Going digital without getting discouraged
Posted 2 hours ago
Once a die hard vinyl person decides they want to dip their toe in digital waters, what's the best way to go about making the most of it without getting discouraged?
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How do drugs affect listening experiences?
Posted 1 day ago
Marijuana and audio. How are they related and why do some audiophiles have the reputation of being stoners?
Are CD players still relevant
Posted 2 days ago
With the advent and popularization of streaming music services and cloud based libraries, is there any reason to own a CD player?
What is the best volume control setting?
Posted 3 days ago
Do preamps sound their best at higher or lower volume settings? Where the sweet spot for a DAC's volume? Paul gets to answering these questions for us.
Musicians vs. audiophiles
Posted 4 days ago
How different are the reproduction systems of musicians and studios versus those from high-end audio systems and audiophiles?
Using a preamp and integrated together
Posted 5 days ago
If you'd like to upgrade the preamplifier section of an integrated with an external preamp, how is that done? What are the ups and downs of taking that approach?
Why don’t preamps contain sources?
Posted 6 days ago
Preamps have a very specific function, to control the input selection and the system volume. Rarely, they also include sources. Why is that? Wouldn't it make more sense to add the sources for the music into the device that controls them?
Do subwoofers affect speaker impedance?
Posted 1 week ago
If a subwoofer input is being fed properly, it's from the output of the main power amplifier. But, does connecting a subwoofer's input to the speaker terminals change the impedance of the speaker?
How to determine acoustic room treatment
Posted 1 week ago
Opinions on room treatment are as varied as any hotly debated subject in high-end audio. Live, dead, or somewhere in between, how's a person to know what to do?
Does musical enjoyment decrease with age?
Posted 1 week ago
Not much gets better with age other than perhaps wisdom. As you get older most of your sensory systems degrade. Is the enjoyment of music one of them or does it stay with you?
What shaped PS Audio’s speaker designs?
Posted 1 week ago
There are perhaps as many ways to design and build a speaker as there are speaker models to buy: and that's a lot! What parameters did PS Audio choose to determine how to build their new speakers and why.
How to handle asymmetrical listening rooms
Posted 1 week ago
Most living rooms are not perfect rectangles or squares. Instead, they have open spaces on one end and boxy closed areas on the other. Can you do anything to balance a stereo system in an asymmetrical room?
Can small speakers make stereo?
Posted 1 week ago
We see these little single box streaming speakers like those from Sonos, Amazon, or Apple, and wonder if they can truly make stereo or not? Do they just play at stereo or are they real?
Do high resolution systems have to go to 40kHz?
Posted 1 week ago
The highest resolution systems capable of discerning the most minute of details buried deep in the music are often wonders of reproduction most people have never experienced. Do they have to have ultra bandwidth to work?
When should you upgrade your audio system?
Posted 2 weeks ago
If you have older audio equipment how do you know when it's time to move up to something newer and (hopefully) better? Paul's answer might just surprise a few.
Will a dedicated streamer outperform an Apple TV?
Posted 2 weeks ago
Apple TVs are some of the most advanced dedicated streaming devices on the market, but how do they compare to a dedicated audio streaming platform of even a computer?
Why does sound have to come from behind the speakers?
Posted 2 weeks ago
It is sometimes difficult to understand why the holographic imaging of a properly set up speaker system requires the soundstage to be behind the loudspeaker. Paul explains why.
What gives us the feeling of being there?
Posted 2 weeks ago
Some recordings just make us feel as if we're there and in the room with the musicians. But, why? What makes the difference in recordings and what can stereo owners do to enhance that experience?
The role of speaker stands
Posted 2 weeks ago
Bookshelf speakers are designed to be placed where their namesake suggests. Or, are they? Why do experts agree bookshelf speakers need stands?
Do we need balance controls?
Posted 2 weeks ago
Few preamps, receivers or integrators are built without balance controls yet does anyone actually use them? Why do manufacturers even put them on equipment anymore?
Why not put regeneration in audio products?
Posted 2 weeks ago
PS Audio builds one of the world's only high-performance AC regenerators to power audio equipment. Why do they have to be so big? Can't you design smaller ones to individually power equipment?
Can the dynamics of Magneplanars be enhanced?
Posted 3 weeks ago
Magneplanars are great speakers. One of Paul's all time favorites. But, they do have a few shortcomings and this viewer asks if there's anything to be done about it.
What’s the biggest bang for the buck?
Posted 3 weeks ago
If you're upgrading or assembling a stereo system from scratch what's the biggest bang for the buck? How can someone on a strict budget ever get good sound?
Is audio accuracy the best goal?
Posted 3 weeks ago
We hear people searching for that "tube sound" or in search of "more bass" or any number of sonic attributes we can ascribe to reproduced music. But isn't the best goal to have accurate sound?
Using equalizers in audio
Posted 3 weeks ago
Equalizers and High-End audio systems rarely are seen together because the EQ controls are assumed to muck up the sound. But what if you can't afford a high-performance system? Is EQ alright to make up for less than great equipment?