The Occasional Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Rooms! Treatments, Correction And Everything You Can Do Optimize Performance For Your Stereo Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

An interview with Ed Mullen and Nick Brown of SVS. In this detailed educational discussion, we explore all the things that you can do to improve the sound of your stereo through adjusting your listening room. An often overlooked, essential part of HiFi performance is condition of the ceiling, walls and floor of the room your rig is located in. Technical expert Ed Mullen joins us to dissect the subject including room treatments, standing/null waves, room gain, controlling floor boom, bass bleed, isolation and more.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

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Is Analog Better Than Digital? An Interview With Peter Ledermann Of Soundsmith Plus The Status Of HiFi Design In Education Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

An interview with Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith. Peter has a very long history of research and development in audio. From his time at IBM to amps to turntable cartridges, Peter has long sought to educate and enlighten the twisting technicalities of HiFi. In this interview we chat about why audio is sometimes pros, cons and compromise. It is an evolution that attempts to help to solve a host of problems, while sometimes creating new ones. But most importantly, it's weeding out things that break over time so consumers have a lifelong product. We also chat about turntables and is analog better than digital? Do Turntables have sample rates? Measurements, cantilever material, why mono karts might be better, cable burn in and how "getting used to something" really effects how we can form preferences.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Measurements - What Do Audio Designers Think? Interviews With Pass, Jones, Grell, Watts, Qvortrup, Comeau and Dudleston Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

This episode is a collection of interviews that help explore the idea of measurements as they relate to high fidelity audio reproduction from an audio product designer's perspective. Some of the most predominant makers of HiFi gear share their thoughts on measurements, discussing the usefulness, limitations, and greater impact on the market. Includes interviews with Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK, Andrew Jones of MoFi, Nelson Pass Of Pass Labs and First Watt, Axel Grell from Sennheiser, Bill Dudleston from Legacy Audio, Rob Watts Of Chord and Peter Comaeu of Quad and Wharfedale.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Top 10 Turntable Carts Of 2025 - The Best Cartridges Available For Your Turntable/Record Player Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding Turntable Carts from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best turntable cartridges for record players available to buy today. Released in conjunction with the pt.AUDIO Buyer's Guide Summer 2025. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here: https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/ In this epsiode we also discuss the pros and cons of Moving Magnet vs. Moving Coil cartridges and how to properly budget a cart vs. the total price of the turntable and components.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Top 10 Turntables Of 2025 Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding turntables from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best turntable picks from 2025. Released in conjunction with the pt.AUDIO Summer Buyer's Guide. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here: https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

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Vince Bruzzese Of Totem Acoustic Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

An interview with Vince Burzzese of Totem Acoustic. Vince has been developing speakers for many years, and his longtime brand Totem Acoustic has carved out its audience in the HiFi realm since 1987. We sit down with him to chat about his design philosophy, audio journey, and more in this very unique interview. Vince is a rare Canadian designer based out of Montreal, Quebec. His goals and mission in audio are made clear and help provide an interesting insight into the how and why he has dedicated his professional life to audio. It is a really fun listen for anyone interested in high-end audio, high fidelity, and speaker design philosophy in general.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

Season 12 Merch is now available!

The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Peter Comeau Of IAG (Wharfedale, Mission, and Quad) Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

An intervew with Director of Acoustic Design at IAG, Peter Comeau. Peter helps manage the sound design for IAG brands, including Wharfedale, Mission, Quad, Castle and Audiolab. We chat him up and discuss his outlook on listening, reproducing sound and more. Peter gives his take on several audiophile myths, including how far a speaker should really be placed from a wall for the best bass response. He also sheds a little more light on the idea of "British" speaker designs and some of the pros and cons of two-way vs three-way approaches. This includes some insights into the new (and very popular) Super Linton sub-$3k standmount that we got a chance to review.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

Season 12 Merch is now available!

The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Top 10 Integrated Amplifiers - Cheapest To Most Expensive May 28, 2025

Show notes

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding integrated amplifiers from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best amp picks from cheapest to most expensive. Released in conjunction with the pt.AUDIO Buyer's Guide Summer 2025. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here: https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

Season 12 Merch is now available!

The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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KT88 Vs. 300b Tube - Kevin Hayes Of VAC Educates! May 14, 2025

Show notes

An interview with Kevin Hayes Of VAC. The KT88 and the 300b tube are some of the most popular options for HiFi amplification. But what are the differences and why do some amp designers choose one over the other? Kevin explains the situation and also discusses Class A, if amplifiers "warm up", and if tubes sound better in the pre amp or power amp. A very educational and inspirational interview with a tube designer that has been in the business for over 35 years.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

Season 12 Merch is now available!

The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

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Andrew Jones Talks Bass And The New Sourcepoint V10 May 01, 2025

Show notes

Andrew Jones of MoFi Electronics joins the 5-timers club with us this week on The Occasional Podcast. Recorded at AXPONA 2025, this episode tackles the finer talking points of loudspeaker bass design, as well as all the new interesting bits on Mr. Jones upcoming MoFi Electronics flagship floorstander, the Sourcepoint V10. Andrew Jones has a long history with high fidelity design, working for speaker brands like KEF, TAD, Pioneer and Elac. In this episode Andrew discusses some audio myths, A/B comparisons and what the idea of "better" truly means within the context of audio listening.

Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio

Season 12 Merch is now available!

The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Walnut : 230 Gram

S12E5 Sponsors:

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NORDOSTdotCOM - A Clear Choice For The Best Connection

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