Howdy! On this episode, we pin down Andrew Jones from Elac for a juicy interview on his philosophy behind creating speakers, and lots more.  Michael gives the rundown on NAMM, the North American Music Merchants show.  Those are the people that MAKE the music we listen to.   We have a brand new Youtube channel!  Click here to Subscribe and check out the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless Earbuds Unboxing! 

Back from a week in Vegas, we've got a doozy for you this episode.  After a quick hit of CES (The Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas (Check out pictures at @beginneraudiophile) Michael talks about Air Motion Transformers (which were a big theme this year) and True Wireless Earbuds.  Then we jump into a GREAT interview with Dan Laufman, founder of Emotiva. 

In this episode, Michael O'Neal (@beginneraudiophile) and Patrick Norton (@patricknorton) catch up on some Black Friday (I know, I know...) purchases.  Michael talks about his home theater install, Pat talks about an amp and a set of gaming headphones he's testing out, and we answer a few questions.   

Roon.  What is it?  Do you need it?   The best way I can describe Roon is that it's a simplifier. We have all of these disparate music sources and end points in our house, and Roon talks to them all, and puts them into one cohesive system.  Today we chat with Dipin Sehdev, VP of Marketing of roonlabs.com, and discuss how and why Roon originated, what it's meant to do, and how easy it is to use.   Dipin was also nice enough to give us a free 30 day trial of Roon.  (Normally it's 2 weeks, so...

On today's episode Michael O'Neal (@solohour, @beginneraudiophile) starts by talking about how to get Hi Res music to play on an iPhone.  (It's not as simple as you might think!) Then Patrick Norton (@patricknorton) jumps on to talk amplifiers.  Mike reviews the SR8012 Receiver, and they wrap up with a couple of listener questions, including how to build your system...speakers first or front end first?  

We've just gotten back from the CEDIA show, displaying the latest in home theater, automation, commercial installs, lighting, in-wall speaker systems, projectors, TV's, and more!  Patrick Norton (of Tekthing and The Screen Savers) and Michael O'Neal (The Solopreneur Hour Podcast) spend the show discussing the highlights of CEDIA, in no particular order. 

Audiophilia: Is it on the rise, or is it declining?  Well...both, kinda.  Join Patrick Norton and Michael O'Neal as they discuss how, in some ways, the industry is on the rise, and in some ways, on the decline.  We also talk about T.H.E. Show, Newport, and Patrick is reviewing the Sennheiser HD1 Headphones.   Then, Michael reviews the Klipsch "The Sixes" bookshelf speakers, and wraps up with the Jabra Sport Elite True Wireless Earbuds.  

Today’s theme:  Good headphones vs. “Good Stereo” The News: LAAS CANCELED ROON 1.5 is out DIY Audio Amp Camp Amp https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/frontpage/products/amp-camp-amp-kit?variant=7072933085218 Kirby Meets Audio on YouTube http://www.linkwitzlab.com/ Mini DSP  Education Segment Good headphone setup vs a good stereo speaker setup.  Sony MDR7506 + Audioquest Dragonfly or Schiit Fulla 2… http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2 Mr. Speakers...

Dude.  We're getting the BAND back together!!  Dr. Paul Anderson and I (The OG!) are back for episode 25 of BA.  After catching up, we chat about the incredible KEF LS50 Wireless, and offer our first impressions.  Then, we dive into a few of your questions before the GREAT BOOKSHELVES + SUB VS. TOWER SPEAKERS BAKE OFF.  (The results might not be what you think...)  

Today the boys wrap up what they saw and heard at CanJam 2018 in Los Angeles, including tons of mini product reviews.  We strapped on Sennheisers Orpheus $50,000 headphone system to mindboggling results.  And chatted with Joe Harley about being one of the founders of Audioquest, what gives you "bang for the buck" in audio cables, what it's like to hit a home run with a device like the DragonFly, and more!!   

Patrick Norton and Michael O’Neal catch up on the latest news, what gear is in the review funnel, and talk about the Elac Debut 2.0.  Then we talk about how to set yourself up to audition gear at a stereo show or a conference.  Michael reviews the Marantz SR7009 and we talk about how to […]

Episode 22 of Beginner Audiophile is jam packed! Patrick Norton Co-Hosts this one with Michael O’Neal.  We talk about the reality vs. myth of amps vs. watts in amplifiers, dig into reviews of the Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless and the Hive Home Security System, answer a few listener questions, and announce the winner of the 1moreusa.com […]

On today's ep. Harris and I talk about what we saw and heard at CES.  We've also got a new contest where you can win a pair of 1moreUSA Triple Driver Earbuds!

Patrick Norton (http://tekthing.com) joins me, through a hacking cough, to wrap up all things audio and home theater we discovered at CES (The Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas at the beginning of January 2018. Gear Guide: RHA T20i Hi-res in-ear headphones with DualCoil driver  JDS Labs The Element DAC Schiit Fulla 2 DAC Audioquest … Continue reading 20: CES Wrap-Up Part 1, with Patrick Norton →

Today’s episode is an excerpt from a fantastic New Yorker article entitled “Audiophilia Forever: An Expensive New Year’s Shopping Guide” written by David Denby. (Click here to read the entire article) It does such a great job explaining what an audiophile is, the recent history of audiophile music and recordings, and the “state of the […]

On today’s show we chat with Matthew from Vinyl Revival in Melbourne Australia.  We had a great convo about the renaissance of “good” audio, getting huge bang for the buck out of your turntable, and his choices for systems costing $1000, $2500, and $5000! Be sure to subscribe, and follow us on Instagram as well. […]

Fellow audio nerds!  We’re back.  After a long (inadvertent) haitus, BA is back.  Michael gives a breakdown of how audio works based on a great analogy by Steve Guttenberg, then digs into a bunch of your questions.  Then, Harris pops in with a breakdown of the NY Audio Show!  Enjoy!

Ahhhhhh….subwoofers. That “Punch you in the chest” feeling when your favorite song really moves you. Although subwoofers are easy to plug in and turn up loud, that doesn’t give us a true audiophile experience. We want to feel it…but only if it’s being called upon.  So, in this episode, President and Managing Partner of SVSound Gary Yacoubian and … Continue reading 17: Everything You Want to Know About Subwoofers, But Were Afraid To Ask →

On this episode of Beginner Audiophile Harris and Michael talk about what a pro-audio show is like, and our secret to maintaining consistency as we audition gear.  Michael then reviews the Sonus Faber Principia 1 Bookshelf Speakers, and we get into the picks of the week! One thing to add: If you are using a […]

Today we’re talking a bit of turntables, and what it takes to set one up.  Turntables used to be the “gold standard” for listening, until digital files came along.  Now, we are romanticizing the process…and it’s well worth it.  After talking turntables,  We also dig into a question or two, and give you the picks […]

On today’s episode, after we catch up, we talk about unboxing some new Sonus Faber and Pro-Ject gear, including Michael’s first Turntable.  Then we jump into how to audition new audio gear, especially speakers.  We review the 1moreusa Quad Driver earbuds, and finally wrap it up with our picks of the week! Make sure you … Continue reading 14: How To Audition New Gear, Unboxing Some Cool Stuff, & Reviewing Some Awesome Earbuds →

On today’s show Harris and Michael talk about songs and albums they use to “test and tune” their systems.  We also briefly talk about a couple pieces of gear we are testing: The AudioControl Rialto 600 integrated amplifier, and the NEXDrive Spectra Headphone DAC/Amp.  Mike talks about his home setup with Kodi and Airfoil, and … Continue reading 13: Songs To Test and Tune Your System With, Backing Up Your Audio, and More! →

On today’s show, after catching up with Harris and Michael, we talk about DTS-PlayFi and other wireless home technologies, give some feedback on the ELAC UB5, Harris reviews the AudioQuest Dragonfly and the Night Owl carbon headphones, and introduce you to some great new music that just came out.   Gear Guide & Links Niagara … Continue reading 12: Wireless Technologies, USB DAC Review, New Music Recommendations →

On today’s show we have a special announcement!  We have a new Co-host, Mr. Harris Fogel!  (Star of Episode 9)  Harris has been in the biz for many many years, and will offer years of “insider” perspective.  This episode was great…we caught up with Harris and his home reference systems, then we chatted about the … Continue reading 11: A BIG Announcement, LA Audio Show Wrapup, Anthem MRX 1120 Review, and YOUR questions! →

Just back from the LA Audio Show, and we got some GREAT interviews with William Kline of Sonus Faber/Mcintosh, Ari Morguelan from 1MoreUSA, Chris Sipes from Paradigm/Anthem, and Gregg Chopper from Cambridge Audio, all of whom shared amazing insights about their products, the industry, and where we’re going. Most importantly, they all had to answer … Continue reading 10: 4 Epic LA Audio Show Interviews, starring Sonus Faber/Mcintosh, 1MoreUSA, Paradigm, and Cambridge Audio →