https://simplecast.com The Hifi Podcast with Darren and Duncan Hi-Fi engineer Darren Myers (Parasound) and marketing guy Duncan Taylor (YG Acoustics) discuss all things HiFi audio, covering such audiophile topics as speakers, amplifiers, DACs, preamplifiers, vinyl, cables, music, stereo soundstages, tweaks, adjustments and a whole lot more. 2024 Slope Productions en Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:21:12 +0000 Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:21:23 +0000 https://www.thehifipodcast.net The Hifi Podcast with Darren and Duncan https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/cb708835-fa13-4cdf-bf85-5e14fed3847c/2a2ad564-af8b-49ac-8454-4ec79be15388/3000x3000/916856a9-726e-4e37-ae58-170163fe9a95.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://www.thehifipodcast.net episodic Hi-Fi engineer Darren Myers (Parasound) and marketing guy Duncan Taylor (YG Acoustics) discuss all things HiFi audio, covering such audiophile topics as speakers, amplifiers, DACs, preamplifiers, vinyl, cables, music, stereo soundstages, tweaks, adjustments and a whole lot more. Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers no https://feeds.simplecast.com/317DXUbN preamplifier, amplifier, hifi, phonograph, audio, audio show, tubes, audio technology, audiophile, audiophilia, dac, ears, headphones, listening, hifi audio, high end audio, high fidelity, listen, listener, music, playback, records, science of sound, sound, sound science, speaker cables, speakers, stereo, stereophile, tape player, tapeop, tube amplifier, vintage audio, vinyl Darren and Duncan unvisibleaudience@gmail.com c034f996-5f70-4e55-a9ac-666463a0077c Philips Hue & Other Noisy Things | Bonny Light Horseman Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:21:12 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Philips Hue & Other Noisy Things | Bonny Light Horseman Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 00:35:02 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 indication of a need for help and gives off the sense that he's seen it all. But this week, we've got a real honest-to-goodness question from the man. We're assuming it's a man. So the guys take on a comment/question related to the Philips Hue light bulbs and bars that have been mentioned previously on the show, which leads to a longer discussion about switch-mode and other noise in the listening room. The album recommendation this week comes from Darren's library as an old favorite. 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 indication of a need for help and gives off the sense that he's seen it all. But this week, we've got a real honest-to-goodness question from the man. We're assuming it's a man. So the guys take on a comment/question related to the Philips Hue light bulbs and bars that have been mentioned previously on the show, which leads to a longer discussion about switch-mode and other noise in the listening room. The album recommendation this week comes from Darren's library as an old favorite. no full 6 2 f09e6cde-0083-4188-8a10-4b150009cc26 The New Lost Dunlavy Episode | Blake Mills Wed, 6 Mar 2024 03:24:42 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net The New Lost Dunlavy Episode | Blake Mills Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 00:52:10 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 insights gleaned from owning them. As requested, the guys do another complete Dunlavy-focused episode, but this time with new insights and a lot more info about the eponymous designer, John Dunlavy. The album recommendation pulls out a gem from a very talented young person's already swelling discography. 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 insights gleaned from owning them. As requested, the guys do another complete Dunlavy-focused episode, but this time with new insights and a lot more info about the eponymous designer, John Dunlavy. The album recommendation pulls out a gem from a very talented young person's already swelling discography. no full 5 2 165975ba-a982-483f-a6da-c7254267cf33 Searching for the Highest Value | Mighty Poplar Sat, 10 Feb 2024 20:02:35 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Searching for the Highest Value | Mighty Poplar Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 00:38:36 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 not as simple a topic as it seems. The recommended album of the week is the eponymous debut from a brand new, hotshot-laden folk and bluegrass troupe assembled by the always impressive Chris Eldridge. 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 not as simple a topic as it seems. The recommended album of the week is the eponymous debut from a brand new, hotshot-laden folk and bluegrass troupe assembled by the always impressive Chris Eldridge. no full 4 2 d9fd8411-c745-4845-bfa3-3b893c0fe387 The Beauty of FM | Fabiano do Nascimento Tue, 23 Jan 2024 15:07:35 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net The Beauty of FM | Fabiano do Nascimento Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 00:28:06 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 Fabiano do Nascimento joins an elite group of artists with more than one album recommended. 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 Fabiano do Nascimento joins an elite group of artists with more than one album recommended. no full 3 2 3555b9d2-097b-4986-b125-c71d38036561 Room Treatment As We See It | Voces8 Mon, 15 Jan 2024 17:00:20 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Room Treatment As We See It | Voces8 Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 00:38:33 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 many important elements of the entire equation. The Album of The Week this time hits a different genre than usual, with a record from one of the top modern choral groups recording today. 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 many important elements of the entire equation. The Album of The Week this time hits a different genre than usual, with a record from one of the top modern choral groups recording today. no full 2 2 adf53795-3318-496e-b349-b6db7fb90f6a All About GaN FETs | Mitski Mon, 8 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net All About GaN FETs | Mitski Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 00:43:24 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 Transistors, or GaN FETs. This is thanks to a listener question, and if you would like to prompt a podcast topic, be sure to contact us via our website. This episode's Album of the Week recommendation is an intimate date with a very creative and nuanced artist named Mitski. 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 Transistors, or GaN FETs. This is thanks to a listener question, and if you would like to prompt a podcast topic, be sure to contact us via our website. This episode's Album of the Week recommendation is an intimate date with a very creative and nuanced artist named Mitski. no full 1 2 40a0c27f-e1b7-4ab0-85af-77465cd97021 We're Back! New Season Format Announcement, Plus An Album Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:01:11 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net We're Back! New Season Format Announcement, Plus An Album Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 00:23:55 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 focused episodes. Listen through to the end to hear the new album of the week, and stay tuned and hold tight while the guys get busy pre-recording the next season of your favorite HiFi show. Don't forget to send in your questions, as the next few seasons will feature topics prompted by our listeners. 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 focused episodes. Listen through to the end to hear the new album of the week, and stay tuned and hold tight while the guys get busy pre-recording the next season of your favorite HiFi show. Don't forget to send in your questions, as the next few seasons will feature topics prompted by our listeners. no full 92 1 e8851245-75bb-4f4a-8e9d-5a849ef412f0 AXPONA, Ground Wires, Questions & An Interview With An Author Tue, 9 May 2023 03:58:50 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net AXPONA, Ground Wires, Questions & An Interview With An Author Darren and Duncan 03:13:21 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 recommended albums. Saving the best for last, the show finishes with an interview with author, poet, professor, audio reviewer and occasional fly fisher Garret Hongo. 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 recommended albums. Saving the best for last, the show finishes with an interview with author, poet, professor, audio reviewer and occasional fly fisher Garret Hongo. no full 91 1 379d0a57-aeab-4e5b-ac65-a542c1eb1291 Duncan's Next Half-Day Speaker Project Wed, 8 Jun 2022 18:53:05 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Duncan's Next Half-Day Speaker Project Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:30:01 After a visit to chez Tweak to hear the always-improving desktop system, Darren decided to push Duncan into a project the best way he knew how: by giving him a pair of Seas Excel tweeters and posing the question, "what if you had state-of-the-art soft domes in that thing?" Talking, of course, about Duncan's improbably excellent 2-day speaker project, and in this episode the guys talk about the next possible iteration of the silly little first-order gems. Listener questions are answered, a blind study on network switches is shared, and the album of the week ventures into Brazilian tradition. After a visit to chez Tweak to hear the always-improving desktop system, Darren decided to push Duncan into a project the best way he knew how: by giving him a pair of Seas Excel tweeters and posing the question, "what if you had state-of-the-art soft domes in that thing?" Talking, of course, about Duncan's improbably excellent 2-day speaker project, and in this episode the guys talk about the next possible iteration of the silly little first-order gems. Listener questions are answered, a blind study on network switches is shared, and the album of the week ventures into Brazilian tradition. no full 89 1 8f232f7b-f558-494d-bad8-0833b4776303 Exploring The Ins and Outs of PCB Design Wed, 1 Jun 2022 19:42:57 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Exploring The Ins and Outs of PCB Design Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:14:42 In this episode, PS Audio design engineer Darren Myers takes us through the process of designing printed circuit boards, which are known as PCBs. It turns out there are tons of considerations in play when selecting the material of a PCB, and determining the position of components and the makeup of the traces. Listener questions about tweaks and credibility are answered, and this week's album recommendation is a fascinating release from a pair of producers who craft sonic landscapes only from recordings of one instrument -- in this case the upright double bass. In this episode, PS Audio design engineer Darren Myers takes us through the process of designing printed circuit boards, which are known as PCBs. It turns out there are tons of considerations in play when selecting the material of a PCB, and determining the position of components and the makeup of the traces. Listener questions about tweaks and credibility are answered, and this week's album recommendation is a fascinating release from a pair of producers who craft sonic landscapes only from recordings of one instrument -- in this case the upright double bass. no full 88 1 ffa26046-84c5-496d-a978-b79679b283e9 A Case For (And Against) the Integrated Amplifier Wed, 25 May 2022 20:26:46 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net A Case For (And Against) the Integrated Amplifier Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:51:42 In this episode, the pros and cons of the integrated amplifier are covered in typical Hifi Podcast style. Darren shares impressions and experience from the perspective of a designer, and both guys try to frame the situations where the integrated approach is either better or... not better. This week's questions share a common theme which takes Duncan back into recording engineer jibber jabber, and the solo viola de gamba performance as the album of the week is a can't miss. In this episode, the pros and cons of the integrated amplifier are covered in typical Hifi Podcast style. Darren shares impressions and experience from the perspective of a designer, and both guys try to frame the situations where the integrated approach is either better or... not better. This week's questions share a common theme which takes Duncan back into recording engineer jibber jabber, and the solo viola de gamba performance as the album of the week is a can't miss. no full 87 1 76a2463d-9076-4d03-80df-e4e88cccde16 Remembering Bascom H. King Wed, 18 May 2022 17:38:41 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Remembering Bascom H. King Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:32:57 In this episode, Darren and Duncan reflect on their experiences with friend and mentor Bascom King, whose recent passing has taken a great mind from the HiFi community. Bascom was an audiophile engineering legend and responsible for many incredible amplification designs over a long career. Hear about how he inspired so many, and learn a little about his upcoming posthumous amplifier release, the BHK 600 amplifiers. The guys also read a couple of emails, and this week's album recommendation comes by way of Australia and is one to not miss. In this episode, Darren and Duncan reflect on their experiences with friend and mentor Bascom King, whose recent passing has taken a great mind from the HiFi community. Bascom was an audiophile engineering legend and responsible for many incredible amplification designs over a long career. Hear about how he inspired so many, and learn a little about his upcoming posthumous amplifier release, the BHK 600 amplifiers. The guys also read a couple of emails, and this week's album recommendation comes by way of Australia and is one to not miss. no full 86 1 3a64e79c-f9ea-4290-b076-faeec57f209e The Hardest and Easiest Instruments to Record Wed, 4 May 2022 17:35:20 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net The Hardest and Easiest Instruments to Record Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:50:54 In this episode, Darren asks Duncan questions about recording different instruments. Duncan dives into a number of pro audio topics en route to categorizing instruments by their difficulty in recording. A question about powering Dunlavy speakers is answered, and several listener-emailed music recommendations are shared. This week's album is the latest from an artist whose music has been picked for the album of the week before, but this may be his best work yet. In this episode, Darren asks Duncan questions about recording different instruments. Duncan dives into a number of pro audio topics en route to categorizing instruments by their difficulty in recording. A question about powering Dunlavy speakers is answered, and several listener-emailed music recommendations are shared. This week's album is the latest from an artist whose music has been picked for the album of the week before, but this may be his best work yet. no full 85 1 4e0a6a91-2719-458f-8636-d581bffaa056 Tubes, Tubes, Tubes with Jordan Kamper Wed, 27 Apr 2022 20:29:56 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Tubes, Tubes, Tubes with Jordan Kamper Darren and Duncan 02:06:47 The guys are back in the saddle after a week off, and this time sitting down with the designer of the curious tube monoblocks that are living in Darren's Wilson system at the moment, a local audiophile friend and engineering technician named Jordan Kamper. Jordan describes his thought process behind those and other DIY creations of his that the guys have heard. Listener questions about "hybrid digital" and fiber optic Ethernet conversion are answered, and this week's album pick is a longtime favorite of Kamper's. The guys are back in the saddle after a week off, and this time sitting down with the designer of the curious tube monoblocks that are living in Darren's Wilson system at the moment, a local audiophile friend and engineering technician named Jordan Kamper. Jordan describes his thought process behind those and other DIY creations of his that the guys have heard. Listener questions about "hybrid digital" and fiber optic Ethernet conversion are answered, and this week's album pick is a longtime favorite of Kamper's. no full 84 1 13acf12a-7e74-440c-a6de-a536dbf00792 Lessons From Our DIY Speaker Journey Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:54:24 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Lessons From Our DIY Speaker Journey Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:51:08 Darren's and Duncan's DIY speaker project from several years back is the topic du jour in this episode of The HiFi Podcast. The guys offer tips and inspiration in describing the DIY journey from beginning to completion, from driver choice to final damping moves. This week's album recommendation is a soothingly simple recording of jazz standards from two delicate players playing in a sonically glorious room. Darren's and Duncan's DIY speaker project from several years back is the topic du jour in this episode of The HiFi Podcast. The guys offer tips and inspiration in describing the DIY journey from beginning to completion, from driver choice to final damping moves. This week's album recommendation is a soothingly simple recording of jazz standards from two delicate players playing in a sonically glorious room. no full 83 1 143d2ea5-af90-4d74-87f0-22a46b56e659 Speaker Specs Demystified with Chris Brunhaver Wed, 6 Apr 2022 17:31:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Chris Brunhaver) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Speaker Specs Demystified with Chris Brunhaver Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Chris Brunhaver 02:08:01 PS Audio speaker designer Chris Brunhaver is back this week, and spends some time demystifying the common speaker specifications used to judge speakers. He and the guys share what's been going on with them lately as well, which is has been plenty. This week's album recommendation is a rare electronic album that borders on audiophile, and involves an artist's struggle with losing and regaining his hearing over the course of the pandemic. PS Audio speaker designer Chris Brunhaver is back this week, and spends some time demystifying the common speaker specifications used to judge speakers. He and the guys share what's been going on with them lately as well, which is has been plenty. This week's album recommendation is a rare electronic album that borders on audiophile, and involves an artist's struggle with losing and regaining his hearing over the course of the pandemic. no full 82 1 1f8744c0-3c23-4e0a-abfb-901acd9e4dd7 How To Use Ferrite Cores, And Other Audiophile Questions Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:02:57 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net How To Use Ferrite Cores, And Other Audiophile Questions Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:45:13 In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan reach again into the questions inbox to answer listeners who have emailed in their audio curiosities. Roon compatibility with BluOS devices, how and where to use ferrite cores, eliminating RF from nearby 5G towers and other questions are answered. This week's album recommendation features a rare gaffe, where the guys talk about their album pick but describe the name of a different album entirely. They blame the late night of recording after hours of ABX blind testing, but will present both albums on the website and "Albums" page to make up for it. In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan reach again into the questions inbox to answer listeners who have emailed in their audio curiosities. Roon compatibility with BluOS devices, how and where to use ferrite cores, eliminating RF from nearby 5G towers and other questions are answered. This week's album recommendation features a rare gaffe, where the guys talk about their album pick but describe the name of a different album entirely. They blame the late night of recording after hours of ABX blind testing, but will present both albums on the website and "Albums" page to make up for it. no full 81 1 7f82746b-a683-41c2-be4e-bebc20206642 What Motivates Us? Wed, 23 Mar 2022 16:28:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net What Motivates Us? Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:00:43 In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan reflect on what motivates each to work in the industry and try their best to bring something new to the scene. Darren talks about his evolution in amplifier design, why he puts effort into discovering unique and new topologies and what motivates him these days after many circuits discovered. Duncan discusses how his upbringing inspires him to design cable products that bring the listener closer to an experience which places the musician on a personal level, and why that's a place of comfort for him. This week's album recommendation comes from a wildly prolific Norwegian bassist, and is a can't-miss. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan reflect on what motivates each to work in the industry and try their best to bring something new to the scene. Darren talks about his evolution in amplifier design, why he puts effort into discovering unique and new topologies and what motivates him these days after many circuits discovered. Duncan discusses how his upbringing inspires him to design cable products that bring the listener closer to an experience which places the musician on a personal level, and why that's a place of comfort for him. This week's album recommendation comes from a wildly prolific Norwegian bassist, and is a can't-miss. no full 80 1 7b2b8d65-757a-499c-a61e-1d1c386de8c8 Talking Aurender & Streaming with Ari Margolis Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:20:01 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Ari Margolis) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Talking Aurender & Streaming with Ari Margolis Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Ari Margolis 02:04:10 In this episode, a guest with a lot of experience in music streaming and streamer technology joins the podcast. Ari Margolis, a young dad, local audiophile and friend of the guys stops by to chat about Aurender's approaches and technology, and to help answer common questions about the art of high-end streaming for the modern audiophile. Naturally, a listener question about streamers is discussed, and Ari even picks the album of the week recommendation, which is a killer choice and a new band to hosts Darren and Duncan. In this episode, a guest with a lot of experience in music streaming and streamer technology joins the podcast. Ari Margolis, a young dad, local audiophile and friend of the guys stops by to chat about Aurender's approaches and technology, and to help answer common questions about the art of high-end streaming for the modern audiophile. Naturally, a listener question about streamers is discussed, and Ari even picks the album of the week recommendation, which is a killer choice and a new band to hosts Darren and Duncan. no full 79 1 82480c8f-76d7-476e-9b14-47b6073b90c9 Balanced Phono Inputs & More Questions Wed, 9 Mar 2022 20:01:41 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Balanced Phono Inputs & More Questions Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:21:32 In this episode, the guys tackle a range of listener questions. Balanced phono inputs are explained, including why they aren't as common in phono preamplifiers. Duncan shares more about his DIY Ripole subwoofer and why he hasn't talked about it lately, CD ripping is discussed, A/B switch devices for gear evaluations are considered, and more. This week's album recommendation reaches back into the library for a gem from a Brooklyn-based bassist by way of Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires. In this episode, the guys tackle a range of listener questions. Balanced phono inputs are explained, including why they aren't as common in phono preamplifiers. Duncan shares more about his DIY Ripole subwoofer and why he hasn't talked about it lately, CD ripping is discussed, A/B switch devices for gear evaluations are considered, and more. This week's album recommendation reaches back into the library for a gem from a Brooklyn-based bassist by way of Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires. no full 78 1 71774d21-a2a6-480d-a88f-5cce44fb7821 Listening In The Dark Wed, 2 Mar 2022 16:51:18 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Listening In The Dark Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:55:58 In this episode, the guys talk about the sensory focus that comes from listening in the dark, sharing experiences and stories about the practice in the audiophile hobby. Darren's suggestion for new listeners seems like a winner, and both agree that dark listening has a lot to do with our human evolution and deep personal response. A listener question is answered about analog EQ versus digital EQ, and the album of the week is a stunner of an EP from a lesser-known Icelandic singer. In this episode, the guys talk about the sensory focus that comes from listening in the dark, sharing experiences and stories about the practice in the audiophile hobby. Darren's suggestion for new listeners seems like a winner, and both agree that dark listening has a lot to do with our human evolution and deep personal response. A listener question is answered about analog EQ versus digital EQ, and the album of the week is a stunner of an EP from a lesser-known Icelandic singer. no full 77 1 0c5bd742-5a2f-484f-adad-2f47d062ac1a What Is Bridge Tied Load, or BTL? Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:50:51 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net What Is Bridge Tied Load, or BTL? Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:23:49 Darren answers a question that has been in Duncan's mind for a while: What does Bridge Tied Load or BTL mean as it relates to amplifier design? The guys answer a question about properly powering a big set of Dunlavy speakers from a listener who stumbled across a big pair for a great price. The album of the week is only found on Bandcamp, and it features a couple acoustic virtuosos Duncan has followed for years. Darren answers a question that has been in Duncan's mind for a while: What does Bridge Tied Load or BTL mean as it relates to amplifier design? The guys answer a question about properly powering a big set of Dunlavy speakers from a listener who stumbled across a big pair for a great price. The album of the week is only found on Bandcamp, and it features a couple acoustic virtuosos Duncan has followed for years. no full 76 1 bd3afb5c-1673-4622-b0fc-74cf6d58b8a6 Live Versus Recorded Sound, And More Questions Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:12:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Live Versus Recorded Sound, And More Questions Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:44:41 The show is back after a week break to deal with Duncan's Covid bout and the installation of PS Audio's new speakers at Darren's house. Questions were stacking up, so the guys took this week to pick their favorites and deliver an all-questions episode. After a check-in with a listener suffering from "tweakitis AKA restless audiophile syndrome," the guys talk about live versus recorded sound, tall speakers in a low-ceiling room, bypassing binding posts and more. This week's album comes from a pair of brothers in Switzerland whose jazz influences vary from Balkan to British to Brazilian. The show is back after a week break to deal with Duncan's Covid bout and the installation of PS Audio's new speakers at Darren's house. Questions were stacking up, so the guys took this week to pick their favorites and deliver an all-questions episode. After a check-in with a listener suffering from "tweakitis AKA restless audiophile syndrome," the guys talk about live versus recorded sound, tall speakers in a low-ceiling room, bypassing binding posts and more. This week's album comes from a pair of brothers in Switzerland whose jazz influences vary from Balkan to British to Brazilian. no full 75 1 c769f033-e303-41a9-a412-c3d7dfe6eed9 Wacky Audio Stories Wed, 2 Feb 2022 19:35:25 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Wacky Audio Stories Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:31:31 In this episode, Darren and Duncan trade stories related to audio that are either funny, uncomfortable or just plain unexpected. A great listener question about where to go after a component breaks is answered, and the album of the week was chosen in part because Duncan could not get the songs out of his head. In this episode, Darren and Duncan trade stories related to audio that are either funny, uncomfortable or just plain unexpected. A great listener question about where to go after a component breaks is answered, and the album of the week was chosen in part because Duncan could not get the songs out of his head. no full 74 1 3126ec09-36a6-45c2-8d23-219206609667 Misconceptions In Audio, Vol. 1 Wed, 26 Jan 2022 17:44:30 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Misconceptions In Audio, Vol. 1 Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:07:23 In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan explore what they see as several misconceptions in the audio hobby. Class D amps, recording quality and audiophile cables are included the discussion, which is by no means a comprehensive list but a first pass at the common audiophile subject matter. A few listener questions are also answered, and this week's album recommendation is a fantastic full-length debut from an L.A. based group that offers spacious imagery and a stunning, well-defined center vocal throughout. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan explore what they see as several misconceptions in the audio hobby. Class D amps, recording quality and audiophile cables are included the discussion, which is by no means a comprehensive list but a first pass at the common audiophile subject matter. A few listener questions are also answered, and this week's album recommendation is a fantastic full-length debut from an L.A. based group that offers spacious imagery and a stunning, well-defined center vocal throughout. no full 73 1 ddf051b0-e947-42e4-9286-2d93d2bc6197 Why Do Some Components Invert Phase? Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:20:08 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Why Do Some Components Invert Phase? Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:19:40 In this episode, the guys explore the reasons behind why some products -- mostly preamplifiers -- invert the signal phase. Darren explains that it's a decent reason behind the practice, and how to adjust to it in your system if you've got a piece of gear that does this. Earlier on, a question about a difficult room setup is fully discussed, offering reasons behind why the space is challenging, and options for mitigating its problems for best sound. The album of the week is a strange one to be sure, but fully worth waiting til the end to find out about. In this episode, the guys explore the reasons behind why some products -- mostly preamplifiers -- invert the signal phase. Darren explains that it's a decent reason behind the practice, and how to adjust to it in your system if you've got a piece of gear that does this. Earlier on, a question about a difficult room setup is fully discussed, offering reasons behind why the space is challenging, and options for mitigating its problems for best sound. The album of the week is a strange one to be sure, but fully worth waiting til the end to find out about. no full 72 1 e802b696-907b-445d-98b8-4d531a173076 Op-Amp Rolling, And Other Questions Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:52:40 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Op-Amp Rolling, And Other Questions Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:35:17 After the usual intro segments, this is another hefty episode of listener questions. Topics covered include finding speakers that jibe with a hyperacusis condition, locally served music files versus streamed, updates on Darren's server experience, and more. In the middle of the podcast somewhere, hosts Darren and Duncan point folks who want to contribute to the 'cast toward a local audiophile in need, who experienced a recent loss. The album of the week comes by way of France, and features a 5-string bass player whose albums always seem to exhibit the most exquisite recording quality. After the usual intro segments, this is another hefty episode of listener questions. Topics covered include finding speakers that jibe with a hyperacusis condition, locally served music files versus streamed, updates on Darren's server experience, and more. In the middle of the podcast somewhere, hosts Darren and Duncan point folks who want to contribute to the 'cast toward a local audiophile in need, who experienced a recent loss. The album of the week comes by way of France, and features a 5-string bass player whose albums always seem to exhibit the most exquisite recording quality. no full 71 1 0cce43fc-f4e3-453a-b7aa-eb19d7de7098 Preparing For The Worst Wed, 5 Jan 2022 15:30:05 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Preparing For The Worst Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:57:23 It's been a hell of a week here in Colorado, and after the fires and the fallout, the idea of how to protect your hifi system from danger and disaster seemed like an appropriate topic for this week's podcast. In this episode, Darren and Duncan discuss inrush currents and voltage spikes associated with some of the problems Mother Nature can throw at you, as well as flooding and more, and they offer ways to protect your beloved gear in the event that the worst comes to reality. The album of the week is an exciting one for Duncan, featuring a new album he mastered by a band he's truly fond of. It's been a hell of a week here in Colorado, and after the fires and the fallout, the idea of how to protect your hifi system from danger and disaster seemed like an appropriate topic for this week's podcast. In this episode, Darren and Duncan discuss inrush currents and voltage spikes associated with some of the problems Mother Nature can throw at you, as well as flooding and more, and they offer ways to protect your beloved gear in the event that the worst comes to reality. The album of the week is an exciting one for Duncan, featuring a new album he mastered by a band he's truly fond of. no full 70 1 addacbe4-682c-45b8-8841-cf965f2a2f62 Perfecting The Party Zone, Part 2 Wed, 29 Dec 2021 14:44:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Perfecting The Party Zone, Part 2 Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:18:44 Just about a year ago, a listener in Brooklyn, NY reached out with some ideas about building an all-Klipsch-Heritage-based dancehall and party space in the basement of his new house. In the year since, he got right to it, wasting no time and creating a space that his producer friends and he believe puts on some of the best-sounding dance parties in the whole region. In this episode, he checks back in with a few more questions and a ton of information about the year of parties that has Darren and Duncan wishing they were New Yorkers, if just to catch one of these events. Replete with a 1000-watt fog machine, a police beacon light and an upstairs Hifi system area for folks to take a "break from the basement beating," this place sounds absolutely incredible. Later in the episode, this week's album recommendation is a recent release, it's a bit more well known, it features incredible music and is a real test piece for any hifi system. Just about a year ago, a listener in Brooklyn, NY reached out with some ideas about building an all-Klipsch-Heritage-based dancehall and party space in the basement of his new house. In the year since, he got right to it, wasting no time and creating a space that his producer friends and he believe puts on some of the best-sounding dance parties in the whole region. In this episode, he checks back in with a few more questions and a ton of information about the year of parties that has Darren and Duncan wishing they were New Yorkers, if just to catch one of these events. Replete with a 1000-watt fog machine, a police beacon light and an upstairs Hifi system area for folks to take a "break from the basement beating," this place sounds absolutely incredible. Later in the episode, this week's album recommendation is a recent release, it's a bit more well known, it features incredible music and is a real test piece for any hifi system. no full 69 1 bdd854d7-2d7c-4d68-9f87-a4c2efec4be2 Nearfield Versus Farfield Listening Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:03:37 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Nearfield Versus Farfield Listening Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:13:42 As audiophiles, we listen in many different styles and sizes of rooms. Our spaces to setup well-tuned systems are, more often than not, the only ones we're given to work with. On the other side of the coin, sometimes it's the gear we already have which tells us what kind of space it should be in, and more specifically, how close we should listen. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about the pros and cons of nearfield, midfield and farfield listening as it relates to speaker type and sonic presentation. And this being the thick of the holiday season, not one, but two album recommendations round out the show in the annual music genre we know and love so well. As audiophiles, we listen in many different styles and sizes of rooms. Our spaces to setup well-tuned systems are, more often than not, the only ones we're given to work with. On the other side of the coin, sometimes it's the gear we already have which tells us what kind of space it should be in, and more specifically, how close we should listen. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about the pros and cons of nearfield, midfield and farfield listening as it relates to speaker type and sonic presentation. And this being the thick of the holiday season, not one, but two album recommendations round out the show in the annual music genre we know and love so well. no full 68 1 7d7b3a3b-e4a1-4ea8-9172-8b40c5705ce6 Understanding the Gain-Bandwidth Product of Op-Amps Wed, 15 Dec 2021 15:02:29 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Understanding the Gain-Bandwidth Product of Op-Amps Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:02:23 Welcome back! In this episode, Darren, designer of an amplifier that TAS just named "2021 Product of the Year (huzzah!)," takes us patiently and steadily through a basic concept involving operational amplifiers, or amps-on-a-chip, explaining how feedback is heavily used in many modern op-amps to broaden what, in some cases, is a staggeringly low bandwidth to begin with. Don't worry - if Duncan can understand this by the end of the show, so can you. Don't miss more questions and a surprising yet completely amazing album recommendation to round out the show. Welcome back! In this episode, Darren, designer of an amplifier that TAS just named "2021 Product of the Year (huzzah!)," takes us patiently and steadily through a basic concept involving operational amplifiers, or amps-on-a-chip, explaining how feedback is heavily used in many modern op-amps to broaden what, in some cases, is a staggeringly low bandwidth to begin with. Don't worry - if Duncan can understand this by the end of the show, so can you. Don't miss more questions and a surprising yet completely amazing album recommendation to round out the show. no full 67 1 bcc8c5c9-ab0a-40e8-bd8c-045020a41c3f Tackling The Inbox & Tossing It Up Wed, 8 Dec 2021 15:02:47 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Tackling The Inbox & Tossing It Up Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:07:12 It's beginning to look a lot like winter (finally), the chestnuts- er, questions are piling up, and the guys thought it would be fun to try to answer them all. In this episode, questions about capacitor burn-in, DIY projects, tube noise, outriggers and more are answered, and the album of the week is not one, but TWO lovely albums which share a lot in common. They come by different origin -- from Great Britain and France -- each with their own unique vibe, and somehow they sound great together. Don't miss it. It's beginning to look a lot like winter (finally), the chestnuts- er, questions are piling up, and the guys thought it would be fun to try to answer them all. In this episode, questions about capacitor burn-in, DIY projects, tube noise, outriggers and more are answered, and the album of the week is not one, but TWO lovely albums which share a lot in common. They come by different origin -- from Great Britain and France -- each with their own unique vibe, and somehow they sound great together. Don't miss it. no full 66 1 10959e69-7639-478a-a7e9-cebb68bebaf6 The Preamplifier As A System Spice Wed, 1 Dec 2021 15:30:05 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net The Preamplifier As A System Spice Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:59:19 In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss preamplifiers, starting with the "why" and continuing through the "what" and "how". Some preamplifier makers out there are aiming for a neutral sound... but is that really what we want in a preamplifier? Darren's opinion on this as one of the possible roles of the box in the middle of a system chain might surprise some. This week's album recommendation features an amazingly out-of-the-box young cello player and his debut album from a few years back. As always, several listener questions are answered, including an interesting excoriation for a curious misstep in last week's episode. In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss preamplifiers, starting with the "why" and continuing through the "what" and "how". Some preamplifier makers out there are aiming for a neutral sound... but is that really what we want in a preamplifier? Darren's opinion on this as one of the possible roles of the box in the middle of a system chain might surprise some. This week's album recommendation features an amazingly out-of-the-box young cello player and his debut album from a few years back. As always, several listener questions are answered, including an interesting excoriation for a curious misstep in last week's episode. no full 65 1 756036b4-e964-4bbc-a302-1ce2ca44b858 Talkin' Shop with Paul McGowan Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:56:11 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Paul McGowan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Talkin' Shop with Paul McGowan Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor, Paul McGowan 01:38:03 The HiFi podcast audience is in for a treat this week, as the guys sit down with their friend and mentor, Paul McGowan, for a wide-ranging discussion about HiFi audio and other things. Paul shares what's going on lately with his recording project, jumps in with the guys to answer a listener question about black backgrounds, and offers a look back at some periods of time in audio's recent past when things were really happening. The album of the week is the second one we've picked from famed drummer and composer Tony Allen, and everyone is going to have to be OK with that because this album is unbelievably lights out good. The HiFi podcast audience is in for a treat this week, as the guys sit down with their friend and mentor, Paul McGowan, for a wide-ranging discussion about HiFi audio and other things. Paul shares what's going on lately with his recording project, jumps in with the guys to answer a listener question about black backgrounds, and offers a look back at some periods of time in audio's recent past when things were really happening. The album of the week is the second one we've picked from famed drummer and composer Tony Allen, and everyone is going to have to be OK with that because this album is unbelievably lights out good. no full 64 1 ad754205-4d3e-43f9-b418-35029d67a7f2 Where to Start for the Beginner Audiophile Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:56:30 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Where to Start for the Beginner Audiophile Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:05:10 We all started somewhere with this hobby, and we were all beginners at one point. But compare being a beginner now, after decades of the growth of the internet, to learning about the audiophile hobby in the 70s, 80s or 90s. There is almost too much information available now, and too many choices and paths to take. It's no wonder that some beginner audiophiles struggle to figure out where to start. In this podcast episode, the hosts go through their steps for the beginner and highlight where he or she might begin their personal audio hobby. We all started somewhere with this hobby, and we were all beginners at one point. But compare being a beginner now, after decades of the growth of the internet, to learning about the audiophile hobby in the 70s, 80s or 90s. There is almost too much information available now, and too many choices and paths to take. It's no wonder that some beginner audiophiles struggle to figure out where to start. In this podcast episode, the hosts go through their steps for the beginner and highlight where he or she might begin their personal audio hobby. no full 63 1 1d25119a-4183-4577-80aa-e9bf0f4e71bd 7 Rules For Evaluating Hifi Equipment Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:12:30 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net 7 Rules For Evaluating Hifi Equipment Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:47:37 In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys deliver a more focused and nuanced set of guidelines for evaluating gear, whether it be components, speakers or cables. The topic comes up on the podcast again and again, because it's the literal backbone of the audiophile hobby. The ability to listen and perceive subtle differences is so important, and it becomes easier over time, after lots of exposure. Following these rules will ensure the listener maximizes the evaluation process, truly getting to "know" a piece of equipment through and through. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys deliver a more focused and nuanced set of guidelines for evaluating gear, whether it be components, speakers or cables. The topic comes up on the podcast again and again, because it's the literal backbone of the audiophile hobby. The ability to listen and perceive subtle differences is so important, and it becomes easier over time, after lots of exposure. Following these rules will ensure the listener maximizes the evaluation process, truly getting to "know" a piece of equipment through and through. no full 62 1 034ea0b3-8778-4874-8808-4f40e01fd9b8 How To Maximize A Lower-Cost Audio System Wed, 3 Nov 2021 14:39:26 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net How To Maximize A Lower-Cost Audio System Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:21:44 This week, a listener question once again prompts the podcast topic, and while the guys don't exactly agree with the premise, its a great excuse to talk about the subject matter: How to optimize and get the best from a low-cost audio system. Questions about intermodulation and power round out the early segment, and this week's album pick features one of the best instrumental recordings the guys have heard in a long time. This week, a listener question once again prompts the podcast topic, and while the guys don't exactly agree with the premise, its a great excuse to talk about the subject matter: How to optimize and get the best from a low-cost audio system. Questions about intermodulation and power round out the early segment, and this week's album pick features one of the best instrumental recordings the guys have heard in a long time. no full 61 1 be97bc28-c2c1-4087-95f9-044213ce2b7d Radio Frequency: The 800MHz Gorilla Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:09:27 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net Radio Frequency: The 800MHz Gorilla Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:08:38 In a recent episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talked about a system's ability to collect and drain RF interference through the connected enclosures and low-impedance paths to ground. In this show, the guys -- and Darren specifically -- drill down further into high frequency bogey man land. Are modern chassis boxes even good at being faraday cages? How do designers maximize effectiveness in removing RF from a circuit, and what about tubes? Lots of questions answered in this fairly geeky episode of The Hifi Podcast. Stay tuned, because the album of the week is jaw-dropping. In a recent episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talked about a system's ability to collect and drain RF interference through the connected enclosures and low-impedance paths to ground. In this show, the guys -- and Darren specifically -- drill down further into high frequency bogey man land. Are modern chassis boxes even good at being faraday cages? How do designers maximize effectiveness in removing RF from a circuit, and what about tubes? Lots of questions answered in this fairly geeky episode of The Hifi Podcast. Stay tuned, because the album of the week is jaw-dropping. no full 60 1 f867dca4-4b90-438d-845c-088c5854fff8 Subjectivism Versus Objectivism In Audio This episode gets a great start thanks to so much goin on in Darren's two systems at home, including the reintroduction and repainting of the Dunlavy IVa system, cables burning in and the planned LPS addition to his reclocker. Also, his parents are in town, which means there are now distinctly fewer electrical components to trip over on the ground. 

Questions about the Matrix X-SPDIF 2, hexagonal listening rooms and more are answered, and the fellas are saved by a listener with a solid explanation of how to pronounce the French tube amp maker Jadis. (It's zha-dees)

When it comes to polarizing debates in hifi audio, none is more common than the subjectivist versus the objectivist. As the guys tackle this well known topic, it becomes clear there is appreciation for both sides. Both have some decent points and also some failings. The guys share personal experiences and try to find some humor in the sometimes exasperating debate.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 20 Oct 2021 14:04:47 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-59-subjectivism-versus-objectivism-audio This episode gets a great start thanks to so much goin on in Darren's two systems at home, including the reintroduction and repainting of the Dunlavy IVa system, cables burning in and the planned LPS addition to his reclocker. Also, his parents are in town, which means there are now distinctly fewer electrical components to trip over on the ground. 

Questions about the Matrix X-SPDIF 2, hexagonal listening rooms and more are answered, and the fellas are saved by a listener with a solid explanation of how to pronounce the French tube amp maker Jadis. (It's zha-dees)

When it comes to polarizing debates in hifi audio, none is more common than the subjectivist versus the objectivist. As the guys tackle this well known topic, it becomes clear there is appreciation for both sides. Both have some decent points and also some failings. The guys share personal experiences and try to find some humor in the sometimes exasperating debate.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Subjectivism Versus Objectivism In Audio Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:10:39 That's right, we're tackling it. The great debate, the great divide in audio. The most clear dividing line for audiophiles that exists is between the subjective listener versus the objective measurer. One side believes nothing happens in sound that can't be measured, and that measurements are the most trustworthy data. The other side can't believe why that bunch is so uptight, but they're also possibly exposed to biases from being such a quick believers in that which can't be measured. We're an interesting bunch. That's right, we're tackling it. The great debate, the great divide in audio. The most clear dividing line for audiophiles that exists is between the subjective listener versus the objective measurer. One side believes nothing happens in sound that can't be measured, and that measurements are the most trustworthy data. The other side can't believe why that bunch is so uptight, but they're also possibly exposed to biases from being such a quick believers in that which can't be measured. We're an interesting bunch. no full 59 1 f7cf58f7-057d-4ccc-bbbc-3f5304fcb7d9 A Golden Age for the Budget Audiophile Have you noticed the absolute proliferation of cool digital audio products in the sub-$500 market lately? With so much buzz around new class D modules and affordable R2R DACs and even budget speakers that are "specs monsters", the hosts of The Hifi Podcast believe now is the best time to be a budget audiophile.

There are some interesting quirks in some of the eye-poppingly cheap gear from China, with occasional designs focused solely on being impressive in one area or specification. Still, the sheer volume and variety of enjoyable and reasonably-priced products coming from the world's most populous country is energizing, and a complete boon for the growth of our zany hobby.

Earlier in the episode, the guys find it difficult to stay "on segment", with a diversion into the self noise of resistors and a discussion about objectivism and subjectivism in hifi audio. A listener question about power cables brings the boys back to reality.

This week's album recommendation is surprising. Debut albums shouldn't sound this good, and this one from an up and coming UK artist is musically fascinating to boot.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:24:28 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-58-golden-age-budget-audiophile Have you noticed the absolute proliferation of cool digital audio products in the sub-$500 market lately? With so much buzz around new class D modules and affordable R2R DACs and even budget speakers that are "specs monsters", the hosts of The Hifi Podcast believe now is the best time to be a budget audiophile.

There are some interesting quirks in some of the eye-poppingly cheap gear from China, with occasional designs focused solely on being impressive in one area or specification. Still, the sheer volume and variety of enjoyable and reasonably-priced products coming from the world's most populous country is energizing, and a complete boon for the growth of our zany hobby.

Earlier in the episode, the guys find it difficult to stay "on segment", with a diversion into the self noise of resistors and a discussion about objectivism and subjectivism in hifi audio. A listener question about power cables brings the boys back to reality.

This week's album recommendation is surprising. Debut albums shouldn't sound this good, and this one from an up and coming UK artist is musically fascinating to boot.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> A Golden Age for the Budget Audiophile Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:27:40 In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan get way off into the deep end about different kinds of resistors before getting back on track with a podcast singing the praises of the budget state of the art in hifi audio. The guys also tackle a listener question about -- you guessed it -- power cables, and this week's recommended album is an incredible debut from a rising UK star. In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan get way off into the deep end about different kinds of resistors before getting back on track with a podcast singing the praises of the budget state of the art in hifi audio. The guys also tackle a listener question about -- you guessed it -- power cables, and this week's recommended album is an incredible debut from a rising UK star. no full 58 1 2076e8b3-e68b-4705-ac2a-72c5edf0cbd4 Our Favorite DIY Tips & Tricks No speaker DIYer likes to read  a paper about the effects of edge diffraction on speaker baffles AFTER cutting out the driver holes. An inch left or right, and that tweeter could have sounded much better. 

No DIY amplifier builder wants to miss out on that important forum post where a fellow DIYer discovers an error in a schematic.

DIY audio projects  can provide immense listening satisfaction to the adventurous audiophiles who attempt them, but sometimes, challenge and trouble can hide around every corner. In this episode, the guys share some important things they've learned along the way in their own DIY projects. 

Cables, amps, speakers or digital are in focus, with some added attention to the art of soldering. This week's album recommendation has been in Duncan's library for a year, and is finally getting its due time in the spotlight.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 6 Oct 2021 15:16:06 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net No speaker DIYer likes to read  a paper about the effects of edge diffraction on speaker baffles AFTER cutting out the driver holes. An inch left or right, and that tweeter could have sounded much better. 

No DIY amplifier builder wants to miss out on that important forum post where a fellow DIYer discovers an error in a schematic.

DIY audio projects  can provide immense listening satisfaction to the adventurous audiophiles who attempt them, but sometimes, challenge and trouble can hide around every corner. In this episode, the guys share some important things they've learned along the way in their own DIY projects. 

Cables, amps, speakers or digital are in focus, with some added attention to the art of soldering. This week's album recommendation has been in Duncan's library for a year, and is finally getting its due time in the spotlight.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Our Favorite DIY Tips & Tricks Darren and Duncan 02:22:12 Over the years, hosts Darren and Duncan have DIYed just about anything and everything in the audio hobby, and they've learned a ton of lessons from boatloads of mistakes. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys share all the best tips and tricks they've learned, in order to help the beginner or intermediate DIYer avoid the same pitfalls and achieve quicker success. Over the years, hosts Darren and Duncan have DIYed just about anything and everything in the audio hobby, and they've learned a ton of lessons from boatloads of mistakes. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys share all the best tips and tricks they've learned, in order to help the beginner or intermediate DIYer avoid the same pitfalls and achieve quicker success. no full 57 1 37e91470-0508-4e33-9611-21bb7d6f2490 What Is Intermodulation Distortion? "Not all distortion is horrible" is a notion many come to observe at some point along the audiophile journey. Maybe that's not the best way to put it. How about,  "some distortions are less horrible than others".

In past episodes of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan have talked about complex versus simple distortions, and the fact that simple circuits and simple devices distort simply. And simple distortion is much, much more tolerable to our ears.

Intermodulation distortion (IMD) is a complex beast of a distortion, creating byproducts of the difference between competing frequencies. A shimmering cymbal hit with fundamentals of 9KHz and 9.1KHz for example will produce an IMD product of 100Hz. Yes, that's right - artificial bass noise created from within the amplifier, for just these two tones. Imagine what happens with real music playing!

This week's episode focuses on IMD and explains why amps are the biggest culprits of this sonic bugaboo.

Also in this episode, the guys answer a couple questions about system battery power and round listening rooms. The album of the week is a killer sounding new joint from perhaps the biggest name in bluegrass right now.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 29 Sep 2021 14:33:50 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-56-what-is-intermopdulation-distortion "Not all distortion is horrible" is a notion many come to observe at some point along the audiophile journey. Maybe that's not the best way to put it. How about,  "some distortions are less horrible than others".

In past episodes of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan have talked about complex versus simple distortions, and the fact that simple circuits and simple devices distort simply. And simple distortion is much, much more tolerable to our ears.

Intermodulation distortion (IMD) is a complex beast of a distortion, creating byproducts of the difference between competing frequencies. A shimmering cymbal hit with fundamentals of 9KHz and 9.1KHz for example will produce an IMD product of 100Hz. Yes, that's right - artificial bass noise created from within the amplifier, for just these two tones. Imagine what happens with real music playing!

This week's episode focuses on IMD and explains why amps are the biggest culprits of this sonic bugaboo.

Also in this episode, the guys answer a couple questions about system battery power and round listening rooms. The album of the week is a killer sounding new joint from perhaps the biggest name in bluegrass right now.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> What Is Intermodulation Distortion? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:36:36 Audiophiles should be familiar with the concept of measuring THD (total harmonic distortion) in audio gear by playing a tone and watching for similar activated tones called "harmonics" rise up on the spectrum analyzer. But what happens when we use two or more tones? Beyond the associated THD products, we also will see artifacts created by the two interacting, and usually these are happening down in the bass region. In this episode, engineer Darren Myers breaks down IMD and explains how it works, and why it happens more in amplifiers than any other device. Audiophiles should be familiar with the concept of measuring THD (total harmonic distortion) in audio gear by playing a tone and watching for similar activated tones called "harmonics" rise up on the spectrum analyzer. But what happens when we use two or more tones? Beyond the associated THD products, we also will see artifacts created by the two interacting, and usually these are happening down in the bass region. In this episode, engineer Darren Myers breaks down IMD and explains how it works, and why it happens more in amplifiers than any other device. no full 56 1 7654a351-cb52-4e26-8a0b-42c813a319a0 Well That Explains A Lot... The owner of a very popular U.S. hifi audio cable maker calls hifi audio "a drug." And he's not wrong at all. Think of the yearning to listen after periods of being away from our systems. Think of the teleportation to a different place when everything's clicking. Think of the times we had to bargain, beg and borrow to upgrade to the next best thing. And on that topic, think about how we chase the audio dragon and are always interested in "better," or at least "different."

Hifi is a drug, and in this episode, after listener questions are answered and the guys check in on each others' audio projects, they come to grips with the notion.  As they see it, there are worse addictions and worse drugs -- metaphoric or actual. But it's always good to pull on the ol' honesty glasses from time to time.

This week's album comes by way of an unknown drummer but features a very well known guitarist.  The story goes, during their three-night run in Memphis they recorded everything. And the recording quality is staggeringly good.

They also all three developed food poisoning. After the show, they all felt horrible about how they felt they played that they shelved the project. Listen to the final segment of the podcast to hear what happened next.

But. Did the fellas pull it off is the real question. Were hosts Darren and Duncan able to recommend yet another Charlie Hunter album without being noticed?

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 14:17:46 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net The owner of a very popular U.S. hifi audio cable maker calls hifi audio "a drug." And he's not wrong at all. Think of the yearning to listen after periods of being away from our systems. Think of the teleportation to a different place when everything's clicking. Think of the times we had to bargain, beg and borrow to upgrade to the next best thing. And on that topic, think about how we chase the audio dragon and are always interested in "better," or at least "different."

Hifi is a drug, and in this episode, after listener questions are answered and the guys check in on each others' audio projects, they come to grips with the notion.  As they see it, there are worse addictions and worse drugs -- metaphoric or actual. But it's always good to pull on the ol' honesty glasses from time to time.

This week's album comes by way of an unknown drummer but features a very well known guitarist.  The story goes, during their three-night run in Memphis they recorded everything. And the recording quality is staggeringly good.

They also all three developed food poisoning. After the show, they all felt horrible about how they felt they played that they shelved the project. Listen to the final segment of the podcast to hear what happened next.

But. Did the fellas pull it off is the real question. Were hosts Darren and Duncan able to recommend yet another Charlie Hunter album without being noticed?

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Well That Explains A Lot... Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:26:11 In this episode the guys take a look at why we are audiophiles, and they examine how the hobby interacts with our physical and mental makeup. A specific perspective on the whys of hifi audio sees audiophiles as having more in common with hippies than scientists, and the guys may have to agree. Also in the episode are great questions about subwoofer crossover points and DIY vibration dampening. In this episode the guys take a look at why we are audiophiles, and they examine how the hobby interacts with our physical and mental makeup. A specific perspective on the whys of hifi audio sees audiophiles as having more in common with hippies than scientists, and the guys may have to agree. Also in the episode are great questions about subwoofer crossover points and DIY vibration dampening. no full 55 1 dbed5449-9152-44e3-b4f8-d2b9fb0d3655 Shielding, Grounding, Draining and Isolation When it comes to wave frequencies, sound waves we can hear live near the absolute bottom of any spectrum you wish to peruse. Sound waves are not electromagnetic or radio waves, but to an RF engineer they might as well be “DC.”

And sound waves, though different, can in one way or another be affected by these other guys. Radio frequency and electromagnetic waves can influence the electronics we use as source gear or amplifiers, thereby changing the sound waves we hear.

None of this is news, especially to audio designers. But in this week’s podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan dive into the topic of shielding, explaining how modern audio designers deal with EMI and RF, and covering the act of draining and grounding from a overall system perspective.

This week’s album is but a single, but oh, what a single it is. Coming from Poland, young guitar prodigy Marcin serves up his take on Beethoven’s classic Moonlight Sonata.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 15 Sep 2021 13:21:04 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-54-shielding-grounding-draining-isolation When it comes to wave frequencies, sound waves we can hear live near the absolute bottom of any spectrum you wish to peruse. Sound waves are not electromagnetic or radio waves, but to an RF engineer they might as well be “DC.”

And sound waves, though different, can in one way or another be affected by these other guys. Radio frequency and electromagnetic waves can influence the electronics we use as source gear or amplifiers, thereby changing the sound waves we hear.

None of this is news, especially to audio designers. But in this week’s podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan dive into the topic of shielding, explaining how modern audio designers deal with EMI and RF, and covering the act of draining and grounding from a overall system perspective.

This week’s album is but a single, but oh, what a single it is. Coming from Poland, young guitar prodigy Marcin serves up his take on Beethoven’s classic Moonlight Sonata.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Shielding, Grounding, Draining and Isolation Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:18:39 When it comes to RF (radio frequency) loitering around our music like a nuisance, audiophiles aren't completely out of luck -- we have a couple of tools at hand to deal with it. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys begin the main topic answering a question about shields and grounds in power cables, and parlay that into the larger topic about eradicating RF. Ultimately when the best course is to "move" the energy, the most effective tools will make the ground return the easiest pathway for the tiny little high frequencies. When it comes to RF (radio frequency) loitering around our music like a nuisance, audiophiles aren't completely out of luck -- we have a couple of tools at hand to deal with it. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys begin the main topic answering a question about shields and grounds in power cables, and parlay that into the larger topic about eradicating RF. Ultimately when the best course is to "move" the energy, the most effective tools will make the ground return the easiest pathway for the tiny little high frequencies. no full 54 1 305923c2-8e30-4572-a155-a0f8a88c7bee RMAF, Nooooooo!!! For podcast hosts Darren and Duncan, the hifi audio expo Rocky Mountain Audio Festival was more than their "hometown show."  Years before the two worked in the industry, the show represented a connection to the whole world of audio, accessible through a portal just down the road. It was as close to audiophile teleportation as it got for the guys.

In more recent years, it took on a new feeling as the two began to represent their companies and transition to the other side of the audio show affair. And after years of stressed-out system setups in hotel rooms and back-breaking schlepping of gear up and down freight elevators, it has still never gotten old.

Darren and Duncan are personally crushed to see their favorite hifi audio event be put to rest, so in this episode they talk about the news and go through some great memories from RMAF past. And they spend a good amount of time explaining what has been so special about the event and how it has managed to improve over the 10 years since its founder's unexpected death.

This week's album rec is a surprising debut album from a young lady whose voice will stop you in your tracks. A lady called Lady Blackbird and an album called Black Acid Soul.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Fri, 10 Sep 2021 13:54:13 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-53-rmaf-nooooooo For podcast hosts Darren and Duncan, the hifi audio expo Rocky Mountain Audio Festival was more than their "hometown show."  Years before the two worked in the industry, the show represented a connection to the whole world of audio, accessible through a portal just down the road. It was as close to audiophile teleportation as it got for the guys.

In more recent years, it took on a new feeling as the two began to represent their companies and transition to the other side of the audio show affair. And after years of stressed-out system setups in hotel rooms and back-breaking schlepping of gear up and down freight elevators, it has still never gotten old.

Darren and Duncan are personally crushed to see their favorite hifi audio event be put to rest, so in this episode they talk about the news and go through some great memories from RMAF past. And they spend a good amount of time explaining what has been so special about the event and how it has managed to improve over the 10 years since its founder's unexpected death.

This week's album rec is a surprising debut album from a young lady whose voice will stop you in your tracks. A lady called Lady Blackbird and an album called Black Acid Soul.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> RMAF, Nooooooo!!! Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:06:29 Darren and Duncan live in Colorado, and the recent news of the cancellation of this year's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest hits hard. Sadly, the bigger announcement wrapped in the recent memo about canceling this year's show is that the group putting on the show is hanging up their hats for good. RMAF is no more, and in this episode the guys reminisce and pay tribute to those who have kept this special event alive for so long. Darren and Duncan live in Colorado, and the recent news of the cancellation of this year's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest hits hard. Sadly, the bigger announcement wrapped in the recent memo about canceling this year's show is that the group putting on the show is hanging up their hats for good. RMAF is no more, and in this episode the guys reminisce and pay tribute to those who have kept this special event alive for so long. no full 53 1 119e044c-a232-483e-b471-45e4ee990611 "There's No Free Lunch In Audio," with Chris Brunhaver As a listener,  being restricted by a budget is a form of not getting your lunch for free. A designer might look at a single objective as the highest priority -- and then have to perform all kinds of feats to make that happen. A musician may want more sub bass on a mix than is prudent.

And on, and on. There are so many examples of places in audio where clever ideas simply can't compete against the laws of physics.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys and their regular guest host Chris Brunhaver talk about the many sides of this truism of audio.

In the questions segment of the podcast, Chris explains all about "power response," and the guys discuss the pros and cons of upsampling.

This week's album, Sideways EP by CLN, is some really cool electronic music that experiments with organic sounds and presentations.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2021 14:24:33 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-52-theres-no-free-lunch-audio As a listener,  being restricted by a budget is a form of not getting your lunch for free. A designer might look at a single objective as the highest priority -- and then have to perform all kinds of feats to make that happen. A musician may want more sub bass on a mix than is prudent.

And on, and on. There are so many examples of places in audio where clever ideas simply can't compete against the laws of physics.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys and their regular guest host Chris Brunhaver talk about the many sides of this truism of audio.

In the questions segment of the podcast, Chris explains all about "power response," and the guys discuss the pros and cons of upsampling.

This week's album, Sideways EP by CLN, is some really cool electronic music that experiments with organic sounds and presentations.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> "There's No Free Lunch In Audio," with Chris Brunhaver Darren and Duncan 01:36:17 Speaker expert Chris Brunhaver is back, although this week, the guys aren't jawing about squawk boxes. Rather, in this guest appearance Chris joins the discussion about the old aphorism that "there's no free lunch in audio." Turns out, there are several ways the truth of this statement shows up in the hifi hobby, and the guys explain why it's truer now than ever before. Speaker expert Chris Brunhaver is back, although this week, the guys aren't jawing about squawk boxes. Rather, in this guest appearance Chris joins the discussion about the old aphorism that "there's no free lunch in audio." Turns out, there are several ways the truth of this statement shows up in the hifi hobby, and the guys explain why it's truer now than ever before. no full 52 1 ca64b76e-8e3d-4ee6-a0b3-a4a3f5c5a0e5 Should A Masterpiece Be Updated? When bringing a vintage piece back to its original glory, whether as a DIY project or with the help of a professional, you have to decide if the restoration is going to attempt to use vintage parts from the same era (if that's even a possibility), or whether newer and better components should be used.

This is more of a temptation with speakers, as material science advancements have wrought incredible performance increases over the years. But it's also more challenging with speakers.

Speaker drivers can be so unique and quirky that entire speaker designs can revolve around minimizing the unique issues that arise. So the act of updating a speaker means you'd really want to understand the speaker fully, from drivers to crossover components, and in the end an update may not be possible without a total crossover overhaul, threatening to entirely change everything that made the speaker worth restoring to begin with.

This is some of the thought process behind Hifi Podcast hosts Darren and Duncan's plans to modify their Dunlavy speakers. Armed with a decent understanding of the crossover and a growing understanding of the drivers, the guys take this episode to talk about epiphanies learned and consider possible next steps.

Neither of their sets of Dunlavys are broken, per se, although Darren's does need a new tweeter. But that's a simple fix -- the more tempting option could involve beryllium or textreme. Tune in to find out where the projects are headed.

This week's listener questions are about bass traps and  the above DIY projects, and the album of the week, Afrobeat Revolution by Tony Allen gets an enthusiastic recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:32:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-51-should-masterpiece-be-updated When bringing a vintage piece back to its original glory, whether as a DIY project or with the help of a professional, you have to decide if the restoration is going to attempt to use vintage parts from the same era (if that's even a possibility), or whether newer and better components should be used.

This is more of a temptation with speakers, as material science advancements have wrought incredible performance increases over the years. But it's also more challenging with speakers.

Speaker drivers can be so unique and quirky that entire speaker designs can revolve around minimizing the unique issues that arise. So the act of updating a speaker means you'd really want to understand the speaker fully, from drivers to crossover components, and in the end an update may not be possible without a total crossover overhaul, threatening to entirely change everything that made the speaker worth restoring to begin with.

This is some of the thought process behind Hifi Podcast hosts Darren and Duncan's plans to modify their Dunlavy speakers. Armed with a decent understanding of the crossover and a growing understanding of the drivers, the guys take this episode to talk about epiphanies learned and consider possible next steps.

Neither of their sets of Dunlavys are broken, per se, although Darren's does need a new tweeter. But that's a simple fix -- the more tempting option could involve beryllium or textreme. Tune in to find out where the projects are headed.

This week's listener questions are about bass traps and  the above DIY projects, and the album of the week, Afrobeat Revolution by Tony Allen gets an enthusiastic recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Should A Masterpiece Be Updated? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:16:48 In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about where they are with one of the many audio DIY projects that are in the queue. A listener's question prompts reflection on what makes the project unique, and the guys explain why changes to the plans were made. Another great question about bass traps is asked, and the album of the week is a posthumous work from an influential figure in African music. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about where they are with one of the many audio DIY projects that are in the queue. A listener's question prompts reflection on what makes the project unique, and the guys explain why changes to the plans were made. Another great question about bass traps is asked, and the album of the week is a posthumous work from an influential figure in African music. no full 51 1 f58232c2-7e82-4db3-97ca-b1a994f96ba9 The Skinny On Harmonic Distortion In this episode, the guys talk about harmonic distortion and the difference in sound between a steel beam hitting a concrete floor and a stack of bamboo hitting the same floor.

What does a cheaper Class D amplifier have in common with the steel beam? What is negative second order harmonic? And what's so interesting about square waves for measuring amplifiers, when music is made of sines?

These questions and more are answered as hosts Darren and Duncan discuss the nature of harmonics, and how different distortion characteristics affect human ears.

Great questions from listeners discuss how to choose the right phono cartridge, and how to find humor in audio. The album of the week, Dreamlike by Electric Kif, rounds out the show.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:16:34 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net In this episode, the guys talk about harmonic distortion and the difference in sound between a steel beam hitting a concrete floor and a stack of bamboo hitting the same floor.

What does a cheaper Class D amplifier have in common with the steel beam? What is negative second order harmonic? And what's so interesting about square waves for measuring amplifiers, when music is made of sines?

These questions and more are answered as hosts Darren and Duncan discuss the nature of harmonics, and how different distortion characteristics affect human ears.

Great questions from listeners discuss how to choose the right phono cartridge, and how to find humor in audio. The album of the week, Dreamlike by Electric Kif, rounds out the show.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> The Skinny On Harmonic Distortion Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:01:50 In the '80s, it was trashed. No, we're not talking about Motley Crue, but we are in fact talking about harmonic distortion - you know, the villain of audio. During the "specs wars," watts ruled and distortion was the fool, and as we look at the landscape and the modern audiophile takes on the matter, not a ton has changed. With curious, useless specs like THD+Noise floating around out there, we wonder if the understanding of distortion has matured along with much of our technology in the last 40 years. In the '80s, it was trashed. No, we're not talking about Motley Crue, but we are in fact talking about harmonic distortion - you know, the villain of audio. During the "specs wars," watts ruled and distortion was the fool, and as we look at the landscape and the modern audiophile takes on the matter, not a ton has changed. With curious, useless specs like THD+Noise floating around out there, we wonder if the understanding of distortion has matured along with much of our technology in the last 40 years. no full 50 1 e5e9a787-b69b-40df-ae01-bf849cb677ba Resolution, The Double-Edged Sword When hifi speaker makers offer more than one "flavor" of speaker, it's typically to satisfy both audiophiles who seek more resolution, and those who want a more "fun" speaker. This is a wise move, as neither camp is likely to be swayed by a middle-of-the-road compromise.

One of the joys about the audiophile hobby is that you don't have to compromise your desired path. What sounds good to you IS good for you. It's because of this that we see so many approaches to the same objective in hifi audio.

This freedom and variety means that many people are chasing many different sounds. And when it comes to the topic of system resolution, this is an area where we see people differ more than others.

"Resolution is a double-edged sword" means that with it, you can reach new heights. But you're also presented new challenges. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys talk about what resolution means, and how to find your resolution "sweet spot."

Just for fun, this episode was done in backwards show order. Enjoy.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 4 Aug 2021 14:09:07 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-49-resolution-double-edged-sword When hifi speaker makers offer more than one "flavor" of speaker, it's typically to satisfy both audiophiles who seek more resolution, and those who want a more "fun" speaker. This is a wise move, as neither camp is likely to be swayed by a middle-of-the-road compromise.

One of the joys about the audiophile hobby is that you don't have to compromise your desired path. What sounds good to you IS good for you. It's because of this that we see so many approaches to the same objective in hifi audio.

This freedom and variety means that many people are chasing many different sounds. And when it comes to the topic of system resolution, this is an area where we see people differ more than others.

"Resolution is a double-edged sword" means that with it, you can reach new heights. But you're also presented new challenges. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys talk about what resolution means, and how to find your resolution "sweet spot."

Just for fun, this episode was done in backwards show order. Enjoy.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Resolution, The Double-Edged Sword Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:58:23 In hifi audio, our lexicon is pretty extensive. So much so, that sometimes, our words can trip over themselves and show up substituted for other words as we're trying to express what we think about how a thing sounds. We have the "Rs", which are Revealing, Resolving and Ruthless. And there are probably more than just that, but in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys talk about the ins and outs -- and the ups and downs of resolution. In hifi audio, our lexicon is pretty extensive. So much so, that sometimes, our words can trip over themselves and show up substituted for other words as we're trying to express what we think about how a thing sounds. We have the "Rs", which are Revealing, Resolving and Ruthless. And there are probably more than just that, but in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys talk about the ins and outs -- and the ups and downs of resolution. no full 49 1 f1cdcf7d-dd9c-465c-95b2-b405c3d403d3 Listening, Part 2: How We Compare Gear This week's episode is spurred from a listener question about how The Hifi Podcast hosts Duncan and Darren actually go about shooting out different pieces of gear in a reference system. Some say you should move quickly between A and B to avoid getting caught in biases and to stay within the "auditory memory window"; others suggest taking things slowly and letting subtle differences build up in your mind with time.

Well, you must be new to hifi audio if you don't know that there are a ton of ways to do everything  while still reaching a similar result. The same goes for this, although the guys certainly do have their preferred methods. Listen in as they talk about checklists, memory, mental peace and more in this wide ranging discussion about listening.

Also in this episode, a listener question about a career path in audio design is answered, and the album of the week features a musical act that toes the line between audiophile gadget music and melodically sweet and memorable art that anyone would love. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:15:59 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net This week's episode is spurred from a listener question about how The Hifi Podcast hosts Duncan and Darren actually go about shooting out different pieces of gear in a reference system. Some say you should move quickly between A and B to avoid getting caught in biases and to stay within the "auditory memory window"; others suggest taking things slowly and letting subtle differences build up in your mind with time.

Well, you must be new to hifi audio if you don't know that there are a ton of ways to do everything  while still reaching a similar result. The same goes for this, although the guys certainly do have their preferred methods. Listen in as they talk about checklists, memory, mental peace and more in this wide ranging discussion about listening.

Also in this episode, a listener question about a career path in audio design is answered, and the album of the week features a musical act that toes the line between audiophile gadget music and melodically sweet and memorable art that anyone would love. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Listening, Part 2: How We Compare Gear Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:52:26 This week's topic comes straight from a listener question, asking about the mechanics of listening. And specifically, how hosts Darren and Duncan go about comparing equipment and cables. Is it a quick, or a slow process? What are our checklists? Tune in to find out. This week's topic comes straight from a listener question, asking about the mechanics of listening. And specifically, how hosts Darren and Duncan go about comparing equipment and cables. Is it a quick, or a slow process? What are our checklists? Tune in to find out. no full 48 1 afd2182d-456a-4220-9dba-a2dd35f7bfe8 Audiophile Madness: Where Is The Line? Harmonizers. Resonators. Grounding boxes filled with dirt. Green dots, quantum tunneling, past-time-disentanglement, beeswax, tellerium,  C37 lacquer, nano liquid... the list goes on and on. What some folks in the hobby consider heretical snake oil, others have tried and found some degree of success in their audio journeys.

But where is the line? Perhaps the "madness line" is different for each person, and since this is supposed to be a fun hobby, perhaps there is no line that needs to be drawn.

Regardless, in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys discuss where their line lies on the scale of interesting or "out there" audio approaches.

This week's questions segment is a good one, including a tip from a listener to help another podcast listener who had a question last week. And interesting idea for a cue lever delay is in there, as well as talk about step up transformers and hysteresis distortion.

This week's album is a killer acoustic record that has been a staple of Darren's system for many years. A quintessential American folk singer in a recording that drips with feeling and life. Tune in to find out who and what.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:39:28 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-47-audiophile-madness-where-is-line Harmonizers. Resonators. Grounding boxes filled with dirt. Green dots, quantum tunneling, past-time-disentanglement, beeswax, tellerium,  C37 lacquer, nano liquid... the list goes on and on. What some folks in the hobby consider heretical snake oil, others have tried and found some degree of success in their audio journeys.

But where is the line? Perhaps the "madness line" is different for each person, and since this is supposed to be a fun hobby, perhaps there is no line that needs to be drawn.

Regardless, in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys discuss where their line lies on the scale of interesting or "out there" audio approaches.

This week's questions segment is a good one, including a tip from a listener to help another podcast listener who had a question last week. And interesting idea for a cue lever delay is in there, as well as talk about step up transformers and hysteresis distortion.

This week's album is a killer acoustic record that has been a staple of Darren's system for many years. A quintessential American folk singer in a recording that drips with feeling and life. Tune in to find out who and what.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Audiophile Madness: Where Is The Line? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:09:00 On the show, the guys talk a lot about tweaks, subtle differences, the brilliance of power cables and some of the more "snake-oily" parts of the hobby (according to some people). But even for two guys grounded in science yet open to possibilities, some parts of the audiophile hobby are a little too out there. In this episode, the guys look at some interesting approaches that fall into this category for them. On the show, the guys talk a lot about tweaks, subtle differences, the brilliance of power cables and some of the more "snake-oily" parts of the hobby (according to some people). But even for two guys grounded in science yet open to possibilities, some parts of the audiophile hobby are a little too out there. In this episode, the guys look at some interesting approaches that fall into this category for them. no full 47 1 d3aa8149-66ac-44ee-b051-6cfdf870e0ef Ground Loops: The Devil's Moan It begins with a flip of a switch, and often on the first power-up of a new component. What's supposed to be one of the most fun parts of the experience descends quickly into horror when the dreaded HUMM comes through the speakers.

Most of us have heard this horrible noise before, but it isn't always clear what the cause is, exactly. In this episode, engineer Darren takes us down to the ground as we try to understand voltages, currents and potential differences on our ground lines.

This week's album recommendation takes us into the electronic music world, with an album full of remixes of a fun 3-track EP released late last year.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:47:33 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-46-ground-loops-devils-moan It begins with a flip of a switch, and often on the first power-up of a new component. What's supposed to be one of the most fun parts of the experience descends quickly into horror when the dreaded HUMM comes through the speakers.

Most of us have heard this horrible noise before, but it isn't always clear what the cause is, exactly. In this episode, engineer Darren takes us down to the ground as we try to understand voltages, currents and potential differences on our ground lines.

This week's album recommendation takes us into the electronic music world, with an album full of remixes of a fun 3-track EP released late last year.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Ground Loops: The Devil's Moan Darren and Duncan 01:29:58 NOTE: It's come to our attention that our uploading service initially uploaded only a partial file. Subsequently, 9 minutes of the end of this podcast was cut off of the first upload. Because of the way apps cache data, if you started the podcast on an app like Apple Podcasts, you'll need to visit a web-based podcast player to hear end of the show. Head to the 'Episodes' page of our website to find the web players, or click the alternate episode link below. NOTE: It's come to our attention that our uploading service initially uploaded only a partial file. Subsequently, 9 minutes of the end of this podcast was cut off of the first upload. Because of the way apps cache data, if you started the podcast on an app like Apple Podcasts, you'll need to visit a web-based podcast player to hear end of the show. Head to the 'Episodes' page of our website to find the web players, or click the alternate episode link below. no full 46 1 0f5dec31-901c-49c6-bea6-fc7807d93d78 One Year On, And Still Going Strong Wed, 7 Jul 2021 17:26:06 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net One Year On, And Still Going Strong Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:44:51 In this episode, the hosts look back on the last year of podcasts, as this week's marks a year of recording for Darren and Duncan. Listen on to find out why this isn't the 53rd episode, and hear about how the idea for this show came about. From inventing new circuits while hiking in the woods to red lights and ribbon mics in the back yard, it's been an exhilarating and rewarding journey. In this episode, the hosts look back on the last year of podcasts, as this week's marks a year of recording for Darren and Duncan. Listen on to find out why this isn't the 53rd episode, and hear about how the idea for this show came about. From inventing new circuits while hiking in the woods to red lights and ribbon mics in the back yard, it's been an exhilarating and rewarding journey. no full 45 1 f4ea3375-2014-4f82-87e5-dbc5f72cfff3 Focusing On The Sweet Spot Being the right distance away from your speakers, and in a position in the room that minimizes room influence is a large part of the effort of creating audiophile sound. This is mostly what you hear when the topic of the sweet spot comes up.

But today, the guys focus on  the physical makeup of that area, and how it affects the sound.

How comfortable are you? What's directly behind your ears? How high are you sitting? What's the mood like, and where are the distractions?

These questions and more are discussed  in this episode's focus on the sweet spot. Earlier on, two listener questions about DAC and streamer setup tips and tweaks are answered in typical comprehensive fashion, and this week's album of the week makes the guys try their best not to snicker as they describe one of the best-recorded digital albums this year.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:04:31 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-44-focusing-on-sweet-spot Being the right distance away from your speakers, and in a position in the room that minimizes room influence is a large part of the effort of creating audiophile sound. This is mostly what you hear when the topic of the sweet spot comes up.

But today, the guys focus on  the physical makeup of that area, and how it affects the sound.

How comfortable are you? What's directly behind your ears? How high are you sitting? What's the mood like, and where are the distractions?

These questions and more are discussed  in this episode's focus on the sweet spot. Earlier on, two listener questions about DAC and streamer setup tips and tweaks are answered in typical comprehensive fashion, and this week's album of the week makes the guys try their best not to snicker as they describe one of the best-recorded digital albums this year.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Focusing On The Sweet Spot Darren and Duncan 01:54:26 We talk a lot about where to be -- where to place your listening chair or couch and how that relates to the speakers and the room. But when was the last time you took time to focus on those first couple of feet around you? In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how the makeup of that sweet spot zone can have a profound effect on how you hear. We talk a lot about where to be -- where to place your listening chair or couch and how that relates to the speakers and the room. But when was the last time you took time to focus on those first couple of feet around you? In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how the makeup of that sweet spot zone can have a profound effect on how you hear. no full 44 1 5a959f7c-846a-4ed9-bd21-e8295aa28afe What's Your Favorite [Fill In The Blank]? The audiophile hobby is a lot like cooking, and it behooves the chef to expose himself to as many sonic flavors as possible.

But the audiophile hobby is also expensive, and like car collecting, the possibility of a wide range of exposure requires lots of time, money and probably a mix of both.

This week on The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan pinch themselves about their years of access and exposure to all sorts of hifi gear, and they sort out for each other what devices and products have captured the #1 spot for themselves.

What is Darren's favorite power cable? Duncan's favorite solid state amplifier? And what kind of wacky listener questions will be answered this week? Tune in to find out, and be sure to stay to the end for a memorable audiophile album recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 13:54:50 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-43-whats-your-favorite-fill-in-blank The audiophile hobby is a lot like cooking, and it behooves the chef to expose himself to as many sonic flavors as possible.

But the audiophile hobby is also expensive, and like car collecting, the possibility of a wide range of exposure requires lots of time, money and probably a mix of both.

This week on The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan pinch themselves about their years of access and exposure to all sorts of hifi gear, and they sort out for each other what devices and products have captured the #1 spot for themselves.

What is Darren's favorite power cable? Duncan's favorite solid state amplifier? And what kind of wacky listener questions will be answered this week? Tune in to find out, and be sure to stay to the end for a memorable audiophile album recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> What's Your Favorite [Fill In The Blank]? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:26:00 In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss their favorites -- favorite big speakers, favorite low efficiency tube amps, favorite DACs, etc. It's a look back for each as they describe what constitutes the top of their audiophile experiences, and though each choice may be tough, these intrepid lads find a way to get it done. Also, this week's album is a stunning recording, and you don't want to miss it. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss their favorites -- favorite big speakers, favorite low efficiency tube amps, favorite DACs, etc. It's a look back for each as they describe what constitutes the top of their audiophile experiences, and though each choice may be tough, these intrepid lads find a way to get it done. Also, this week's album is a stunning recording, and you don't want to miss it. no full 43 1 a8aa3295-44c8-4f54-979d-d397e186fe50 Picking The Perfect Listening Room When it comes to selecting a room for an audio system, many factors come to play. And many constraints need to be managed in order to get something reasonable for music playback.

At the same time, a listening room at a ranch in Texas will have little in common with one in an apartment in Hong Kong. In this episode, Darren and Duncan discuss the needs of both rooms, and talk about the ideal conditions all of our rooms should aspire to.

Two listener questions are tackled, one about taming a system’s forwardness with subwoofers, and another about crafting a taller soundstage…. possibly with subwoofers.

The album pick this week comes from a guitarist from Sweden and is a mellifluous audiophile treat.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 16 Jun 2021 13:47:55 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-42-picking-perfect-listening-room When it comes to selecting a room for an audio system, many factors come to play. And many constraints need to be managed in order to get something reasonable for music playback.

At the same time, a listening room at a ranch in Texas will have little in common with one in an apartment in Hong Kong. In this episode, Darren and Duncan discuss the needs of both rooms, and talk about the ideal conditions all of our rooms should aspire to.

Two listener questions are tackled, one about taming a system’s forwardness with subwoofers, and another about crafting a taller soundstage…. possibly with subwoofers.

The album pick this week comes from a guitarist from Sweden and is a mellifluous audiophile treat.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Picking The Perfect Listening Room Darren and Duncan 02:11:31 The design & dimensions of a listening room can make or break a good audiophile setup. Sure, careful positioning and months of inching speakers can create gold from coal, but when a listening room has "it" going on, buckle in and hang on for the ride. In this Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about the deciding factors when picking a room, whether in Texas or Tokyo. The design & dimensions of a listening room can make or break a good audiophile setup. Sure, careful positioning and months of inching speakers can create gold from coal, but when a listening room has "it" going on, buckle in and hang on for the ride. In this Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about the deciding factors when picking a room, whether in Texas or Tokyo. no full 42 1 f074bfd0-8f91-4d8d-b6be-83b8b8e77e7a One Simple Trick To Know You're On The Right Path In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about one simple trick that will help you know you're on the right path when it comes to speaker setup and system integration.

Following their advice, when you throw frequency response analysis out the window, literally,  you're left to focus on elements of timing. And  if you do this, it might just get you thinking about what's important in a hifi stereo system.

This week's album recommendation comes from another legend of his chosen instrument,  a modern maestro of the highest caliber. He's often heard as part of a virtuoso duo or leading a band of who's whos in the player scene. This is the first time he's produced a pure solo album, and it's not surprising how great it is considering who we're talking about. Tune in to find out more.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 9 Jun 2021 13:49:04 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-41-one-simple-trick In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about one simple trick that will help you know you're on the right path when it comes to speaker setup and system integration.

Following their advice, when you throw frequency response analysis out the window, literally,  you're left to focus on elements of timing. And  if you do this, it might just get you thinking about what's important in a hifi stereo system.

This week's album recommendation comes from another legend of his chosen instrument,  a modern maestro of the highest caliber. He's often heard as part of a virtuoso duo or leading a band of who's whos in the player scene. This is the first time he's produced a pure solo album, and it's not surprising how great it is considering who we're talking about. Tune in to find out more.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> One Simple Trick To Know You're On The Right Path Darren and Duncan 01:16:02 There's a lot of speculation in the hifi audio world, and a lot of hearsay. A lot of, "Well he said this sounded great" and "Oh, I wouldn't. It didn't work out for him," type of thing. In a world where it's hard to know what's what, Darren and Duncan offer a reliable trick to help you know whether you're on the right track regarding hifi stereo setup or system changes. This week's album is yet another timeless string legend bringing yet another new joint. There's a lot of speculation in the hifi audio world, and a lot of hearsay. A lot of, "Well he said this sounded great" and "Oh, I wouldn't. It didn't work out for him," type of thing. In a world where it's hard to know what's what, Darren and Duncan offer a reliable trick to help you know whether you're on the right track regarding hifi stereo setup or system changes. This week's album is yet another timeless string legend bringing yet another new joint. no full 41 1 f14f391a-a265-4eb7-8da4-c9d11c8bfcea Broken Glass, Missing Feet & Other Hazards Of Used Hifi In the used hifi market, shipping skills pay the bills. Which bills? Who knows. Heartache bills, perhaps.

Seriously though, shipping knowledge specific to hifi (admittedly bizarre products that are fragile, heavy, delicate and absurdly weighted at the same time) can help prevent the abject tragedy of smashed hifi gear.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about the challenge of buying and selling hifi gear on the used market, but specifically look at shipping challenges.

From crazy rigid enclosures to unbalanced chassis to fragile switches and knobs, audiophile equipment is one of the tougher nuts to crack when it comes to the chaotic world of ground shipment.

But, armed with a few pointers and techniques, and more importantly the right perspective, the guys think anyone can become a second hand hifi shipping master.

This week’s album is another new offering from a legendary master of strings, whose instrument of choice is the stand-up double bass. Somehow after listening, you may as the guys do, end up talking more about the guitarist.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 2 Jun 2021 13:46:11 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-40-broken-glass-missing-feet-other-hazards-used-hifi In the used hifi market, shipping skills pay the bills. Which bills? Who knows. Heartache bills, perhaps.

Seriously though, shipping knowledge specific to hifi (admittedly bizarre products that are fragile, heavy, delicate and absurdly weighted at the same time) can help prevent the abject tragedy of smashed hifi gear.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about the challenge of buying and selling hifi gear on the used market, but specifically look at shipping challenges.

From crazy rigid enclosures to unbalanced chassis to fragile switches and knobs, audiophile equipment is one of the tougher nuts to crack when it comes to the chaotic world of ground shipment.

But, armed with a few pointers and techniques, and more importantly the right perspective, the guys think anyone can become a second hand hifi shipping master.

This week’s album is another new offering from a legendary master of strings, whose instrument of choice is the stand-up double bass. Somehow after listening, you may as the guys do, end up talking more about the guitarist.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Broken Glass, Missing Feet & Other Hazards Of Used Hifi Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:16:08 New products and fresh ideas are lots of fun, but the used hifi audio market is absolutely thriving these days. There's just so much to explore from years past, and so many interesting approaches and designs to check out, there seem to be more reasons than ever to buy used. But hang on a second. Hifi gear has some of the oddest materials and weight distribution, making the delicate bits much more prone to damage in the mail. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about used audio shipping nightmares, and how to avoid them. New products and fresh ideas are lots of fun, but the used hifi audio market is absolutely thriving these days. There's just so much to explore from years past, and so many interesting approaches and designs to check out, there seem to be more reasons than ever to buy used. But hang on a second. Hifi gear has some of the oddest materials and weight distribution, making the delicate bits much more prone to damage in the mail. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about used audio shipping nightmares, and how to avoid them. no full 40 1 493e7a24-f2dd-499e-bfde-e0ee2d85aa93 Chasing Holography / Why We Love Floating Images Does a stereo system have to present floating, 3D images in order to be considered truly hifi? Does it need to be called "holographic" in order to be enjoyable?

Does a bear poop in a toilet? Holographic sound may be one major thing both of The Hifi Podcast hosts chase, but it's not the only thing to love in a hifi system, by far.

Regardless, many in the audiophile hobby are after this sort of fun, and as Darren and Duncan discuss, the elements which can have an effect on the holographic presentation of a system come from many different places in a rig.

The effects also seem to be cumulative, making this another quasi tweak-fest episode.

This week's album recommendation is an audiophile-level recording of a duet of masters, and is a perfect opportunity to shout out one player who is well known to many audiophiles. This album isn't nearly as well-known, so be sure to listen through to the end.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 26 May 2021 13:18:19 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-39-chasing-holography-why-we-like-floating-images Does a stereo system have to present floating, 3D images in order to be considered truly hifi? Does it need to be called "holographic" in order to be enjoyable?

Does a bear poop in a toilet? Holographic sound may be one major thing both of The Hifi Podcast hosts chase, but it's not the only thing to love in a hifi system, by far.

Regardless, many in the audiophile hobby are after this sort of fun, and as Darren and Duncan discuss, the elements which can have an effect on the holographic presentation of a system come from many different places in a rig.

The effects also seem to be cumulative, making this another quasi tweak-fest episode.

This week's album recommendation is an audiophile-level recording of a duet of masters, and is a perfect opportunity to shout out one player who is well known to many audiophiles. This album isn't nearly as well-known, so be sure to listen through to the end.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Chasing Holography / Why We Love Floating Images Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:40:36 As audiophiles, we are a varied bunch. Some guys like thunderous bass, some like shimmering treble and detail, some like a thick midrange and some like a scoop. Yes, we're all fond of fidelity, which takes much of that subjectivity out of the mix, but make no mistake - we clearly have our preferences. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan explain what they like in a hifi presentation, and what elements or factors in the system help create or prevent it. As audiophiles, we are a varied bunch. Some guys like thunderous bass, some like shimmering treble and detail, some like a thick midrange and some like a scoop. Yes, we're all fond of fidelity, which takes much of that subjectivity out of the mix, but make no mistake - we clearly have our preferences. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan explain what they like in a hifi presentation, and what elements or factors in the system help create or prevent it. no full 39 1 06501d09-9223-4fbe-a4b5-d577a668076d Evolution Of Taste For The Audiophile Taste is the reason we get into hifi audio, being the driver of our interest and also being held captive by our changing interests along the journey.

The longer you spend in the audiophile hobby, or more specifically the more you improve a system and make it more revealing and resolving, the better the chance your tastes in music and perhaps sound character overall will evolve.

This is all part of the trip that is this gear-laden, expensive and dizzying hobby. A hobby where the goals change constantly, and where hitting moving targets is a necessary skill.

Hosts Darren and Duncan talk about their own musical and audio evolutions, and the considerations and decisions that should be in play as a system changes.

This week’s album recommendation comes from Mali, via a world famous acoustic guitarist with a bunch of great recordings.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 19 May 2021 15:10:20 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-38-evolution-taste-audiophile Taste is the reason we get into hifi audio, being the driver of our interest and also being held captive by our changing interests along the journey.

The longer you spend in the audiophile hobby, or more specifically the more you improve a system and make it more revealing and resolving, the better the chance your tastes in music and perhaps sound character overall will evolve.

This is all part of the trip that is this gear-laden, expensive and dizzying hobby. A hobby where the goals change constantly, and where hitting moving targets is a necessary skill.

Hosts Darren and Duncan talk about their own musical and audio evolutions, and the considerations and decisions that should be in play as a system changes.

This week’s album recommendation comes from Mali, via a world famous acoustic guitarist with a bunch of great recordings.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Evolution Of Taste For The Audiophile Darren and Duncan 01:18:47 In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how tastes in music can change for the audiophile, especially as gear changes bring about a more revealing character in a system. We're all about upgrading in this hobby, but what can you do when system upgrades ruin half of your music library for you? As always, listener questions and music recommendations round out the show. In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how tastes in music can change for the audiophile, especially as gear changes bring about a more revealing character in a system. We're all about upgrading in this hobby, but what can you do when system upgrades ruin half of your music library for you? As always, listener questions and music recommendations round out the show. no full 38 1 9cad00db-bf12-462f-848e-5644e9da45b5 The Maddening Importance Of Recording Quality There's a good chance you've heard a 50-year-old recording in the last month, if not more recently than that. Plenty of recordings in the last century or even half century are still great to listen to on a hifi system, and worth revisiting even today in the 2020s.

Think of one vintage recording you like. Now imagine that recording taking place in today's music scene, using today's computer-based recording technology, with today's engineers embracing modern concerns.

What are the chances this recording would wind up severely dynamically limited? Compressed and squashed and reduced, and then maximized so that its lyrics will be perfectly intelligible coming from a bluetooth speaker that's been kicked over in the sand?

One small aspect of the discussion about music production in this week's Hifi Podcast is the serious tragedy that's been happening to important music in recent years. Fifty years from now, will any serious music lovers want to listen to one of the greatest voices of our time, given that Adele's music is maxed out with severe dynamic limiting?

This and more are on the discussion table for this week's Hifi Podcast, as well as listener questions and the ever-popular album of the week recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 12 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net There's a good chance you've heard a 50-year-old recording in the last month, if not more recently than that. Plenty of recordings in the last century or even half century are still great to listen to on a hifi system, and worth revisiting even today in the 2020s.

Think of one vintage recording you like. Now imagine that recording taking place in today's music scene, using today's computer-based recording technology, with today's engineers embracing modern concerns.

What are the chances this recording would wind up severely dynamically limited? Compressed and squashed and reduced, and then maximized so that its lyrics will be perfectly intelligible coming from a bluetooth speaker that's been kicked over in the sand?

One small aspect of the discussion about music production in this week's Hifi Podcast is the serious tragedy that's been happening to important music in recent years. Fifty years from now, will any serious music lovers want to listen to one of the greatest voices of our time, given that Adele's music is maxed out with severe dynamic limiting?

This and more are on the discussion table for this week's Hifi Podcast, as well as listener questions and the ever-popular album of the week recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> The Maddening Importance Of Recording Quality Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:30:21 Amid all of the busy work related to the proper care and feeding of a hifi stereo system, sometimes the last thing to be considered a sonic troublemaker is the quality of the recording itself. Is that sonic characteristic in the system, or is it in the music? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys go back and forth about the importance of recording and production quality in the hifi hobby. Amid all of the busy work related to the proper care and feeding of a hifi stereo system, sometimes the last thing to be considered a sonic troublemaker is the quality of the recording itself. Is that sonic characteristic in the system, or is it in the music? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys go back and forth about the importance of recording and production quality in the hifi hobby. no full 37 1 086cf9eb-a6f8-414a-8d88-79ba70130aa6 When To Throw In The Towel On A Piece Of Hifi Gear Hifi audio can be finicky. Quite a few things can get in the way of showing off the potential magic of a component, making the buying process a rather maddening endeavor.

Whether it's that the component isn't burned in yet, or it needs cabling with different electrical qualities, or whether, once inserted into a system, it then points to and shows off a weakness somewhere else in the chain.

These are just some of the issues that get in the way of a new owner falling in love with a piece of gear, and in this episode of the Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how to deal with these things while managing the window of return and other considerations.

This week's album of the week is intriguing, as it offers Duncan an opportunity to gush (without regulation, it would seem) about one of his favorite musicians of all time.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 5 May 2021 13:25:35 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-36-when-to-throw-in-towel-piece-hifi-gear Hifi audio can be finicky. Quite a few things can get in the way of showing off the potential magic of a component, making the buying process a rather maddening endeavor.

Whether it's that the component isn't burned in yet, or it needs cabling with different electrical qualities, or whether, once inserted into a system, it then points to and shows off a weakness somewhere else in the chain.

These are just some of the issues that get in the way of a new owner falling in love with a piece of gear, and in this episode of the Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about how to deal with these things while managing the window of return and other considerations.

This week's album of the week is intriguing, as it offers Duncan an opportunity to gush (without regulation, it would seem) about one of his favorite musicians of all time.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> When To Throw In The Towel On A Piece Of Hifi Gear Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:44:08 Sometimes, you just want to chuck that new turntable down the basement stairs and forget about it for a year. We've all been there... well, mostly. Nearly everyone getting into the hifi audio hobby has found, met and overcome some gear frustration along the way, but what do you do when a piece of equipment is reeeally bothering you? How do decide when to call it quits with it is the topic of this podcast, as hosts Darren and Duncan offer a checklist of ideas for things to try first. Sometimes, you just want to chuck that new turntable down the basement stairs and forget about it for a year. We've all been there... well, mostly. Nearly everyone getting into the hifi audio hobby has found, met and overcome some gear frustration along the way, but what do you do when a piece of equipment is reeeally bothering you? How do decide when to call it quits with it is the topic of this podcast, as hosts Darren and Duncan offer a checklist of ideas for things to try first. no full 36 1 8f94b4ca-40eb-47d8-a717-c3874bc98b1c Noise, Round II: Amplification Devices The language of amplifiers is often spoken using terms like noise, harmonics, load, phase, bandwidth and more. From the perspective of an amplifier designer, the discussion of noise is paramount. Noise affects all segments of a circuit and can generate from many different sources.

The Hifi Podcast's own amplifier design wizard Darren takes us back into noise land to look at the different types of noise coming from different places in the circuitry, and explains which types are more benign than others.

Noise from a record, for example, can be much more noticeable at first, but seem to disappear when the music plays. Not so with input stage noise, for example, or even ripple from a gain stage with limited PSRR.

Also in this episode, the guys answer some questions about tube amps, the use of a variac and whether 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm taps sound better on an 8 Ohm pair of speakers.

This week's album recommendation is incredible, and features a few-take, casual-but-tight live trio set from a group produced by, but not fronted by the one and only Charlie Hunter.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:22:05 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-35-noise-round-ii-amplification-devices The language of amplifiers is often spoken using terms like noise, harmonics, load, phase, bandwidth and more. From the perspective of an amplifier designer, the discussion of noise is paramount. Noise affects all segments of a circuit and can generate from many different sources.

The Hifi Podcast's own amplifier design wizard Darren takes us back into noise land to look at the different types of noise coming from different places in the circuitry, and explains which types are more benign than others.

Noise from a record, for example, can be much more noticeable at first, but seem to disappear when the music plays. Not so with input stage noise, for example, or even ripple from a gain stage with limited PSRR.

Also in this episode, the guys answer some questions about tube amps, the use of a variac and whether 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm taps sound better on an 8 Ohm pair of speakers.

This week's album recommendation is incredible, and features a few-take, casual-but-tight live trio set from a group produced by, but not fronted by the one and only Charlie Hunter.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Noise, Round II: Amplification Devices Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:01:01 Is there any noise that is acceptable in an amplifier? If given a choice between a noisy input, noisy output section or noisy power supply, which would result in the most pleasing sound? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys dive right back into the topic of component noise, this time focusing more closely on amplifying devices. Is there any noise that is acceptable in an amplifier? If given a choice between a noisy input, noisy output section or noisy power supply, which would result in the most pleasing sound? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, the guys dive right back into the topic of component noise, this time focusing more closely on amplifying devices. no full 35 1 23508724-2897-45c5-8ad8-0dacab68d78c State Of The Speaker Art, With Chris Brunhaver Resident speaker guru Chris Brunhaver is back with a wide ranging discussion (no surprise there) with the guys about what's going on currently in the world of speaker design.

Multiple pole gaps,  magnetic speaker parts, woven poly cones and hysteresis.... sounds about right for a visit from  Chris.

Also in this episode, listener questions about woofer movement when playing back records and about how to set up a listening environment with no sweet spot are answered.

Be sure to listen to the end, where the guys suggest a new acoustic album full of young virtuoso players. This one's a classic marriage of excellent recording and exceptional music.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:46:05 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-34-state-speaker-art-chris-brunhaver Resident speaker guru Chris Brunhaver is back with a wide ranging discussion (no surprise there) with the guys about what's going on currently in the world of speaker design.

Multiple pole gaps,  magnetic speaker parts, woven poly cones and hysteresis.... sounds about right for a visit from  Chris.

Also in this episode, listener questions about woofer movement when playing back records and about how to set up a listening environment with no sweet spot are answered.

Be sure to listen to the end, where the guys suggest a new acoustic album full of young virtuoso players. This one's a classic marriage of excellent recording and exceptional music.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> State Of The Speaker Art, With Chris Brunhaver Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:00:59 Speaker designer and expert Chris Brunhaver stops by again for a chat, which this time focuses on driver and cabinet technological advances and what makes up the state of the art in speaker manufacturing at the moment. Before that, the guys answer a couple of listener questions and later on share about a bluegrass supergroup with a new album out. Speaker designer and expert Chris Brunhaver stops by again for a chat, which this time focuses on driver and cabinet technological advances and what makes up the state of the art in speaker manufacturing at the moment. Before that, the guys answer a couple of listener questions and later on share about a bluegrass supergroup with a new album out. no full 34 1 1f407208-ce1a-4eb9-8d36-0f5367acc563 The Gear Lover Versus The Music Lover If you’ve ever heard to a locomotive passing left to right in your listening room before, you know there are some cool experiences to be had as an audiophile where music doesn’t even factor in.

The great thing about this audiophile hobby is how stinkin’ broad it is and capable of making all kinds of interests and rabbit holes rewarding on their own.

It’s true that there is a bit of disdain shown in some areas of the audiophile sphere for folks who would rather listen to gear than music, but in this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan suggest realigning that perspective to be more welcoming of different approaches to fun with this hobby.

Also in this episode are a couple of listener questions, one of which concerns the rebuilding of 30-year-old crossovers.

This week’s album recommendation threatens to become your library’s best-sounding album. That’s beside the fact that it’s also immensely winsome and deep and emotional, and features some world class musicianship.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:08:28 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-33-gear-lover-versus-music-lover If you’ve ever heard to a locomotive passing left to right in your listening room before, you know there are some cool experiences to be had as an audiophile where music doesn’t even factor in.

The great thing about this audiophile hobby is how stinkin’ broad it is and capable of making all kinds of interests and rabbit holes rewarding on their own.

It’s true that there is a bit of disdain shown in some areas of the audiophile sphere for folks who would rather listen to gear than music, but in this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan suggest realigning that perspective to be more welcoming of different approaches to fun with this hobby.

Also in this episode are a couple of listener questions, one of which concerns the rebuilding of 30-year-old crossovers.

This week’s album recommendation threatens to become your library’s best-sounding album. That’s beside the fact that it’s also immensely winsome and deep and emotional, and features some world class musicianship.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> The Gear Lover Versus The Music Lover Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:45:11 Listening for the sake of listening (and not necessarily to music) isn't a new thing, and although the notion of going through a "Stereophile test disc phase" in your listening habits may be silly to some, this episode of The HiFi podcast aims to offer a different perspective. Also in this episode are crossover upgrade questions and a seriously jaw-dropping album of the week. Listening for the sake of listening (and not necessarily to music) isn't a new thing, and although the notion of going through a "Stereophile test disc phase" in your listening habits may be silly to some, this episode of The HiFi podcast aims to offer a different perspective. Also in this episode are crossover upgrade questions and a seriously jaw-dropping album of the week. high end audio, music, hifi, listening, audio, sound, audiophile no full 33 1 cf2c2831-4408-4362-8ae0-1c013ca991d1 Where Do Audiophiles Come From? One has an audiophile dad, and the other's father is a composer, conductor and  music professor.  Both spent teenage years chasing better sound and experimenting with audio gear.  Each has a unique taste  for music, informed by years of aural experiences.

In this week's episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan walk down memory lane as each shares the story of how he became an audiophile. Purely for entertainment, this diversion from the usual  audio topics still attracts some interesting audio-based discussion.

Two separate listener questions about Chromecast audio devices feature as the questions of the week, and the guys help make digital source decisions, like whether to use a high quality DAC along with a DSP, effectively doubling the amount of conversions going on.

The album of the week features an incredible Norwegian pianist and his just released and  impeccably recorded jazz album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 7 Apr 2021 15:46:04 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-32-where-do-audiophiles-come-from One has an audiophile dad, and the other's father is a composer, conductor and  music professor.  Both spent teenage years chasing better sound and experimenting with audio gear.  Each has a unique taste  for music, informed by years of aural experiences.

In this week's episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan walk down memory lane as each shares the story of how he became an audiophile. Purely for entertainment, this diversion from the usual  audio topics still attracts some interesting audio-based discussion.

Two separate listener questions about Chromecast audio devices feature as the questions of the week, and the guys help make digital source decisions, like whether to use a high quality DAC along with a DSP, effectively doubling the amount of conversions going on.

The album of the week features an incredible Norwegian pianist and his just released and  impeccably recorded jazz album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Where Do Audiophiles Come From? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:30:49 In a change of pace from the usual audio topics, Darren and Duncan turn the focus onto themselves this week and explain how each became an audiophile in a retrospective episode of The Hifi Podcast. Two listener questions about Chromecast audio are tackled, and the week's album recommendation gets back to newly released, expertly-recorded jazz. In a change of pace from the usual audio topics, Darren and Duncan turn the focus onto themselves this week and explain how each became an audiophile in a retrospective episode of The Hifi Podcast. Two listener questions about Chromecast audio are tackled, and the week's album recommendation gets back to newly released, expertly-recorded jazz. music, hifi, chromecast, audio, sound, speakers, amplifier, amps, audiophile, musician no full 32 1 149bb5a1-8898-4bd4-8c98-cf0bc543c378 What Is Input & Output Impedance, And Why Should I Care? It's a specification you see a lot when shopping for preamplifiers and amplifiers for a high end audio system: input and output impedance, expressed in the ohms. Watts are much more easy to understand relating to eventual experience, as well as frequency response bandwidth. But impedance?

If you've ever wondered what sonic effect input and output impedance have and what role they play, settle down for this one because Darren explains it all. The discussion of impedance ultimately brings up capacitance in cables, so that's a cherry on top for the cable deniers. But it's all wrapped up in the same concepts, and this one is a can't miss episode for those who want to know more.

Earlier in the show, listener questions are answered, covering topics like dynamic range compression and speaker wall construction philosophies.

This week's album recommendation is a rare throwback, to a blues master of the 20th century. It's an album that was in Darren's first audiophile library, and which remains a favorite many years on.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:43:29 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-31-what-is-input-output-impedance It's a specification you see a lot when shopping for preamplifiers and amplifiers for a high end audio system: input and output impedance, expressed in the ohms. Watts are much more easy to understand relating to eventual experience, as well as frequency response bandwidth. But impedance?

If you've ever wondered what sonic effect input and output impedance have and what role they play, settle down for this one because Darren explains it all. The discussion of impedance ultimately brings up capacitance in cables, so that's a cherry on top for the cable deniers. But it's all wrapped up in the same concepts, and this one is a can't miss episode for those who want to know more.

Earlier in the show, listener questions are answered, covering topics like dynamic range compression and speaker wall construction philosophies.

This week's album recommendation is a rare throwback, to a blues master of the 20th century. It's an album that was in Darren's first audiophile library, and which remains a favorite many years on.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> What Is Input & Output Impedance, And Why Should I Care? Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:35:40 If you've ever wondered what role the input and output impedances of your gear has in the scheme of things, wonder no more. In this week's episode, Darren and Duncan take a deep dive to understand the relationship between the ins and outs of our components and the connections between them. Also, questions about recordings and speaker cabinet walls are answered, and the guys go way back with the album recommendation of the week. If you've ever wondered what role the input and output impedances of your gear has in the scheme of things, wonder no more. In this week's episode, Darren and Duncan take a deep dive to understand the relationship between the ins and outs of our components and the connections between them. Also, questions about recordings and speaker cabinet walls are answered, and the guys go way back with the album recommendation of the week. music, high fidelity, hifi, audio, sound, amplifier, preamplifier, impedance, audiophile no full 31 1 1e293ede-cecc-4f20-9ba7-3b7f6d512721 Truth, Or Buffered Reality? What Audiophiles Want “You can’t handle the truth!” is a phrase that comes to mind on the topic of the revealing nature of a hifi system. Sometimes, we don’t want the actual reality of a crash cymbal in our listening rooms. Have you ever heard a crash cymbal from the “business end,” i.e. away from the drummer?

In hifi audio, many paths lead to the same place, and many tweaks and changes can get you there in a unique way. There’s no reason a system must have all distortions completely neutralized, laying bare only the remaining distortions which can’t be controlled… unless that’s exactly what you want.

Hifi audio is supposed to be fun, after all. In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan look at both sides of the coin when it comes to audio truth.

A listener also asks a question about vintage Yamaha NS-1000 speakers, and this week’s album recommendation is a new release from a brilliant artist who is one of Darren’s favorites.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:31:58 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-30-truth-or-buffered-reality “You can’t handle the truth!” is a phrase that comes to mind on the topic of the revealing nature of a hifi system. Sometimes, we don’t want the actual reality of a crash cymbal in our listening rooms. Have you ever heard a crash cymbal from the “business end,” i.e. away from the drummer?

In hifi audio, many paths lead to the same place, and many tweaks and changes can get you there in a unique way. There’s no reason a system must have all distortions completely neutralized, laying bare only the remaining distortions which can’t be controlled… unless that’s exactly what you want.

Hifi audio is supposed to be fun, after all. In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan look at both sides of the coin when it comes to audio truth.

A listener also asks a question about vintage Yamaha NS-1000 speakers, and this week’s album recommendation is a new release from a brilliant artist who is one of Darren’s favorites.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Truth, Or Buffered Reality? What Audiophiles Want Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:24:55 In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about the fact that too much resolution in a hifi stereo system can be distracting, that preference dictates where that line lies for each audiophile, and that intentionally dialing up the euphonic side of your stereo can be a good way to better connect emotionally with your music. This week's album rec is insane, as always. In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan talk about the fact that too much resolution in a hifi stereo system can be distracting, that preference dictates where that line lies for each audiophile, and that intentionally dialing up the euphonic side of your stereo can be a good way to better connect emotionally with your music. This week's album rec is insane, as always. no full 30 1 1ed921d7-5450-4049-9ec3-86f55ddcad06 Noise, The Audiophile's Bane Noise, noise noise. It's all noise. To the serious audiophile, reducing noise at every point of a stereo system is job #1. Compression artifacts keep us from touching MP3s with a ten foot pole. Digital streams must contain vanishing amounts of jitter. Conversion to analog requires careful filtering. Interconnects should reject RF and EMI, and hold their own in the vicinity of power cables. Power cables shield the system from the outside world. Mechanical isolation disconnects components from vibration noise. Power supply ripple is smoothed out. 

This audiophile hobby is completely obsessed with noise, and for good reason. When the noise is removed, the music flows and the magic happens. It's the recipe for success with audio, and in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan go around the signal chain to discuss many different types of noise.

More listener questions are also tackled, as usual, with this week's questions centering around speaker spikes and philosophical arguments for and against separates versus integrated.

This week's album recommendation is a real mind bender. An instrumental work from a session and touring legend on the bass guitar goes in serious audiophile directions while remaining fairly genre-ambivalent. It may be hard to nail down, but this record will prove a real challenge for the subs, and a delight for the ears.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:53:12 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-29-noise-audiophiles-bane Noise, noise noise. It's all noise. To the serious audiophile, reducing noise at every point of a stereo system is job #1. Compression artifacts keep us from touching MP3s with a ten foot pole. Digital streams must contain vanishing amounts of jitter. Conversion to analog requires careful filtering. Interconnects should reject RF and EMI, and hold their own in the vicinity of power cables. Power cables shield the system from the outside world. Mechanical isolation disconnects components from vibration noise. Power supply ripple is smoothed out. 

This audiophile hobby is completely obsessed with noise, and for good reason. When the noise is removed, the music flows and the magic happens. It's the recipe for success with audio, and in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan go around the signal chain to discuss many different types of noise.

More listener questions are also tackled, as usual, with this week's questions centering around speaker spikes and philosophical arguments for and against separates versus integrated.

This week's album recommendation is a real mind bender. An instrumental work from a session and touring legend on the bass guitar goes in serious audiophile directions while remaining fairly genre-ambivalent. It may be hard to nail down, but this record will prove a real challenge for the subs, and a delight for the ears.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Noise, The Audiophile's Bane Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:14:58 As you spend more time with this hobby, you might notice that most of things we do to improve our hifi systems are related to noise. Vibration isolation, microphonics reduction, EMI rejection, static charge avoidance, quantization filtering, intermodulated hiss rejection, crosstalk reduction, harmonics shaping and more come to mind. This episode of The Hifi Podcast is dedicated to the chief antagonist in the playback equation: noise in all its hideous forms. As you spend more time with this hobby, you might notice that most of things we do to improve our hifi systems are related to noise. Vibration isolation, microphonics reduction, EMI rejection, static charge avoidance, quantization filtering, intermodulated hiss rejection, crosstalk reduction, harmonics shaping and more come to mind. This episode of The Hifi Podcast is dedicated to the chief antagonist in the playback equation: noise in all its hideous forms. music, hifi, noise, audio, sound, audiophile no full 29 1 dc907612-4bc0-480a-bcc9-b63b3e146bbd Future-Fi: What May Lie Ahead For Audio What would it be like if the deleterious effects of room boundaries and interaction were a thing of the past? In the future, will audiophiles have the same problems we do now, or will we be arguing about the best-sounding audio software for our brain implants?

Audiophiles tend to get bogged down in debate over our here-and-now problems like whether to bi-amp or what speaker cabinets are more inert than others.  It can be a fun exercise to imagine the future possibilities with an audio buddy, and Darren and Duncan give it a go.

Also in this episode, a listener asks about his 12-watt EL-84-based tube amp and whether it's a good match for his Harbeth P3 speakers. Another listener asks which turntable setup is recommended to sound better than his DAC -- a trickier challenge than it first seems.

This week's album recommendation comes from one of the guys' favorite world music singers, and features tunes in French, Spanish and English. Apparently the artist crafted the record while traveling on the road with a circus. As you do.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2021 16:16:24 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-28-future-fi-what-may-lie-ahead-for-audio What would it be like if the deleterious effects of room boundaries and interaction were a thing of the past? In the future, will audiophiles have the same problems we do now, or will we be arguing about the best-sounding audio software for our brain implants?

Audiophiles tend to get bogged down in debate over our here-and-now problems like whether to bi-amp or what speaker cabinets are more inert than others.  It can be a fun exercise to imagine the future possibilities with an audio buddy, and Darren and Duncan give it a go.

Also in this episode, a listener asks about his 12-watt EL-84-based tube amp and whether it's a good match for his Harbeth P3 speakers. Another listener asks which turntable setup is recommended to sound better than his DAC -- a trickier challenge than it first seems.

This week's album recommendation comes from one of the guys' favorite world music singers, and features tunes in French, Spanish and English. Apparently the artist crafted the record while traveling on the road with a circus. As you do.

 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Future-Fi: What May Lie Ahead For Audio Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:07:24 50 years from now, will we receive our music through brain chips? Will our walls produce perfect sound? Will everyone be an audiophile in the future? In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan ponder the possibilities of what may lie in store for the audiophile hobby. Listener questions about tubes and turntables are answered, and this week's album pick comes from a dulcet-voiced, trilingual circus performer. 50 years from now, will we receive our music through brain chips? Will our walls produce perfect sound? Will everyone be an audiophile in the future? In this episode, hosts Darren and Duncan ponder the possibilities of what may lie in store for the audiophile hobby. Listener questions about tubes and turntables are answered, and this week's album pick comes from a dulcet-voiced, trilingual circus performer. system, music, high fidelity, hifi, audio, sound, speakers, hifi audio, future, technology no full 28 1 0716e9d1-aeff-4770-b7ea-f9bc78255173 Speakers Speakers Speakers Speakers With Chris Brunhaver In this week’s podcast, speaker expert and PS Audio design engineer Chris Brunhaver stops by once again to chat about his favorite topic: Photography.

Just kidding, of course. Chris’ insights about how speakers work, what companies make what materials for whom and his seemingly endless and encyclopedic knowledge of the speaker industry are once again in the spotlight as hosts Darren and Duncan pepper him with questions about all things speakers.

The guys also tackle a listener question about buying hifi gear online, and talk through suggestions for a another listener who recently had to move his stereo system downstairs.

This week’s album recommendation is one of Darren’s favorites, featuring some excellent tracks for system demonstrations and evaluation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 3 Mar 2021 16:26:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-27-speakers-speakers-speakers-speakers In this week’s podcast, speaker expert and PS Audio design engineer Chris Brunhaver stops by once again to chat about his favorite topic: Photography.

Just kidding, of course. Chris’ insights about how speakers work, what companies make what materials for whom and his seemingly endless and encyclopedic knowledge of the speaker industry are once again in the spotlight as hosts Darren and Duncan pepper him with questions about all things speakers.

The guys also tackle a listener question about buying hifi gear online, and talk through suggestions for a another listener who recently had to move his stereo system downstairs.

This week’s album recommendation is one of Darren’s favorites, featuring some excellent tracks for system demonstrations and evaluation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Speakers Speakers Speakers Speakers With Chris Brunhaver Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:19:59 Industry veteran Chris Brunhaver joins The Hifi Podcast once again to chat about speakers. This time around, the guys pick his brain about speaker cone types and construction and the pros and cons of ported speakers versus sealed. A listener question about online hifi shopping is also debated, and the album recommendation of the week is one of Darren's favorites. Industry veteran Chris Brunhaver joins The Hifi Podcast once again to chat about speakers. This time around, the guys pick his brain about speaker cone types and construction and the pros and cons of ported speakers versus sealed. A listener question about online hifi shopping is also debated, and the album recommendation of the week is one of Darren's favorites. music, hifi, audio, sound, speakers, audiophile no full 27 1 bf6074b9-8f10-4cfd-97e9-a10de05cf5e7 David Versus... A Slightly Bigger David: Small vs Large Audio Companies In the history of hifi audio, there have been many more  truly small companies than those that can be considered large for the industry. There are specific pros and cons to both, and in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss the topic at length.

Small companies like Morrison Audio or Linkwitz Labs can offer products that require more knowledge and setup than  products from, say  Bowers & Wilkins or  Magnepan. The resulting sound can be exquisite, and offer a unique characteristic or approach.

Conversely, a huge company like Sony can afford to lose money in the R&D of a ground-breaking product that contains a feature set that would be unheard-of from a smaller company.

Whatever the case,  it's interesting what is possible for each type of hifi audio manufacturer, and cool to see both find relevance in our audiophile world.

This week's album recommendation comes via a duo from Canada, who is one of Duncan's favorite go-to artists for interesting, borderline jazzy electronic music.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 24 Feb 2021 18:00:46 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-26-david-versus-slightly-bigger-david In the history of hifi audio, there have been many more  truly small companies than those that can be considered large for the industry. There are specific pros and cons to both, and in this episode of The Hifi Podcast, hosts Darren and Duncan discuss the topic at length.

Small companies like Morrison Audio or Linkwitz Labs can offer products that require more knowledge and setup than  products from, say  Bowers & Wilkins or  Magnepan. The resulting sound can be exquisite, and offer a unique characteristic or approach.

Conversely, a huge company like Sony can afford to lose money in the R&D of a ground-breaking product that contains a feature set that would be unheard-of from a smaller company.

Whatever the case,  it's interesting what is possible for each type of hifi audio manufacturer, and cool to see both find relevance in our audiophile world.

This week's album recommendation comes via a duo from Canada, who is one of Duncan's favorite go-to artists for interesting, borderline jazzy electronic music.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> David Versus... A Slightly Bigger David: Small vs Large Audio Companies Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:47:28 In the audio business, a "big company" is still quite small compared to other industries. But the differences between small hifi companies and larger ones can be quite massive from the consumer perspective. The guys believe there's no right answer, and discuss the pros and cons of both. In the audio business, a "big company" is still quite small compared to other industries. But the differences between small hifi companies and larger ones can be quite massive from the consumer perspective. The guys believe there's no right answer, and discuss the pros and cons of both. no full 26 1 b1a74278-9b10-4112-b921-a91b9971b526 Examining The Art Of Recording Just outside PS Audio headquarters in Boulder, Colorado,  lives one of the better recording studios in the area, called Coupe Studios. Between the audiophile equipment company and the recording studio lies a creek. Which seems like such a perfect analog for the knowledge barrier that exists between audiophiles and the recording world.

Priorities among the two entities when it comes to design and execution are completely different, yet at a point some of the goals are the same. It's not  surprising or really very problematic for recording engineers to not know about or care about audiophile desires, and vice versa, but it's always an interesting study to examine how the other side ticks.

In this episode, Darren and Duncan chat about recording and production, and wander about in the land of the pro audio folks to discover what things are important on that side of the divide.

In the listener questions segment, an emailer asks for recommendations for speakers to pair with a homemade relatively low watt ultralinear amplifier, and another listener recommends a pair of finely crafted bookshelves and an album.

This week's album of the week recommendation is a funk fest from the U.S. Pacific Northwest. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2021 14:31:01 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-25-examining-art-recording Just outside PS Audio headquarters in Boulder, Colorado,  lives one of the better recording studios in the area, called Coupe Studios. Between the audiophile equipment company and the recording studio lies a creek. Which seems like such a perfect analog for the knowledge barrier that exists between audiophiles and the recording world.

Priorities among the two entities when it comes to design and execution are completely different, yet at a point some of the goals are the same. It's not  surprising or really very problematic for recording engineers to not know about or care about audiophile desires, and vice versa, but it's always an interesting study to examine how the other side ticks.

In this episode, Darren and Duncan chat about recording and production, and wander about in the land of the pro audio folks to discover what things are important on that side of the divide.

In the listener questions segment, an emailer asks for recommendations for speakers to pair with a homemade relatively low watt ultralinear amplifier, and another listener recommends a pair of finely crafted bookshelves and an album.

This week's album of the week recommendation is a funk fest from the U.S. Pacific Northwest. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Examining The Art Of Recording Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:27:07 In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about some of the things audiophiles miss when it comes to recording. Duncan's years of experience recording, mixing and mastering bands helps the guys flesh out a topic that is less known to most audiophiles. The guys also tackle a couple of listener questions, and reveal a severely funky album of the week. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about some of the things audiophiles miss when it comes to recording. Duncan's years of experience recording, mixing and mastering bands helps the guys flesh out a topic that is less known to most audiophiles. The guys also tackle a couple of listener questions, and reveal a severely funky album of the week. music, hifi, audio, sound, board, recording, engineer, microphone, mixing no full 25 1 53c166b7-5142-4c23-8205-5aaa6e327b5d How To Integrate A Subwoofer The addition of a subwoofer or subwoofers to a hifi system can be game-changing. Frequencies all over the spectrum can be made  more clear and understandable with the support of existing sub frequencies to complete the transient music information.

But none of that happens until the sub or subs are integrated properly with the speakers, blended in a way that their waves add to rather than detract from the main speakers.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan go through the steps of subwoofer integration, from placement to level and crossover adjustment.

Also in this episode, the guys answer listener questions about output transformers and turntable isolation, and at the end they show off the album of the week. This week's pick features a young guitar player from New York who rips through a set of jazz standards with a delicious-sounding hollow-body guitar.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 10 Feb 2021 14:45:12 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-24-how-to-integrate-subwoofer The addition of a subwoofer or subwoofers to a hifi system can be game-changing. Frequencies all over the spectrum can be made  more clear and understandable with the support of existing sub frequencies to complete the transient music information.

But none of that happens until the sub or subs are integrated properly with the speakers, blended in a way that their waves add to rather than detract from the main speakers.

In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan go through the steps of subwoofer integration, from placement to level and crossover adjustment.

Also in this episode, the guys answer listener questions about output transformers and turntable isolation, and at the end they show off the album of the week. This week's pick features a young guitar player from New York who rips through a set of jazz standards with a delicious-sounding hollow-body guitar.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> How To Integrate A Subwoofer Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:52:36 NOTE: With great apologies to our listeners, we realize the audio file on this episode suffers from some kind of digital artifact that begins after a few minutes. We caught the problem too late, but we're searching for the cause, and plan to not let it happen again. This episode of The Hifi Podcast focuses on an immensely important task for any serious audiophile: How to integrate a subwoofer or subwoofers into your speaker system via placement, level, crossover adjustment and more. NOTE: With great apologies to our listeners, we realize the audio file on this episode suffers from some kind of digital artifact that begins after a few minutes. We caught the problem too late, but we're searching for the cause, and plan to not let it happen again. This episode of The Hifi Podcast focuses on an immensely important task for any serious audiophile: How to integrate a subwoofer or subwoofers into your speaker system via placement, level, crossover adjustment and more. crossover, sub, hifi, bass, placement, subwoofer, audio, sound, hifi audio, connection, volume, audiophile, room, phase no full 24 1 7da4d24a-dad5-4ca3-822a-8cf32b345010 Audio Show Nightmares And Triumphs A hifi audio trade show is a tale of two realities. One side features attendees -- end users and consumers -- hustling from room to room, auditioning possible or future purchases, and mixing and mingling with audio hobby friends from around the world. The surroundings are posh, the sounds are (hopefully) lush, and the excitement is high.

However, from the manufacturers and dealers' perspective, the other reality is an effort in pretending everything is fine. Setup at a trade show resembles a reality TV game show, with contestants pulling their hair out as they fight off challenge after challenge in order to maintain an equanimous façade for the judges, AKA the show-goers.

The Hifi Podcast hosts Darren and Duncan know this scene well, and have each survived a good number of trade show setups and showcases. In this episode, they share some nitty gritty details, remember some funny stories, and  give a little perspective on the events behind the scenes.

Also in this podcast a question about bi-amping is tackled, and a listener shares a couple of great albums from an amazing vibraphonist.

This week's album recommendation is another great piece of music, with one caveat, which Duncan shares from his experience with it.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 3 Feb 2021 14:35:54 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-23-audio-show-nightmares-triumphs A hifi audio trade show is a tale of two realities. One side features attendees -- end users and consumers -- hustling from room to room, auditioning possible or future purchases, and mixing and mingling with audio hobby friends from around the world. The surroundings are posh, the sounds are (hopefully) lush, and the excitement is high.

However, from the manufacturers and dealers' perspective, the other reality is an effort in pretending everything is fine. Setup at a trade show resembles a reality TV game show, with contestants pulling their hair out as they fight off challenge after challenge in order to maintain an equanimous façade for the judges, AKA the show-goers.

The Hifi Podcast hosts Darren and Duncan know this scene well, and have each survived a good number of trade show setups and showcases. In this episode, they share some nitty gritty details, remember some funny stories, and  give a little perspective on the events behind the scenes.

Also in this podcast a question about bi-amping is tackled, and a listener shares a couple of great albums from an amazing vibraphonist.

This week's album recommendation is another great piece of music, with one caveat, which Duncan shares from his experience with it.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Audio Show Nightmares And Triumphs Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:44:08 Audio shows are a bustling center of interaction for the hifi hobby, and without them we've been stunted and deprived of information and socialization. Darren and Duncan reminisce on some show experiences, explain the process and trade horror stories in this episode of The Hifi Podcast. Stay tuned also for listener questions and recommendations and yet another recommended album the guys are unsure of how to pronounce. Audio shows are a bustling center of interaction for the hifi hobby, and without them we've been stunted and deprived of information and socialization. Darren and Duncan reminisce on some show experiences, explain the process and trade horror stories in this episode of The Hifi Podcast. Stay tuned also for listener questions and recommendations and yet another recommended album the guys are unsure of how to pronounce. music, hifi, audio, sound, hifi audio, audiophile, stereo, show, listen, rocky mountain audio fest no full 23 1 1ac811e6-5448-422a-82cd-053318f85b37 The Myth Of The Genre-Agnostic Hifi System If you’ve ever heard an album or a specific group of albums in your library sound amazing on your system, hang on to that memory. Once you make a change to your setup, you may notice an entirely different set of sounds and records coming to the forefront of recording and playback quality in your listening room.

Systems grow, they change, and they settle in. It’s entirely possible that not every piece of music will be played back perfectly at all times, and that’s okay. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about identifying and understanding what genres work best for your system, and discuss the idea of letting that music evolve as your system and tastes evolve.

The guys also get back to some great listener questions including DIY advice on single full range driver speakers, and the best bang for the buck with interconnect cables. Darren also shares his $50 DIY interconnect plans (check that out by clicking here - https://www.psaudio.com/article/how-to-make-a-50-high-end-xlr-interconnect/) for those interested in making their own.

This week’s album recommendation is a doozie, with some very interesting recording methods and instruments in the mix. The guys do their best to pronounce the name of this one, and a listener with a connection to Croatia helps correct the pronunciation of last episode’s album of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 27 Jan 2021 17:07:14 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-22-the-myth-genre-agnostic-hifi-systems If you’ve ever heard an album or a specific group of albums in your library sound amazing on your system, hang on to that memory. Once you make a change to your setup, you may notice an entirely different set of sounds and records coming to the forefront of recording and playback quality in your listening room.

Systems grow, they change, and they settle in. It’s entirely possible that not every piece of music will be played back perfectly at all times, and that’s okay. In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan talk about identifying and understanding what genres work best for your system, and discuss the idea of letting that music evolve as your system and tastes evolve.

The guys also get back to some great listener questions including DIY advice on single full range driver speakers, and the best bang for the buck with interconnect cables. Darren also shares his $50 DIY interconnect plans (check that out by clicking here - https://www.psaudio.com/article/how-to-make-a-50-high-end-xlr-interconnect/) for those interested in making their own.

This week’s album recommendation is a doozie, with some very interesting recording methods and instruments in the mix. The guys do their best to pronounce the name of this one, and a listener with a connection to Croatia helps correct the pronunciation of last episode’s album of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> The Myth Of The Genre-Agnostic Hifi System Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:24:07 Have you noticed that your system shines on some genres of music and not others? Have you noticed that the albums that sound best on your setup don’t jump out as clearly on your friend’s system? Because of so many variables and system synergies going on, the idea of one setup being perfect for all kinds of music is questionable, if not nearly impossible. In this episode, the guys tackle the notion of genre-specific stereo setups. Have you noticed that your system shines on some genres of music and not others? Have you noticed that the albums that sound best on your setup don’t jump out as clearly on your friend’s system? Because of so many variables and system synergies going on, the idea of one setup being perfect for all kinds of music is questionable, if not nearly impossible. In this episode, the guys tackle the notion of genre-specific stereo setups. system, music, hifi, listening, genre, audio, sound, hifi audio, stereo no full 22 1 208e097b-8828-4aff-9de8-98e8f2c95a19 The Baffling Nature Of Burn-In, And Other Frustrations You're moving to a new house, and the dreaded system setup is on the horizon. You bought a new piece of gear that's supposed to wipe the floor with what you've currently got, but right out of the box, the opposite seems to be the case.

Moving speakers inch by inch for hours and feeling like you're getting nowhere is an unfortunate part of the hifi audio hobby, whether we like it or not. The complete sonic change of character of new gear as it settles in can neither be measured or easily explained.

Why do we do this again? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan explore the more frustrating side of being an audiophile, and  share experiences and knowledge gained from going through this time and time again.

When it comes to component break-in, Darren's perspective as a hifi audio manufacturer design engineer offers clarification and even proof of the mystical transformation capacitors, resistors and active components go through as they begin their (hopefully) long life of music playback.

Whatever your experiences, this episode is a fun trip into the audiophile's mind. Be sure to stick around to the end, where a listener goes into more detail about a little-known genre called "Deep House," and the album of the week is revealed -- this one from a 14-year-old Croatian musical prodigy.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:58:17 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-21-the-baffling-nature-of-burn-in-other-frustrations You're moving to a new house, and the dreaded system setup is on the horizon. You bought a new piece of gear that's supposed to wipe the floor with what you've currently got, but right out of the box, the opposite seems to be the case.

Moving speakers inch by inch for hours and feeling like you're getting nowhere is an unfortunate part of the hifi audio hobby, whether we like it or not. The complete sonic change of character of new gear as it settles in can neither be measured or easily explained.

Why do we do this again? In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan explore the more frustrating side of being an audiophile, and  share experiences and knowledge gained from going through this time and time again.

When it comes to component break-in, Darren's perspective as a hifi audio manufacturer design engineer offers clarification and even proof of the mystical transformation capacitors, resistors and active components go through as they begin their (hopefully) long life of music playback.

Whatever your experiences, this episode is a fun trip into the audiophile's mind. Be sure to stick around to the end, where a listener goes into more detail about a little-known genre called "Deep House," and the album of the week is revealed -- this one from a 14-year-old Croatian musical prodigy.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> The Baffling Nature Of Burn-In, And Other Frustrations Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:08:23 Sometimes in hifi audio, you feel like you want to pull your hair out, tear it all down, switch to a Sonos system and get into a different hobby. We’ve all been there. From the maddening nature of system setup to the ridiculous mystery of component burn-in, the effort to get to the magic place in audio can be fraught with frustration. In this episode, Darren and Duncan offer sympathy and recommend patience as they key to finding and reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes in hifi audio, you feel like you want to pull your hair out, tear it all down, switch to a Sonos system and get into a different hobby. We’ve all been there. From the maddening nature of system setup to the ridiculous mystery of component burn-in, the effort to get to the magic place in audio can be fraught with frustration. In this episode, Darren and Duncan offer sympathy and recommend patience as they key to finding and reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. music, hifi, listening, tube, burn-in, capacitors, difficult, audio, sound, speakers, amplifier, hifi audio, frustration, journey, stereo, setup no full 21 1 4536c5b9-23a5-4fc7-9e81-9fb52dd9c5d1 Hifi On YouTube: Our Take Have you ever stumbled upon a YouTube video showing off a piece of hifi gear, or perhaps an entire system? Knowing the limitations of such a lengthy and compromised signal chain as it relates to showcasing a fine-tuned stereo system, such a display can seem relatively useless for any meaningful understanding of what's going on.

But is that completely true? The growing trend of showing off changes to a system or individual pieces of gear via video on YouTube is in part a response to a lack of hifi shows in our virus-dominated time, and also a nod toward a new way of approaching the audiophile hobby, one where the customer researches and learns about audio gear alone, from the comfort of his or her home.

In this episode of the Hifi Podcast,  Darren and Duncan look at all sides of this phenomenon and try to understand both the value and caveats inherent to the practice.

Also in this podcast, a listener shares a couple of great hifi tips, and when the guys reveal the album of the week, they discover more depth of meaning to the title of the record in question.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:43:52 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren and Duncan) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-20-hifi-youtube-our-take Have you ever stumbled upon a YouTube video showing off a piece of hifi gear, or perhaps an entire system? Knowing the limitations of such a lengthy and compromised signal chain as it relates to showcasing a fine-tuned stereo system, such a display can seem relatively useless for any meaningful understanding of what's going on.

But is that completely true? The growing trend of showing off changes to a system or individual pieces of gear via video on YouTube is in part a response to a lack of hifi shows in our virus-dominated time, and also a nod toward a new way of approaching the audiophile hobby, one where the customer researches and learns about audio gear alone, from the comfort of his or her home.

In this episode of the Hifi Podcast,  Darren and Duncan look at all sides of this phenomenon and try to understand both the value and caveats inherent to the practice.

Also in this podcast, a listener shares a couple of great hifi tips, and when the guys reveal the album of the week, they discover more depth of meaning to the title of the record in question.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Hifi On YouTube: Our Take Darren and Duncan 01:37:48 In this week's episode, Darren and Duncan discuss a new trend in hifi audio: videos of hifi systems playing music on YouTube. Now, if that sounds preposterous to you, you might not be alone. The guys explain why it's an interesting development in this hobby, and imagine where it could go in the future. In this week's episode, Darren and Duncan discuss a new trend in hifi audio: videos of hifi systems playing music on YouTube. Now, if that sounds preposterous to you, you might not be alone. The guys explain why it's an interesting development in this hobby, and imagine where it could go in the future. no full 20 1 ec157399-0d41-44e8-acb4-93a7d44b1ac8 Ideal Audiophile Volume, And Other Questions In this week’s episode, listener questions abound, and Darren and Duncan settle in to answer all of them. One listener shares his room size and speaker placement needs, and the guys consider some options about a speaker type for his situation.

Another listener with wireless KEF LS50s wants to add tubes to the mix, and it turns out there are a few options out there for doing just that.

A listener wonders whether it’s just him or if the windows being near his system tends to collapse the sound stage. 

A vinyl fan asks about current source phono preamplifiers (as opposed to the standard voltage source ones), also known as transimpedance preamplifiers. Darren goes into detail about the pros and cons for this kind of design, and explains exactly how it works.

One question that had been on the guys’ minds lately is volume and listening. What is the correct volume for a given room, system or piece of music?

Finishing up the show, the album of the week is revealed. This time, a banjo-led acoustic folk / bluegrass outfit shows up with a record full of catchy melodies.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 6 Jan 2021 14:42:38 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-19-ideal-audiophile-volume-other-questions In this week’s episode, listener questions abound, and Darren and Duncan settle in to answer all of them. One listener shares his room size and speaker placement needs, and the guys consider some options about a speaker type for his situation.

Another listener with wireless KEF LS50s wants to add tubes to the mix, and it turns out there are a few options out there for doing just that.

A listener wonders whether it’s just him or if the windows being near his system tends to collapse the sound stage. 

A vinyl fan asks about current source phono preamplifiers (as opposed to the standard voltage source ones), also known as transimpedance preamplifiers. Darren goes into detail about the pros and cons for this kind of design, and explains exactly how it works.

One question that had been on the guys’ minds lately is volume and listening. What is the correct volume for a given room, system or piece of music?

Finishing up the show, the album of the week is revealed. This time, a banjo-led acoustic folk / bluegrass outfit shows up with a record full of catchy melodies.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Ideal Audiophile Volume, And Other Questions Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 02:08:54 This week on the Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan answer a number of listener questions, covering topics such as room size versus speaker choice, the effect of windows on a soundstage, adding tubes to a wireless speaker system, transimpedance phono stages and the correct volume for an audiophile experience. Plus, a listener shares a tip and the guy catch up on their latest DIY audio projects. This week on the Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan answer a number of listener questions, covering topics such as room size versus speaker choice, the effect of windows on a soundstage, adding tubes to a wireless speaker system, transimpedance phono stages and the correct volume for an audiophile experience. Plus, a listener shares a tip and the guy catch up on their latest DIY audio projects. listening room, music, hifi, tip, wireless, listening, loud, speaker system, windows, compass, choice, ls50, kef, audio, sound, hearing, speakers, amplifier, preamplifier, hifi audio, current, vinyl, volume, detail, phono, soundstage, tubes, positioning, questions, dependent, low level detail no full 19 1 1bc6cd13-ba41-4d25-9fb2-cc743156e806 Why Does Good Vinyl Have The Magic? It's about the system, and everything therein matters. You may have heard this before. When it comes to records, excellent vinyl playback hinges on the interactive choices made when assembling not only the record player system but also the library.

Beyond that, the physical constraints of the vinyl itself requires music on the black discs to be mastered differently than for digital, and released with more natural dynamic range.

Further, the type of music that lends itself to vinyl lovers' libraries can offer more audiophile moments than many other genres and styles found in digital, where an expectation that a listener might be hearing music while mowing the lawn is a complete possibility.

The systems surrounding vinyl and digital playback couldn't be more different, and that's why, in practice, they sound so different from each other.

Many audiophiles these days are deciding that either the cost is too high for entry to vinyl playback that can make your hair stand up, or they'd just rather not fuss with all that hassle.

In this week's episode fo The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan grapple with that topic, address a  listener question about integrated amplifiers, and deliver yet another lights-out album of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 30 Dec 2020 14:34:49 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-18-why-does-good-vinyl-have-magic It's about the system, and everything therein matters. You may have heard this before. When it comes to records, excellent vinyl playback hinges on the interactive choices made when assembling not only the record player system but also the library.

Beyond that, the physical constraints of the vinyl itself requires music on the black discs to be mastered differently than for digital, and released with more natural dynamic range.

Further, the type of music that lends itself to vinyl lovers' libraries can offer more audiophile moments than many other genres and styles found in digital, where an expectation that a listener might be hearing music while mowing the lawn is a complete possibility.

The systems surrounding vinyl and digital playback couldn't be more different, and that's why, in practice, they sound so different from each other.

Many audiophiles these days are deciding that either the cost is too high for entry to vinyl playback that can make your hair stand up, or they'd just rather not fuss with all that hassle.

In this week's episode fo The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan grapple with that topic, address a  listener question about integrated amplifiers, and deliver yet another lights-out album of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Why Does Good Vinyl Have The Magic? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:51:43 If you've heard it, you know. And if you know, well.... you just know. The best vinyl reproduction of music just smokes the very best of digital. It wipes the floor with it. But with the amount of money required to reach this height on the black discs versus an investment in excellent digital playback, is it worth it? Why is vinyl perhaps more audiophile, or at least, why do the two mediums sound so different? If you've heard it, you know. And if you know, well.... you just know. The best vinyl reproduction of music just smokes the very best of digital. It wipes the floor with it. But with the amount of money required to reach this height on the black discs versus an investment in excellent digital playback, is it worth it? Why is vinyl perhaps more audiophile, or at least, why do the two mediums sound so different? music, hifi, records, record player, sound, digital, hifi audio, phonograph, pressing, vinyl, hear, audiophile records, cutting, listen no full 18 1 a77a9a65-1426-498d-ba80-bee474e86bcc Move Over, Sweet Spot: Perfecting The Party Zone In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan focus on a couple of great listener questions. After the usual “what’s up with us, audio-wise” reports, the guys dig into the topic of how to decide when an audio product is ripe for a modification.

Given recent podcast focus on tweaks and mods, and their own re-build projects involving a pair of Audio Research D-115 tube amplifiers, it makes sense that there should be some guidelines to help identify which products can be modded, and which ones should be left alone.

After tackling that question, the guys move on to answer one from an old friend of Duncan’s. This DJ is focused on turning his basement into a Klipsch-powered party zone, featuring several DJ turntables and a huge collection of great vinyl from the “Deep House” genre.

From SPL to sound absorption, proper cabling and amplifier matching, the guys attempt to lend a hand in what promises to be a seriously fun spot for enjoying music and dancing. Along the way they learn more about this jazz and funk-infused dance music that combines elements of “Chicago House” and complex chord progressions found outside of the traditional dance music sphere.

As for the album of the week, this one is one of Darren’s and Duncan’s favorite holiday records. It features one of the absolute greats to ever touch a piano, and was recorded two years after he suffered a stroke. But you would never know that by listening… the brain is an amazing, curious machine. As always, sound quality is superb — this album belongs in every audiophile’s library regardless of the season.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 23 Dec 2020 13:50:58 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan focus on a couple of great listener questions. After the usual “what’s up with us, audio-wise” reports, the guys dig into the topic of how to decide when an audio product is ripe for a modification.

Given recent podcast focus on tweaks and mods, and their own re-build projects involving a pair of Audio Research D-115 tube amplifiers, it makes sense that there should be some guidelines to help identify which products can be modded, and which ones should be left alone.

After tackling that question, the guys move on to answer one from an old friend of Duncan’s. This DJ is focused on turning his basement into a Klipsch-powered party zone, featuring several DJ turntables and a huge collection of great vinyl from the “Deep House” genre.

From SPL to sound absorption, proper cabling and amplifier matching, the guys attempt to lend a hand in what promises to be a seriously fun spot for enjoying music and dancing. Along the way they learn more about this jazz and funk-infused dance music that combines elements of “Chicago House” and complex chord progressions found outside of the traditional dance music sphere.

As for the album of the week, this one is one of Darren’s and Duncan’s favorite holiday records. It features one of the absolute greats to ever touch a piano, and was recorded two years after he suffered a stroke. But you would never know that by listening… the brain is an amazing, curious machine. As always, sound quality is superb — this album belongs in every audiophile’s library regardless of the season.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Move Over, Sweet Spot: Perfecting The Party Zone Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:49:01 It begins with four Klipsch speakers and three turntables. Add subwoofers, room treatment, cool lights and eager dancers. Don’t forget the earplugs! In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan answer a couple of listener questions, one specifically focused on creating the perfect music-based party space. Also, this week’s recommended album is a timeless holiday classic that should be in every audiophile’s library. It begins with four Klipsch speakers and three turntables. Add subwoofers, room treatment, cool lights and eager dancers. Don’t forget the earplugs! In this episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan answer a couple of listener questions, one specifically focused on creating the perfect music-based party space. Also, this week’s recommended album is a timeless holiday classic that should be in every audiophile’s library. music, earplugs, hifi, turntable, basement, oscar peterson, cables, subwoofer, sound, hearing, speakers, dance, hifi audio, dj, holidays, components, modification, absorption, fun, listen, christmas, klipsch, deep house, party no full 17 1 a66e1c0c-ed9b-4380-ada1-baa7b4e8ad54 All You Ever Wanted To Know About Speakers - Part I Horn mouth diffraction, cardioid bass, high Q drivers, acoustic filters, constant directivity and line arrays. This is the world of loudspeakers from the perspective of someone who designs them, and in this week’s episode Darren and Duncan sit down with an expert who does exactly that, to chat about the devices which make the music we love so much.

Speaker design engineer Chris Brunhaver brings a lifetime of experience and diverse influences to the discussion, and the guys flesh out this all-important audiophile topic over local beers as the fire glows and the snow falls outside.

Part I of this speaker series focuses on non-traditional, interesting approaches to making sound, why it’s done and how some of these things are made. From open baffle science to new patents in horn design to 6-foot-long ribbons and dipole characteristics, this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast is sure to offer something you haven’t heard before.

Listener questions about power cable priority and streaming options are answered as well, and at the end, an absolute stomper of a new album is revealed as the album pick of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 16 Dec 2020 14:06:54 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-16-all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-speakers-part-i Horn mouth diffraction, cardioid bass, high Q drivers, acoustic filters, constant directivity and line arrays. This is the world of loudspeakers from the perspective of someone who designs them, and in this week’s episode Darren and Duncan sit down with an expert who does exactly that, to chat about the devices which make the music we love so much.

Speaker design engineer Chris Brunhaver brings a lifetime of experience and diverse influences to the discussion, and the guys flesh out this all-important audiophile topic over local beers as the fire glows and the snow falls outside.

Part I of this speaker series focuses on non-traditional, interesting approaches to making sound, why it’s done and how some of these things are made. From open baffle science to new patents in horn design to 6-foot-long ribbons and dipole characteristics, this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast is sure to offer something you haven’t heard before.

Listener questions about power cable priority and streaming options are answered as well, and at the end, an absolute stomper of a new album is revealed as the album pick of the week.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> All You Ever Wanted To Know About Speakers - Part I Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:24:31 They’re the backbone of the hifi hobby, and without them, there would be no music in our homes. But how much do you actually know about speakers? What makes different drivers sound different, and why are there still new design approaches invented to this day? This week’s podcast features loudspeaker design expert Chris Brunhaver, who offers his deep experience in the field as the boys begin to explore the topic of speakers, speakers, speakers. They’re the backbone of the hifi hobby, and without them, there would be no music in our homes. But how much do you actually know about speakers? What makes different drivers sound different, and why are there still new design approaches invented to this day? This week’s podcast features loudspeaker design expert Chris Brunhaver, who offers his deep experience in the field as the boys begin to explore the topic of speakers, speakers, speakers. open baffle, music, hifi, tweeters, dipole, baffle, ribbons, audio, sound, speakers, hifi audio, stereo, woofers, drivers, listen, loudspeakers no full 16 1 371d8c1e-2984-4ddb-af3e-c4e8210e8bbc Audio Tweaks And Mods, Part 2 There’s something to be improved in almost any piece of off-the-shelf audio gear, because the decisions made to put the components on the store shelf in the first place include some compromises or choices based around availability of parts, not highest fidelity.

Sure, a few hifi companies strive to build products purely for the highest sound quality, going out of their way to source the finest ingredients and eschewing PCBs for point to point wiring or spending an arm and a leg on cabinet design. Some amps get impracticably hot, some speakers stand menacingly large, some drivers are the best money can buy.

But more often than not, practicality drives many decisions for consumer products, even in hifi, and some real fun and potentially untouchable sound can be had by diving in an tweaking a thing or two.

In this week’s podcast, Darren and Duncan steer away from the more dangerous high voltage projects to address the many elements of speakers that can be adjusted or replaced, and end up talking about the important role of cables in answer to a listener representing the school of thought that cables make little difference in a system.

Before diving into the tweaks however, the guys share some interesting news and reports about their latest hifi audio acquisitions and projects. Be sure to listen to the end, where a spectacular modern electronic album makes the recommended listening list.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 9 Dec 2020 13:58:45 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-15-audio-tweaks-mods-part-2 There’s something to be improved in almost any piece of off-the-shelf audio gear, because the decisions made to put the components on the store shelf in the first place include some compromises or choices based around availability of parts, not highest fidelity.

Sure, a few hifi companies strive to build products purely for the highest sound quality, going out of their way to source the finest ingredients and eschewing PCBs for point to point wiring or spending an arm and a leg on cabinet design. Some amps get impracticably hot, some speakers stand menacingly large, some drivers are the best money can buy.

But more often than not, practicality drives many decisions for consumer products, even in hifi, and some real fun and potentially untouchable sound can be had by diving in an tweaking a thing or two.

In this week’s podcast, Darren and Duncan steer away from the more dangerous high voltage projects to address the many elements of speakers that can be adjusted or replaced, and end up talking about the important role of cables in answer to a listener representing the school of thought that cables make little difference in a system.

Before diving into the tweaks however, the guys share some interesting news and reports about their latest hifi audio acquisitions and projects. Be sure to listen to the end, where a spectacular modern electronic album makes the recommended listening list.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Audio Tweaks And Mods, Part 2 Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:57:29 Audio tweaks and system adjustments come in all different sizes. No matter your system setup, the many moving parts nearly always offer room for improvements — some small, and some very large, hiding in plain sight. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan continue the discussion about system and component modifications, touching on speaker tweaks, capacitor and resistor choices, isolation and cables. As always, a listener question is answered and the album of the week is another can’t miss. Audio tweaks and system adjustments come in all different sizes. No matter your system setup, the many moving parts nearly always offer room for improvements — some small, and some very large, hiding in plain sight. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan continue the discussion about system and component modifications, touching on speaker tweaks, capacitor and resistor choices, isolation and cables. As always, a listener question is answered and the album of the week is another can’t miss. system, music, crossover, tweaks, hifi, wires, mods, cables, capacitors, audio, sound, speakers, hifi audio, modifications, inductors, resistor, electricity, drivers, adjustment no full 15 1 d96791ce-3e2a-4dad-85cb-891bc8bf61b3 Trippy Tweaks, Maniacal Mods And The Fun Of Adjustments - Part 1 If you've ever felt the itch to crack open the crossovers of a pair of speakers and drop in some V-Caps on the tweeter, or replace the feet of an amplifier with blocks of wood, this podcast episode is for you.

And if you've ever been curious what the heck is the matter with people who put beeswax in fuses or bitumin on chassis lids and who talk about quantum materials, maybe this will shed new light on the tinkerer's world in the audiophile  game.

Our amplifiers, DACs, turntables, cables and speakers are made of ingredients, the recipe of which varies  from brand to brand and model to model. Not surprisingly, most components sound different from one another, and one of the main tenets of this hobby is the art of matching  these components for synergy and best sound.

It's really not far-fetched to understand that making different choices in how those are constructed can change the way they sound. This week, the guys talk about where that approach can go right and improve something or align it to your tastes, and where that can go horribly wrong.

Also in this episode a listener question prompts Darren and Duncan to discuss DSP-based active speakers, and at the end, another young virtuoso's record is revealed as the week's recommended audiophile album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 2 Dec 2020 13:30:16 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-14-trippy-tweaks-maniacal-mods-fun-adjustments-part-1 If you've ever felt the itch to crack open the crossovers of a pair of speakers and drop in some V-Caps on the tweeter, or replace the feet of an amplifier with blocks of wood, this podcast episode is for you.

And if you've ever been curious what the heck is the matter with people who put beeswax in fuses or bitumin on chassis lids and who talk about quantum materials, maybe this will shed new light on the tinkerer's world in the audiophile  game.

Our amplifiers, DACs, turntables, cables and speakers are made of ingredients, the recipe of which varies  from brand to brand and model to model. Not surprisingly, most components sound different from one another, and one of the main tenets of this hobby is the art of matching  these components for synergy and best sound.

It's really not far-fetched to understand that making different choices in how those are constructed can change the way they sound. This week, the guys talk about where that approach can go right and improve something or align it to your tastes, and where that can go horribly wrong.

Also in this episode a listener question prompts Darren and Duncan to discuss DSP-based active speakers, and at the end, another young virtuoso's record is revealed as the week's recommended audiophile album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Trippy Tweaks, Maniacal Mods And The Fun Of Adjustments - Part 1 Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:52:39 There's a certain mentality that develops in the minds of audio tweakers and modders over time, which is that anything can be improved. Once a positive change is heard from a tweak or two, you tend to get hooked on the idea. Not only is this approach to the audiophile hobby fun, but it's also a healthy way of understanding what actually makes a difference in our audio systems. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about why there is room for improvements, and where those can be found. There's a certain mentality that develops in the minds of audio tweakers and modders over time, which is that anything can be improved. Once a positive change is heard from a tweak or two, you tend to get hooked on the idea. Not only is this approach to the audiophile hobby fun, but it's also a healthy way of understanding what actually makes a difference in our audio systems. In this episode, Darren and Duncan talk about why there is room for improvements, and where those can be found. high end audio, system, music, adjustments, crossover, tweaks, hifi, dsp, mods, capacitors, audio, sound, modifications, changes, audiophile, stereo no full 14 1 5c1d8a0a-3f89-400c-8e76-8769eadad4ba Nearfield & Stream: How To Master Desktop Audio Desktops of the last 30 years have become dominated by the computer monitor. Gone are the days of a big desk full of a mess of papers, or the clean workspace with perhaps a small lamp on one side and a rotary telephone on the other. As the visual element of computing has taken more real estate, its seems that less and less has been offered to the sonic element. Tiny speakers the size of beer cans seem to dominate the landscape, and while computer audio and streaming fidelity have increased, the idea of a decent pair of monitors on small stands flanking the computer screen is still foreign to many.

The fact is, nearfield listening offers a potential for some of the most enjoyable sound in your life, and moving away from "in-the-head" sound of headphones can increase the focus applied to work at these desks, whether at home or in a traditional office. In this episode, Darren and Duncan explain why fidelity and soundstage need not be sacrificed on the desktop, and offer a path for setup of a stereo system that will make you look forward to sitting down and getting some work done.

Elements like boundary interaction, surface coupling, toe-in, speaker width and rake all come into the equation and are perhaps more prone to fine adjustment rewards than a larger system. The guys go through each element and also offer a number of great setups and desk-appropriate speakers they've heard for the task of achieving a rewarding desk audio system.

Earlier in the episode, Darren talks about his latest phono preamplifier being chosen as Stereophile's Analog Component Of The Year, and at the end, the album recommendation of the week is revealed which features a French pianist playing Middle Eastern jazz with a sizzling group of Israeli players.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:22:08 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-13-nearfield-stream-how-to-master-desktop-audio Desktops of the last 30 years have become dominated by the computer monitor. Gone are the days of a big desk full of a mess of papers, or the clean workspace with perhaps a small lamp on one side and a rotary telephone on the other. As the visual element of computing has taken more real estate, its seems that less and less has been offered to the sonic element. Tiny speakers the size of beer cans seem to dominate the landscape, and while computer audio and streaming fidelity have increased, the idea of a decent pair of monitors on small stands flanking the computer screen is still foreign to many.

The fact is, nearfield listening offers a potential for some of the most enjoyable sound in your life, and moving away from "in-the-head" sound of headphones can increase the focus applied to work at these desks, whether at home or in a traditional office. In this episode, Darren and Duncan explain why fidelity and soundstage need not be sacrificed on the desktop, and offer a path for setup of a stereo system that will make you look forward to sitting down and getting some work done.

Elements like boundary interaction, surface coupling, toe-in, speaker width and rake all come into the equation and are perhaps more prone to fine adjustment rewards than a larger system. The guys go through each element and also offer a number of great setups and desk-appropriate speakers they've heard for the task of achieving a rewarding desk audio system.

Earlier in the episode, Darren talks about his latest phono preamplifier being chosen as Stereophile's Analog Component Of The Year, and at the end, the album recommendation of the week is revealed which features a French pianist playing Middle Eastern jazz with a sizzling group of Israeli players.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Nearfield & Stream: How To Master Desktop Audio Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:44:11 In this age of work-from-home life, small and personal audio has become more important than ever. While many might instinctively reach for a pair of headphones to fill the silence, in this podcast Darren and Duncan extol the virtues of a fine-tuned nearfield audio system. Excellent speakers positioned properly on a desktop can possibly offer better acoustics than a bigger rig, as the room is taken out of the equation. From all-in-one powered offerings to interesting passive approaches, there are many ways to go about setting up the ultimate desk listening experience that will have you looking forward to the work day. In this age of work-from-home life, small and personal audio has become more important than ever. While many might instinctively reach for a pair of headphones to fill the silence, in this podcast Darren and Duncan extol the virtues of a fine-tuned nearfield audio system. Excellent speakers positioned properly on a desktop can possibly offer better acoustics than a bigger rig, as the room is taken out of the equation. From all-in-one powered offerings to interesting passive approaches, there are many ways to go about setting up the ultimate desk listening experience that will have you looking forward to the work day. music, hifi, listening, analog, audio, balanced, sound, speakers, amplifier, decware, component, desktop, audiophile, soundstage, small, immersive, desk, ps audio, nearfield, stereophile no full 13 1 f1b208ec-1b62-48cc-9a99-ed19860a19f0 Mergers and Acquisitions In Hifi Audio Did your favorite hifi audio brand used to be for sale only at respected hifi dealers, but now they make bluetooth speakers you can find at Best Buy?

Is the company that made the amp or speakers you love struggling to keep the doors open amid staggering overhead costs?

What makes a brand ready for the "mainstream," and a viable candidate for purchase by a big conglomeration? Darren and Duncan ponder these questions and more as they tackle the sticky subject of mergers and acquisitions in the high end audio business.

Prompted by a listener question, the guys delve into whether this consolidation is good for the industry or good for the consumer, and think about all the things that can happen when an audio company is bought.

Listener questions also take center stage in this episode, with a few good ones the guys dig into before offering the album of the week -- a stunner of an electronic album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 18 Nov 2020 14:34:54 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-12-mergers-and-acquisitions-in-hifi-audio Did your favorite hifi audio brand used to be for sale only at respected hifi dealers, but now they make bluetooth speakers you can find at Best Buy?

Is the company that made the amp or speakers you love struggling to keep the doors open amid staggering overhead costs?

What makes a brand ready for the "mainstream," and a viable candidate for purchase by a big conglomeration? Darren and Duncan ponder these questions and more as they tackle the sticky subject of mergers and acquisitions in the high end audio business.

Prompted by a listener question, the guys delve into whether this consolidation is good for the industry or good for the consumer, and think about all the things that can happen when an audio company is bought.

Listener questions also take center stage in this episode, with a few good ones the guys dig into before offering the album of the week -- a stunner of an electronic album.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Mergers and Acquisitions In Hifi Audio Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:30:38 If you've hung around hifi audio long enough, chances are you've seen one of your favorite audio brands struggle to stay afloat, go up for sale, get bought and eventually change slightly from what you knew and loved. In this episode, Darren and Duncan chat about this phenomenon, and answer a few interesting questions from listeners. If you've hung around hifi audio long enough, chances are you've seen one of your favorite audio brands struggle to stay afloat, go up for sale, get bought and eventually change slightly from what you knew and loved. In this episode, Darren and Duncan chat about this phenomenon, and answer a few interesting questions from listeners. high end audio, music, hifi, buy, audio, sound, merger, sale, conglomeration, acquisition, consolodation no full 12 1 3d90e757-f8c0-4ff1-970b-1943d80e2a95 How And Where To Add Tubes To A Hifi System Excellent listener questions have been flowing in, and Darren and Duncan pick two good ones to discuss at length in this episode of The Hifi Podcast.

Will asks what elements of different products the guys have seen when popping the hood of a device or poking around the inside of a speaker. Darren shares his feelings about Audio Research PC boards and layout, and Duncan brings up the inside of Vinnie Rossi equipment and some elements of his favorite speakers.

The discussion wanders toward packaging, where excellent design can make a difference, and then wanders further into SNAFUs and ways that package and product design can go horribly wrong.

The second question centers around tubes - where to add them, whether to go modern or vintage, whether to go all-tube or hybrid and asks for opinions on several modern tube amplifiers. The guys tee off on this one, as they are both big fans of tubes in a system, and each of the points is covered in detail.

Before the questions, the episode begins with Darren's ongoing DIY super subwoofer project and Duncan's latest DIY endeavor, a speed build of a pair of mini monitors for his testing system at The Music Room.

This week's album pick centers around a wild guitarist from Norway, and highlights the breadth and depth of his discography.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2020 13:38:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-11-how-and-where-to-add-tubes-to-a-hifi-system Excellent listener questions have been flowing in, and Darren and Duncan pick two good ones to discuss at length in this episode of The Hifi Podcast.

Will asks what elements of different products the guys have seen when popping the hood of a device or poking around the inside of a speaker. Darren shares his feelings about Audio Research PC boards and layout, and Duncan brings up the inside of Vinnie Rossi equipment and some elements of his favorite speakers.

The discussion wanders toward packaging, where excellent design can make a difference, and then wanders further into SNAFUs and ways that package and product design can go horribly wrong.

The second question centers around tubes - where to add them, whether to go modern or vintage, whether to go all-tube or hybrid and asks for opinions on several modern tube amplifiers. The guys tee off on this one, as they are both big fans of tubes in a system, and each of the points is covered in detail.

Before the questions, the episode begins with Darren's ongoing DIY super subwoofer project and Duncan's latest DIY endeavor, a speed build of a pair of mini monitors for his testing system at The Music Room.

This week's album pick centers around a wild guitarist from Norway, and highlights the breadth and depth of his discography.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> How And Where To Add Tubes To A Hifi System Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 02:14:28 In this episode, Duncan talks about building a pair of mini monitors after listening to LS3/5 and LS3/5A speakers at work, and Darren fully isolates his DIY 18" subwoofers. Then, the guys tackle a couple of excellent listener questions, including a broad question of how - and where - to add tubes to a hifi system to take it to the next level. In this episode, Duncan talks about building a pair of mini monitors after listening to LS3/5 and LS3/5A speakers at work, and Darren fully isolates his DIY 18" subwoofers. Then, the guys tackle a couple of excellent listener questions, including a broad question of how - and where - to add tubes to a hifi system to take it to the next level. system, music, hifi, listening, bbc, rogue, mcintosh, subwoofer, monitors, audio, speakers, preamplifier, isolation, diy, primaluna, components, audio research, tubes, stereo, room, build, ls3/5, inspiration, subwoofers, tube amplifier, vintage, isoacoustics no full 11 1 00267996-8ff2-4410-9972-5c82eed32f33 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills "MMmmm, feels like it's a bit heavy around 6KHz... those cymbals are a little dark."

If you've ever found yourself saying something like this, chances are you've spent some time developing you listening skills and abilities, which is one of the most important elements of being an audiophile.

The idea of "Golden Ears" having to do with actual ears is wrong. Superior listening skills happen in between the ears, and are a product of focused efforts to get better at understanding and identifying what's happening to the music in your system. Practice makes perfect, and you have to actively work at getting better before you  can pick apart the sound in front of you or recognize what makes the best sound reproduction so excellent.

From surrounding yourself with different audio systems to actually recording and manipulating audio, Darren and Duncan offer tips and steps to help you develop your listening abilities.

This week, the guys also take on reader questions, announce a couple of hifi audio news items, and at the end of the podcast, reveal an absolute sizzler of an album recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 4 Nov 2020 15:05:01 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-10-5-ways-to-improve-your-listening-skills "MMmmm, feels like it's a bit heavy around 6KHz... those cymbals are a little dark."

If you've ever found yourself saying something like this, chances are you've spent some time developing you listening skills and abilities, which is one of the most important elements of being an audiophile.

The idea of "Golden Ears" having to do with actual ears is wrong. Superior listening skills happen in between the ears, and are a product of focused efforts to get better at understanding and identifying what's happening to the music in your system. Practice makes perfect, and you have to actively work at getting better before you  can pick apart the sound in front of you or recognize what makes the best sound reproduction so excellent.

From surrounding yourself with different audio systems to actually recording and manipulating audio, Darren and Duncan offer tips and steps to help you develop your listening abilities.

This week, the guys also take on reader questions, announce a couple of hifi audio news items, and at the end of the podcast, reveal an absolute sizzler of an album recommendation.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:20:16 "Golden Ears" is a term that's used to describe someone with superior listening skills. Often it's referenced when talking about a mastering engineer or a reviewer of high end audio gear, but the fact is, anyone can have Golden Ears. It's a skill that's developed through practice, and in this episode, Darren and Duncan break down their top five ways you can improve your skills. "Golden Ears" is a term that's used to describe someone with superior listening skills. Often it's referenced when talking about a mastering engineer or a reviewer of high end audio gear, but the fact is, anyone can have Golden Ears. It's a skill that's developed through practice, and in this episode, Darren and Duncan break down their top five ways you can improve your skills. high end audio, system, open baffle, music, hifi, skills, listening, develop, audio, sound, speakers, tung-sol, akm, primaluna, playback, mastering, recording, pureaudioproject, kt170 no full 10 1 fc73acc2-11a7-4c00-b880-da89319fd11c Switch-Mode vs Linear: The Truth About Power Supplies Bill Johnson, the founder of Audio Research Corp. and a legend in our business, said that he wanted power supply components to be of such high quality that music could be enjoyed through each of the parts.

We know that all audio equipment uses power — usually DC in variety — to amplify or produce the music we love, and his point is clear: clean power is as essential to the eventual excellence of a product as any of the other parts therein.

We also know that the power supplied to our homes is AC, and must be converted to DC before these devices can do their magic work, so it makes sense that the more pure the DC power is, the better for the rest of the audio circuit.

But do you know how this is pulled off? If the terms “ripple” or “rectifier” aren’t part of your lexicon, this week’s podcast will change that as Darren and Duncan winnow down to the nuts and bolts of what makes power supplies tick — and how the good ones are made. And even if you are familiar, this podcast will undoubtedly offer something new for your perspective.

A treasure trove of power-specific information is laid out in a way that dips in and out of engineer land to reveal in plain terms how the alternating current from our walls is converted and made clean and pure before it makes its way through our beloved stereo components and eventually to our ears as music.

Generally, there is a distrust of switch mode supplies in our hobby, but the guys explain that the real truth isn’t that simple. A good power supply is good because excellent decisions are made in its design and arrangement, regardless of what it’s called.

Be sure to stick around to the end, where a truly stunning album pick of the week is revealed — one that will light up your audio system like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2020 12:30:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-08-the-truth-about-power-supplies Bill Johnson, the founder of Audio Research Corp. and a legend in our business, said that he wanted power supply components to be of such high quality that music could be enjoyed through each of the parts.

We know that all audio equipment uses power — usually DC in variety — to amplify or produce the music we love, and his point is clear: clean power is as essential to the eventual excellence of a product as any of the other parts therein.

We also know that the power supplied to our homes is AC, and must be converted to DC before these devices can do their magic work, so it makes sense that the more pure the DC power is, the better for the rest of the audio circuit.

But do you know how this is pulled off? If the terms “ripple” or “rectifier” aren’t part of your lexicon, this week’s podcast will change that as Darren and Duncan winnow down to the nuts and bolts of what makes power supplies tick — and how the good ones are made. And even if you are familiar, this podcast will undoubtedly offer something new for your perspective.

A treasure trove of power-specific information is laid out in a way that dips in and out of engineer land to reveal in plain terms how the alternating current from our walls is converted and made clean and pure before it makes its way through our beloved stereo components and eventually to our ears as music.

Generally, there is a distrust of switch mode supplies in our hobby, but the guys explain that the real truth isn’t that simple. A good power supply is good because excellent decisions are made in its design and arrangement, regardless of what it’s called.

Be sure to stick around to the end, where a truly stunning album pick of the week is revealed — one that will light up your audio system like the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Switch-Mode vs Linear: The Truth About Power Supplies Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:40:16 In audiophile circles, there is a stigma against switch-mode power supplies, and something of a glorification of linear supplies as the two relate to our audio devices. But are these leanings justified? Is the real truth actually this black and white? In this week’s episode, Darren and Duncan take a deep dive into the workings of power supplies for audio products, answering these questions and revealing what makes a power supply good — no matter which type it is. In audiophile circles, there is a stigma against switch-mode power supplies, and something of a glorification of linear supplies as the two relate to our audio devices. But are these leanings justified? Is the real truth actually this black and white? In this week’s episode, Darren and Duncan take a deep dive into the workings of power supplies for audio products, answering these questions and revealing what makes a power supply good — no matter which type it is. ripple, music, dc, equipment, hifi, listening, converted, ac, device, regulator, capacitor, audio, sound, linear, amplifier, conversion, supplies, regulation, power, component, switch, audiophile, rectifier, stereo, transformer, mode, listen, supply, smoothing no full 9 1 3ec24d63-7db3-4b06-8100-e29441867841 How To Talk To Your Non Audiophile Friends About Hifi We’ve all been there. You sit a friend down in front of your system in the sweet spot, and try to blow their mind. Maybe they know a little about audio, and maybe they don’t. Maybe you’re trying to explain through music exactly why you’re so obsessed with wringing out the best musical playback you can from two speakers and a chain of expensive gear.

Whatever the case, talking to non-hifi people about hifi can be more challenging than it seems. Our lexicon of descriptive words and labyrinth of technical jargon can be overwhelming for most, and it can be difficult to find the right music to play or the right words to explain to them why what is going on in the room is remarkable to you and should be remarkable to them.

Many folks understand a piece of gear is special when they hear how much it costs. Some are delighted by the visual stimulus of a lit-up tube amplifier or a staggering set of tall speakers. But we as their friends want them to be enthralled by the floating images in space, the tonal contrast of a sound or the dynamic swings of an excellent recording.

Darren and Duncan have been there too, and in this episode the guys discuss this unique topic at length, using stories and example systems to map out ideas for initiating the uninitiated. The ultimate goal is to create more audiophiles through your friendly interactions, and by the end of the episode you may come away with some fresh motivation for it.

Be sure to stay til the end, where Duncan’s album pick of the week is revealed and thoroughly explained. This one is a must-listen.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 21 Oct 2020 12:30:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://www.thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-07-ultra-fi-what-is-it-and-why-8hp2g We’ve all been there. You sit a friend down in front of your system in the sweet spot, and try to blow their mind. Maybe they know a little about audio, and maybe they don’t. Maybe you’re trying to explain through music exactly why you’re so obsessed with wringing out the best musical playback you can from two speakers and a chain of expensive gear.

Whatever the case, talking to non-hifi people about hifi can be more challenging than it seems. Our lexicon of descriptive words and labyrinth of technical jargon can be overwhelming for most, and it can be difficult to find the right music to play or the right words to explain to them why what is going on in the room is remarkable to you and should be remarkable to them.

Many folks understand a piece of gear is special when they hear how much it costs. Some are delighted by the visual stimulus of a lit-up tube amplifier or a staggering set of tall speakers. But we as their friends want them to be enthralled by the floating images in space, the tonal contrast of a sound or the dynamic swings of an excellent recording.

Darren and Duncan have been there too, and in this episode the guys discuss this unique topic at length, using stories and example systems to map out ideas for initiating the uninitiated. The ultimate goal is to create more audiophiles through your friendly interactions, and by the end of the episode you may come away with some fresh motivation for it.

Be sure to stay til the end, where Duncan’s album pick of the week is revealed and thoroughly explained. This one is a must-listen.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> How To Talk To Your Non Audiophile Friends About Hifi Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:23:50 If you know a thing or two about hifi audio, there’s a good chance that you’ve shown your stereo system to a friend who is not as experienced. Often times, afterwards, your friend comes to you for advice about his or her system. Given the time, expertise and expense you’ve poured into your rig to get it where it is, this can be more difficult of a challenge than it first seems. In this episode, Darren and Duncan offer advice for talking about hifi audio with the uninitiated, and give some tips on how to help them experience their own excellent sound. If you know a thing or two about hifi audio, there’s a good chance that you’ve shown your stereo system to a friend who is not as experienced. Often times, afterwards, your friend comes to you for advice about his or her system. Given the time, expertise and expense you’ve poured into your rig to get it where it is, this can be more difficult of a challenge than it first seems. In this episode, Darren and Duncan offer advice for talking about hifi audio with the uninitiated, and give some tips on how to help them experience their own excellent sound. system, music, hifi, create, buy, turntable, new, lexicon, friends, introduction, audio, sound, speakers, teaching, amplifier, helping, record, learn, vinyl, cartridge, cost, hear, phono, audiophile, soundstage, explaining, stereo, learning, listen, money, excellent no full 8 1 dea834e4-31fe-40bd-b84e-a90370687f29 Ultra-Fi: What Is It, And Why? Would millions of people be interested in learning about cars if Ferrari wasn’t making super cars or if Lamborghini didn’t exist? Possibly not. Their amazing achievements not only represent the top of what’s possible, but also serve to inspire all of us to devote ourselves to learning more about what makes a great car truly special.
 

Audio is no different, and the top end of hifi audio, known commonly as “ultra-fi,” makes the same case for its existence. While many may decry the sometimes eye-popping dollar amounts required for access, or wonder just what you’re paying for with these luxury monstrosities, those lucky few with access to listening to the top of the absolute top will beg to differ. Most often, with staggering prices comes staggering performance, and Darren and Duncan attempt to break down why that is… and how.
 

What goes into making a state-of-the-art audio product? Where does the money go? And why do these ultra-expensive audio products exist in a hobby where real joy can be had with equipment far more modest and affordable? These questions and more are (hopefully) answered by the guys as they ruminate on a special segment of audio.
 

Don’t forget to listen through to the end to get this week’s album recommendation, which is focused on a young musician with an old voice and old soul, who is guaranteed to entertain and show off your audiophile system. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:30:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-07-ultra-fi-what-is-it-and-why Would millions of people be interested in learning about cars if Ferrari wasn’t making super cars or if Lamborghini didn’t exist? Possibly not. Their amazing achievements not only represent the top of what’s possible, but also serve to inspire all of us to devote ourselves to learning more about what makes a great car truly special.
 

Audio is no different, and the top end of hifi audio, known commonly as “ultra-fi,” makes the same case for its existence. While many may decry the sometimes eye-popping dollar amounts required for access, or wonder just what you’re paying for with these luxury monstrosities, those lucky few with access to listening to the top of the absolute top will beg to differ. Most often, with staggering prices comes staggering performance, and Darren and Duncan attempt to break down why that is… and how.
 

What goes into making a state-of-the-art audio product? Where does the money go? And why do these ultra-expensive audio products exist in a hobby where real joy can be had with equipment far more modest and affordable? These questions and more are (hopefully) answered by the guys as they ruminate on a special segment of audio.
 

Don’t forget to listen through to the end to get this week’s album recommendation, which is focused on a young musician with an old voice and old soul, who is guaranteed to entertain and show off your audiophile system. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Ultra-Fi: What Is It, And Why? Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:22:32 Ultra Hifi… the term evokes the stuff dreams are made of if you’re a fan of high end stereo systems and interested in learning about the best sound that money can buy. But what defines ultra hifi gear, and why is it worthwhile? What does it have to do with the average music lover or the beginner audiophile? In this week’s podcast, Darren and Duncan answer those questions, share a lot of experiences, and at the end offer another stunner of an album recommendation. Ultra Hifi… the term evokes the stuff dreams are made of if you’re a fan of high end stereo systems and interested in learning about the best sound that money can buy. But what defines ultra hifi gear, and why is it worthwhile? What does it have to do with the average music lover or the beginner audiophile? In this week’s podcast, Darren and Duncan answer those questions, share a lot of experiences, and at the end offer another stunner of an album recommendation. system, yg acoustics, music, allnic, hifi, aavik, colter wall, listening, brand, tube, high end, mcintosh, rare, audio, sound, speakers, ultra, amplifier, monoblocks, karma, best, esoteric, audio research, d'agostino, stereo, focal, boulder no full 7 1 4bd59e6b-7707-4d1c-b46a-f6d34e24e7a2 DIY: Dreams, Dangers and the Magic of Making It Yourself If you’ve ever looked at a calculus equation as it relates to DIY audio and wondered just how the heck is that going to correlate with the sound signature you want to achieve, you’re not alone. Darren talks about his experiences going through school to get his Electrical Engineering degree (EE), in the hopes of convincing some that an application-focused approach to audio design is completely valid and appropriate, and can sometimes lead you to a better understanding of the big picture.
 

Making audio equipment for yourself can result in unique rewards that aren’t possible when you’re simply buying cool gear, but the guys don’t pass up a chance to remind that it can also, sometimes, be a little dangerous. You have to keep your head on straight when you’re soldering new caps into a recently run amplifier, for instance, as Darren will attest.
 

One of the beautiful things about DIY audio is giving yourself a chance to listen to products that would never see the light of day at a normal, successful audio manufacturer for the sheer impracticality of it, or the difficulty in producing it at a reasonable scale and scope.
 

The guys round out the episode talking about their album pick of the week, which features a modern super group of sorts in the jazz department. Each member of this group gets a few moments of adoration as Darren and Duncan gush over this recent album full of intricate new fusion jazz.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 7 Oct 2020 12:30:00 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-06-diy-dreams-dangers-and-magic If you’ve ever looked at a calculus equation as it relates to DIY audio and wondered just how the heck is that going to correlate with the sound signature you want to achieve, you’re not alone. Darren talks about his experiences going through school to get his Electrical Engineering degree (EE), in the hopes of convincing some that an application-focused approach to audio design is completely valid and appropriate, and can sometimes lead you to a better understanding of the big picture.
 

Making audio equipment for yourself can result in unique rewards that aren’t possible when you’re simply buying cool gear, but the guys don’t pass up a chance to remind that it can also, sometimes, be a little dangerous. You have to keep your head on straight when you’re soldering new caps into a recently run amplifier, for instance, as Darren will attest.
 

One of the beautiful things about DIY audio is giving yourself a chance to listen to products that would never see the light of day at a normal, successful audio manufacturer for the sheer impracticality of it, or the difficulty in producing it at a reasonable scale and scope.
 

The guys round out the episode talking about their album pick of the week, which features a modern super group of sorts in the jazz department. Each member of this group gets a few moments of adoration as Darren and Duncan gush over this recent album full of intricate new fusion jazz.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> DIY: Dreams, Dangers and the Magic of Making It Yourself Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:16:41 DIY audio can automatically draw in certain types of people by its definition. Some people would rather just make their own stuff, be it audio or otherwise. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan explain that there are more ways than one to get into one of the most rewarding sides of this hobby, and there are more personality types than one who could be good at it. You don’t have to be a math genius to step into DIY audio, and anyone can experience exotic and rewarding sound through the act of making it yourself. DIY audio can automatically draw in certain types of people by its definition. Some people would rather just make their own stuff, be it audio or otherwise. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan explain that there are more ways than one to get into one of the most rewarding sides of this hobby, and there are more personality types than one who could be good at it. You don’t have to be a math genius to step into DIY audio, and anyone can experience exotic and rewarding sound through the act of making it yourself. high end audio, equipment, hifi, volts, eq, apply, create, listening, maker, radio, designer, op-amp, horn speakers, design, audio, sound, speakers, amplifier, safety, hifi audio, theory, make it yourself, application, project, gm70, built, tubes, danger, build, shop, horn, tube amplifier, diy audio, electronics no full 6 1 3a728432-24fc-4b8f-ae37-58526ad908fd Top 5 Ways You Can Improve Your System In a tough hobby full of myriad choices and sometimes wanton expense, there are a range of things to think about adjusting based on what’s already there.

Instead of suggesting new speakers or recommending component matching for synergy, the guys are looking at five ways a good system can be improved as it stands already.

Specific approaches and ear-approved moves are mentioned which have made serious differences for Darren and Duncan in their systems, and while you may think this is a topic that has been covered in detail before, it’s highly possible some new ideas might be lurking in their audiophile-friendly list.

Make sure and listen through to the end, where, after the most important item is broken down, the guys take a few minutes to talk about this week’s album recommendation, which is a really delightful listen.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2020 12:00:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-05-top-5-ways-you-can-improve-your-system In a tough hobby full of myriad choices and sometimes wanton expense, there are a range of things to think about adjusting based on what’s already there.

Instead of suggesting new speakers or recommending component matching for synergy, the guys are looking at five ways a good system can be improved as it stands already.

Specific approaches and ear-approved moves are mentioned which have made serious differences for Darren and Duncan in their systems, and while you may think this is a topic that has been covered in detail before, it’s highly possible some new ideas might be lurking in their audiophile-friendly list.

Make sure and listen through to the end, where, after the most important item is broken down, the guys take a few minutes to talk about this week’s album recommendation, which is a really delightful listen.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Top 5 Ways You Can Improve Your System Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:16:41 System adjustments can run the gamut from tiny changes to wholesale rearrangements. They can cost nothing, or they can cost two arms and three legs. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan list the top five things that you can do to improve your system as it stands. The focus is on changes that can be made without costing too much, and includes some advice you may not have heard before. System adjustments can run the gamut from tiny changes to wholesale rearrangements. They can cost nothing, or they can cost two arms and three legs. In this podcast, Darren and Duncan list the top five things that you can do to improve your system as it stands. The focus is on changes that can be made without costing too much, and includes some advice you may not have heard before. high end audio, system, sprout, music, adjustments, toe-in, tweaks, hifi, five, upgrade, placement, improvements, cables, audio, sound, ways, amplifier, isolation, hifi audio, speaker, top, audiophile, stereo, interconnects, improve, ps audio, power cable, your no full 5 1 ce305a06-6cc5-42f7-8874-a1eec6baa815 How To Enjoy Being An Audiophile / How To Be Critical Upgrades, product specifications, room problems and system deficiencies can consume the mind of the active audiophile.

It can take discipline to let go of all of that and realize the beauty of what you've already got. 

Whether it's a visit to a friend's audio system or a friendly compliment to your own stereo, there are ways to adjust our perspectives on this craft and bring us back to what's most important: enjoying music.

Now, there's nothing wrong with working on your system, but if you can't enjoy it, what's the point?

In the second part of this podcast, Darren and Duncan explain the other side of the equation: how to identify sonic problems in what you're hearing.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Sat, 26 Sep 2020 04:05:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-04-how-to-enjoy-being-an-audiophile Upgrades, product specifications, room problems and system deficiencies can consume the mind of the active audiophile.

It can take discipline to let go of all of that and realize the beauty of what you've already got. 

Whether it's a visit to a friend's audio system or a friendly compliment to your own stereo, there are ways to adjust our perspectives on this craft and bring us back to what's most important: enjoying music.

Now, there's nothing wrong with working on your system, but if you can't enjoy it, what's the point?

In the second part of this podcast, Darren and Duncan explain the other side of the equation: how to identify sonic problems in what you're hearing.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> How To Enjoy Being An Audiophile / How To Be Critical Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 01:02:05 It's easy to get caught up in the gear race and the how-to maze when you're an audiophile. We can easily forget that the hobby is supposed to be about enjoying music. Darren and Duncan talk about taking your head out of the sweet spot and training yourself to enjoy what you have made. It's easy to get caught up in the gear race and the how-to maze when you're an audiophile. We can easily forget that the hobby is supposed to be about enjoying music. Darren and Duncan talk about taking your head out of the sweet spot and training yourself to enjoy what you have made. system, music, hifi, audio, feeling, sound, dancing, hifi audio, piano, recording, enough, real, audiophile, concerts, sonic, instruments, let go, fun, listen, critically, enjoy, organ no full 4 1 7b743de5-4548-456c-921b-acb12afcf09d To Balance or Not To Balance? That Is The Question Some hifi companies, like Boulder's PS Audio, recommend that balanced connection between components is the only way to go. Other companies don't offer that option at all.

Duncan and Darren explain what all the hoopla is  regarding single ended versus balanced operation, bringing up some pros and cons for each and shedding light on the whole affair.

From overly complex topologies to bank-breaking component cost to science-backed noise reduction, there are fine arguments on both sides. But there may be other reasons yet for an audiophile to make the choice between one or the other.

Typically, the guys can't stay exactly on topic for too long. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Sat, 26 Sep 2020 03:23:23 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-03-to-balance-or-not-to-balance Some hifi companies, like Boulder's PS Audio, recommend that balanced connection between components is the only way to go. Other companies don't offer that option at all.

Duncan and Darren explain what all the hoopla is  regarding single ended versus balanced operation, bringing up some pros and cons for each and shedding light on the whole affair.

From overly complex topologies to bank-breaking component cost to science-backed noise reduction, there are fine arguments on both sides. But there may be other reasons yet for an audiophile to make the choice between one or the other.

Typically, the guys can't stay exactly on topic for too long. 

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> To Balance or Not To Balance? That Is The Question Darren Myers, Duncan Taylor 00:48:59 Darren and Duncan describe the difference between single ended and balanced setups and how that relates to cables and audio circuit paths. The choice of which way to go may depend more on what components you want to add to a system. Or it may not! Darren and Duncan describe the difference between single ended and balanced setups and how that relates to cables and audio circuit paths. The choice of which way to go may depend more on what components you want to add to a system. Or it may not! single ended, high end audio, system, music, rca, hifi, listening, audio, balanced, sound, method, hifi audio, connection, recording, audiophile, xlr no full 3 1 5a6ffb4c-3231-4760-8ae2-a3adbcb5b264 Subwoofers and Why You Need One... Or Two In audio's past, folks have tried to get along without a subwoofer or subwoofers in the mix. From modern production capabilities to the intentional limits of excellent speakers, the guys explain that subwoofers are an essential part of great speaker systems.

Touching on a few makes and models out there, Darren zeroes in on what type of subwoofer drivers make the most linear - or truthful - bass. He also touches on his upcoming DIY subwoofer project and outlines his choices for that.

Duncan adds a few colorful examples to explain bass interactions with the room, and both offer a couple of wild and crazy approaches they've seen. 

The questions of how big, how loud and what type of subwoofer is best are dealt with, as well as a more modern quagmire: one subwoofer, or two? Or six?

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2020 13:00:28 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-02-subwoofers-and-why-you-need-one-or-two In audio's past, folks have tried to get along without a subwoofer or subwoofers in the mix. From modern production capabilities to the intentional limits of excellent speakers, the guys explain that subwoofers are an essential part of great speaker systems.

Touching on a few makes and models out there, Darren zeroes in on what type of subwoofer drivers make the most linear - or truthful - bass. He also touches on his upcoming DIY subwoofer project and outlines his choices for that.

Duncan adds a few colorful examples to explain bass interactions with the room, and both offer a couple of wild and crazy approaches they've seen. 

The questions of how big, how loud and what type of subwoofer is best are dealt with, as well as a more modern quagmire: one subwoofer, or two? Or six?

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Subwoofers and Why You Need One... Or Two Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 01:07:34 Subwoofers are purpose-built to belt out the lowest sounds we can hear. Darren and Duncan explain why they're not just fun, but actually necessary if you want to build a serious audiophile system. They break down the why and the how, offering tips for room placement and identifying the keys that make the best subs the best. Plus, some wild stories at the end. Subwoofers are purpose-built to belt out the lowest sounds we can hear. Darren and Duncan explain why they're not just fun, but actually necessary if you want to build a serious audiophile system. They break down the why and the how, offering tips for room placement and identifying the keys that make the best subs the best. Plus, some wild stories at the end. high end audio, midrange, system, sub bass, def tech, music, subs, sub, hifi, rel, bass, boom, definitive technology, subwoofer, sound, speakers, linear, room interaction, hifi audio, bass driver, audiophile, clarity, rel acoustics, low, listen, subwoofers, deep house, sub system no full 2 1 439ba4b5-775d-4acc-bc57-edb3b09c6566 Single Ended Triodes and Full Range Driver Speakers Darren and Duncan break down their opinions on single ended triode amplifiers and their use with speakers with no crossover -- single driver full range speakers. Duncan talks about his DIY corner horns and his latest amplifier purchase - a Decware Mini Torii SEP (pentode) 3.9 Watt tube amplifier and how good it sounds in his new bedroom audio system.

Engineer Darren explains why so much of this is good for an audiophile experience, and talks about distortion profiles, the difference between SET and push pull designs, how tape is similar in some ways to a good push pull, and why people like what they hear when they're hearing high distortion, high output impedance single ended amplifiers.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Sat, 19 Sep 2020 22:01:28 +0000 unvisibleaudience@gmail.com (Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers) https://thehifipodcast.net/episodes/episode-01-set-amps-and-full-range-drivers Darren and Duncan break down their opinions on single ended triode amplifiers and their use with speakers with no crossover -- single driver full range speakers. Duncan talks about his DIY corner horns and his latest amplifier purchase - a Decware Mini Torii SEP (pentode) 3.9 Watt tube amplifier and how good it sounds in his new bedroom audio system.

Engineer Darren explains why so much of this is good for an audiophile experience, and talks about distortion profiles, the difference between SET and push pull designs, how tape is similar in some ways to a good push pull, and why people like what they hear when they're hearing high distortion, high output impedance single ended amplifiers.

 

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

]]> Single Ended Triodes and Full Range Driver Speakers Duncan Taylor, Darren Myers 00:49:48 Where we discuss the magical combination of single ended triode amplifiers and full range driver speakers. With a short signal path leading to a crossover-less design, the magic of this combination of amp and speaker is legendary. Where we discuss the magical combination of single ended triode amplifiers and full range driver speakers. With a short signal path leading to a crossover-less design, the magic of this combination of amp and speaker is legendary. single driver, full range, amplifier, set, speaker, single ended triode, driver, tube amp no full 1 1