This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Ian Colquhoun, founder of Axiom Audio and now also the owner of Bryston and Magnum Dynalab, to discuss the origins of the company, its connection with the National Research Council, his own relationship with Dr. Floyd Toole, and how the company’s speakers evolved after the legendary NRC research wound down. Sources: “Canadian Hi-Fi Trilogy: Axiom Audio, Bryston, and Magnum Dynalab—All Under One Expanding Roof”:...

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc. The two cover the birth of Anthem Room Correction, the pros and cons of IIR and FIR filters, side quests, diversions, why flat in-room response isn’t actually the goal, and how ARC has evolved in response to market pressures. Sources: “The History of Anthem Room Correction (ARC®)”: https://www.anthemarc.com/advanced-topics/the-history-of-arc.php “The Detection...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc., to discuss his history in hi-fi, how he ended up at the NRC, how his work with Dr. Floyd Toole evolved into the pioneering Athena project, and exactly what sorts of tests he and others constructed and conducted to determine listener preference with regard to the effects of the room on loudspeaker performance.   Sources: “The History of Anthem Room Correction (ARC®)”:...

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers. If you haven’t listened to season 3, episode 1 yet, do check that out first! In this second half of their conversation, the two discuss how the research at NRC contributed to the evolution of PSB speakers. Along the way, Paul gives the most cogent explanation ever of baffle diffraction and waveguides, and discusses how different driver materials affect the performance of a speaker. Sources: PSB...

Welcome to season 3! This week, host Jorden Guth sits down with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers, to discuss his personal history, his love of music, his passion for violin, and the origin story of PSB Speakers—all as a lead-in to a discussion about his time at the NRC doing research with Dr. Floyd Toole. Sources: PSB Speakers: https://www.psbspeakers.com/ Messiah Violin, by Stradivari: https://www.ashmolean.org/messiah-violin-stradivari “Making the Violin”:...

For the final episode of season 2 of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by T+A COO Condradin Amft to discuss the company’s history and heritage, its entry into the headphone market, and how hi-fi will evolve into the future. Sources: “44 Years of T+A—Germany's Hi-Fi Giant in Detail”: https://youtu.be/lzW18SuAJW0?si=SUjQkUfzU-obTWDv Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:20 Introductions00:01:53 The long road to today’s T+A 00:20:44 Music Break: “Finale” by David...

When Sonus faber introduced its massive new flagship loudspeaker system, Suprema, at this year’s CES, most of the press responded by asking about the price and finishes and little else. In this episode of the podcast, host Jorden Guth and SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider ask the real (and really tough) questions about the design and technical specifications of this world-class 4.5-way system comprised of two towering speakers and one or two massive subwoofers. Sources: Sonus faber Suprema...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Access editor and producer of the podcast Dennis Burger to discuss his recent article about how reviewers’ reference systems are often necessarily different from the systems they wish they could own. Dennis also gives Jorden some tips on writing a good review. Sources: “The Needs of the Many versus the Needs of the Reviewer” by Dennis Burger:...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Australia editor Edgar Kramer to discuss their respective 2023 year-end awards. Sources: “The 2023 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievements and Products of the Year” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1843-the-2023-soundstage-network-awards-for-outstanding-achievements-and-products-of-the-year “The SoundStage! Australia Products of the Year Awards 2023”...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to tell the origin story of SoundStage! Network’s InSight video series, how they’ve evolved, and the details of their most recent globetrotting trip to Wilson Audio and T+A. Sources: Muraudio's Domain Omni Series Speaker | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/VkHQC8pz2H8?si=Lax4bC_UDAXXxSkj Axiom Audio's M100 v4 Loudspeaker | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/7cdPUHJKx70?si=bNa83Mkf2R08yY8N Totem Acoustic's...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss the company’s new North Collection, how it was developed, what it means for the future of hi-fi, why the remote control is the best in the world, and how the lineup has been embraced by audiophile press and customers alike. They also dig into how a brand radically reinvents itself after four decades without losing its identity, and why it’s scary for a...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SVS president Gary Yacoubian and VP of marketing Nick Brown to discuss the company’s history, its unique approach to hi-fi and home theater, and how it actively engages with its customers.  Sources: SVS: https://www.svsound.com/ “The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World” by Audio Unleashed: https://audiounleashed.podbean.com/e/the-only-true-currency-in-this-bankrupt-world/ “SVS Prime Wireless Pro Active Loudspeaker System” by Gordon Brockhouse:...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Ultra senior editor Jason Thorpe to discuss Warsaw 2023, why it’s such a special show, what it’s like to be there, and what it was like to see it through the eyes of a young audiophile. Sources: SoundStage! coverage of Audio Video Show 2023 - Warsaw, Poland: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/audio-video-show-2023-warsaw-poland Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:20...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Emotiva’s Dan Laufman to discuss the origins of his passion for hi-fi, the history of electronics manufacturing in the neoliberal era, how to make an profit in the audio business ethically, the long hard road to revitalizing North American manufacturing capabilities, and the virtues of being inclusive instead of exclusive.  Sources: Emotiva: https://emotiva.com/ "The True Cost of Saving a Few Bucks: A Q&A with Emotiva's Dan Laufman" by Dennis...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Martijn Mensink of Dutch & Dutch to discuss how an old clock radio incubated a love of music that developed into a passion for good sound that evolved into a career in speaker design. During the course of the conversation, they explore Martijn’s history of speaker development, the business ventures that preceded Dutch & Dutch, how the company’s cardioid speaker design is transformative, and where the company is headed in the...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by David Mascioni, Global Director of Brand Marketing for McIntosh, to discuss the origins of the original World of McIntosh Townhouse in New York City, how it developed, why it closed, and how the concept evolved into the new House of Sound at a new location, with much more representation for the entire McIntosh Group and its collaborators.  Sources: “Inside the Incredible World of McIntosh Townhouse - SoundStage! InSight (December 2019)”:...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by legendary speaker designer Laurence Dickie to discuss his history with Bowers & Wilkins, the design of the iconic Nautilus, how his thinking on speaker design has evolved over to years, whether or not he draws inspiration from nature, and why his speakers are an exercise in engineering, not industrial design. Sources: "From the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus to Vivid Audio Speakers - Laurence Dickie’s Tapered Tubes (Ep:58)" by SoundStage!:...

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and podcast producer Dennis Burger to discuss what Jorden has learned in six months of hosting the podcast, since he’s been able to speak to some of the hi-fi industry’s most influential and respected luminaries. As Doug often tells him, “Talking to these people is like getting a PhD course in hi-fi.” So has doing so helped Jorden? Listen and find out. Sources: Status and Culture by W. David Marx:...

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Monitor Audio global marketing director Michael Johnson and technical director Michael Hedges to discuss how the Concept 50 speaker was developed; how it evolved into the company’s new flagship retail offering, the Hyphn; what makes a Monitor Audio speaker sound like a Monitor Audio speaker; and what’s in store for the future.  Sources: Monitor Audio Hyphn Speaker 1 - From Visionary Concept to Cutting-Edge...

This week on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by Anthony Grimani, former director of technology for THX and founder of Performance Media Industries, to discuss his history with Dolby and THX, why the room is such a crucial component of any sound system, home theater vs. hi-fi, room correction, and whether the world needed yet another speaker company. Sources: Grimani Systems: https://www.grimanisystems.com/ Performance Media Industries, Ltd.:...

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and former SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast cohost Brent Butterworth to discuss the what, how, and why of speaker and headphone measurements. What measurements correlate with listening impressions? How do active and wireless products complicate measurements? And what’s the right balance of listening versus measuring when it comes to fully evaluating a product. Sources: "Is the miniDSP EARS...

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Jack Oclee-Brown, VP of Technology at KEF, to discuss speaker design and engineering, the development of the Tangerine Waveguide, how electromechanical design and industrial design come together, KEF in cars, and more . . .  Sources: The Sweet Sound of KEF's Tangerine Waveguide: https://us.kef.com/blogs/news/the-sweet-sound-of-kef-s-tangerine-waveguide "KEF Blade Loudspeakers" by Barry Jones:...

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by James Hale, author of SoundStage! Xperience’s popular “Art+Tech” column, to discuss his unique approach to hardware and music reviews, how the column came about, the value of today’s audio gear as compared with that of decades past, and how technology influences the creation and enjoyment of art.  Sources: "How Good Can the Focal Utopia Headphones Make Remarkable Recordings Sound?" by James Hale:...

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Mark Waldrep of AIX Records fame to discuss changes in the audiophile music marketplace over the years, as well as Mark’s controversial and ever-evolving views on high-resolution music recording and playback, as well as why he stopped mastering records altogether. Sources: "Audibility of a CD-Standard A/DA/A Loop Inserted into High-Resolution Audio Playback" by E. Brad Meyerand David R. Moran:...