This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to discuss all of the hot new speakers coming out right now, including models from DALI, Treble Clef Audio, Radiant Acoustics, Arendal Sound, and Focal. They dig deep into the specifics, and also touch on why so many new and noteworthy loudspeakers are coming out now. Sourc…

Host Jorden Guth is expecting another child with his wife. Producer Dennis Burger has a few written reviews to catch up on for the SoundStage! Network. As a result, we decided it is a good time to take a quick break before we resume season 3 in a couple of weeks. But we're not going to leave you hanging with nothing to listen to. Jorden Guth went t…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Trinnov Audio general manager Jon Herron to discuss the company’s history, the synergy between physical room acoustics and DSP room optimization, why different frequencies of sound require a different approach, and how the company’s new WaveForming technology is a whole new approach to perfecting bass perfor…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Pro Audio Technology owner/president L. Paul Hales to discuss his history in audio, how audio research has guided the development of his speakers over the years, what really matters in audio and what doesn’t, and why most consumer speakers fall short in one significant way. Sources: “Theory Audio Design Sys5…

Would you sell your soul to stay young forever? In Oscar Wilde’s famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a handsome young man’s wish for eternal youth is granted while his portrait ages in his place. As Dorian indulges in a life of hedonism, his portrait reveals the grotesque toll of his moral corruption. Join Michael Knowles and Will Witt as the…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by the SoundStage! Network’s Joseph Taylor, Jason Thorpe, and Dennis Burger to discuss records and turntables, from the perspective of two old pros and one recent convert to the format. Sources: “A Vinyl-Apathist’s Quest for His Perfect First Turntable” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/f…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined once again by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss how making its products locally affects the quality of the components, their serviceable life, rolling changes to production, and adapting to tough times like global pandemics. Sources: North Collection: …

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Floyd Toole, exploring the origins of the Athena project at Canada’s NRC, the reasons for and details of his move to Harman International, some of the most misunderstood aspects of his research, the origins of his legendary book Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of …

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by the loudspeaker legend himself, Dr. Floyd Toole, whose research at Canada’s National Research Council (NRC), followed by his tenure at Harman International, resulted in arguably more improvements to the fidelity of audio we hear at home than anything attributable to any one person. In this first of our two-p…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Sean Olive, senior fellow at Harman International, to discuss his time at NRC with Dr. Floyd Toole, his move from there to Harman, the development of the Harman target curves for headphones and earphones, and his thoughts on the future of immersive audio and more. Sources: Dr. Sean Olive on 35 Years of “…

Is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House the feminist landmark it’s often portrayed to be? Or is it a critique of radical individualism and the undermining of traditional societal roles? The Post Millennial’s Libby Emmons joins Michael Knowles to discuss this groundbreaking 19th-century play and explore its insights into our intrinsic selfish nature and te…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage’s Doug Schneider, Jason Thorpe, and Matt Bonaccio to discuss the biggest audio show in the world, what’s new, what’s different, and what were their favorite sights and sounds this time around. Sources: Coverage of High End 2024 - Munich, Germany: https://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events…

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by James Tanner, CEO of Bryston Ltd., to discuss the company’s origins in the medical industry, the design of its original amplifiers, how the company has evolved over time, and how he eventually joined forces with Axiom Audio’s Ian Colquhoun. Sources: “Canadian Hi-Fi Trilogy: Axiom Audio, Bryston, and Magnum D…

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…

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. …

Once required reading for high school students, To Kill a Mockingbird now comes with trigger warnings. The book, which confronts and calls out the evils of racism, is considered by some to be too offensive for our modern-day woke sensibilities. Why? Set in 1930s Alabama, a young girl watches her attorney father defend a black man falsely accused of…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Michael Knowles is joined by Pastor Rob McCoy to discuss the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most beloved and frequently cited passages in the gospels of the New Testament. Together, Michael and Pastor McCoy explore the various interpretations of the text and reflect on the lessons that Jesus’s sermon teaches us about living a virtuous Christian li…

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-…

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…

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…

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…

Is the purpose of life happiness, and if so, how can we achieve it? Written nearly 2,500 years ago, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is as relevant today as it's ever been. Michael Knowles is joined by Professor Charles Kessler to discuss this seminal work exploring the age-old question of how to live a happy and meaningful life. As it turns out, Ari…

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:…

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…

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…

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…

What if your sins were on display for all the world to see? Michael Knowles is joined by Julie Hartman to discuss The Scarlet Letter, which tells the story of a young woman who is shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. What can we learn from this American classic about society’s response to immorality, the complexities of lov…

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…

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…

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…

How do you stay true to yourself in a world that demands conformity? Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead—centered around a talented architect who refuses to compromise his principles or conform to the expectations of others—examines whether we should uphold the “common good” if it means sacrificing our own self-interest. Michael Knowles is joined by former…

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…

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 …

If you lost every good thing in your life, would you still praise God? The Book of Job from the Old Testament is considered one of the great masterpieces of early literature. Michael Knowles is joined by Owen Anderson, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Arizona State University, to examine one of the Bible's most profound stories, which explor…

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:…

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…

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: …

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…

How do you know if you’re trapped in a false reality? Can you see the truth or are you simply looking at shadows on the wall? Solveig Gold joins Michael Knowles to discuss Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from his renowned work, “The Republic.” This symbolic story about human perception and the pursuit of truth reminds us not to trust our senses alon…

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…

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…

What makes The Canterbury Tales the most popular work of English literature ever? Penned by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, this medieval collection of stories depicts a diverse group of characters and covers topics ranging from chivalry and deceit to religious corruption. Michael Knowles sits with Catherine Illingworth to discuss what he des…

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 …