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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 15 min
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 Aeon https://www.mrspeakers.com/headphones-15/ae...
May 16, 2018•1 hr 18 min
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...) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 03, 2018•1 hr 3 min
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!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 16, 2018•1 hr 4 min
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 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 8 min
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 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 08, 2018•1 hr 14 min
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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 16, 2018•1 hr 4 min
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 → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 24, 2018•1 hr 6 min
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 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 16, 2018•20 min
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. […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 14, 2017•35 min
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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 28, 2017•46 min
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 → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...
Oct 11, 2017•55 min
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 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 18, 2017•51 min
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 […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 30, 2017•1 hr 3 min
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 → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 14, 2017•1 hr 2 min
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! → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 26, 2017•50 min
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 → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 12, 2017•1 hr 7 min
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! → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 20, 2017•1 hr 7 min
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 → Learn more about your...
Jun 06, 2017•1 hr 21 min
Harris Fogel (http://maceditionradio.com) joins us for a chat about how he became an audiophile, what kind of gear to look at, and how he’d spend $1500 to get great sound! Gear Guide, Topics & Highlights: Philip Glass – Glassworks Album Polk Speakers Ampzilla Dynaco Hafler Amps Luxman Turntables TIDAL audioquest … Continue reading 9: Getting The Most Bang For Your Buck on Stereo Gear, With Harris Fogel → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 23, 2017•56 min
No matter how high end your speakers are, you’ve got to put them in the right place to maximize the sound. The old adage says “a cheaper, well placed pair of speakers will sound better than a more expensive, poorly placed set. In this solo episode, Michael breaks down a few different methodologies of … Continue reading 8: Speaker Placement 101 → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 10, 2017•41 min
On today’s Beginner Audiophile, we “bake off” 4 different speaker cables from Monster, Blue Jeans, Analysis Plus, and Monoprice to see if A: if we can hear any difference, and B: if the difference is palpable enough for us to make a buying decision. We also give an Anthem update, and announce the winner of … Continue reading 7: Do Speaker Cables REALLY Matter?? → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 26, 2017•44 min
On today’s Beginner Audiophile, we start by explaining the WAF, audio file resolution, and Michael gives an aptX update. Then we jump into the review of the OPPO Sonica DAC and what made a huge difference while we tested it. Finally, we dig into your questions. Gear Guide, Topics & Highlights: 04:26 – KEF LS50 Wireless Speakers … Continue reading 6: Resolution Demystified, Oppo Sonica DAC/Streamer Review, What is The WAF? → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 11, 2017•58 min
…or at least, when things don’t go the way you expect them to. Today’s episode is about patience. I received a piece of gear that I couldn’t get to connect to the interwebs, and Paul and I fiddled for hours with the Oppo Sonica DAC until we got files loaded from our hard drive. Now, the … Continue reading 5: When Things Go Terribly Wrong… → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 28, 2017•52 min
On today’s show, Paul and I test out various ways to integrate a subwoofer into your 2-channel and multichannel system, including doing the infamous “subwoofer crawl”. We also check in with Nicholas Brown from SVS live from CES, and have a special announcement about winning a great pair of 1moreUSA earbuds! Gear Guide: 10:36 – REL … Continue reading 4: The Great Subwoofer Bake-Off, and Nicholas Brown of SVS → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 14, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Today’s show is a real treat. We got to sit down with Andrew Jones (Of TAD / Pioneer Fame) of ELAC. We’d first heard of Andrew a couple years ago when he made these insanely affordable Elac Debut B6 Speakers (See Episode 1 for A Review of these $250 marvels) and he continues to break new … Continue reading 3: A Deep Dive Interview with Andrew Jones, The Speaker Designer Who’s Breaking The Rules of the Audiophile Industry → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 25, 2017•58 min
Today Michael tells the story of how he fell down the rabbit whole of audiophilia and walks us through his reference system. Then, we do the Great Headphone Bake-Off, volume 1, testing $100 vs $150 vs $1800 headphones. A pretty fascinating…and unexpected result from that test! Gear Guide: 02:30 – Marantz SR7009 Receiver 03:30 – Paradigm Monitor 11 Speakers … Continue reading 2: Michael’s System, and The Great Headphone Bake-Off, Starring 1MoreUSA, Audio-Technica, & Mr. Speaker → Learn more a...
Feb 25, 2017•47 min
Origin of Beginner Audiophile. Our audiophile stories. What IS an audiophile. Tour of Paul’s system. We test the ELAC B6 and Sprout. Gear Guide: Paradigm Monitor 7 speakers Tidal Chromecast 1MOREUSA E1001 Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones 1MOREUSA MK802 Over-the-ear Headphones Sprout ELAC System Integrated Amplifier by PS Audio Analysis Plus Oval 9 Speaker Cables Squeezebox … Continue reading 1: Origin of Beginner Audiophile, Paul’s System Walkthrough, Testing PS Audio Sprout/ELAC System → Learn m...
Feb 24, 2017•55 min
