Shows
Audio Unleashed“Maybe We’re the Chumps”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent deconstruct the latest column by Stereophile’s editor-in-chief and contemplate whether his position on spooky woo-woo has devolved in the past decade. Then they ogle cool amps and preamps on AliExpress that borrow revered brands yet cost only hundreds—and also examine how crazy it’d be to buy this stuff right now (b/c tariffs, not b/c communism and chopsticks). They conclude with a not-terribly-deep dive into a new article from Dennis about audio DIY, but not the kind of...2025-04-3056 minAudio Unleashed“More Useful Than Five Years’ Worth of Audio Magazines”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent explore the fast-growing world of made-to-order lathe-cut records – and even play one for you! (Prepare to be … well, prepared.) Then they delight in some made-to-order pink noise from Erin’s Audio Corner, and deconstruct Holly Cole’s new made-to-order (well, for audiophiles) album with the help of Stereophile.
Brent’s audio projects:
💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants
💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophile...2025-04-1655 minAudio Unleashed“Not Understanding What Nirvana Means”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent stop by Strata-gee to see how Sonos is strategorizing to scramble back to the summit of the sound souk with a new … oh, wait, change in plans! Then they ally themselves (very conditionally) with a British-ish mastering engineer who contends that high-priced DACs are a scam. Then they bring their incomparable incredulity to bear on the question of whether adding hobbled Dolby Atmos functionality to Cadillacs is the way forward for Atmos or Cadillac.
Brent’s audio projects:
...2025-04-021h 00Audio Unleashed“Fun and Depressing at the Same Time!”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent page through the storied Gray Lady (known to some as the New York Times and to Brent as “employer”) and find, to their amazement, an in-depth profile of high-end vinyl company Acoustic Sounds and its iconoclastic proprietor, Chad Kassem. Then they check out what YouTube star Cheapaudioman says are the biggest mistakes audiophiles can make (besides failing to listen to the Audio Unleashed podcast). They conclude by digging through a Tape Op profile of a man in Burbank, California whose life’s...2025-03-191h 10Audio Unleashed“Ignorance Is Such a Rare Commodity”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent unexpectedly flip the phase of their podcast by lavishly praising another audio pundit. But they quickly get back to business with an in-depth report on what might be the most preposterous subwoofer review (and most preposterous subwoofer setup) in a long history of preposterous subwoofer reviews by audiophile mags. Then they try to figure out why a famed accessories manufacturer insists that blind testing doesn’t work yet employs it nonetheless, and contemplate Passion for Sound’s assertion that science dispro...2025-03-051h 02Audio Unleashed“Make Quad Great Again!”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis wonders why a writer for The Atlantic is wondering why his cheap Bluetooth speaker can’t generate the feeling of community he got at a Beyoncé concert, while Brent wonders why Dennis was reading The Atlantic. Then they dig into a recent article on acoustics by one of audio’s most popular personalities to learn what’s better: a lousy speaker in a good room or a good speaker in a lousy room. They conclude with a deep dive into—surprise!—an article about...2025-02-191h 15Audio Unleashed“It’s Like Jan Brady!”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent discuss Danny Ritchie’s diagnosis of the legendary Wilson WATT/Puppy; can he find the cure for questionable engineering? Then they ponder whether Spotify is truly evil, and what malice might lurk in the hearts of other streaming services. And they wrap up with speculation about why a stupid article on vinyl seems to have been memory-holed entirely off the internet—and why a vinyl guru’s attempt to demo over YouTube says much about the psychology of crowds and nothing...2025-02-051h 01Audio Unleashed“A Penthouse Forum Thing?”We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent discuss how spending money and seeing measurements can influence subjective listening impressions, take a weird vicarious trip to a Japanese Kissa, and listen to a direct comparison between the same digital master delivered on a variety of different media.
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💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer extende...2025-01-221h 14Audio Unleashed“Inner Detail Inception!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, while the Audiophiliac (Steve Guttenberg) questions whether we can trust audio reviewers, Dennis and Brent decide whether we can trust Steve Guttenberg. Then they make the mistake of watching one the audio world’s cringiest videos, in which audio icon Mark Levinson tries to explain how PCM audio is stressing everyone out, or not stressing everyone out, or something. Or nothing. Or whatever the lawyers let him say. Last, Dennis and Brent check out a Stereophile column by John Atkinson that definitely is n...2025-01-0859 minAudio Unleashed“The Streisand Effect”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis dig into the latest drama surrounding a sus audio manufacturer trying to suppress bad press; riff on yet another article about the increasing appeal of vintage audio gear; and talk about king-of-all-audio-media John Darko’s experimentations with different amps driving KEF’s Q Concerto Meta speaker. Should you run screaming (or quietly exit) from any dealer who insists there's some perfect amp for your speakers?
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a smal...2024-12-251h 06Audio Unleashed“Not Only Clickbait, But Ragebait!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis bemoan the sordid tasks mainstream tech journalists are forced to do these days; dig deep into the current state of audio recording methods as an excuse to promote Brent’s new album; and shine a light on a great review of FiiO’s new portable CD player, which really might change the way we consume music.
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💿 Plaid Pan...2024-12-1156 minAudio Unleashed“This Took a Turn for the Kinky!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis welcome headphone expert and friend of the podcast Lauren Dragan to answer the question: does the new hearing-aid functionality of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 really work, or is it just another quickly tacked-on feature everybody else will have to copy? But before that: Some bloviating about Bose’ purchase of the McIntosh Group and some gushing about Erin’s Audio Corner’s review of the Børresen X3 speaker (and some not-so-gushing about a few other reviews of the same speaker).2024-11-271h 09Audio Unleashed“Celebrating Sonic Diversity!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis learn a thing or four about how everything they thought they knew about modern class-D amps was totally wrong; discuss some new FTC rules that might actually affect the audio industry (or at least, the high-end audio industry), and dig into a review of a “magickal” new amplifier.
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPl...2024-11-131h 03Audio Unleashed“If Marc Maron Can Do It, So Can We!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis finally lift the lid on the secret Audiophile Society project Brent has been teasing for months, dive deep(ish) into the subject of soundstage in headphones, and check out a new video from Audioholics’ Gene DellaSala about whether or not you should upgrade your speakers’ crossovers.
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sou...2024-10-3053 minAudio Unleashed“The One with Sandy Gross!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis are joined by industry legend Sandy Gross—co-founder of Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, and GoldenEar Technology—to reflect on the legacy of Sound & Vision and its forebear Stereo Review, following the news that S&V is ceasing print circulation. And in an Audio Unleashed first, Sandy sticks around for the second segment to talk about home theater, personally and professionally.
Next up: a discussion of John Atkinson’s Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature loudspeaker in this month’s Stereophil...2024-10-161h 08Audio Unleashed“Yub Nub, Baby!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis discuss the death of music hard drives (and the inevitable doom of all music recordings?); riff on a cut’n’paste review of a Coherence Systems… something or other, and worry whether a podcast they created about the Harman target curve using A.I. might actually be better than … well, not Audio Unleashed, of course, but much of what passes for audio journalism.
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qu...2024-10-021h 03Audio Unleashed“Math UNLEASHED!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis opine about whether or not an elaborate AI-powered streaming music scam is any worse than most of what Spotify does, pontificate about whether or not anyone needs to read amplifier reviews, and dig through the mid-year revenue report from the RIAA for clues about the future of music formats.
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📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Crea...2024-09-181h 03Audio Unleashed“The Paradox of Punks”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off with everyone’s favorite: a vocabulary lesson! What’s the difference between decibels and SPLs, and how are those distinct from loudness? Also, what the heck are LUFS? Next: If EarFun’s new earphones are all that, why pay more? And can Sonos un-punch its own face?
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📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Wit...2024-09-041h 02Audio Unleashed“The Microsoft of Really Cheap Turntables”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis ponder whether our objective measurement techniques are keeping up with the sorts of audio gear people are actually buying, talk more trash about Spotify, and dig into the pros and cons of single-driver speakers.
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📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4...2024-08-211h 01Audio Unleashed“I Bought My Lightsaber; Now I’m a Jedi!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Apologies for the sound quality this week. We had some back-end technical issues and had to rely on our compressed cloud backup audio stream for editing.
With that said, the conversation is one we hope you dig. We start by digging into the reader mailbag to address comments in support of and opposed to our take on the ASR v. GR-Research kerfuffle. Next up, we dig into why Sonos felt it needed to send out an apology letter to its customers, then dis...2024-08-071h 11Audio Unleashed“But... the Nakamichi Dragon!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis respond to ASR’s criticism of Danny Ritchie, discuss whether or not you should ge...2024-07-2453 minAudio Unleashed“We’re Just Giving Ted Denney Free Ideas”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis ponder how long it should actually take to evaluate a product under review, spe...2024-07-101h 08Audio Unleashed“I'm Not a Redneck; I'm a Hillbilly!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis talk about Jabra blowing out of the True Wireless earphone market with two last hurrahs, Passion for Sound redefining what it means to be an audiophile reviewer, and Lenbrook teaming up with HDTracks to start a new MQA-centric streaming service.
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Repro...2024-06-2658 minAudio Unleashed“A Nixon-in-China Kind of Thing”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis talk about the flaming dumpster fire that is Spotify, get straight to the heart of what a “Speaker Improver” actually improves, and ponder the age-old question: When do DACs stop burning in?
And for Patrons: a virtual tour of High End Munich 2024.
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reprod...2024-06-121h 05
Bright Side Home TheaterTake Over Tuesday: Featuring Brent Butterworth & Dennis BurgerIt’s Take Over Tuesday where you the listener run the podcast.And this week’s episode is featuring Brent and Dennis! Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger of the Audio Unleashed podcast join DJ for a Home Theater/Audio chat. Both Brent and Dennis are leading voices in the Home Theater and Audio community with there vast knowledge and history of Audio and the Industry as a whole. It’s always so interesting to hear them talk about anything. So much Fun!If you don’t believe it…Push Play and Hear for yourself!🍿Links from the Show🍿Audio Unleash...2024-06-112h 00Audio Unleashed“Harry Pearson = Jesus!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis ponder whether Class D can really live up to the performance of Class A and Class AB amps, talk about testing USB cables and why they aren’t in Singapore, and deconstruct a new manifesto by John Darko.
And for Patrons: Which company has ruined its own cred with a disastrous software update?
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📚 Budget Travel For Dumm...2024-05-2953 minAudio Unleashed“One Hillbilly Shootin’ at Another’n”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis dig into a blog post by John Siau of Benchmark Audio about audiophile snake oil, deconstruct Jorge Sadurni's Spherical Dual loudspeakers, and weigh in on a Facebook feud about whether diminishing returns are even a thing.
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms...2024-05-151h 01Audio Unleashed“A More Tragic Supervillain Backstory”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Y’all have been waiting for it! We’re here to deliver. This week, we dig into the Tekton Design/Erin’s Audio Corner/ASR hullabaloo in the way that only Audio Unleashed can. Is Tekton founder Eric Alexander the real victim here?
With that done, we dig into an article about a guy you’ve never heard of who’s out-streaming most artists you have. What does this mean? Is it an AI thing? And in our third segment, we try to figure ou...2024-05-0159 minAudio Unleashed“You need cable-lifters, for sure”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Hey fam! A lot of you have expressed your eagerness to hear us cover the Erin’s Audio Corner/Tekton kerfuffle and Eric Alexander’s resulting and wholly unnecessary self-immolation. Sadly, we’d already recorded the tracks for this one before that all played out! Hopefully you still dig what we’ve got for you this week.
First up: A deep dive into the concept of “everything between the Romex and the amp.” Next: Our reaction to John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity’s appearance on T...2024-04-171h 02Audio Unleashed“We Brought the TAS Fanboys Out of the Woodwork”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis answer questions and respond to criticism from listeners in an extended mai...2024-04-031h 03Audio UnleashedMichael Fremer Blows a FuseWe’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis consider a set of listening tests done by the Absolute Sound on fuses. Yep...2024-03-201h 09Audio UnleashedWill Trade Human Rights for Cheap TurntablesWe’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis opine about the current and future state of physical media, including something called the...2024-03-061h 02Audio Unleashed“The Flaw of Averages”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis dig into the biggest question of all in audio: exactly how much is...2024-02-211h 02Audio Unleashed“Take Duane Allman’s Name Outta Your Mouth”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week’s episode starts with a question from our first Patron...2024-02-071h 03Audio Unleashed“Best Audio Products on Temu?”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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💿The Dark Side of the Moon (Blu-ray Audio): https://amzn.to/3ObQ59n
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, a text message from storied audio scribe Da...2024-01-241h 06Audio Unleashed“Cultivating the Wrong Readers”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis dig into listener email, discuss some headphones that read your freaking mind, try to figure out whether GR-Research is praising or...2024-01-101h 01Audio Unleashed“It’s Easy to Look Like an Idiot”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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🎧Shanling UA1 Plus DAC-Headphone Amp Dongle: https://wclink.co/link/59182/0/4/175794/
🎧Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 Active Noise Cancellation Earbuds: https://amzn.to/3TCpF48
📻Dayton Audio HTA100 Integrated Stereo Hybrid Hi-Fi Vacuum Tube Class A/B Amplifier: https://amzn.to/3RUgRW3
📻Dayton Audio HTA200 Integrated Stereo Hybrid Hi-Fi Vacuum Tube Class A/B Amplifier: https...2023-12-271h 07Audio Unleashed“This Aggression Will Not Stand!”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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Master Handbook of Acoustics, Sixth Edition 6th Edition by F. Alton Everest: https://amzn.to/4aixQbO
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis talk about one of the best values in...2023-12-131h 04Audio Unleashed“A Clown-Car Driven by Neil deGrasse Tyson”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent and Dennis talk about Miami’s best audiophile bar yet, discuss audio gear recycling with someone who knows what’s what, and take...2023-11-291h 11Audio Unleashed“Tay Tay & the Prince of Darkness”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent and Dennis give audiophiles what they’ve been begging for: an in-depth discussion about Taylor Swift’s new re-recorded version of 1989. They also discuss a brilliant video about testing where the tone o...2023-11-151h 01Audio Unleashed“The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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High Performance Loudspeakers: Optimising High Fidelity Loudspeaker Systems 7th Edition by Martin Colloms: https://amzn.to/3tYQ01y
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent...2023-11-021h 06Audio Unleashed“Reduced Wobble + Increased Moisture”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent and Dennis remember Gary Merson of HDGuru.com, who passed away this month; answer the burning question as to whether or not u...2023-10-181h 03Audio Unleashed“Like... ‘Hotel California.’ Except Good”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent and Dennis discuss Lenbrook’s acquisition of the highly controversial MQA codec and all the patents that come along with it. They also dig into a hot mess...2023-10-041h 12Audio Unleashed“Fancy Britches”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
This week, Brent and Dennis are joined by Erin Hardison of Erin’s Audio Corner to discuss his controversial review of the beloved Triangle Borea B...2023-09-201h 04Audio Unleashed”An Endless Well of Disappointment”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/45BHROI
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest M. Mims III: https://amzn.to/45CESFD
This week, Brent and Dennis discuss a valiant effort at blind testing and discus...2023-09-061h 00Audio Unleashed“The Play-Fi of Incense Burners”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
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Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains: https://amzn.to/3E47gEo
This week, Brent and Dennis are answering the questions that really matter in the world of hi-fi: Play-Fi wants into your TV; should you let it in? Does hi-fi belong in a museum? Can you hear deepfakes? And for Patrons, can you trust manufacturers’ measurements?
Further Reading:
“DTS Play-Fi Accelera...2023-08-231h 01Audio Unleashed“Oligarch-Fi”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx: https://amzn.to/44R4Sgg
This week, we dig into a new app designed to help you find the optimal spot(s) in your room for a subwoofer or two. Then we’re joined by industry vet Steven Stone...2023-08-091h 05Audio Unleashed“Is This Gonna Get Us Kicked Off Apple?”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Make no mistake about it: AI is going to make life suck for everyone but the uber-rich, but we’ve found a pretty good use of Chat-GPT in the form of Volumio’s new SuperSearch. On a more fun note, we also take a virtual tour of an anechoic chamber this week, and talk about Schiit Audio’s new CD transport with USB input and output.
Bonus for Patreon subscribers: an in-depth discussion of Denon’s directional bass setting in its newer flagship AV receive...2023-07-2652 minAudio Unleashed“This Is Gonna Be Like That Norah Jones Tune”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Can AI chatbots replace product reviews written by meatsacks? Brent and Dennis debate! We also discuss the whole 432Hz tuning phenomenon and dig into the Dutch & Dutch 8c to discuss whether it really is a revolution in speaker design.
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
A Course in Miracles Hardcover by Foundation for Inner Peace (link provided for...2023-07-121h 00
The Daily HiFi PodcastBrent And Dennis, The Audio Unleashed Guys!Brent And Dennis were all too kind to come onto Daily HiFi and talk as long as they did! We talked their history and where they worked. Also talked in depth of testing subwoofers. Disturbing trends for reviews came up as well. In room predictions from a Klippel vs real world measurements! Brent talks being threatened for honest reviews on the bad equipment. Also Dennis and Brent share their long list of equipment they have in their respective systems!
Audio Unleashed is a podcast that Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger do and can be...2023-07-121h 35Audio Unleashed“An Underserved Demographic of Lunatics”We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
We’re starting things off light this week with a quick discussion of Apple’s new Adaptive Audio feature, and how it relates to similar tech from other headphone manufacturers. Brent digs into how and why he plans to quantify the processing as objectively as possible.
Then the chains come off, and we dissect/deconstruct/demolish a particularly troubling editorial written by Alta Audio owner Michael Levy about why measurements are flawed. After a bit of technical discussion, we’re joined by our old...2023-06-281h 08Audio Unleashed“Nobody Actually Ate Tide Pods”Erin’s Audio Corner is back! This week, we dig into a new segment from Erin called “Off the Top,” in which he teaches you how to form a first approximation of a speaker’s performance without ever having heard it. It’s not quite the same as reading the new edition of the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, but it’s a better speaker education than most audio reviewers have.
We also dig into some insanely expensive monoblock amps that were exhibited at High End 2023 and discuss the factors that contribute to their price and the justification for the same. Sh...2023-06-141h 01Audio Unleashed“München! It Has Ümlauts on It!”High End Munich 2023 just wrapped up, and although Brent and Dennis didn’t get to go, they took the opportunity to dig through everyone else’s coverage to find some of the best and most intriguing new products. They also discuss Dr. Sean Olive’s online crusade to get Atmos music mixers to do their jobs, and also peruse a new tech review website that was obviously written by a large language model similar to ChatGPT.
Further Reading:
"High End 2023 Listening Session: ESD Acoustic’s Biggest System in the World" by Jason Thorpe: https://www...2023-05-311h 12Audio Unleashed“Somebody Throws Foghat At You”Welcome to the inaugural episode of Audio Unleashed, the new, independent podcast by Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger. This week, Brent and Dennis discuss the utility of high-end audio reviews, opine on the demise of MQA, and ask whether our A.I. overlords are ready to replace us or not, at least in the domain of audio production.
Sources:
“Mastersound 845 Compact integrated amplifier Measurements” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/mastersound-845-compact-integrated-amplifier-measurements
AMA w/ Jesse @ TIDAL: https://www.reddit.com/r/TIdaL/comments/12hr68f/comment/jfuo1ng/
MQA...2023-05-171h 17
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSeason 1 Grand Finale - TAS Speaker-Sensitivity Rant | 500 vs. 250W Amp | Geoffrey Morrison Plans | GoodbyeIn their final episode as co-hosts of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off a super-sized rant by digging into Robert Harley’s editorial from the February 2023 issue of The Absolute Sound to discuss what speaker sensitivity ratings actually mean and whether using volts instead of watts as a reference is deceptive (4:48 to 38:04).
From there (38:46 to 55:59), they dig deep to get to the bottom of the most important question in the domain of audio reproduction: what makes a 500-watt amp sound different from a 250-watt amp?
Next (56:51 to 1:21:06): an in-depth conversation wi...2023-02-041h 28SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSeason 1 Grand Finale - TAS Speaker-Sensitivity Rant | 500 vs. 250W Amp | Geoffrey Morrison Plans | GoodbyeIn their final episode as co-hosts of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick off a super-sized rant by digging into Robert Harley’s editorial from the February 2023 issue of The Absolute Sound to discuss what speaker sensitivity ratings actually mean and whether using volts instead of watts as a reference is deceptive (4:48 to 38:04).
From there (38:46 to 55:59), they dig deep to get to the bottom of the most important question in the domain of audio reproduction: what makes a 500-watt amp sound different from a 250-watt amp?
Next (56:51 to 1:21:06): an in-depth conversation wi...2023-02-041h 28
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Connected Future of Something or Other - CES 2023 | The Harman Curve Again | Looking ForwardIn this week’s first segment (2:26 to 22:02), Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about the former’s experiences at CES 2023, and reminisce about what the show used to be, both in terms of hi-fi and as an overall barometer of the state of the consumer-electronics market.
Next up (22:44 to 45:57), they return to the Harman target curve well yet again to talk about a new video from The Headphone Show, which discusses their move away from the Harman curve as a result of their adoption of the B&K 5128 head and torso simulator.
Finally (46:48 to 58:57), they wrap...2023-01-201h 00SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Connected Future of Something or Other - CES 2023 | The Harman Curve Again | Looking ForwardIn this week’s first segment (2:26 to 22:02), Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about the former’s experiences at CES 2023, and reminisce about what the show used to be, both in terms of hi-fi and as an overall barometer of the state of the consumer-electronics market.
Next up (22:44 to 45:57), they return to the Harman target curve well yet again to talk about a new video from The Headphone Show, which discusses their move away from the Harman curve as a result of their adoption of the B&K 5128 head and torso simulator.
Finally (46:48 to 58:57), they wrap...2023-01-201h 00
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThat One Where Geddy Lee Raps - TAS on Taiko | CheapAudioMan Power Cable Test | ”XTC, Curated”This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by taking a look at The Absolute Sound’s coverage of the Taiko Audio Extreme music server and evaluate some claims made by the manufacturer and reviewer alike (4:48 to 20:43). Does a glorified hard drive really need 700,000µF of capacitance? And should your music server really serve double duty as a space heater?
Next up (21:43 to 43:40), they check out a recent video by YouTuber Cheapaudioman in which he blind-tested a mid-level power cable and compared its performance to a stock cable with the same model of amp. More importantly, the...2022-12-1658 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThat One Where Geddy Lee Raps - TAS on Taiko | CheapAudioMan Power Cable Test | ”XTC, Curated”This week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by taking a look at The Absolute Sound’s coverage of the Taiko Audio Extreme music server and evaluate some claims made by the manufacturer and reviewer alike (4:48 to 20:43). Does a glorified hard drive really need 700,000µF of capacitance? And should your music server really serve double duty as a space heater?
Next up (21:43 to 43:40), they check out a recent video by YouTuber Cheapaudioman in which he blind-tested a mid-level power cable and compared its performance to a stock cable with the same model of amp. More importantly, the...2022-12-1658 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastEmerson, Lake & Palmer at the Grocery Store - Audio Science Review Misses | Audiophilia in Harper’s | Hi-Fi and SkateboardingThis week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger visit the Audio Science Review forums to shine a spotlight on an overlooked comment by Dr. Sean Olive. The topic? Who should and shouldn’t be included in listening panels and whether a university janitor’s opinions about good sound are as valid as those of your average AES member (4:28 to 21:25).
Next up (22:25 to 39:08), they opine about something of a unicorn: an article about audiophilia in a completely mainstream publication. In this case, it’s a piece by Sasha Frere-Jones in the latest issue of Harper’s titled "Corner Club Cath...2022-12-0359 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastEmerson, Lake & Palmer at the Grocery Store - Audio Science Review Misses | Audiophilia in Harper’s | Hi-Fi and SkateboardingThis week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger visit the Audio Science Review forums to shine a spotlight on an overlooked comment by Dr. Sean Olive. The topic? Who should and shouldn’t be included in listening panels and whether a university janitor’s opinions about good sound are as valid as those of your average AES member (4:28 to 21:25).
Next up (22:25 to 39:08), they opine about something of a unicorn: an article about audiophilia in a completely mainstream publication. In this case, it’s a piece by Sasha Frere-Jones in the latest issue of Harper’s titled "Corner Club Cath...2022-12-0359 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastAn Ultra-Mega Special Guest - Steve ”The Audiophiliac” Guttenberg | Dolby Atmos | SVS and Totem Acoustic SpeakersThis week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger are joined by their old friend Steve Guttenberg—aka ”The Audiophiliac”—to discuss his recent interview with Professor Edgar Choueiri, the man behind the BACCH-SP Stereo Purifier (4:00 to 20:15).
Steve was also kind enough to stick around for the second segment (20:54 to 46:15) to discuss Dolby Atmos for music and movies alike, as well as some particularly disastrous surround sound mixes from the DVD-A/SACD era.
Wrapping things up this week (46:50 to 1:06:27), Brent and Dennis dig into two speaker-system reviews from Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStage! Simplifi: the new SVS Prime Wire...2022-11-171h 08SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastAn Ultra-Mega Special Guest - Steve ”The Audiophiliac” Guttenberg | Dolby Atmos | SVS and Totem Acoustic SpeakersThis week, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger are joined by their old friend Steve Guttenberg—aka ”The Audiophiliac”—to discuss his recent interview with Professor Edgar Choueiri, the man behind the BACCH-SP Stereo Purifier (4:00 to 20:15).
Steve was also kind enough to stick around for the second segment (20:54 to 46:15) to discuss Dolby Atmos for music and movies alike, as well as some particularly disastrous surround sound mixes from the DVD-A/SACD era.
Wrapping things up this week (46:50 to 1:06:27), Brent and Dennis dig into two speaker-system reviews from Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStage! Simplifi: the new SVS Prime Wire...2022-11-171h 08
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastA Purposeful Grimace & A Terrible Sound - Lavardin ”Memory Distortion” | Spotify Platinum | Products from Audio Video Show 2022In this week’s first segment (3:54 to 26:09), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a review of the Lavardin ITx20 amp and discuss the manufacturer’s claims about “memory distortion” and how its circuitry eliminates that. This leads to a larger discussion about another big bugbear in the audio industry: the time domain.
Next (27:03 to 41:30) they unpack the news that Spotify is supposedly introducing a new $20 Platinum pricing tier that adds lossless hi-fi audio, as well as some other new features that are ill-defined as of yet. Will listeners be willing to pay $20 a month for CD-quali...2022-11-0457 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastA Purposeful Grimace & A Terrible Sound - Lavardin ”Memory Distortion” | Spotify Platinum | Products from Audio Video Show 2022In this week’s first segment (3:54 to 26:09), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a review of the Lavardin ITx20 amp and discuss the manufacturer’s claims about “memory distortion” and how its circuitry eliminates that. This leads to a larger discussion about another big bugbear in the audio industry: the time domain.
Next (27:03 to 41:30) they unpack the news that Spotify is supposedly introducing a new $20 Platinum pricing tier that adds lossless hi-fi audio, as well as some other new features that are ill-defined as of yet. Will listeners be willing to pay $20 a month for CD-quali...2022-11-0457 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDennis Said Something Nice - Qobuz’s THX Spatial Audio | Hi-Fi Components that Matter | Factory ToursIn this week’s first segment (3:28 to13:55), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a story about a new Qobuz playlist featuring songs mixed for THX Spatial Audio. The mixes are designed to make the sound from your headphones seem like it’s coming from within the room rather than right in your ears. Does it work? Is it worth your time? And did Qobuz accomplish something that Apple couldn’t with this?
Next (14:58 to 30:48) they pontificate a bit on a new review of the Nordost QNet network switch and QSource linear power supply in Stereophile, except they r...2022-10-2053 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDennis Said Something Nice - Qobuz’s THX Spatial Audio | Hi-Fi Components that Matter | Factory ToursIn this week’s first segment (3:28 to13:55), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a story about a new Qobuz playlist featuring songs mixed for THX Spatial Audio. The mixes are designed to make the sound from your headphones seem like it’s coming from within the room rather than right in your ears. Does it work? Is it worth your time? And did Qobuz accomplish something that Apple couldn’t with this?
Next (14:58 to 30:48) they pontificate a bit on a new review of the Nordost QNet network switch and QSource linear power supply in Stereophile, except they r...2022-10-2053 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastA Statler & Waldorf Approach - Surround Sound & Dolby Atmos | CanJam SoCal + Headphone Giveaway | Reel-to-Reel TapesIn this week’s first segment (7:24 to 22:07), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new piece by Andrew Heinzman about why he thinks surround sound, Dolby Atmos, and headphone virtualization don’t work for music. There’s some agreement. There’s some disagreement. There might even be some nuance. Who knows?
Next (23:00 to 35:56) they dig deep into SoundStage! Global’s coverage of CanJam SoCal 2022. What were the highlights of the show for Brent? And which products did Dennis wish he could hear for himself?
Wrapping things up this week, (36:38 to 46:25), they riff on some recent cove...2022-10-1148 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastA Statler & Waldorf Approach - Surround Sound & Dolby Atmos | CanJam SoCal + Headphone Giveaway | Reel-to-Reel TapesIn this week’s first segment (7:24 to 22:07), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new piece by Andrew Heinzman about why he thinks surround sound, Dolby Atmos, and headphone virtualization don’t work for music. There’s some agreement. There’s some disagreement. There might even be some nuance. Who knows?
Next (23:00 to 35:56) they dig deep into SoundStage! Global’s coverage of CanJam SoCal 2022. What were the highlights of the show for Brent? And which products did Dennis wish he could hear for himself?
Wrapping things up this week, (36:38 to 46:25), they riff on some recent cove...2022-10-1148 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastLook at My Curves - Sonarworks SoundID SR | AirPods Pro 2G Noise Canceling | JBL’s L75ms Integrated Music SystemIn this week’s first segment (3:20 to 24:00), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger have a conversation about a proposed new headphone tuning standard from Sonarworks called SoundID SR. What does it do and why does it exist? And does it reveal any flaws in the Harman Curve?
Next up (24:34 to 38:36) they react to the reporting on the announcement and release of Apple’s new second-generation AirPods Pro earphones, specifically the claim that these things block “two times as much noise.” Or is it “two times more noise”? And what do either of those things even mean? (Hint: they don’t m...2022-09-2351 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastLook at My Curves - Sonarworks SoundID SR | AirPods Pro 2G Noise Canceling | JBL’s L75ms Integrated Music SystemIn this week’s first segment (3:20 to 24:00), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger have a conversation about a proposed new headphone tuning standard from Sonarworks called SoundID SR. What does it do and why does it exist? And does it reveal any flaws in the Harman Curve?
Next up (24:34 to 38:36) they react to the reporting on the announcement and release of Apple’s new second-generation AirPods Pro earphones, specifically the claim that these things block “two times as much noise.” Or is it “two times more noise”? And what do either of those things even mean? (Hint: they don’t m...2022-09-2351 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Ka-CHUNK Sound - ”Creem” Magazine | 8-Track Tapes | ”AudioXpress” on Room Acoustics | MidJourneyIn this week’s first segment (3:33 to 14:28), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by celebrating the return of Creem magazine and discussing a new article about the resurrection of 8-track tapes thanks to Sacred Bones Records.
Next up (15:26 to 37:09) they dig into the August issue of AudioXpress, which is dedicated to acoustics and acoustical treatments. Unsurprisingly, Brent and Dennis have opinions about how the high-end audio industry covers room acoustics, including the fact that the most thorough and conclusive research on this subject has largely been ignored.
And for something completely different (38:06 to 51:00), they di...2022-09-1753 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Ka-CHUNK Sound - ”Creem” Magazine | 8-Track Tapes | ”AudioXpress” on Room Acoustics | MidJourneyIn this week’s first segment (3:33 to 14:28), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger start by celebrating the return of Creem magazine and discussing a new article about the resurrection of 8-track tapes thanks to Sacred Bones Records.
Next up (15:26 to 37:09) they dig into the August issue of AudioXpress, which is dedicated to acoustics and acoustical treatments. Unsurprisingly, Brent and Dennis have opinions about how the high-end audio industry covers room acoustics, including the fact that the most thorough and conclusive research on this subject has largely been ignored.
And for something completely different (38:06 to 51:00), they di...2022-09-1753 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Race Is On! - Strata-gee.com on Consumer Trends | Stereophile’s 60th | 2022-2023 EISA AwardsIn this week’s first segment (2:54 to 13:57), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger opine about a new report from Strata-gee.com about consumer trends in difficult economic times, and speculate about what all of this may mean for hi-fi, especially given how luxury-focused our hobby has become.
Next up (14:27 to 28:28) they springboard off an article about the 60th anniversary of Stereophile to discuss how that publication changed the way we read and write about audio, how the industry has changed since the magazine launched, as well as how much it has changed since John Atkinson became editor in...2022-09-0149 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Race Is On! - Strata-gee.com on Consumer Trends | Stereophile’s 60th | 2022-2023 EISA AwardsIn this week’s first segment (2:54 to 13:57), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger opine about a new report from Strata-gee.com about consumer trends in difficult economic times, and speculate about what all of this may mean for hi-fi, especially given how luxury-focused our hobby has become.
Next up (14:27 to 28:28) they springboard off an article about the 60th anniversary of Stereophile to discuss how that publication changed the way we read and write about audio, how the industry has changed since the magazine launched, as well as how much it has changed since John Atkinson became editor in...2022-09-0149 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastMoFi-pocalypse - Mobile Fidelity Digital Debacle | Monitor Audio Studio 20 | iFi Audio Zen One SignatureIn this week’s first segment (02:48 to 15:52), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger share their varied opinions on “MoFi-gate,” the biggest scandal in the analog audiophile world right now. It turns out that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab—long lauded for their all-analog production process—actually creates their lacquer masters from 4X DSD files these days, not directly from the master tapes. Will this be the end of this revered audiophile company? Is the outrage justified? Brent and Dennis have thoughts.
Next up (16:24 to 28:15), they dig back through the Stereophile archives to discuss a review of the Monitor Audio Stud...2022-07-3042 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastMoFi-pocalypse - Mobile Fidelity Digital Debacle | Monitor Audio Studio 20 | iFi Audio Zen One SignatureIn this week’s first segment (02:48 to 15:52), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger share their varied opinions on “MoFi-gate,” the biggest scandal in the analog audiophile world right now. It turns out that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab—long lauded for their all-analog production process—actually creates their lacquer masters from 4X DSD files these days, not directly from the master tapes. Will this be the end of this revered audiophile company? Is the outrage justified? Brent and Dennis have thoughts.
Next up (16:24 to 28:15), they dig back through the Stereophile archives to discuss a review of the Monitor Audio Stud...2022-07-3042 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe ”Free Bird” of Hi-Fi - Audio Group Denmark and RF | Pitt & Giblin and ”Future-Fi” | Selective Product ReviewsIn this week’s first segment (3:24 to 24:13), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger once again discuss the issue of RF interference, this time with regard to electronics, not speakers. A new product by Audio Group Denmark purports to deliver three levels of protection against noise sneaking in on your gear’s unused inputs. Is there anything to it?
Next up (24:44 to 36:46), they geek out over a really wild new speaker from Pitt & Giblin, which looks like a steampunk analog audiophile dream, but is powered by the latest in active class-D technology. That leads right into a sort of p...2022-07-2253 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe ”Free Bird” of Hi-Fi - Audio Group Denmark and RF | Pitt & Giblin and ”Future-Fi” | Selective Product ReviewsIn this week’s first segment (3:24 to 24:13), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger once again discuss the issue of RF interference, this time with regard to electronics, not speakers. A new product by Audio Group Denmark purports to deliver three levels of protection against noise sneaking in on your gear’s unused inputs. Is there anything to it?
Next up (24:44 to 36:46), they geek out over a really wild new speaker from Pitt & Giblin, which looks like a steampunk analog audiophile dream, but is powered by the latest in active class-D technology. That leads right into a sort of p...2022-07-2253 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastMaybe This is Satire - McIntosh LB200 Light Box | Vintage Hi-Fi | ChiFi EarphonesIn this week’s first segment (2:30 to 15:01), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about McIntosh Laboratory’s newest product, the LB200 Light Box. This $1500 black box is, in the words of McIntosh, “very unique.” But what is it? Brent and Dennis explain this history of this controversial product and debate whether or not it’s worth the price.
Next up (15:51 to 34:44), they take a call from Gordon Sauck, owner of Innovative Audio, Canada’s “largest vintage audio emporium.” Gordon shares some thoughts about Dennis’ recent article on the appeal of vintage gear, as well as some anecdotes about wh...2022-07-0557 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastMaybe This is Satire - McIntosh LB200 Light Box | Vintage Hi-Fi | ChiFi EarphonesIn this week’s first segment (2:30 to 15:01), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger talk about McIntosh Laboratory’s newest product, the LB200 Light Box. This $1500 black box is, in the words of McIntosh, “very unique.” But what is it? Brent and Dennis explain this history of this controversial product and debate whether or not it’s worth the price.
Next up (15:51 to 34:44), they take a call from Gordon Sauck, owner of Innovative Audio, Canada’s “largest vintage audio emporium.” Gordon shares some thoughts about Dennis’ recent article on the appeal of vintage gear, as well as some anecdotes about wh...2022-07-0557 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDouble-U Tee Eff - $29,150 Headphone Stack | Measurements Good and Bad | ”Resolving” PS AudioIn this week’s first segment (03:48 to 17:46), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new $29,150 headphone listening stack from dCS, and contrast that audio extravagance with a recent video from headphone tester/tuner Crinacle, in which he busts some myths about standalone headphone amps.
Next up (17:46 to 44:32), SoundStage! Founder Doug Schneider calls in to discuss gear measurements from a publisher’s perspective. Are they bad for business? Do they alienate manufacturers? Are they useful to readers? And how do they help subjective reviewers support or defend their observations?
Wrapping things up (44:32 to end), Brent and D...2022-06-2059 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDouble-U Tee Eff - $29,150 Headphone Stack | Measurements Good and Bad | ”Resolving” PS AudioIn this week’s first segment (03:48 to 17:46), hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger discuss a new $29,150 headphone listening stack from dCS, and contrast that audio extravagance with a recent video from headphone tester/tuner Crinacle, in which he busts some myths about standalone headphone amps.
Next up (17:46 to 44:32), SoundStage! Founder Doug Schneider calls in to discuss gear measurements from a publisher’s perspective. Are they bad for business? Do they alienate manufacturers? Are they useful to readers? And how do they help subjective reviewers support or defend their observations?
Wrapping things up (44:32 to end), Brent and D...2022-06-2059 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Actual Sausage-Making - How We Listen | More on Munich’s High End 2022 | KEF LS60 Wireless Speaker SystemIn this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger use an article by Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStageSimplifi.com about how SoundStage! Network contributors consume music as a springboard into a discussion about a new AES paper on how audio masters and streaming-app settings affect listener preferences.
Next, the coverage of High End 2022 in Munich continues in the form of a discussion with SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz, who calls in to give his hot takes.
Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis ask and attempt to answer a simple question: How long does it actually take us to...2022-06-0458 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastThe Actual Sausage-Making - How We Listen | More on Munich’s High End 2022 | KEF LS60 Wireless Speaker SystemIn this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger use an article by Gordon Brockhouse on SoundStageSimplifi.com about how SoundStage! Network contributors consume music as a springboard into a discussion about a new AES paper on how audio masters and streaming-app settings affect listener preferences.
Next, the coverage of High End 2022 in Munich continues in the form of a discussion with SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz, who calls in to give his hot takes.
Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis ask and attempt to answer a simple question: How long does it actually take us to...2022-06-0458 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSitting In a Sweat Box - Bankrupt Onkyo | KEF LS60 Wireless | SoundStage! at Munich’s High EndIn this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger read the obituary for Onkyo, lament the company’s demise, then dig into why it may (or may not) ultimately be a good thing for the Onkyo brand. Next up, they discuss what is undoubtedly one of the most important speakers announced so far this year, the new KEF LS60 Wireless loudspeaker system.
Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis scratch the surface of SoundStage! Global’s coverage of High End 2022 in Munich, spotlighting some of the products that grabbed their attention.
Sources:
“Onkyo has gone ba...2022-05-2654 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSitting In a Sweat Box - Bankrupt Onkyo | KEF LS60 Wireless | SoundStage! at Munich’s High EndIn this episode, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger read the obituary for Onkyo, lament the company’s demise, then dig into why it may (or may not) ultimately be a good thing for the Onkyo brand. Next up, they discuss what is undoubtedly one of the most important speakers announced so far this year, the new KEF LS60 Wireless loudspeaker system.
Wrapping things up, Brent and Dennis scratch the surface of SoundStage! Global’s coverage of High End 2022 in Munich, spotlighting some of the products that grabbed their attention.
Sources:
“Onkyo has gone ba...2022-05-2654 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSomewhat Marginal in Functionality - Bose Layoffs | Headphone Consistency | Hearing HealthIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick things off by talking about declining sales and layoffs at the former heavyweight of the audio world, Bose. Next up, they dig into an article by Brent, in which he tested the consistency of headphones and earphones at a variety of price points.
Finally, they discuss a recent article by Dennis, in which he discussed his annual self-administered hearing test and advocated for a wider discussion about hearing health in the audiophile community.
Sources:
"Layoffs hit Bose as th...2022-05-0848 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastSomewhat Marginal in Functionality - Bose Layoffs | Headphone Consistency | Hearing HealthIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger kick things off by talking about declining sales and layoffs at the former heavyweight of the audio world, Bose. Next up, they dig into an article by Brent, in which he tested the consistency of headphones and earphones at a variety of price points.
Finally, they discuss a recent article by Dennis, in which he discussed his annual self-administered hearing test and advocated for a wider discussion about hearing health in the audiophile community.
Sources:
"Layoffs hit Bose as th...2022-05-0848 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastYou Could Be Beyoncé - Stenheim & Paradigm | Live-Music Reference | Montreal Audiofest 2022In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger riff on an article by Diego Estan, in which he re-evaluated a pair of Stenheim Alumine Two speakers that demand something a little different in terms of setup. That leads to some insights gleaned from an interview Dennis conducted with Zoltan Balla and Blake Alty of Paradigm about how room design is influencing speaker design.
In the second segment, Brent and Dennis revisit the “live music as a reference” debate, which leads to a discussion about an old article by Sean Olive on live...2022-04-2051 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastYou Could Be Beyoncé - Stenheim & Paradigm | Live-Music Reference | Montreal Audiofest 2022In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger riff on an article by Diego Estan, in which he re-evaluated a pair of Stenheim Alumine Two speakers that demand something a little different in terms of setup. That leads to some insights gleaned from an interview Dennis conducted with Zoltan Balla and Blake Alty of Paradigm about how room design is influencing speaker design.
In the second segment, Brent and Dennis revisit the “live music as a reference” debate, which leads to a discussion about an old article by Sean Olive on live...2022-04-2051 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDancing About Architecture - Graffiti Jazz | Dirac’s Auto Target Curve | Cutting-Edge Class-DIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a new album by David Chesky called Graffiti Jazz, a unique and fascinating jazz composition that comes with separate mixes for speakers and headphones. From there they transition into a discussion about Dirac Live’s new Auto Target Curve and how it potentially improves some aspects of room correction, as well as how it could be improved even more. As an aid to new listeners who’ve complained about overuse of terms like hertz and kilohertz without explaining what these mean, we’ve also i...2022-04-0846 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastDancing About Architecture - Graffiti Jazz | Dirac’s Auto Target Curve | Cutting-Edge Class-DIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a new album by David Chesky called Graffiti Jazz, a unique and fascinating jazz composition that comes with separate mixes for speakers and headphones. From there they transition into a discussion about Dirac Live’s new Auto Target Curve and how it potentially improves some aspects of room correction, as well as how it could be improved even more. As an aid to new listeners who’ve complained about overuse of terms like hertz and kilohertz without explaining what these mean, we’ve also i...2022-04-0846 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastCryogenically Frozen Kitty Litter - RF Filter | Wilson Lōkē Sub | DACs | Blind-Test ProblemsIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger slay the RF interference dragon with math and science. Next up, they opine about the new Lōkē subwoofer from Wilson Audio, which has caused quite a bit of controversy in the audiophile community in recent weeks.
Wrapping things up, they dig into a recent article by Dennis about digital-to-analog converters and whether they make a difference, which leads to a discussion of an older SoundStage! Experience article by Brent in which he put this exact question to the test.
Sources:
2022-03-2651 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastCryogenically Frozen Kitty Litter - RF Filter | Wilson Lōkē Sub | DACs | Blind-Test ProblemsIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger slay the RF interference dragon with math and science. Next up, they opine about the new Lōkē subwoofer from Wilson Audio, which has caused quite a bit of controversy in the audiophile community in recent weeks.
Wrapping things up, they dig into a recent article by Dennis about digital-to-analog converters and whether they make a difference, which leads to a discussion of an older SoundStage! Experience article by Brent in which he put this exact question to the test.
Sources:
2022-03-2651 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastLike Marriages and War - Measurements | Headphone Sound | Sound United | Florida Audio ExpoIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig deep into the former's most recent editorial on SoundStage! Solo: "Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements." They also give their take on the recent news that medical equipment manufacturer Masimo has purchased Sound United—parent company of Denon, Polk, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Definitive Technology, and Boston Acoustics—for a billion bucks.
Finally, Brent and Dennis take a virtual stroll through SoundStage! Global's coverage of the 2022 Florida Audio Expo and talk about the products they most wish they could have auditioned for t...2022-03-0956 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastLike Marriages and War - Measurements | Headphone Sound | Sound United | Florida Audio ExpoIn this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig deep into the former's most recent editorial on SoundStage! Solo: "Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements." They also give their take on the recent news that medical equipment manufacturer Masimo has purchased Sound United—parent company of Denon, Polk, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Definitive Technology, and Boston Acoustics—for a billion bucks.
Finally, Brent and Dennis take a virtual stroll through SoundStage! Global's coverage of the 2022 Florida Audio Expo and talk about the products they most wish they could have auditioned for t...2022-03-0956 min
SoundStage! Audiophile PodcastKerfuffle Coming Up! - Headphones vs. Speakers | Cheap Speakers | Less-than-Perfect $45K AmpsIn this inaugural episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into fan mail, relitigate the great “headphones vs. speakers” debate, and discuss why they’re hopping on the podcasting bandwagon at this juncture.
They also riff on a recent video from The Audiophiliac himself, Steve Guttenberg, about why you shouldn’t spend a ton of dough on your first pair of speakers. The two also pontificate about a hot new Kickstarter campaign for the Heavys, the first modern wireless headphones aimed squarely at metalheads, and speculate about why no manufacturer is making c...2022-02-1059 minSoundStage! Audiophile PodcastKerfuffle Coming Up! - Headphones vs. Speakers | Cheap Speakers | Less-than-Perfect $45K AmpsIn this inaugural episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into fan mail, relitigate the great “headphones vs. speakers” debate, and discuss why they’re hopping on the podcasting bandwagon at this juncture.
They also riff on a recent video from The Audiophiliac himself, Steve Guttenberg, about why you shouldn’t spend a ton of dough on your first pair of speakers. The two also pontificate about a hot new Kickstarter campaign for the Heavys, the first modern wireless headphones aimed squarely at metalheads, and speculate about why no manufacturer is making c...2022-02-1059 min