and ever-evolving views on high-resolution music recording and playback, as well as why he stopped mastering records altogether. Sources: …

1
Bernie Grundman, the Music Master - Mastering Defined | Digital vs. Analog | Radio vs. Streaming 39:48

12M ago39:48

39:48

In this week’s episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by legendary mastering engineer Bernie Grundman to discuss what mastering is, what it isn’t, how mastering differs from remastering, and why vinyl sometimes sounds better than digital. Sources: “Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/feature…

1
What We Measure and Why - What Does(n’t) Matter | Signal-to-Noise Ratio | Competence | (Im)Perfect Volume Controls 1:05:32

1y ago1:05:32

1:05:32

In this week’s episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and electronics measurements specialist Diego Estan to discuss the publication’s measurement philosophy and methodology, and also get to the root of what the heck quadrature is and why you should have paid attention in physics class. Along the way, they discuss…

1
AXPONA, Ground Wires, Questions & An Interview With An Author 3:13:21

1y ago3:13:21

3:13:21

Fresh off the heels of AXPONA (and right on the precipice of Munich), Duncan talks about the details involved in planning a show appearance and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the show from a manufacturer's perspective. Questions about capacitors, audio literature, gain balancing and more are answered, and this episode features not one, but two r…

1
Daryl Wilson: Growing Up and Into Wilson Audio - The Wilson Household | Building WATT/Puppy Speakers | North Star Measurements and Listening | Pink Floyd Fridays 48:40

1y ago48:40

48:40

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Wilson Audio CEO Daryl Wilson to talk about what it was like to grow up alongside the storied brand, which his father, David, and mother, Sheryl, founded; how his path through life led him back to the company; and how Wilson speakers are designed, built, and voiced differently from other loudspeakers. Source…

1
Simaudio’s Étienne Gautier & the Art of Marketing Moon - Baumgartner Restoration | Taskmaster 40:35

1y ago40:35

40:35

Host Jorden Guth is trotting the globe this week and is tight on time, so he and producer Dennis Burger dug into the vaults to pull out an interview from last year with Simaudio’s marketing director Étienne Gautier. In this extended cut of the conversation, Dennis and Étienne discuss how the company’s marketing strategy is evolving and why Moon by …

1
The Music Man - Joe Taylor on Vinyl and Cassettes | Next-Gen Audiophiles | Curated Music Selections 45:10

1y ago45:10

45:10

In this episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Xperience senior editor Joseph Taylor to discuss his love for vinyl, the cassette tape revival, creating the next generation of audiophiles, and the ways in which music mastering has changed over the decades. They also dig into Joe’s ongoing “Curator” series of articles, how he finds his in…

1
The Inveterate Adventurer - Headphones as Hi-Fi’s Gateway Drug | Bluetooth Quality | The Best Noise-Canceling Cans 56:12

1y ago56:12

56:12

In this episode, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Solo editor Geoff Morrison to discuss headphones as a gateway drug into hi-fi, traveling with over-ears vs. on-ears, and mixing audio for a variety of headphones, speakers, and even YouTube. They also dig into dedicated music players vs. smartphones, whether or not Bluetooth can deliver goo…

1
Introducing Jorden - Hi-Fi Marketing | A Love Letter to KEF | The Three Best Speakers at Florida International Audio Expo 2023 45:40

1y ago45:40

45:40

In this first episode of the second season of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, new host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to discuss the road forward. Although Jorden has been working for about ten years in high-end hi-fi as part of our video team, to most he is a new face in the hi-fi scene. But he has the experience a…

1
Season 1 Grand Finale - TAS Speaker-Sensitivity Rant | 500 vs. 250W Amp | Geoffrey Morrison Plans | Goodbye 1:28:18

1+ y ago1:28:18

1:28:18

In their final episode as co-hosts of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off a super-sized rant by digging into Robert Harley’s editorial from the February 2023 issue of The Absolute Sound to discuss what speaker sensitivity ratings actually mean and whether using volts instead of watts as a reference is de…

1
The Connected Future of Something or Other - CES 2023 | The Harman Curve Again | Looking Forward 1:00:34

1+ y ago1:00:34

1:00:34

In this week’s first segment (2:26 to 22:02), Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about the former’s experiences at CES 2023, and reminisce about what the show used to be, both in terms of hi-fi and as an overall barometer of the state of the consumer-electronics market. Next up (22:44 to 45:57), they return to the Harman target curve well yet…

1
How Much a Lemon is S’posed to Squeeze - Favorite Products of 2022 | Audio Distribution Changes | JBL and Headphones 1:03:20

1+ y ago1:03:20

1:03:20

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off the discussion by digging into SoundStage!’s year-end coverage (3:17 to 26:06). In addition to discussing their favorite products of the year, they also talk about three people who deserve recognition for significant contributions to audio reproduction. Next up (27:03 to 45:43), they dig…

1
That One Where Geddy Lee Raps - TAS on Taiko | CheapAudioMan Power Cable Test | ”XTC, Curated” 58:14

1+ y ago58:14

58:14

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by taking a look at The Absolute Sound’s coverage of the Taiko Audio Extreme music server and evaluate some claims made by the manufacturer and reviewer alike (4:48 to 20:43). Does a glorified hard drive really need 700,000µF of capacitance? And should your music server really serve double …

1
Emerson, Lake & Palmer at the Grocery Store - Audio Science Review Misses | Audiophilia in Harper’s | Hi-Fi and Skateboarding 59:21

1+ y ago59:21

59:21

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger visit the Audio Science Review forums to shine a spotlight on an overlooked comment by Dr. Sean Olive. The topic? Who should and shouldn’t be included in listening panels and whether a university janitor’s opinions about good sound are as valid as those of your average AES member (4:28 to 21:25).…

1
An Ultra-Mega Special Guest - Steve ”The Audiophiliac” Guttenberg | Dolby Atmos | SVS and Totem Acoustic Speakers 1:08:17

1+ y ago1:08:17

1:08:17

This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger are joined by their old friend Steve Guttenberg—aka ”The Audiophiliac”—to discuss his recent interview with Professor Edgar Choueiri, the man behind the BACCH-SP Stereo Purifier (4:00 to 20:15). Steve was also kind enough to stick around for the second segment (20:54 to 46:15) to discuss Dolby At…

1
A Purposeful Grimace & A Terrible Sound - Lavardin ”Memory Distortion” | Spotify Platinum | Products from Audio Video Show 2022 57:55

1+ y ago57:55

57:55

In this week’s first segment (3:54 to 26:09), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a review of the Lavardin ITx20 amp and discuss the manufacturer’s claims about “memory distortion” and how its circuitry eliminates that. This leads to a larger discussion about another big bugbear in the audio industry: the time domain. Next (27:03 to …

1
Dennis Said Something Nice - Qobuz’s THX Spatial Audio | Hi-Fi Components that Matter | Factory Tours 53:29

1+ y ago53:29

53:29

In this week’s first segment (3:28 to13:55), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a story about a new Qobuz playlist featuring songs mixed for THX Spatial Audio. The mixes are designed to make the sound from your headphones seem like it’s coming from within the room rather than right in your ears. Does it work? Is it worth your time? A…

1
A Statler & Waldorf Approach - Surround Sound & Dolby Atmos | CanJam SoCal + Headphone Giveaway | Reel-to-Reel Tapes 48:19

1+ y ago48:19

48:19

In this week’s first segment (7:24 to 22:07), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new piece by Andrew Heinzman about why he thinks surround sound, Dolby Atmos, and headphone virtualization don’t work for music. There’s some agreement. There’s some disagreement. There might even be some nuance. Who knows? Next (23:00 to 35:56) they d…

1
Look at My Curves - Sonarworks SoundID SR | AirPods Pro 2G Noise Canceling | JBL’s L75ms Integrated Music System 51:01

1+ y ago51:01

51:01

In this week’s first segment (3:20 to 24:00), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger have a conversation about a proposed new headphone tuning standard from Sonarworks called SoundID SR. What does it do and why does it exist? And does it reveal any flaws in the Harman Curve? Next up (24:34 to 38:36) they react to the reporting on the announcemen…

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