Paul's Posts

"Garbage in, garbage out" gets repeated so often in audio circles it's become furniture. And it's true — I'm not here to argue otherwise. But there's a more important truth... Read more...

Details matter

There's a trap in high-end audio, and I've watched smart, experienced listeners fall into it repeatedly. They chase detail at the expense of realism. A system optimized purely for resolution... Read more...

Perfection

I remember the first time clearly. Mastering engineer and one of the founders of DSD, Gus Skinas, sat me down and played me two recordings: one in PCM and the... Read more...

Mono?

Stereo is so deeply embedded in how we think about audio that questioning it feels almost heretical. But that doesn't stop my brain from considering alternative paths. Spend an evening... Read more...

Raising hackles

If you want to generate controversy at an audio gathering, just say you have no doubt that power cords make a sonic difference. Most audiophiles will nod knowingly. A few... Read more...

Gear or recording?

We spend a lot of time obsessing over gear—and rightfully so. But how many of us have sat in front of six-figure rigs in treated rooms and felt absolutely nothing,... Read more...

Put them where?

I've seen people spend ten thousand dollars on a pair of speakers and then plop them against the wall next to the TV. It makes me cringe. Placement interacts with... Read more...

That vinyl sound

People love to argue about whether vinyl sounds "better" than digital. I think that misses the point entirely. Vinyl doesn't sound better or worse. It sounds different. Understanding why it... Read more...

The Magic of First Watt

There's a saying among amplifier designers that the first watt is the most important one. That's mostly true. Think about it this way. Most of your listening — the quiet... Read more...

Worth it?

Are million-dollar loudspeakers and four-hundred-thousand-dollar amplifiers worth the price? Depends. First, let's acknowledge reality: the law of diminishing returns applies ferociously in audio. The difference between a five-hundred-dollar system and... Read more...

Soundstage

We all treasure a wonderful soundstage with amazing depth and width. But where does it come from? Soundstage width is an illusion created by subtle differences between the left and... Read more...

Floored

Imagine moving into a beautiful new home with granite tile floors and radiant heating. The house is gorgeous. The sound might be harsh. Sound waves bounce off hard floors like... Read more...

Simple

"Simple, but no simpler"—a phrase often attributed to Einstein has been one of our guiding principals. In fact, it sits at the heart of everything we design. Simplicity in an audio... Read more...

Theaters

Buy a good stereo amp now, or start with a home theater system to cover all bases? This question comes up constantly, and I understand the appeal of future-proofing. Home... Read more...

Age and ears

As we get older and our hearing inevitably changes, how do we know our subjective judgments about sound are still valid? It's an honest and important question. And the answer... Read more...

What if...

... all recorded music were done poorly? Would high-end audio mean anything at all? It's a provocative thought, and my honest answer might surprise you. Yes, it would still matter.... Read more...

Don't blame the delivery driver

One of our HiFi Family members told me he'd been buying SACD versions of his favorite albums hoping for a revelation—and kept being let down. Some sounded barely different from... Read more...

Wireless

Bluetooth. Wi-Fi. AirPlay. The world has gone wireless, and we audiophiles are understandably curious—and skeptical. Most wireless speakers we've all encountered—portable Bluetooth boxes, smart home devices, Sonos—sound nothing like high-fidelity... Read more...

Heavy Lifting

Speakers are heavy, Sometimes really heavy. Why? Most of the weight in a well-built speaker comes from the cabinet itself—thick panels of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), HDF (High density same... Read more...

Too revealing?

A doctor from Padua, Italy, reached out to ask whether our Aspen loudspeakers might be too revealing for his collection of vintage opera recordings from the 1950s and 60s. He... Read more...

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