Audio Unleashed

“I Want to Be Floyd When I Grow Up” Jul 22, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent kick things off with a response to a Patron who had some defensive words for OJAS, aka Devon Turnbull. Then they add their voices to the biggest discussion in audio right now: the Axiss Audio lawsuit against The Greek Audio Geek, Suncoast Audio, and Clarisys Audio for defamation and conspiracy. And they tackle the confounding question of whether or not the judgment of some dude sitting around in his underwear will pass muster in a court of law.

With that out of the way, they invite Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design owner and CEO Paul Hales to rant about the cult of high-end audio and explain how he engineered his escape. They conclude by turning their attention to all the ways in which the A.I. bubble is about to make everything more expensive—except, of course, for Class-AB amps. And (maybe!) cable lifters.

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“AXISS Audio Distribution Files Federal Lawsuit - UPDATED” by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/axiss-audio-distribution-files-federal-lawsuit

“Attorney Kerry Harvey Analyzes the Axiss Lawsuit: The HiFi Five Episode 33” by The HiFi Five: https://youtu.be/1EL-FJT6ftI?si=Yb7xEE1rP0vX_lLh

“The HiFi Five Episode 33: Axiss Lawsuit” by The HiFi Five and SoundStage! Network: https://www.youtube.com/live/pMB2R3zFhn0?si=nr6fs4cRZdXliSuM

“It would be disingenuous to say that we have a plan for attracting younger music fans” by Alastair Stevenson: https://www.whathifi.com/hi-fi/dacs/it-would-be-disingenuous-to-say-that-we-have-a-plan-for-attracting-younger-music-fans-audioquest-on-the-new-dragonfly-and-getting-gen-z-into-hi-fi

“Hi-Fi Nerd Fight Part 1—Dennis Burger vs. Paul Hales” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/hi-fi-nerd-fight-dennis-burger-vs-paul-hales-on-room-correction-part-1/

“Hi-Fi Nerd Fight Part 2—Dennis Burger vs. Paul Hales” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/hi-fi-nerd-fight-dennis-burger-vs-paul-hales-on-room-correction-part-2/

“Your Electronics Are About to Get Way More Expensive” by Nitish Pahwa: https://slate.com/business/2026/07/ai-car-phone-expensive-iran.html

“The Letter That Moved a Market” by Mastin Bailey: https://medium.com/@mastinbailey/the-letter-that-moved-a-market-95a249dd7b3b

“The End of Legitimate Audio Journalism” Jul 08, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent take a surface-level dive into the biggest controversy to hit the pro-audio world this year: Jim Lill’s exhaustive investigation of the source of a mic preamp’s tone, or lack thereof. They also slog through maybe half a percent of the response videos in the quest for one that has more to say than “trust me, bro.” They wrap up with an attempt to give veteran Stereophile technical editor John Atkinson the tribute he deserved upon the announcement of his retirement.

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In A Microphone Preamp?” by Jim Lill: https://youtu.be/K-vIeA7yy6Q?si=2PIoW0nYlvlunSiq
“Jim Lill Is Wrong About Microphone Preamps” by Andrew Chapman Creative: https://youtu.be/cJRaHFg1ojA?si=8PJyaD4_1Ggn8SnE
“Someone Said All Preamps Sound the Same. So I Tested 8.” by Spinlight Studio: https://youtu.be/pZiFS6HSdLY?si=CBZL8nFp9cQxZIth
“Why that mic pre test is whack.” by JJBlair: https://youtu.be/WIm_1Vglvs4?si=1twB4bMTErdVT1s9
“The End of an Era: John Atkinson Retires” by Jim Austin: https://stereophile.com/content/end-era-john-atkinson-retires
“Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister Phono integrated amplifier” review by Ken Micallef: https://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-meishu-tonmeister-phono-integrated-amplifier
“Tannoy Revolution XT 6 loudspeaker” by Herb Reichert: https://www.stereophile.com/content/tannoy-revolution-xt-6-loudspeaker

“Effort is a Little Passé These Days” Jun 24, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis dig into a review of Sonarworks’ SoundID Virtual Monitoring PRO system, which aims to go toe-to-toe with the Smyth Realiser for a tenth of the cost. Is this, at long last, a practical and effective way to simulate speakers through headphones? Then they dig into the coverage of High End Vienna to discuss the venue change and the coolest new products shown at the show, and confidently opine about the current relevance (or not) of B&W and JBL. After that, they talk about sound systems as an aesthetic vibe completely divorced from their function as sound systems. Are audiophiles suddenly hip? (Spoiler: No.)

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“Sonarworks: SoundID Virtual Monitoring PRO” by Adam Kagan: https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/173/soundid-virtual-monitoring-pro

“High End 2026 coverage fromVienna, Austria” on SoundStage! Global: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2026-vienna-austria

“10 of the most exciting hi-fi products we saw at High End Vienna 2026” by Kashfia Kabir: https://www.whathifi.com/hi-fi/turntables/10-of-the-most-exciting-hi-fi-products-we-saw-at-high-end-vienna-2026

“Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with sound systems?”: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYqMiX4v_6c/

“We Need Some Plausible Deniability Here” Jun 10, 2026

This week, Brent and Dennis are just asking questions. Questions such as: Do VU meters really make everything sound better? (Obviously, yes.) Can you do science if you don’t even understand science? (Probably not on purpose!) If our music is going to be made by taste-making hacks using AI, does hi-fi even matter anymore? (Nerd fight!)

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“Keith Pray Acquires Stereophile in a Management Buyout”: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/keith-pray-acquires-stereophile-in-a-management-buyout.42487/
“This HiFi Upgrade Changed How I Hear Everything” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/XqELlz_vl5U?si=0lPX7GaXSVu7K-Sp
“What the Spec Sheet Doesn’t Capture” by Theodore W. Denney III: https://www.synergisticresearch.com/fundamentals/tunein-with-ted/what-the-spec-sheet-doesnt-capture/
“Independent Perceptual Evidence for Electromagnetic Field Effects in High-End Audio Systems” probably written by Claude (in our opinion): https://www.synergisticresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/SR-WhitePaper-CanJam2026-v4.pdf
“Music After the Generative AI Creative Big Bang” by Kylie Bylin: https://www.hypebot.com/music-after-the-generative-ai-creative-big-bang/

“There’s a Friggin’ Capybara!” May 27, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by considering whether lack of cred is as big a problem with audio critics as it is for music critics, and debate whether or not Billy Joel is one of our greatest songwriters, even though both of them would happily pay to never hear “Uptown Girl” again. Then they dig deep into the latest retro revival sweeping through the speaker industry: field coils. Are electromagnets better for inner detail than permanent magnets? What do they do to microdynamics? We report; you decide. And wrapping up the conversation for most listeners, they riff on the announcements of two radically different personal audio products: a $7500 “quad-brid” IEM from Campfire and an adorable little headphone amp and DAC from Fosi.

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“The NYT ‘Greatest Songwriters’ List is an Absolute Disaster” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/Dr2nuKFM33s?si=CgxO5cQpIhZhkpby
“Watch This NYT "Music Critic" Embarrass Himself...AGAIN” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/IQTMkjQvHoc?si=b0kbWV9mIH7_HqWg
“Rick Beato Versus the NY Times” by Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/rick-beato-versus-the-ny-times
“Jon Caramanica is a bad cliché” by Brad Mehldau: https://bradmehldau.substack.com/p/jon-caramanica-is-a-bad-cliche
Jones and Cerreta: https://jonesandcerreta.com/
“The HiFi Five Episode 29: Field Coil Loudspeakers” by The HiFi Five: https://www.youtube.com/live/NW0FBrwVq1w?si=os6YvtuUurs7WA9O
Campfire Audio Chimera - Quad-brid IEM: https://www.campfireaudio.com/products/chimera
Fosi MD3 MagDac: https://fosiaudio.com/pages/fosi-audio-md3-magnetic-dac-headphone-amp

“Cone of Shame!” May 13, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis dig deep into the new “Meta” for in-ear monitors, which some say will replace all IEM target curves even though it’s not a target curve. Got it? Yeah, us neither. Then they ponder whether the radical creations of a new artsy fartsy speaker company have any merits other than loosely resembling Chewbacca. In segment three, they are forced to discuss Wilson’s new flagship speaker based only on what legacy audio publications said about it, since it appears Audio Unleashed’s invite to the unveiling slipped unnoticed into our spam folder.

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

Further Reading:

“Redefining Neutral? A Buyer's Guide to IEMs from the ‘New Meta’” by Caleb Loo: https://headphones.com/blogs/buying-guides/redefining-neutral-comparing-iems-from-the-new-meta

“The New IEM Meta Explained” by Minimum Phase: https://youtu.be/EZoKPtzjdtQ?si=3qTzvdtWlpOO7YMH

“This Los Angeles brand is blurring the line between audio and art – for a price, of course” by Harry McKerrell: https://www.whathifi.com/speakers/hi-fi-speakers/this-los-angeles-brand-is-blurring-the-line-between-audio-and-art-for-a-price-of-course

“Gramophone Dreams #108: AER & Brian Charney Horns, the Voxativ Hagen2” by Herb Reichert: https://stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-108-aer-brian-charney-horns-voxativ-hagen2

“Wilson Audio Autobiography preview” by Alan Sircom: https://hifiplus.com/articles/wilson-audio-autobiography-preview/

“Wilson Audio's New Flagship Speaker Marries Sound with Clockwork Precision” by Miguel Barrio: https://stereophile.com/content/wilson-audios-new-flagship-speaker-marries-sound-clockwork-precision

“Wilson Audio Autobiography: The Most Accurate Speaker Ever Built?” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/jia5y_TXY_4?si=0y2xgHMfM8V4SqZM

“Do You Have a Cement Pond Now?” Apr 29, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by giving major props to Amir of Audio Science Review for one of the best “click-bait” cable videos we’ve seen to date. He’s relentless. He’s right. (And this time, he’s very relatable!) Then they dig into another Darko article, in which John forces readers and viewers to choose between two distinct definitions of “snake oil,” while Dennis regales us with a fascinating explanation of why “snake oil” actually works. Wrapping it up for most folks this week, they ponder what the heck is going on with Western Electric’s new $150,000 power amp and why you need to understand impedance if you really want to comprehend how amplifiers even work.

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

“$4000 Audio Cable vs $7!!!” by Audio Science Review: https://youtu.be/QjvgL9_zL80?si=ib_B42agORL5XUnl

“Global feedback: The two faces of snake oil” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/04/global-feedback-the-two-faces-of-snake-oil/

“Western Electric Room at AXPONA 2026” by Miguel Barrio: https://stereophile.com/content/western-electric-room-axpona-2026

Sengpiel Audio on input and output impedance: https://sengpielaudio.com/calculator-InputOutputImpedance.htm

Shameless Self-Promotion w/ David Chesky Apr 15, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off with a discussion about whether or not DACs are a distraction before welcoming guest David Chesky to discuss The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album, as well as a special discount code just for Audio Unleashed listeners. Also, has Dennis found common ground with Herb Reichert?! What’s next: Dogs and cats living together? MASS HYSTERIA?!

💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

“The great DAC distraction 🌶️” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/03/the-great-dac-distraction/

“The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

“Gramophone Dreams #107: LAiV GaNM monoblock, Record Doctor VI (20th Anniversary Edition)” by Herb Reichert: https://stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-107-laiv-ganm-monoblock-record-doctor-vi-20th-anniversary-edition

“Record Doctor X Dual-Sided Record Cleaning Machine” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1304-record-doctor-x-dual-sided-record-cleaning-machine

“Joaquin Phoenix Stole My Career” Apr 01, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis spend yet another segment talking about a review of the Klipsch ProMedia Lumina Speakers, but this time it’s a super-in-depth review from Erin’s Audio Corner—one that dives deep into territory Brent was too lazy to explore. Then they share their thoughts about Darko’s latest article bemoaning the glut of cheap audio product reviews on YouTube, and whether or not decades of messing around with audio gear will give you the chops to tell a $300 amp from a $3,000 amp. Finally, they wonder if Apple’s new AirPods Max 2 headphones are a significant-enough upgrade to deserve another digit—and puzzle over what marketing people mean when they say something’s “1.5 times better.”

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

“2 Reasons You'll Want These Klipsch ProMedia Lumina Speakers” by Erin’s Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/_M8_yGJqOYU?si=o1JY_5fL02cYsyTx

“Do we really need more YouTube reviews of affordable hi-fi gear? 🌶️” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/03/do-we-really-need-more-youtube-reviews-of-affordable-hi-fi-gear-%f0%9f%8c%b6%ef%b8%8f/

“Apple Introduces AirPods Max 2 with H2 Processor and Advanced Computational Audio” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/apple-introduces-airpods-max-2-with-h2-processor-and-advanced-computational-audio

Sean Olive on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/seanolive_the-discrepancy-between-headphone-measurements-activity-7440814363541893121-McTm

“I Don’t Like the Taste of My Own Medicine” Mar 18, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week’s episode is a long one, y’all! Brent and Dennis lead off the discussion by digging into an actually useful post from Headphone Sty about a collection of audio tools you can download for free, and comment about their own experience with these, which runs from extensive to non-existent. Then they’re joined by buddy Geoffrey Morrison, who has a bit of a tongue-lashing for our dynamic duo over their apparent (to Geoff) distaste for any music of the post-Scott Joplin era. Then they use a questionable review of Klipsch’s new ProMedia Lumina 2.1 speaker system to get into a discussion of how reviewers should deal with (or not deal with) bass reproduction issues.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

12 Free Audio Tools That Expose Hidden Flaws in Your Audiophile Setup by Alexandra Plesa: https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/02/free-tools-expose-hidden-flaws-audiophile-setup/
Snyderman’s Choice: Are You an Audiophile or a Music-Lover? by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1373-snydermans-choice-are-you-an-audiophile-or-a-music-lover
Have you been listening to the same music for 30 years? by u/taosaur: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/comments/1rdjfp5/have_you_been_listening_to_the_same_music_for_30/?share_id=RrjD81wp_lvvm7n5XgJdo
Klipsch ProMedia Lumina Review: Surprisingly Uneven Bass Mars This 2.1 Speaker System by Mark Knapp: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/klipsch-promedia-lumina

“What Are Your Thoughts On Banana Pudding?” Mar 04, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by wondering whether or not you should grind up your headphones and use them as face cream, and somehow or other that’s not the silliest topic of conversation for this episode. That leaves the question of whether the silliest topic is a blind test involving audio cables, wet mud, and bananas, or is it the notion of whether your speakers would sound better if they were in the middle of a forest made of dowels. Or something like that.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Hazardous substances found in all headphones tested by ToxFREE project by Damien Gayle: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/18/hazardous-substances-headphones
The Sound of Contamination: A Comprehensive Analysis of Endocrine Disruptors and Hazardous Additives in the Headphones: https://arnika.org/en/publications/the-sound-of-contamination
In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud by Jowi Morales: https://www.tomshardware.com/speakers/in-a-blind-test-audiophiles-couldnt-tell-the-difference-between-audio-signals-sent-through-copper-wire-a-banana-or-wet-mud-the-mud-should-sound-perfectly-awful-but-it-doesnt-notes-the-experiment-creator
Acoustic Grove System AGS-MN1 Small Curved Wave Diffusor (each): https://upscaleaudio.com/products/ags-mn1-small-curved-wave-diffusor-each
Ultimate Audiophile Listening Room Setup - HiFi Speaker Set Up by The Greek Audio Geek: https://youtu.be/w6NQBdE1T1Q?si=obHjFP_2LPOcFERs

“Eardrums Aren’t Like Teeth” Feb 18, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis flaunt their unmatched talent at finding an audio angle in anything, with a fascinating examination of what long-range acoustic devices (LRADs) do and whether hearing protection products can guard your ears against them (and your power tools). Next up, they dig into cheap audio’s biggest controversy: Whether or not an $80 boutique op amp can transform the sound of a $100 power amp. And how does The Absolute Sound work, really? This one isn’t a hostage video, we promise

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Minnesota State Patrol uses long range acoustic device, first used by military, to disperse Maple Grove protesters by Derek James: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-state-patrol-long-range-acoustic-device/
Defeating LRAD by Tech Ingredients: https://youtu.be/CXKTBQBugIA?si=3fSJfexSUB5z2cMG
Does Rolling Opamps Make Amps Sound Better? by Audio Science Review: https://youtu.be/nGy-Q8jKXr4?si=in-MnDG8yb2trkia
Hell Yeah Rolling Opamps Makes Your Amps Sound Better! (Hear It For Yourself!) by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/-E8wEJF5jAs?si=ZXZ_3Ok2o54lbuDi
Cheap upgrade, HUGE sound improvement! Virtual HiFi opamp review by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/Mub-xo619PY?si=RRM1Gv-3YCt38qvZ
How The Absolute Sound Works – Incentives and Ethics by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/how-the-absolute-sound-works-incentives-and-ethics/

“Where Did All the Sh*tty Products Go?” Feb 04, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by using their unmatched business acumen to analyze what the new Sony/TCL deal means for the audio industry—and pine for the days when audio products were mostly expensive and mostly not good. Then they bring on Danny Kaey of the Hi-Fi Five to discuss a recent Headphone Sty post about how Audio Science Review and Erin’s Audio Corner are sending speaker and amp makers to the bread line. Then they ponder the significance of Marshall’s dinky new streaming box, which promises to Make Auracast Great for the First Time.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Sony to spin off TV and home audio division to TCL by Rasmus Larsen: https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1768912998
Industry is Abuzz – What’s Happening With Sony TVs & Audio? What is China’s TCL’s Involvement? by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/industry-is-abuzz-whats-happening-with-sony-tvs-audio-what-is-chinas-tcls-involvement/
Independent Measurements Are Triggering Shutdowns and Sales Losses Across Legacy Audio Brands by Alexandra Plesa: https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/01/measurements-triggering-shutdowns-losses-audio-brands/
Marshall's dinky streaming hub brings wireless multi-room and vinyl support to its rock'n'roll Bluetooth speakers by Kashfia Kabir: https://www.whathifi.com/streaming-entertainment/music-streaming/marshalls-dinky-streaming-hub-brings-wireless-multi-room-and-vinyl-support-to-its-rocknroll-bluetooth-speakers

“You Made Humor and I Didn't Understand It” Jan 21, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Although Brent and Dennis will probably never again work up the gumption to attend CES, they can muster the courage to read through others’ CES reports and weigh in with their own opinions. That’s this week’s first segment. Then they check out an article from Darko about age-related hearing loss and its relationship with audio copium, and think real hard about whether buying a $10,000 DAC is worth it if you can’t hear above 12 kHz. They then take a TAS hostage video hostage and use it as a jumping-off point for a deep dive into Class G and H amp topologies.

And for Patrons: What the heck is Snyderman’s Maxim? And would you want a million-dollar audio system if you could only use it to listen to “Hotel California”?

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Can You Identify Famous Guitarists From A Single Note? by Rick Beato: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gESY87hn7_Q
CES 2026: With Onkyo, Premium Audio Co Proves It Can Walk & Chew Gum at the Same Time by Ted Gree: https://www.strata-gee.com/ces-2026-with-onkyo-premium-audio-co-proves-it-can-walk-chew-gum-at-the-same-time/
Best of CES 2025: The Audio Gear That Matters by Adam Birney: https://www.soundguys.com/best-of-ces-2025-the-audio-gear-that-matters-130847/
Eclipsa Audio on GitHub: https://github.com/google/eclipsa-audio-plugin
Klipsch Demos New Powered Speakers, Shows Off High-End Concepts at CES 2026 by Jacob Green: https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/klipsch-80th-ces
The Best of CES 2026: The Products We Want to Get Our Hands On Most by Wirecutter Staff: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-ces-2026-products/
The LG Sound Suite Soundbar changed the way I think about surround sound by Nick Pino: https://www.tomsguide.com/audio/speakers/the-lg-sound-suite-soundbar-changed-the-way-i-think-about-surround-sound
How age-related hearing loss emboldens hi-fi cope by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/12/how-age-related-hearing-loss-emboldens-hi-fi-cope/

“The Meat Grinder of YouTube” Jan 07, 2026

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Brent and Dennis ring in the new year by finding the very fine line between clever and stupid when it comes to A/B tests on YouTube, courtesy of AP Mastering. Next up: John Darko says lazy phrases are the norm in audio coverage but don’t mean anything. Is Darko punching above his weight class without breaking a sweat? And lastly for most listeners, we wonder if the rumors of the audio hobby’s death have been greatly exaggerated, and pine for the days when all audiophiles wore bowler hats.

And for Patrons: When Stereophile does blind testing, Brent and Dennis sit up and take notice… a full 37 years late.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Audiophiles are wrong about YouTube's audio quality by AP Mastering: https://youtu.be/Xq1n9oYKiZU?si=2L6KhfoMimpLf12z
Ready-made phrases: how hi-fi reviews dress up laziness as expertise by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/12/ready-made-phrases-how-hi-fi-reviews-can-dress-up-laziness-as-expertise/
YouTube Indicates What the Future is For Audiophiles - Interesting Demographics: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/youtube-indicates-what-the-future-is-for-audiophiles-interesting-demo/post?postid=2725195
40% of Audiophiles May Be Gone Soon, and No One Is Replacing Them by Alexandra Plesa: https://www.headphonesty.com/2024/09/audiophiles-gone-soon/
Lumines: Arise: https://lumines.game/

“Nice!” Dec 24, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis begin with a discussion about the design and manufacture of high-end audio cables courtesy of Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity. How much art is there to appreciate? How much science is there to check? And most importantly, which aspects of the article pissed off our curmudgeonly duo the most?

Speaking of being pissed off, Brent has a bone to pick with Erin Hardison over his most recent video about flat frequency response. You don’t want to miss that.

And finally for most listeners this week, Dennis finally gets to do an entire segment about King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, thanks to an AI clone of the band that popped up on streaming services. Did this whole story somehow prove that Google is more evil than Spotify? Perhaps!

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

The Art and Science of Designing High-End Audio Cables by John E. Johnson, Jr.: https://hometheaterhifi.com/technical/technical-reviews/the-art-and-science-of-designing-high-end-audio-cables/

Why "Flat" Response Sounds TERRIBLE! by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/LXX6zzA2AY0?si=WgArCIF_uu9TX6Kc
Børresen X3 Floorstanding Speaker Review by Erin’s Audio Corner: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/b%C3%B8rresen_x3/
5,000 Podcasts. 3,000 Episodes a Week. $1 Cost Per Episode — Behind an AI Start Up’s Plan by Caitlin Huston: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-podcast-start-up-plan-shows-1236361367/
‘We are truly doomed’: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard despair at AI clone appearing on Spotify: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/10/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-despair-at-ai-clone-appearing-on-spotify
“Rattlesnake” by the fake AI band King Lizard Wizard: https://youtu.be/9MKm5HMth5A?si=rb7FuqHo4EnJeEOC
“Rattlesnake” by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: https://youtu.be/Q-i1XZc8ZwA?si=OAdN3LLq90DpcM7s
I've Lost 180 lbs. (82kg) on CPAP. Now What?! by Adventures with CPAP: https://youtu.be/uDD7Ft2jx4w?si=Ge7_bqFyTGeY3zKd

“That’s a Spicy Meat-a-ball-a!” Dec 10, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by investigating whether translating the words of non-English speakers in a way that suits your agenda might be a promising new business model for bad audio websites. Then they’re joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider for a post-mortem on Dennis’ historic and fateful appearance on The HiFi Five. Wrapping things up for normies, they respond to a request from numerous Patrons to look into New Record Day’s power cable conversion testimony to answer the question: Is it worthwhile to do a deep dive into the testing procedures of people who haven’t themselves done a deep dive into the subject of testing procedures?

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Veteran Speaker Designer Reveals the Top 3 Reasons Why Designers Can’t Build Great Speakers Anymore: https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/11/veteran-designer-explains-why-speakers-declined/
GPM Monitor One: il bookshelf di riferimento by G.P. Matarazzo: https://www.avmagazine.it/articoli/diffusori/2077/gpm-monitor-one-il-bookshelf-di-riferimento_index.html
Test: Sonus Faber Lumina II by G.P. Matarazzo: https://www.avmagazine.it/articoli/diffusori/2051/test-sonus-faber-lumina-ii_index.html
The HiFi Five Episode 6: Guest Dennis Burger of SoundStage! by The HiFi Five: https://www.youtube.com/live/OORvfQh_zjo
The Most Pathetic Excuse in High-End Audio (Ep:94) by SoundStage! Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3e7dD-Yij0
I Tried to Debunk Power Cords & Conditioners… and Failed Spectacularly by New Record Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWVDNiRCiM

“A Different Hostage Video” Nov 26, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis once again stare the impending A.I. apocalypse in the face and ponder about what it all means, especially for audiophiles. As a palate cleanser, they then bring in their buddy Geoffrey Morrison of SoundStage! Solo to discuss some fancy new replacement ear tips and how they may affect the sound of your earphones. Then they ask why audio journalists don’t have methodological standards that measure up to a bass-playing comedian on the internet.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

50,000 AI tracks flood Deezer daily – as study shows 97% of listeners can’t tell the difference between human-made vs. fully AI-generated music: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/50000-ai-tracks-flood-deezer-daily-as-study-shows-97-of-listeners-cant-tell-the-difference-between-human-made-vs-fully-ai-generated-music/
Azla SednaEarfit Mithryl and Flare Magic Tips Aftermarket Eartips by Geoffrey Morrison: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/equipment/accessories/473-azla-sednaearfit-mithryl-and-flare-magic-tips-aftermarket-eartips
I bought the most EXPENSIVE Guitar Picks on the internet by Davie504: https://youtu.be/0JaOCZhjpaQ?si=5F-B3BgGktUWxIF3

“An Alternative Viewpoint to the Laws of Physics” Nov 12, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Brent and Dennis weigh in on whether or not cheapaudioman is really telling the truth about tubes that nobody else is talking about, and answer the literally burning question: Is buying a McIntosh 275 really a death sentence for your chihuahua? Then they dive deep into the philosophy of intention-driven audio, whatever the heck that is, and ponder whether a monastery is really the best place to learn how to calculate standing-wave frequencies. Next, they engage with a LinkedIn post from Steve Temme of Listen, Inc., mostly as a backdoor excuse to talk about THD (total harmonic distortion) and how much it matters, or doesn’t.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

The Truth About Tube Amps Nobody Is Talking About by cheapaudioman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIGVeHUPg0g
Synergistic Research: Cables, Power, and the Philosophy of Intention-Driven Audio by Michael Horne: https://tmraudio.com/blog/synergistic-research-cables-power-and-the-philosophy-of-intentiondriven-audio/
Why Headphone Target Curves and THD Don’t Tell the Whole Story by Steve Temme: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-headphone-target-curves-thd-dont-tell-whole-story-steve-temme-strme/

Two Ears and a Brain: Dr. Floyd Toole’s Legacy Oct 29, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
Tony Stark once famously said, “We have a Hulk.” Brent and Dennis have a secret weapon much more powerful than that. We have a Floyd Toole! And this week, we sit in conversation with him about the release of the fourth edition of his legendary book, Sound Reproduction, and why it has a different subtitle this time: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent: https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 1 on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/dr-floyd-toole-an-oral-history-1-two-ears-and-a-brain-transistors-rules-and-data/
Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 2 on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/dr-floyd-toole-an-oral-history-2-ab-tests-bass-athena-brains-rooms-hearing-listening/
Read These 2 Books to Know More about Speakers than Most Hi-Fi Reviewers Do by the SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/YfIde7VTA7g?si=XjxdvEhY52wdzDvi
The Biggest Lie in Audio by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/246-the-biggest-lie-in-audio

“Not That Kind of Very Special Episode” Oct 15, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
First things first this week, Brent and Dennis wonder why Wired is doing pretty good blind panel testing when actual audio publications almost never dare, or bother. Then they have a conversation with their buddy Joe Mariano, aka Joe N Tell, about his new speaker measurement and target-curve-calculating app Magic Beans. How does it fare against Brent’s bazillion years of measurement experience and Dennis’s kazillion years of calibrating audio systems? Finally, Dennis asks Brent WTF a “notoriously musical” CD drive even is.

And for Patrons: Can Bowers & Wilkins and other former Sound United brands maintain their identity under their new Samsung/Harman umbrella? And should they?

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

- We Asked Audio Pros to Blind Test Headphones. The Results Were Surprising by Chris Haslam: https://www.wired.com/story/we-asked-audio-pros-to-blind-test-headphones-the-results-were-surprising/
- Joe N Tell: https://joentell.com/
- Magic Beans: https://magicbeansaudio.com/
- Gramophone Dreams #101: The Shanling ET3 CD transport by Herb Reichert: https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-101-shanling-et3-cd-transport

“Headphone Sty” Oct 01, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
First, Dennis and Brent take a minute to praise a Stereophile article that harkens back to the good ol’ days of audio journalism. Before the dark times. Before … well, all sorts of unsavory developments in the publishing biz. Then they peruse a number of new articles about the state of Spotify, as well as one potential new alternative that’s pretty much just Bandcamp in a trenchcoat. Next, they run a serious risk of being tagged as “garbage” on YouTube by examining the claims of a young audio pundit who’s convinced he’s smarter than everybody else in the headphone industry. Finally, they rant against a Headphonesty scare piece about audio networking until they realize that Headphonesty completely misrepresented the views of the network engineer quoted therein.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

A Poor Man's Audio Show Review by Roy Midyett: https://stereophile.com/content/poor-mans-audio-show-review
A random 1993 Corey Greenberg article: https://www.stereophile.com/content/sumiko-blue-point-blue-point-special-phono-cartridges
Spotify Terms of Use: https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/end-user-agreement/
Lossless audio finally comes to Spotify - here's how to enable it by Craig Donaldson: https://www.pocket-lint.com/spotify-lossless-audio-launch/
AI-generated music is here to stay. Will streaming services like Spotify label it? by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5492314/ai-music-streaming-services-spotify
The music industry is broken: OpenWav’s new app aims to change that by Sarah Perez: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/11/the-music-industry-is-broken-openwavs-new-app-aims-to-change-that/
The B&K5128 Is Garbage by Sharur: https://youtu.be/G2S-Agwxiy4?si=TPTGvDStmG2eYePU
Tidal and Qobuz Connect Are Ruining Your Hi-Fi Sound Without Dropping a Single Bit, Warns Principal Network Engineer by Alexandra Plesa: https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/09/tidal-qobuz-connect-ruining-hifi-sound-engineer/
Audiophile Streaming in 2025 - Zoom Event by Audiophile Foundation: https://youtu.be/z3VC65XOhxg?si=UNNCNA8tHIvo_8-F

“A Yankee Corndog” Sep 17, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent take a vicarious vacation to a couple of hi-fi hotels to discuss whether or not this is a trend worth taking seriously. (And, of course, judge the merits of their audio systems just by the brands.) Next up, they applaud John Darko’s efforts to make reviewing more legit, then ponder some ideas on how, exactly, we might do that. Then they venture halfway around the world in the company (figuratively speaking) of tech journo Geoffrey Morrison, who shares the ancient wonders of Tokyo’s Akihabara Electric Town while lamenting its apparent but perhaps inevitable soulsucking corporatification.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

Hi-Fi Hotels: The Audiophile Vacation Destination by Jacob Green: https://www.audioholics.com/news/hi-fi-hotels
The Greatest Lie Never Told by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/09/the-greatest-lie-never-told/
The Rise and Fall and Maybe Rise Again of Akihabara Electric Town by Geoffrey Morrrison: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/465-the-rise-and-fall-and-maybe-rise-again-of-akihabara-electric-town
Ascendo Unveils HALO 10 Pro Active EXT Cardioid Speaker at CEDIA Expo 2025 by Alfred Moody: https://audioxpress.com/news/ascendo-unveils-halo-10-pro-active-ext-cardio-speaker-at-cedia-expo-2025
World Premier Unboxing of Ascendo’s HALO – The WILDEST Speaker Design You’ve Ever Seen! by AV NIRVANA: https://youtu.be/A3ng4MASy4A?si=abi3pRMQ7F2QUqRh

“Kick! Punch! It’s All in the Mind!” Sep 03, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent gaze deep into what they assumed would be the abyss of the EISA Hi-Fi Awards and see some pretty sensible selections gazing back. Then, Brent humors Dennis by letting him rant about video game music, and the two of them dig into the mechanics of how a guy made some of the world’s most memorable music with just a few bloops and bleeps. Then, they dig deep into the sometimes glorious, sometimes sordid history of Monster Cable by way of a cheapaudioman video essay, and recount their own decades of struggle in dealing with a company that makes your average rock band look like a well-run business.

And for Patrons: What goes through Brent and Dennis’ minds when they read a glowing review of an idiosyncratic speaker? Find out in real time…

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

A roundup of EISA Hi-Fi Awards for 2025-2026: https://stereophile.com/content/eisa-hi-fi-awards-2025-2026; https://hometheaterhifi.com/press-releases/eisa-awards-for-2025-26-announced/; https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/eisa/2025-2026-awards/2025-2026-hi-fi/2006-eisas-best-products-of-2025-2026
“Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo’s 8-Bit Masterpiece”: https://www.20k.org/episodes/super-mario-bros
“8-Bit to Orchestras: Video Game Music Scores”: https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/episodes/8-bit-to-orchestras-video-game-music-scores
“The Truth About an Audio Empire That Almost Ruled” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/6mmPkqVzhb4?si=mTWc-MU5VOOSSxWz
“Audiophile Music Scandal EXPOSED! The UNTOLD Story…” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/tPLsS6kCebw?si=TjbQJkIFSDQUj9gc
“Monster Cable Correspondence”: https://www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/index.htm

“Monkeys Farting Into Metal Trash Cans” Aug 20, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent do some sleuthing work to ascertain whether a crackpot article about Tom Waits is A.I. slop or just straight-up plagiarism, and whether or not Dr. Sean Olive has a substance-abuse problem. Then they sort through two lists of speakers that audiophiles all either love or hate to find which speakers are on both lists, wonder why it seems like every audiophile who’s ever “polled” must be over 70, then (sort of) fondly reminisce about the (mostly) lousy speakers from the days of their youth—many of which are on one or both of these lists.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“Why Tom Waits’ “Martha” Is the Ultimate Emotional Litmus Test for Hi-Fi Systems”: https://inews.zoombangla.com/tom-waits-martha-hi-fi-test-track/
“Why this iconic Tom Waits song is a regular in our test rooms – and can unveil the true essence of hi-fi” by Harry McKerrell: https://www.whathifi.com/streaming-entertainment/music-streaming/why-this-iconic-tom-waits-song-is-a-regular-in-our-test-rooms-and-can-unveil-the-true-essence-of-hi-fi
“Why Do Audiophiles Hate These 9 Legendary Speakers?” by Skylabs Audio: https://youtu.be/gR_s3dfDiHw?si=3MaZLz9D4oEbnpv_
“25 Best Speakers of All Time, as Voted by Thousands of Audiophiles Worldwide” by Andy G.: https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/08/best-speakers-voted-thousands-audiophiles

“We’re Free to Suck In a Way AI Is Not” Aug 06, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent dive deep into the subject of infrasonics by way of a “studio-quality” MP3 album that tunes baroque music to the planet’s Schumann resonance and thus allows you to be calm and focused (i.e., the sonic opposite of Audio Unleashed), and they also ponder the utility of two new subwoofers bigger than our dynamic duo put together. Next up, Dennis gets a rare opportunity to critique mindless capitalism (i.e., Brent) as he heaps surprising praise on an article about politics from Stereophile, of all places. Then they opine on whether Focal’s new $69K beast truly is the ultimate speaker and the one they’d buy if they were actually able to retire someday.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“You’ve Heard Classical Music. But Not Like This” by Brainwave Research UK: https://brainwave-research.com/funnel/classical-magic-download/classical-magic-download-offer-meta/
“Ascendo Pushes World's Largest Subwoofer Record Further with New 64" and 100" Models” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/ascendo-pushes-world-s-largest-subwoofer-record-further-with-new-64-and-100-models
The Boston Audio Society Music and Test CD: https://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_cd.htm
“Re-Tales 56: The Impact of Tariffs on the Hi-Fi Industry” by Julie Mullins: https://stereophile.com/content/re-tales-56-impact-tariffs-hi-fi-industry
“Paul Hales Unleashed” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/paul-hales-unleashed-the-realities-of-global-audio-manufacturing/
“New Focal Diva Mezza Utopia Reinforces Wireless High-End All-In-One Concept” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/new-focal-diva-mezza-utopia-reinforces-wireless-high-end-all-in-one-concept
“ELAC announces Debut ConneX DCB61” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/07/elac-announces-debut-connex-dcb61/

“Safe, Predictable, Mass-Produced Crap” Jul 23, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent ponder the questions that everyone ought to be asking: Why hasn’t anyone tested speaker isolation devices before now? (Like, really tested them, not just gauged their emotional reaction to them.) Why does AI music sound so much more convincing than AI images look? (And can AI out-ButterBurger House Band the real ButterBurger House Band?) Why is Erin Hardison so damned good at YouTubing? (And why are manufacturers’ speaker sensitivity measurements so often meaningless?)

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“Comments Retired, Letters Welcome: We’re All Ears” by Stereophile Staff: https://www.stereophile.com/content/comments-retired-letters-welcome-we%E2%80%99re-all-ears
Warwick Acoustics Aperio - GoldenSound Edition: https://headphones.com/products/warwick-acoustics-aperio-goldensound-edition
“Apple's new Spatial Audio format goes beyond Dolby Atmos” by Rasmus Larsen: https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1750327296

“Like the ‘NASCAR Fans’ of Audio” Jun 25, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent yet again ponder the question of whether or not CDs are making a legitimate comeback. Then they deconstruct one of Stereophile’s most controversial columns in ages. And what’s up with Zu Audio’s new speaker. Is this thing legit or what?

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“Why I Bought My First New CD Player in 25 Years” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/syitren-cd-player-review/
“An AudioQuest Cable Loom: Vodka network, Pegasus interconnects, Robin Hood speaker cables, Blizzard power cables” by Martin Colloms: https://www.stereophile.com/content/audioquest-cable-loom-vodka-network-pegasus-interconnects-robin-hood-speaker-cables-blizzard
“ZU METHOD: Does It Compare With KEF LS50 META?” by Steve Guttenberg Audiophilia: https://youtu.be/VQ6NUaicjWg?si=F5QxCWEaIax87sUr

“Snake Oil is Snake Oil, Right?” Jun 11, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent discuss Darko’s coverage of the Munich High End show, including his insistence that he’s noping out of trade shows going forward. Will we really never see him again IRL? Next up: did Audio Judgement do this crossover A/B blind test right … and can a chancy collection of cheap caps and chokes credibly conquer the chi-chi stuff? Finally, they contrast two articles from high-end audio sites that posit very different proposals about blind testing.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“The last hi-fi show I will ever attend” by Darko Audio: https://youtu.be/SfQjv6H1dzk?si=LJPyoIIVRkQXpJnY
“Cheap vs Expensive Crossover (Blind Test)” by Audio Judgement: https://youtu.be/jx7OaMghqJU?si=5f3usI89gV6kXr52
“Do Blind Listening Tests Work? My Sessions with the Colorado Audio Society” by Steven Stone: https://pmamagazine.org/do-blind-listening-tests-work-my-sessions-with-the-colorado-audio-society/
“Magic Snake Oil: Roger Skoff Writes the Real Truth about HiFi” by Roger Skoff: https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/magic-snake-oil-roger-skoff-writes-the-real-truth-about-hifi/
“The History of Snake Oil” by Andrew Haynes: https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opinion/the-history-of-snake-oil

“Steve Irwin and Charles Darwin Owned the Same Tortoise” May 28, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent catch up with all the news we should have covered last episode, including the Harman acquisition of Sound United, and what it means for the fate of Bowers & Wilkins, Dolby, and the half-dozen audio dealers left in the U.S. Then they ask The Absolute Sound’s philosopher-in-chief Tom Martin to blink twice if he’s OK in his recent video about cable lifters before moving on to a discussion about guinea pigs being used as guinea pigs to answer science’s pressing questions about compression (but not that kind of compression!).

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“Masimo Sells Sound United to Harman/Samsung, Creates Audio Empire?” by Wayde Robson: https://www.audioholics.com/editorials/masimo-deals-sound-united-to-harman-samsung
“The VIABLUE Rocket cable lifter system briefing” by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-via-blue-rocket-cable-lifter-system-briefing/
“Compressed music might be harmful to the ears”: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/07/compressed-music-might-be-harmful-to-the-ears
“Auditory changes in awake guinea pigs exposed to overcompressed music” by Thamara Suzi Dos Santos, Pierrick Bordiga, Paul Avan: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378595524001734
“8 Hour Music Video for Guinea Pigs! Natural Stress and Anxiety Relief for Guinea Pigs!” by PetTunes - Music for Pets: https://youtu.be/mxBk0ItjoEg?si=f5ByWuRwrjG5NwOb
Harriet (tortoise): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_(tortoise)

“Colorless green ideas sleep furiously” May 14, 2025

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed
This week, Dennis and Brent dig into the news about a new $25/month music streaming service that claims it’s the first to deliver lossless and immersive audio. (Please don’t tell Apple Music or Qobuz or Tidal or Amazon!) Then they look on as an AudioXpress writer does a Marianas Trench-level dive on the return of the 78 rpm record, and question whether these can deliver as profound a musical experience as lathe-cut records. They conclude by pondering which paper towel is best for cleaning up the drool after Stereophile, Hi-Fi+ and Hi-Fi News review dCS’s almost-$300K, five-chassis DAC.

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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 (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Further Reading:

“Pure Audio Streaming”: https://pureaudiostreaming.com/
“audioXpress May 2025 Brings the Best in DIY Audio with Tubes” by audioXpress Staff: https://audioxpress.com/news/audioxpress-may-2025-brings-the-best-in-diy-audio-with-tubes
“Spinning a Record to Pieces at 12,500fps” by The Slow Mo Guys”: https://youtu.be/n-DTjpde9-0?si=cL98sZEXtdlhul3-
“dCS Varèse Music System D/A Processor” by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/dcs-var%C3%A8se-music-system-da-processor
“dCS Varèse” by Alan Sircom: https://hifiplus.com/articles/dcs-varese/
“dCS Varèse” by Andrew Everard & Paul Miller: https://dcsaudio.com/assets/hfnfebdcsvarese.pdf

“Maybe We’re the Chumps” Apr 30, 2025

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 audio DIY you’re probably imagining.

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://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Dennis’s book recommendations:

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Chips for Chumps” by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/505awsi/index.html
“Chips Are Still For Chumps” by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/chips-are-still-chumps
Can't afford getting my MiniDSP Flex HTx out of Customs: https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1jw4agi/cant_afford_getting_my_minidsp_flex_htx_out_of/?share_id=8ttFl2ZUnK8f5iRYFUiXX&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1
“Nobody Warned Me Vinyl Would Turn Into a DIY Hobby” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1332-nobody-warned-me-vinyl-would-turn-into-a-diy-hobby
“AXPONA 2025 Audio Show Report” by The Absolute Sound: https://youtu.be/yma3eOoy3ts?si=OfWbec3_nunA8qei

“More Useful Than Five Years’ Worth of Audio Magazines” Apr 16, 2025

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://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Dennis’s book recommendations:

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Mid-Fi: Cutting Plastic Records with Michael Dixon” by Scott Evans: https://tapeop.com/interviews/165/mid-fi-cutting-plastic-records-michael-dixon/
“How Would YOU Describe These Sounds? | Audiophile Challenge!” by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/Yu0VE2RVBGE?si=9Gk96P9JL48UlZqV
“Holly Cole's Dark Moon” by Robert Baird: https://www.stereophile.com/content/holly-coles-dark-moon

“Not Understanding What Nirvana Means” Apr 02, 2025

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:

💿 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://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

Dennis’s book recommendations:

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

- “Is Sonos Adrift and Directionless? Or On the Right Track?” by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/is-sonos-adrift-and-directionless-or-on-the-right-track/
- “The DAC Scam - Almost everyone believes the hype” by AP Mastering: https://youtu.be/7Sg1nYLmLCw?si=SrQ47F74vdBWgNTX
- “DAC Delusion: These test results are insane!” by AP Mastering: https://youtu.be/LbcEgxm6RTU?si=jICNAe4CLwDgEgAI
- “General Motors Introduces Dolby Atmos Across its Entire 2026 EV Lineup”: https://audioxpress.com/news/general-motors-introduces-dolby-atmos-across-entire-2025-ev-lineup

“Fun and Depressing at the Same Time!” Mar 19, 2025

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 work is getting messed-up tapes to play so you can finally hear A Flock of Seagulls as they were meant to be heard.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 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://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“The Wizard of Vinyl is in Kansas” by Ben Sisario: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/arts/music/vinyl-albums-chad-kassem-acoustic-sounds.html
“Don't Waste Money on These Audiophile TRAPS!” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/m4ubVpSe_8M?si=oGUpiToYTT39eCuT
“How to Make Your Own Audio Diffusers” by Brent: https://www.lifewire.com/make-your-own-audio-diffuser-3134903
Shibuya Hi-Fi Vinyl Bar: https://www.shibuyahifi.com/
“Dan Johnson: Preserving the Past” by Larry Crane: https://tapeop.com/interviews/165/dan-johnson/
Nonagon Infinity Live - 8-Track: https://needlejuicerecords.com/products/nonagon-infinity-live-8-track

“Ignorance Is Such a Rare Commodity” Mar 05, 2025

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 disproves the validity of science.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Improve Your Stereo With These Three EASY Tips!” by Erin’s Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/FHjy0ZV0V7U?si=yg19a1toVoVlAIfZ
“REL No.31 powered subwoofer” by Rogier van Bakel: https://www.stereophile.com/content/rel-no31-powered-subwoofer
“Why you SHOULDN'T trust blind audio tests (according to science)” by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/OZMACL6z3OU?si=j84a3V4DvehHNZ_w
“What the AKG K371 Headphones Tell Us About Slow Listening” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/221-what-the-akg-k371-headphones-tell-us-about-slow-listening

“Make Quad Great Again!” Feb 19, 2025

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 hi-fi published in a mainstream scientific magazine, which recommends a whole new (well, kinda new) speaker layout.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Bluetooth Speakers Are Ruining Music” by Michael Owen: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/bluetooth-speakers-ruining-music/681571/?gift=UE260Y8zIMsW6uBskvxKEDxO5tYZ2efPoBTRLiJy30M&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
“The most important hi-fi component is your room” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/02/why-your-room-is-your-most-important-hi-fi-component/
“How to Make Your Own Audio Diffusers” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.lifewire.com/make-your-own-audio-diffuser-3134903
“The Science of Hi-Fi Audio” by John Beerends, Richard Van Everdingen: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-science-of-hi-fi-audio
“The Influence of Listeners’ Experience, Age, and Culture on Headphone Sound Quality Preferences” by Olive, Sean; Welti, Todd; McMullin, Elisabeth: https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=17500
“MEMS!” by Geoffrey Morrison: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/445
“Fresh From the Bench: USound Megaclite 4.0 UH-R2040 MEMS Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://audioxpress.com/article/fresh-from-the-bench-usound-megaclite-4-0-uh-r2040-mems-earphones

“It’s Like Jan Brady!” Feb 05, 2025

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 about vinyl.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“The $27,900 disappointment? Wilson Audio Watt Puppy 8 issues…” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/Tma9jFZ3-3k?si=ddg-crv3nFK7g03p
“Upgrade Success or Failure With Wilson Audio?” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/pIt2pcQvf6M?si=A9Y6-QLI6uig4-_t
“Is There Any Escape from the Spotify Syndrome?” by Hua Hsu: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/30/mood-machine-liz-pelly-book-review
“The Physics of Vinyl (A Sonic Hug in a World of Noise)” by Andrew Oattes (if you find it, let us know!)
“It’s time we admit to, and accept, vinyl’s dirty secret” by John Higgins: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/time-to-admit-to-vinyls-dirty-secret/
“2024 Golden Ear: Wilson-Benesch GMT One Turntable System” by Michael Fremer: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2024-golden-ear-wilson-benesch-gmt-one-turntable-system/?mc_cid=02535d5b76
“LIsten to "Babylon Sisters" UHQR on $370K Wilson-Benesch GMT One Turntable” by TrackingAngle: https://youtu.be/NBCnoVlFLDY?si=twY4G5cyczAXbgYD
“Hard truth: most vinyl is digital anyway” by AP Mastering: https://youtu.be/IM7sI7GZPbk?si=3StyrxM4fRRqlnqL

“A Penthouse Forum Thing?” Jan 22, 2025

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer extended! Now expires 2/1/25.)

https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

📚 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: https://amzn.to/4h7kZwb

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Was ASR right on the Power Plant?” by Paul McGowan, PS Audio: https://youtu.be/wAywgassj1Q?si=hvhFJwuaL_ToguSI
“On Listening - Part 7: The Japanese Kissa” by OMA ǀ Oswalds Mill Audio: https://youtu.be/ZYb6AnGOJ0I?si=UqYPJQnZsKdXuLuV
“Is Hi-Fi a Kink or a Fetish?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1305-is-hi-fi-a-kink-or-a-fetish
“I Compared Vinyl vs Tape vs Cassette vs Streaming – Results were SHOCKING!” by Dom Sigalas: https://youtu.be/6iohmhZWDNo?si=kRUeHQxxTf7jZVbH
“The New Standard That Killed the Loudness War” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/274-the-new-standard-that-killed-the-loudness-war

“Inner Detail Inception!” Jan 08, 2025

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 not stressing anyone out—except perhaps makers of gratuitously expensive audio gear.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer extended! Now expires 2/1/25.) https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“POLL: Are AUDIOPHILE Reviews BS?” by Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac: https://youtu.be/as2IUMhxmJ0?si=kDLQIL7JUZdiAaj9
“How Do You Know Whether You Can Trust a Review?” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1309-how-do-you-know-whether-you-can-trust-a-review
“Can Daniel Hertz C-Wave ‘Fix’ PCM and Even Improve Your Health?” by Audiophile Junkie: https://youtu.be/kp2MmIqVjTA?si=p5AZvkScalmuEmNY
“Taking Care of Business” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/taking-care-business

“The Streisand Effect” Dec 25, 2024

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 small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer expires 1/1/25.)

https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“We Answer Floyd Toole's Burning Question (And Yours, Too!)” by Audio Unleashed: https://youtu.be/x4w33TTgRpE?si=9R5mgwfGAIf8fwUn
“Tom Evans audio proves that their $30,000 audio preamp is garbage by filing a bogus copyright claim” by Louis Rossmann: https://youtu.be/gJYIhLQJtTs?si=ghaXydj05zmCJzv7
“The £ 25, 000 Pre Amp That Went Wrong Tom Evans Mastergroove SR Mk III” by Mend It Mark: https://archive.org/details/the-gbp-25-000-pre-amp-that-went-wrong-tom-evans-mastergroove-sr-mk-iii-rjbp-fsfzi-i
“Why is vintage audio equipment booming?” by Suzanne Bearne: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyjvn658n6o
“Amplifier matching with the KEF Q Concerto Meta” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/12/amplifier-matching-with-the-kef-q-concerto-meta/

“Not Only Clickbait, But Ragebait!” Dec 11, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer expires 1/1/25.)

https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Apple’s headphone adapter for older iPhones sells out, possibly never to return” by Samuel Axon: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/11/apples-headphone-adapter-for-older-iphones-sells-out-possibly-never-to-return/
“Fiio DM13 review: Get ready to fall in love with CDs all over again” by Derek Malcolm: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/fiio-dm13-portable-cd-player-review-bluetooth/
Plaid Pants by Cyger & Butterworth: https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

“This Took a Turn for the Kinky!” Nov 27, 2024

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).

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“The Gift” by Twenty Thousand Hertz: https://www.20k.org/episodes/thegift
“Bose buys McIntosh” by Kif Leswing: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/bose-buys-mcintosh-storied-maker-of-high-end-luxury-audio-equipment.html
“Bose Corporation Snaps Up High-End Audio Brand McIntosh” by Mark Sparrow https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2024/11/19/bose-corporation-snaps-up-high-end-audio-brand-mcintosh/
“Bose Corporation Acquires McIntosh Group” by Mark Henninger: https://www.stereophile.com/content/bose-corporation-acquires-mcintosh-group

“The Hidden Secrets of BØRRESEN X3 SPEAKER Audiophiles Need to Know” by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/EfasOu928tQ?si=uHRVnbchWAKJ5sMN
“RF: A Phantom Menace?” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/346-rf-a-phantom-menace
“The Børresen X3 Floor Standing Loudspeaker Review” by The Absolute Sound: https://youtu.be/XD0ihyCGnmM?si=o-hCj0oMoHwZKjYZ
“Børresen X3, You Gotta Hear These Speakers!” by Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac: https://youtu.be/mXloRt4pmN8?si=hbQtR2WPLkwEL6-o
“Børresen X3 Loudspeaker” by Stuart Smith: https://www.hifipig.com/borresen-x3-loudspeaker-review/
“Troubling Trend: 2024 CEDIA Expo Loses Hundreds of Attendees This Year” by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/troubling-trend-2024-cedia-expo-loses-hundreds-of-attendees-this-year/
“CEDIA 2019 Report: A Tale of the Haves and the Have-Nots” by Dennis Burger: https://hometheaterreview.com/cedia-2019-report-a-tale-of-the-haves-and-the-have-nots/

“Celebrating Sonic Diversity!” Nov 13, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/silicone-face-scrubber-review/

📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Life on the Edge – A Personal Perspective on the Past, Present, and Future of Class D Audio Amplifiers” by Bruno Putzeys: https://hometheaterhifi.com/30th-anniversary/the-now/life-on-the-edge-a-personal-perspective-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-class-d-audio-amplifiers/
“Audioholics Petition to Reopen FTC Final Amplifier Rule of 2024” by Gene DellaSala: https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/ftc-final-amplifier-rule-2024
“The FTC Updates the ‘Amplifier Rule’” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/ftc-updates-amplifier-rule
“Trafomatic Audio Rhapsody Review” by Alan Sircom: https://hifiplus.com/articles/trafomatic-audio-rhapsody/
“Trafomatic Rhapsody” by Ken Kessler: https://absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/HFN%20Dec%2023%20Trafomatic%20Rhapsody_Reprint-LOW.pdf
“Marantz steps into the unknown w/ Horizon, Grand Horizon” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/10/marantz-steps-into-the-unknown-w-horizon-grand-horizon/
“Marantz - Toronto Audiofest 2024” by Robert Schryer: https://www.stereophile.com/content/marantz-toronto-audiofest-2024
“DEVIALET Renegotiates Its Debt”: https://startup-in-europe.com/2024/10/between-financial-crisis-and-repositioning-strategy-devialet-renegotiates-its-debt/

“If Marc Maron Can Do It, So Can We!” Oct 30, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/silicone-face-scrubber-review/

📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album
“Soundstage Is (Much) More Complicated Than You Think” by Griffin Silver: https://headphones.com/blogs/features/soundstage-is-much-more-complicated-than-you-think
“After Half a Century of My Skipping Skin Care, This $9 Scrubber Finally Got Me Washing My Face” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/silicone-face-scrubber-review/
“Loudspeaker Crossover Upgrades - Are They Worth the Effort?” by Audioholics: https://youtu.be/3cbe7q2bnvA?si=rlrFePFKYGO9uWPn

“The One with Sandy Gross!” Oct 16, 2024

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 Stereophile.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Sound & Vision Magazine Takes a Bow” by Mark Henninger: https://www.soundandvision.com/content/internet-killed-magazine-star
“Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature loudspeaker” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/bowers-wilkins-805-d4-signature-loudspeaker
“Do We Really Need All These Target Curves?” by Brent Butterworth https://soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/354-do-we-really-need-all-these-target-curves
“How Far Have Headphones Come?” by Brent Butterworth https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/233-how-far-have-headphones-come

“Yub Nub, Baby!” Oct 02, 2024

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 qualifying purchases):

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

“Music industry’s 1990s hard drives, like all HDDs, are dying” by Kevin Purdy:https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/09/music-industrys-1990s-hard-drives-like-all-hdds-are-dying/
“New five pound note plays vinyl records” by Blowfelt: https://youtu.be/MtNXDTPBzB0?si=3nL6eNrKeVCbnE3X
“Coherence Systems/ADD Powr Sorcer Apprentice Review” by Alan Sircom: https://hifiplus.com/articles/coherence-systems-add-powr-sorcer-apprentice/
“Google is using AI to make fake podcasts from your notes” by Emma Roth: https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/11/24242138/google-notebook-llm-ai-fake-podcasts-research
“Segmentation of Listeners Based on Their Preferred Headphone Sound Quality Profiles” by Olive, Sean; Welti, Todd; Khonsaripour, Omid: https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=20289
“We Used A.I. to Make a Fake Podcast About the Harman Target Curve for Headphones” by Audio Unleashed: https://youtu.be/H_rx7UMMYq4?si=tU_Wx4xPYi7PMol6

“Math UNLEASHED!” Sep 18, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

📚 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

Further Reading:

“FBI busts musician’s elaborate AI-powered $10M streaming-royalty heist” by Benj Edwards: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/09/fbi-busts-musicians-elaborate-ai-powered-10m-streaming-royalty-heist/
“Eleven Predictions: Here's What AI Does Next” by Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/eleven-predictions-heres-what-ai?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=296132&post_id=148502330&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=130q1&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
“Hegel H600 and H400: Unleashing the Power of the New Control App” by CE Critic: https://cecritic.com/news/integrated-amplifier/hegel-h600-and-h400-unleashing-the-power-of-the-new-control-app
“RIAA MID-YEAR 2024 RECORDED MUSIC REVENUE REPORT” Analysis by Matt Bass, RIAA Vice President, Research | Gold & Platinum Operations: https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RIAA-Mid-Year-2024-Revenue-Report.pdf
“Music Keeps the Groove in the First Half of 2024” by RIAA: https://riaa.medium.com/music-keeps-the-groove-in-the-first-half-of-2024-8844d6c9949d
The Tronosonic Experience: https://thetronosonicexperience.bandcamp.com/

“The Paradox of Punks” Sep 04, 2024

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?

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

📚 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

Further Reading:

- “EVerything Explained | Episode One: What Do ‘dB’, ‘Loudness’and ‘SPL’ Actually Mean? by Electro-Voice Official: https://youtu.be/SrOiveJvlFE?si=mvHVLeGBjZiaufMw
- “For the Love of Music: Loudness Normalization” by Thomas Lund: https://audioxpress.com/article/for-the-love-of-music-loudness-normalization
- Harry Styles - “As It Was” (Official Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5v3kku4y6Q
- “Spirit They've Vanished” by Avey Tare & Panda Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pyaRPzZ3A
- “Earfun Air Pro 4 review: the best budget wireless earbuds on the planet” by Simon Cohen: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/earfun-air-pro-4-review/
- “The Sound Of Failure At Sonos” by Dan Pontefract: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2024/08/24/the-sound-of-failure-at-sonos/
- “Apple’s War on Windows” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/feature-articles/259-apples-war-on-windows

“The Microsoft of Really Cheap Turntables” Aug 21, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

📚 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

Further Reading:

“New Ways to Measure Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and Other Modes in Headphones and Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://audioxpress.com/article/new-ways-to-measure-noise-cancelling-transparency-and-other-modes-in-headphones-and-earphones
“We're changing our scoring” by Christian Thomas: https://www.soundguys.com/were-changing-our-scoring-103635/
“Why I Finally Quit Spotify” by Kyle Chayka: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/why-i-finally-quit-spotify
“Why Crossoverless Single-Driver Speakers Are (Mostly) Crap! (Ep:84)” by soundstagenetwork: https://youtu.be/Uc7dtawhSVg?si=HLOhQknvyXbh-fE3
GR Research LGK 2.0 Speaker Review (A Joke): https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/gr-research-lgk-2-0-speaker-review-a-joke.34783/
“Voxativ Ampeggio 2024 loudspeaker Measurements” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/voxativ-ampeggio-2024-loudspeaker-measurements

“I Bought My Lightsaber; Now I’m a Jedi!” Aug 07, 2024

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 discuss a cool episode of Your Morning Coffee that breaks down how algorithms and pay structures affect what music we hear.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

Audio Unleashed Ep. 32: “But... the Nakamichi Dragon!”: https://youtu.be/4_1NoCl_uzw?si=Sj_0ohv0Dnn69BLG

“What the HECK was Revel Thinking?! Revel Performa M22 Upgrades!” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/JH1DrkqHatQ?si=4NLBuHevAogzefcJ

“Does a ‘high end’ name equal high end performance? Revel M106” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/liNKOnNinSs?si=1aDAbEnTqvMiiHpC
“Sonos Apologizes for Widely Criticized App Redesign, Provides Progress Update” by Juli Clover: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/25/sonos-app-update-apology/
“The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System” by Dennis Burger: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/sonos-player/
YMC Special - Will Page's “A Case For Completion” by Your Morning Coffee: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ymc-special-will-pages-a-case-for-completion/id1529809478?i=1000662736677

“But... the Nakamichi Dragon!” Jul 24, 2024

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):

📚 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 get a portable cassette deck, and wonder if the rumors about Bluetooth’s death are greatly exaggerated.

Further Reading:

“Danny Richie's latest…” on Audio Science Review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/danny-richies-latest.38223/page-4#post-2021834
“New Portable Cassette Players Transport You Back to the ’80s. But Do You Really Want to Go There?” by Brent Butterworth and Arriana Vasquez: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-portable-cassette-players/
“Bluetooth is Dead and You Should Be Happy About It!” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/B6dp7Uvc0Fs?si=SjcPgJJQwH2_xgQB

“We’re Just Giving Ted Denney Free Ideas” Jul 10, 2024

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):

📚 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, speculate on what’s going on with Tidal, and weigh in on why some people say music sucks so much these days.
And for Patrons: Stereophile did blind testing?! How’d that go?

Further Reading:

“HiFi Thoughts: How Much Time Is Enough Time to Write a Meaningful Review?” by Michael Lavorgna: https://twitteringmachines.com/hifi-thoughts-how-much-time-is-enough-time-to-write-a-meaningful-review/
“End of an era: Tidal to drop last remaining MQA tracks” by Ben Patterson: https://www.techhive.com/article/2370126/tidal-to-drop-last-remaining-mqa-tracks.html
“So long, Samsung: Tidal drops support for Samsung TVs” by Ben Patterson: https://www.techhive.com/article/2377017/tidal-drops-support-for-samsung-tvs.html
“The Real Reason Why Music Is Getting Worse” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/1bZ0OSEViyo?si=dNMs9Bitjb33VSC1
“Blind Listening” by John Atkinson, Will Hammond: https://www.stereophile.com/features/113/index.html

“I'm Not a Redneck; I'm a Hillbilly!” Jun 26, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“GN Group Announces Surprising Decision to Exit True Wireless Earbuds Consumer Space” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/gn-group-announces-surprising-decision-to-exit-true-wireless-earbuds-consumer-space
“Jabra Unveils Elite 8 Active and Elite 10 Generation 2 True Wireless Earbuds” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/jabra-unveils-elite-8-active-and-elite-10-generation-2-true-wireless-earbuds
“Why I'm quitting being an audiophile reviewer” by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/P0beuLLYR5c?si=WlR9G0O4rBH28s09
“FLAC or MQA? ‘Yes!’ says HDTracks & Lenbrook’s new streaming service” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/06/flac-or-mqa-yes-says-hdtracks-lenbrooks-new-streaming-service/

“A Nixon-in-China Kind of Thing” Jun 12, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“Spotify Is Not Offering Refunds After It Bricks ‘The Car Thing’” by Collin Woodard: https://jalopnik.com/spotify-is-not-offering-refunds-after-it-bricks-the-car-1851499512
“Spotify says it will refund Car Thing purchases” by Will Shanklin: https://www.engadget.com/spotify-now-says-it-will-refund-car-thing-purchases-193001487.html?guccounter=1
“Spotify raises prices on premium plans to boost profits” by Wendy Lee: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spotify-raises-prices-premium-plans-162702081.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
“Spotify's Phony War On Bots” by Benn Jordan: https://youtu.be/kVY7-Ti77UQ?si=EMKay-FMnVHz6dxT
“The Problem with Music” by Steve Albini: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music
“Ted Gioia on AI's Threat To Music” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/ibMd_Jx9daw?si=LKqRpAn8_InPxliv
“Akiko Audio Speaker Improver” by Malcolm J. Gomes: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/akiko-audio-speaker-improver/
“Burn in for DACs” by Paul McGowan, PS Audio: https://youtu.be/LYtBuoaYwNY?si=lJFIqbbr793cFNXo

“Harry Pearson = Jesus!” May 29, 2024

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?

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“Is Class-D Amplification Now Better than Class-A/B and Class-A?” by Robert Schryer: https://pmamagazine.org/is-class-d-amplification-now-better-than-class-a-b-and-class-a/
Lachlan does another blind test of USB cables, nobody can tell the difference, chooses to discount the results and prefer his magic USB cables” by u/blorg: reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1crkiz3/lachlan_does_another_blind_test_of_usb_cables/?share_id=iyNIc119UUqLVBbEe5qIB
“The Music-First Audiophile Manifesto” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/05/the-music-first-audiophile-manifesto/
PDF grab of Darko homepage, May 13, 2024: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jIrdTzbJbKgKaVtjq7MsPfuYpGH5j0woY4ZF53Gj2Wg/edit?usp=sharing

“One Hillbilly Shootin’ at Another’n” May 15, 2024

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.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“Audiophile Snake Oil” by John Siau: https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/audiophile-snake-oil
“Sadurni Acoustics with Wolf Systems and House of Stereo” by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/sadurni-acoustics-wolf-systems-and-house-stereo
“The Magico M9 & The Myth of the Law of Diminishing Returns” by The Absolute Sound: https://youtu.be/uqm9P8HSq08?si=v-n_Ryq3P1nvFmsg
“If DAC Chips Perform Perfectly Then Why Don’t All DACs Sound the Same?” by Jerry Del Colliano: https://futureaudiophile.com/if-dac-chips-perform-perfectly-then-why-dont-all-dacs-sound-the-same/

“A More Tragic Supervillain Backstory” May 01, 2024

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 out what the heck the Gryphon Audio PowerZone 3 power strip thingy even is.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“Tekton Troubadour Review: Take 2” by Erin’s Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/ItAwcW-3Kv4?si=TQpkTjBegdT3nds-
“The Legal Risks of Being an Audio Reviewer” by Audioholics: https://youtu.be/V-1A68sdGMQ?si=aE2IVYtJdY9J_hyH
“Tekton Design Impact Monitor loudspeaker” by Herb Reichert: https://www.stereophile.com/content/tekton-design-impact-monitor-loudspeaker
“The History of Tekton Design's Patented Tweeter Array” by Tekton Design: https://youtu.be/8GFnarjmG1c?si=SINzoSm49gheX70f
Patent US9247339B2: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9247339B2/en
“The Rise of the Anonymous Music Star” by Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-rise-of-the-anonymous-music-star
“PowerZone by GRYPHON DEBUTS AT AXPONA” by TAS Staff: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/powerzone-by-gryphon-debuts-at-axpona/
Quantum Acoustics: https://www.quantumacoustics.net/theory

“You need cable-lifters, for sure” Apr 17, 2024

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 The Occasional Podcast from back in November. Then we check out Your Morning Coffee’s new AI-generated theme song and discuss what the heck this all means.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

📚 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

Further Reading:

“SHOCKING! Tellurium Q Black II power cable review” by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/ztLQxC_hIjE?si=Q1wuSCyUwZcIZWRA
“Russ Andrews BMU 3000 Mk II Review” by Andrew 'Harry' Harrison: https://hifiplus.com/articles/russ-andrews-bmu-3000-mk-ii-balanced-mains-transformer/
“Do Power Cables Make a Difference? The Results Surprised Me - Blind Testing the Audioquest NRG-Z3” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/im1aKrc3A6E?si=haqjAkYadn3ycI_2
“Furman Elite-15 DMi and Elite-20 PFi Power Conditioners Review” by Steve Munz: https://www.audioholics.com/power-conditioner-reviews/furman-elite-15-dmi-and-elite-20-pfi-power-conditioners
“John DeVore Of DeVORE FIDELITY Returns!” by The Occasional Podcast: https://theoccasionalpodcast.libsyn.com/john-devore-of-devore-fidelity-returns
Your Morning Coffee Episode 190: https://yourmorningcoffeepodcast.libsyn.com/episode-190

“We Brought the TAS Fanboys Out of the Woodwork” Apr 03, 2024

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):

📚 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 mailbag segment before being joined by Wirecutter headphone specialist Lauren Dragan for a conversation about the Harman target curve. Then they dig into a Darko Audio podcast about Total Harmonic Distortion. And for Patrons: is Masimo looking to dump or spin off Sound United?

Further Reading:

“Sphere of influence: How Harman and Dr. Sean Olive are reshaping headphone sound” by Jeff Miller: https://www.crutchfield.com/S-plZWX4lqXWa/learn/crutchfield-visits-harman.html
“Let 1,000 Frequency Responses Bloom” by Josh Mound: https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/let-1000-frequency-responses-bloom-r1260/
“Podcast #52 – %THD: why is it MISLEADING?” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/03/podcast-52-thd-why-is-it-misleading/
“The Correlation between Distortion Audibility and Listener Preference in Headphones” by Temme, Steve; Olive, Sean; Tatarunis, Steve; Welti, Todd; McMullin, Elisabeth: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=17441

Michael Fremer Blows a Fuse Mar 20, 2024

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📚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, fuses. Including one that costs $595. This video leads to a series of hilariously histrionic comments from Michael Fremer, whom the Washington Post once described as the “dean” of audiophile writing. Then we report on a Stereophile column about record EQ curves by Michael Trei, who compensates for his lack of hilarious histrionics by conveying useful information. Finally, we celebrate a milestone for Steve Guttenberg, the dean (not “dean”) of YouTube audio reviewers.

Further Reading:

“Synergistic Master and Purple fuse listening tests” by Richard Drutman, The Absolute Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ5rvipm9YM
“Spin Doctor #10: Tone controls, vinyl EQ curves and the Mola Mola Lupe” by Michael Trei, Stereophile: https://www.stereophile.com/content/spin-doctor-10-tone-controls-vinyl-eq-curves-and-mola-mola-lupe
“250,000 Audiophiliac subscribers can’t be wrong!” by Steve Guttenberg, the Audiophilac: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4o9DxrST0s
“Lynn Seaton and Christian McBride”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO15LLshzP0

Will Trade Human Rights for Cheap Turntables Mar 06, 2024

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):

📚 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 SMini. They also bought a pile of audio stuff from Temu and put it to the test. Is it worth the time and money? Next up: a deep dive into Stereophile’s review of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature flagship loudspeaker.

Further Reading:

“Key Production Group Reveals its Predictions for Vinyl and Physical Music Releases in 2024” by Platform & Stream: https://medium.com/platform-stream/key-production-group-reveals-its-predictions-for-vinyl-and-physical-music-releases-in-2024-b008067574a1
The 3rd Mini Album - MY WORLD (SMini Ver.) (SMART Album): https://smglobalshop.com/products/pre-order-the-3rd-mini-album-my-world-smini-ver-smart-album
“Red Velvet Birthday SMini album | Unboxing + How to use Smart Music Card” by NOLZA Unboxing: https://youtu.be/PSmRndq3IEA?si=iQusQg8bDSf5J0Lq
“Analog Cassette Tape is Mounting a Comeback” by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/analog-cassette-tape-is-mounting-a-comeback/
“A portable cassette player in 2024?” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/02/a-portable-cassette-player-in-2024/
“Best Audio Products on Temu?” by Audio Unleashed: https://audiounleashed.podbean.com/e/best-audio-products-on-temu/
“Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature loudspeaker” review by Tom Fine: https://www.stereophile.com/content/bowers-wilkins-801-d4-signature-loudspeaker
“Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Loudspeaker” review by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1274-bowers-wilkins-603-s3-loudspeaker

“The Flaw of Averages” Feb 21, 2024

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📚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 the jitter of your DAC destroying the inner detail of your favorite recordings? They also try to figure out exactly WTH Dolby Atmos even is and chat briefly about the current state of room acoustics.

Further Reading:

“Jitter is RUINING your audio? The TRUTH about jitter!” by Julian Krause: https://youtu.be/f_r33B4jptA?si=6FHdj3Y-GHd-doTI
“Audio Electronics: Is Digital Jitter Really a Problem?” by Ethan Winer: https://audioxpress.com/article/audio-electronics-is-digital-jitter-really-a-problem
“We’ve got a Dolby Atmos issue, and it’s not going away" by Kob Monney: https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/sound-and-vision-weve-got-a-dolby-atmos-issue-and-its-not-going-away-4413957
“Determining Room Acoustics is a Six-step Process" by Norman Varney: https://hometheaterhifi-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/hometheaterhifi.com/technical/technical-reviews/determining-room-acoustics-is-a-six-step-process/amp/
“The enemy of great hi-fi sound lives in plain sight” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/01/the-enemy-of-great-hi-fi-sound-lives-in-plain-sight/
“How to Make Your Own Audio Diffusers” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.lifewire.com/make-your-own-audio-diffuser-3134903 (NOTE: This is the article Brent referenced when talking about Floyd Toole's recommendations for listening room acoustics. Unfortunately, Lifewire has violated journalistic standards and basic human decency by substantially reworking this article (and many others) without Brent's permission, and most of the discussion about Toole's recommendations has been removed. However, it still includes useful tips for DIY acoustical treatment, so we're posting the link here, but please don't click on any ads or do anything to support this website.)

“Take Duane Allman’s Name Outta Your Mouth” Feb 07, 2024

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Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

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📚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: Why are headphone measurements the way they are? From there, we dig into a Dolby Atmos kerfuffle from Stereophile, and opine about whether the death of music journalism is a plague or merely a symptom of a larger problem.

Further Reading:

“Why do so many neutral headphones have a big drop in their frequency curve between 9k and 10k hz?" by u/Jirb30: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/19d6tfv/why_do_so_many_neutral_headphones_have_a_big_drop/?share_id=iWE7oKjr0pL4tsxKQqJTb
“Many headphones have this dip around 9 kHz in frequency response graph. Can you help me understand what causes this dip and what the impact it has on sound quality?" by u/GreenNerve: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/xq0te9/many_headphones_have_this_dip_around_9_khz_in/
“Our Passive Soundstage Score And Tests” by Sam Vafaei and Marc Henney: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/sound-quality/passive-soundstage#test_2184
“Dolby Atmos: a Bleak Shadow?” by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/dolby-atmos-bleak-shadow
“Why Is Music Journalism Collapsing?" by Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/why-is-music-journalism-collapsing

“Best Audio Products on Temu?” Jan 24, 2024

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Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿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 Darryl Wilkinson prompts our pundits to ponder the pairing of pot and hi-fi. Then they contemplate the societal and sonic ramifications of a new $750,000 speaker from Sonos Faber; explore some cool new audio announcements from CES; and wonder what delights the new Auracast Bluetooth technology might bring.

Further Reading:

“New dispensary and music lounge opens in Uptown Minneapolis” by Tommy Wiita: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/new-dispensary-and-music-lounge-opens-in-uptown-minneapolis
Sonus Faber Suprema: https://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/suprema
“Victrola unveils a turntable with 'repeat function' plus a slew of hot decks” by Becky Scarrott: https://www.techradar.com/audio/turntables/ces-2024-victrola-unveils-a-turntable-with-repeat-function-plus-a-slew-of-hot-decks
“Will the Music Frame herald Samsung’s return to multi-room audio?” by John Davidson: https://www.afr.com/technology/will-the-music-frame-herald-samsung-s-return-to-multi-room-audio-20240114-p5ex51
“The best audio products of CES 2024” by Chase Bernath: https://www.soundguys.com/best-audio-ces-2024-107864/
“The best audio gear of CES 2024” by Jada Jones: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/home-entertainment/the-best-audio-gear-of-ces-2024/
“Klipsch and Onkyo joined forces for a soundbar — and it sounds awesome" by Nick Pino: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/klipsch-and-onkyo-joined-forces-for-a-soundbar-and-it-sounds-awesome
“I tried Bluetooth Auracast, and it'll change our relationship with headphones” by Matt Bolton: https://www.techradar.com/audio/wireless-headphones/i-tried-bluetooth-auracast-and-itll-change-our-relationship-with-headphones

“Cultivating the Wrong Readers” Jan 10, 2024

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Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

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📚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 burying some Polk speakers, and ponder the merits of $4,000 active bass traps vs. much cheaper solutions.

Further Reading:

“Neurable Partners with Master & Dynamic to Launch Brain-Computer Interface Enabled Headphones” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/neurable-partners-with-master-dynamic-to-launch-brain-computer-interface-enabled-headphones
How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did by Kashmir Hill: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/?sh=7ea1fda46668
“Now These... Are LEGIT! Checking Out The Polk LSiM703!” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/dPzupmAfSpg?si=BrouVPM1HBg8XP9X
“PSI Audio AVAA C214 Active Bass Traps Review” by The Absolute Sound: https://youtu.be/POq4sj3GTac?si=DMXDoP5Sjxgp8H6H
“How To Use Compression on Your Mix” by Rick Beato 2: https://youtu.be/fibaVrlAfnY?si=oXkv1DXaEtKkv-iz

“It’s Easy to Look Like an Idiot” Dec 27, 2023

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Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

🎧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://amzn.to/3Tyxlof

📻WiiM Amp: https://amzn.to/3TDnflP

💿Yamaha CD-C603BL 5-Disc CD Changer with USB Playback and PlayXChange: https://amzn.to/48wXwjc

🎵Alice Phoebe Lou: Shelter: https://amzn.to/3RXuKDb

📚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 bid adieu to 2023 with a discussion about some exciting new CD players (who could have predicted that would be a thing?!), some thoughts on the validation of the SoundGuys’ target headphone curve, and a back-and-forth list of their favorite audio-related things from this year. And for Patrons: a discussion about Yamaha’s crazy-expensive new headphone amplifier.

Further Reading:

“The CD changer is back – and Yamaha’s new CD-C603 has something I wish mine had in 2005” by Beck Roberts: https://www.whathifi.com/news/the-cd-changer-is-back-and-yamahas-new-cd-c603-has-something-i-wish-mine-had-in-2005
“2023's BEST VALUE CD 'player' does SO MUCH MORE (and for less)” by Darko Audio: https://youtu.be/96JFEBc0xjY?si=RIEJxvgb2T_qbOXh
“Check Out this CRAZY little CD Player! Is the SMSL PL200 Awesome or Awful?” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/DVZ8bH3qYGk?si=7xMe7HRogGI_YzQl
“PlayStation is erasing 1,318 seasons of Discovery shows from customer libraries” by Scharon Harding: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/12/playstation-is-erasing-1318-seasons-of-discovery-shows-from-customer-libraries/
“SoundGuys headphone preference curve validated in AES paper” by AJ Wykes: https://www.soundguys.com/soundguys-headphone-preference-curve-validated-in-aes-paper-102536/
“Do We Really Need All These Target Curves?” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/354-do-we-really-need-all-these-target-curves
“Evaluating the Knowles Preferred Response Curve” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/359-evaluating-the-knowles-preferred-response-curve
“2023 SoundStage! Awards—Best Hi-Fi Products and Outstanding Achievements with Dominique Fils-Aimé”: https://youtu.be/pQf2W60g5T0?si=2136X-GgiOSpz7J2
Darko's 'Best of 2023': https://youtu.be/_JfmG62rfJ4?si=vJThyU_BlotE4l0W

“This Aggression Will Not Stand!” Dec 13, 2023

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Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

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 hi-fi, dig into the physics of something that doesn’t seem likely to work, and debate whether Spotify is ripping off small artists.

Further Reading:

“WiiM AMP review: flying high on value for money” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2023/11/wiim-amp-review-flying-high-on-value-for-money/
Synergistic Research HFT: https://www.synergisticresearch.com/acoustics/passive/hft/
“HFT & EFQ” by Steve Marsh: https://6moons.com/audioreviews2/synergistic/1.html
“Spotify made £56m profit, but has decided not to pay smaller artists like me” by Damon Krukowski: https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/30/spotify-smaller-artists-wrapped-indie-musicians
“Headphone Handbook” on Twenty Thousand Hertz: https://www.20k.org/episodes/headphonehandbook
SVS Audiophile Happy Hour with Audio Unleashed Podcast Hosts - Episode #71: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpd8PYJXSP0&t=3132s&ab_channel=SVS

“A Clown-Car Driven by Neil deGrasse Tyson” Nov 29, 2023

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

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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 a virtual walk through Capital AudioFest 2023 thanks to Stereophile’s coverage of the show.

Further Reading:

“The Listening Bar at Kaori May Be Miami's Best Audiophile Bar Yet” by Douglas Markowitz: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/the-listening-bar-at-kaori-is-miamis-best-listening-bar-yet-18149917
“Classic Audio & Records: A Magical Musical Mecca in the Middle of Alabama” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1263-classic-audio-records-a-magical-musical-mecca-in-the-middle-of-alabama
“Emerson, Lake & Palmer at the Grocery Store”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/emerson-lake-palmer-at-the-grocery-store-audio-science-review-misses-audiophilia-in-harper-s-hi-fi-and-skateboarding/
Brilliant Corners playlist: https://www.mixcloud.com/brilliantcorners/
@TheSpeakerseeker on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpeakerseeker
Oliver Clark (@bass_vids) on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bass_vids?lang=en
LES Ecology Center: https://www.lesecologycenter.org/
Petition: Save Community Composting Now! https://www.grownyc.org/petition
“The True Cost of Saving a Few Bucks: A Q&A with Emotiva's Dan Laufman” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1144-the-true-cost-of-saving-a-few-bucks-a-q-a-with-emotivas-dan-laufman
Stereophile’s Capital AudioFest 2023 coverage: https://www.stereophile.com/category/capital-audiofest-2023
“Treehaus Audiolab Introduces Phantom of Luxury Updated Flagship Field-Coil Loudspeaker at Capital Audiofest 2023” by Michael Lavorgna: https://twitteringmachines.com/treehaus-audiolab-to-unveil-their-new-flagship-field-coil-loudspeakers-at-caf-2023/#:~:text=The%20Treehaus%20Audiolab%20%E2%80%9CPhantom%20of,real%2C%20rather%20than%20simply%20reproduced
“Test Report: Lirpa Labs Liberty Freedom 1776 A-FY Tower Speakers” by Geoffrey Morrison: https://www.soundandvision.com/content/test-report-lirpa-labs-liberty-freedom-1776-fy-tower-speakers

“Tay Tay & the Prince of Darkness” Nov 15, 2023

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Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
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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 of a microphone comes from, as well as a new earphone from JLab that represents the first commercial product to be explicitly voiced to follow the Knowles Preferred Listening Response Curve.

Further Reading:

Taylor Swift masters dispute: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift_masters_dispute
"1989 (TV) Ground Loop Hums" by u/BitchExWife: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/17jundz/1989_tv_ground_loop_hums/
“For people who can hear the buzzing/static in 1989 (Taylor's Version), I fixed it! (Mostly)" by u/1616s: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/17iv3r2/for_people_who_can_hear_the_buzzingstatic_in_1989/
"What's up with this spike at around 15.7kHz on the interstellar soundtrack? Only some tracks have it but damn does it hurt my ears :/" by u/tomv92: https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/2mszh4/whats_up_with_this_spike_at_around_157khz_on_the/
"Bernie Grundman, the Music Master" on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/bernie-grundman-the-music-master-mastering-defined-digital-vs-analog-radio-vs-streaming/
"Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In A Microphone?" by Jim Lill: https://youtu.be/4Bma2TE-x6M?si=mBkSEzeub1kzZNMl
"Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In An Electric Guitar?" by Jim Lill: https://youtu.be/n02tImce3AE?si=xNniYyVDXH1WHNuA
"Subwoofers: 4, 2, or 1?" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundandvision.com/content/subwoofers-4-2-or-1-0
"Knowles Corporation Teams Up with JLab to Bring Premium Sound to the Epic Lab Edition True Wireless Earbuds": https://castercomm.com/press/knowles-corporation-teams-up-with-jlab-to-bring-premium-sound-to-the-epic-lab-edition-true-wireless-earbuds/
"Fresh From the Bench: Knowles KN2 True Wireless Reference Design and Franklin 2 Developer Kit" by Brent Butterworth: https://audioxpress.com/article/fresh-from-the-bench-knowles-kn2-true-wireless-reference-design-and-franklin-2-developer-kit
"Do We Really Need All These Target Curves?" by Brent Butterworth: https://soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/354-do-we-really-need-all-these-target-curves

“The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World” Nov 01, 2023

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):

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 and Dennis answer the questions that everyone is asking: How do you get high-res audio from Apple Music? Why do smart people believe weird things? Why do audiophiles hate Beats?

Further Reading:

"Apple Music’s hi-res plumbing is still leaky" by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2023/10/apple-musics-hi-res-plumbing-still-leaks/

"HI-RES AUDIO & Apple Music done right (& WITHOUT an iPad)" by Darko Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxCt9cwmqXU&ab_channel=DarkoAudio
"Shaken, Not Stirred—and Welcome Back, Martin Colloms" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/shaken-not-stirred151and-welcome-back-martin-colloms
"Working in the Front Line" by Martin Colloms: https://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/190/index.html
"Why Audiophiles Have Problems With Beats Headphones" by David Bixenspan: https://www.slashgear.com/1407524/are-beats-headphones-good-or-bad/
"After $32.5M Jury Win for Sonos, Judge Throws Out Jury Verdict and Finds for Google" by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/after-32-5m-jury-win-for-sonos-judge-throws-out-jury-verdict-and-finds-for-google/

“Reduced Wobble + Increased Moisture” Oct 18, 2023

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 unplugging your hifi from the wall even once will forever ruin it sounds; try to figure out what the heck a firewall for speakers is; and take a look at some really cool speaker technology by way of Stereophile’s show coverage.

Further Reading:

“Obit: Gary Merson, Founder of HDGuru.com”: https://hdguru.com/obit-gary-merson-founder-of-hdguru-com/
"DON'T Unplug Your HiFi Audio System!" by Michael's Hi-Fi Audio Adventures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBm_dpiCKC8
"LessLoss Firewall for Loudspeakers" by Dawid Grzyb: http://hifiknights.com/reviews/accessories/lessloss-firewall-for-loudspeakers/
"Firewall for Loudspeakers" by Srajan Ebaen: https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/lessloss12/
https://www.lessloss.com/firewall-module-p-216.html#a_55-655
"MC Audiotech's New TL-12 Loudspeaker" by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/mc-audiotechs-new-tl-12-loudspeaker

“Like... ‘Hotel California.’ Except Good” Oct 04, 2023

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 of a review from Stereophile about a hot mess of an amplifier: the Infigo Method-3 monoblock, and opine about a new music-generating AI that’s leaps and bounds better than any of its forebears.

Further Reading:

"Lenbrook Group Rescues MQA High-Resolution Audio Technology" by Mark Sparrow: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2023/09/19/lenbrook-group-rescues-mqa-high-resolution-audio-technology/?sh=bb4e60d5847f
"On a Mythical Quest of Ascension, Lenbrook Acquires MQA" by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/on-a-mythical-quest-of-ascension-lenbrook-acquires-mqa/
"Will UWB change the world of headphones? Because Bluetooth can't" by Jez Ford: https://www.whathifi.com/features/is-uwb-the-new-bluetooth
“Standards”: https://xkcd.com/927/
"Infigo Method-3 monoblock power amplifier Measurements": https://www.stereophile.com/content/infigo-method-3-monoblock-power-amplifier-measurements
"New AI Listened To 20,000 Hours Of Music. What Did It Learn?" by Two Minute Papers: https://youtu.be/BRWquZdEigw?si=YfREtm77qRRcfLSz

“Fancy Britches” Sep 20, 2023

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 are joined by Erin Hardison of Erin’s Audio Corner to discuss his controversial review of the beloved Triangle Borea BR03. We also discuss the merits of subjective versus objective evaluations, Erin’s pet peeves, and what dragons he’s on a quest to slay.

For segment three, Brent and Dennis discuss new best practices and recommendations for immersive audio from CEDIA and CTA. And for Patrons: a discussion of Dennis’s interview with Dr. Sean Olive about the history of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and why it makes such great test material.

Further Reading:

"Why I Don’t Recommend the Triangle Borea BR03 Speakers" by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/MNBWQGv2-SM?si=7wPMa9Se5SoZ95i7
"RP22 Immersive Audio Guidelines Set to Revolutionize Industry, Says CEDIA CEO" by Nick Boever: https://www.cepro.com/audio-video/media/rp22-immersive-audio-guidelines-set-to-revolutionize-industry-says-cedia-ceo/
A New Paradigm in Immersive Audio Design Excellence: https://cedia.net/advocacy/rp22

”An Endless Well of Disappointment” Sep 06, 2023

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):

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 discuss what went wrong. They follow that with a discussion of two speakers: an insanely expensive one that sucks and a ridiculously cheap one that doesn’t. And for Patreon subscribers, a discussion about Sony Interactive’s purchase of Audeze.

Further Reading:

“Blind Listening DISASTER! And what we learned from it…” by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/-ZYGDysTeSk?si=V9u6hQHXtKpmd49i
"Lachlan from Passion for Sound does a blind test, finds 90% of people hear differences when nothing was changed": https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/15y804s/lachlan_from_passion_for_sound_does_a_blind_test/
"Eggleston Works, Really?" by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/XHq5BzQbDC4?si=cMYwmclJ6Myi89Uc
Monolith by Monoprice Encore T5 Tower Speakers: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=43152
Kudos Titan 808: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/kudos-titan-808.45178/
DAC blind test: NO audible difference whatsoever: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/dac-blind-test-no-audible-difference-whatsoever.314762/

“The Play-Fi of Incense Burners” Aug 23, 2023

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):

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 Accelerates Expansion Into Smart TVs”: https://xperi.com/news/dts-play-fi-accelerates-expansion-into-smart-tvs/
“Devon Turnbull: HiFi Listening Room Dream No. 1 and other works”: https://www.lissongallery.com/exhibitions/devon-turnbull-ojas-hifi-listening-room-dream-no-1
OJAS Incense Burner £275 + VAT: https://www.lissongallery.com/shop/ojas-incense-burner
The Pink Floyd Exhibition : Their Mortal Remains: https://pinkfloydexhibition.com/
Innovative Audio – Canada's Largest Vintage Audio Emporium: https://www.iavscanada.com/
"Warning: Humans cannot reliably detect speech deepfakes" by Kimberly T. Mai, Sergi Bray, Toby Davies, and Lewis D. Griffin: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0285333
"Drake and The Weeknd AI song pulled from Spotify and Apple" by Nichola Rutherford: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65309313

“Oligarch-Fi” Aug 09, 2023

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 to discuss a trend that he refers to as “Oligarch Audio.” We also answer the question that everyone is asking: can Ethernet jumper cables EQ music you stream over your network?

Further Reading:

"SubZone Subwoofer Placement Optimizer App Now Available”: https://audioxpress.com/news/subzone-subwoofer-placement-optimizer-app-now-available
SubZone download: https://bau.me/subzone/
“Oligarch Audio” by Steven Stone: https://audiophilereview.com/reference-speakers/oligarch-audio/
"On Value" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/value
"Is 'Trickle Up Tech the Future of Hi-Fi?" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1243-is-trickle-up-tech-the-future-of-hi-fi
Audiophile B.S. on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1948235105492741/

“Is This Gonna Get Us Kicked Off Apple?” Jul 26, 2023

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 receivers.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

Dave’s Picks on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rz7SPo

Further Reading:

"Volumio AI Features Music Supersearch Discovery Powered by ChatGPT" by Ian White: https://www.ecoustics.com/news/volumio-ai-supersearch-chatgpt/
"Step Inside an Anechoic Chamber: Experience Silence Like Never Before!" by Audio University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI2l-ohdvVw
"Reverberant vs. Anechoic chamber" by Juan Negreira: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7JD87vomgs
"CD, REBOOTED: Schiit Introduces Urd CD Transport and Unison USB Hub": https://www.schiit.com/about/news/cd-rebooted
"CD sales just rose for the first time in almost two decades": https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/14/22976557/cd-sales-increase-2021-recording-industry-association-of-america
https://yourmorningcoffeepodcast.libsyn.com/

“This Is Gonna Be Like That Norah Jones Tune” Jul 12, 2023

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 entertainment purposes only): https://amzn.to/3PIRQwz

Further Reading:

"Bing will now surface AI-generated buying guides" by Emma Roth: https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/29/23777557/bing-ai-generated-buying-guides-microsoft
"The Pastry A.I. That Learned to Fight Cancer" by James Somers: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-pastry-ai-that-learned-to-fight-cancer
"When AI flags the ruler, not the tumor — and other arguments for abolishing the black box" by VB Staff: https://venturebeat.com/business/when-ai-flags-the-ruler-not-the-tumor-and-other-arguments-for-abolishing-the-black-box-vb-live/
“The Problem with Rotten Tomatoes” by Dennis Burger: https://www.cineluxe.com/the-problem-with-rotten-tomatoes/
"432 Hz? You Miiiight Want To Check Your Sources'' by Benn Jordan: https://youtu.be/Q3LVijzZAe4
Schiit Previews "The Gadget": https://www.schiit.com/news/news/schiit-previews-the-gadget
"432 EVO High End Reference Music Server" by Juan C. Ayllon: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/432-evo-music-server/
"JVS's Best of PAF 2023: Dutch & Dutch 8c all-in-ones" by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/jvss-best-paf-2023-dutch-dutch-8c-all-ones
"A Fantastic Gateway: A Q&A with Paradigm's Zoltan Balla and Blake Alty on the New Monitor SE 8000F Loudspeaker" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1186-a-fantastic-gateway-a-qa-with-paradigms-zoltan-balla-and-blake-alty-on-the-new-monitor-se-8000f-loudspeaker
Erin's Audio Corner on Dutch & Dutch: https://youtu.be/nYK77lbgorw; https://youtu.be/wV0Df84DBLM; https://youtu.be/j38gkS-Q8f8

“An Underserved Demographic of Lunatics” Jun 28, 2023

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 friend, SoundStage! Founder Doug Shcnieder, who gives us his opinion from a publisher’s perspective about everything wrong with Levy’s anti-scientific screed.

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 3rd Edition by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3CTarOB

Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions by James Randi: https://amzn.to/44goJ7M

Storm the Book by Tim Minchin: https://amzn.to/3JximVT

Further Reading:

"What is Apple Adaptive Audio? The new AirPods feature explained" by Harry McKerrell: https://www.whathifi.com/news/what-is-apple-adaptive-audio-the-new-airpods-feature-explained
"AirPods redefine the personal audio experience": https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/airpods-redefine-the-personal-audio-experience/
"The Problems with Electronic Testing of Audio Equipment" by Michael Levy: https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/6/4/g1c930jr4kbgvj7ea5ry5wfr6cp7cd
"Alta Audio Alyssa loudspeaker" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/alta-audio-alyssa-loudspeaker-jim-austin-december-2020
"Alta Audio Adam loudspeaker" by Rogier van Bakel: https://www.stereophile.com/content/alta-audio-adam-loudspeaker
The SoundStage! Network: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/
“Storm” by Tim Minchin: https://youtu.be/jIWj3tI-DXg
Tim Minchin's Storm the Animated Movie: https://youtu.be/HhGuXCuDb1U
@Daily HiFi on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyHiFi

“Nobody Actually Ate Tide Pods” Jun 14, 2023

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. Should we be treating uber-high-end audio gear as high-performance equipment or luxury goods? Should you believe a rave review of any amplifier?

Lastly, Brent schools Dennis about the rising trend of sped-up music, why it exists, how it’s being used, and who stands to benefit. Dennis also gives Brent a crash course on LoFi Beats and the communities cropping up around the genre.

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

Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 7th Edition by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/43tYPNI

Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx: https://amzn.to/43qZfVa

Further Reading:

"Off the Top: Genelec 8381A" by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/djQx1g2IS_o
Voice Coil Magazine: https://audioxpress.com/page/Voice-Coil-Magazine
"Dan D'Agostino's Dazzling Unveil of the New Relentless Epic and Epic 800 Monoblocks and Momentum MxV Integrated" by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostinos-dazzling-unveil-new-relentless-epic-and-epic-800-monoblocks-and-momentum-mxv
Campfire Audio Trifecta ‘Astral Plane’: https://campfireaudio.com/shop/trifecta-astral-plane/
"The Rise of the Sped-Up Remix" by Reanna Cruz: https://www.vulture.com/2023/03/sped-up-remix-pinkpantheress-sza.html
Your Morning Coffee: https://yourmorning.coffee/home#weekly-podcast
"So Help Me God, I’m Going to Eat One of Those Multicolored Detergent Pods" from The Onion: https://www.theonion.com/so-help-me-god-i-m-going-to-eat-one-of-those-multicolo-1819585017
“Mighty Vibes Vol 1: Lo-fi Beats to Doodle To” by Critical Role: https://youtu.be/XVQVXDKKlHQ
"Loneliness on social media: LoFi Community + reflections" by Alice Cappelle: https://youtu.be/CaeHnUAYTSM?t=680

“München! It Has Ümlauts on It!” May 31, 2023

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.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2023-munich-germany/1094-he-2023-listening-session-esd-acoustics-biggest-system-in-the-world

High End 2023 - Munich, Germany: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2023-munich-germany

Stereophile’s Munich 2023 coverage: https://www.stereophile.com/category/munich-2023

Munich 2023 coverage at HiFiPig: https://www.hifipig.com/category/high-end-munich-2023/

Dr. Sean Olive on Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanolive/status/1659958602290044929

Smart Carting About Us: https://smartcarting.com/about-us/

“Hasbro/ Wizards focusing on A.I. DMs is proof that they don't understand D&D” by u/peterpeterny on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/10el42v/hasbro_wizards_focusing_on_ai_dms_is_proof_that/

“Somebody Throws Foghat At You” May 17, 2023

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 Enters Into Administration: https://www.hifipig.com/mqa-enters-into-administration/

Darko Audio Podcast #46 – AXPONA 2023 review + MQA goes into administration: https://darko.audio/2023/04/podcast-46-axpona-2023-review-mqa-goes-into-administration/

"A Comparative Study of Music Mastered by Human Engineers and Automated Services" by Mitchell Elliott and Song Hui Chon: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=21888

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