Paul's Posts

Solving one problem by creating another isn’t a solution. Passive power conditioners (i.e., any device NOT a regenerator) offer a trade-off: they reduce noise but at the cost of dynamics... Read more...

Is cleaner better?

Cleaner power isn’t always better power. That might sound counterintuitive, especially in high-end audio where noise and distortion are the enemies. And it’s true—our systems do benefit from a lower... Read more...

Perfection

There’s no perfect format. Only better implementations. Vinyl has its following. So does CD, SACD, high-res downloads, and streaming. Each format has its loyalists—and its myths. But after decades of... Read more...

Relearning

A great system lets you hear the same recordings differently. I’ve been listening to the same core library of music for decades. Albums and CDs I know backwards and forwards.... Read more...

Clocks

Good audio is about timing. We tend to talk a lot about frequency response—how deep the bass goes, how smooth the highs are—but equally important is timing. Not the tempo... Read more...

Mastering

A bad master can ruin a great recording. I’ve lost count of how many albums I’ve been excited about, only to be let down by what I heard. Not the... Read more...

Taking out the garbage

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about how the old adage “garbage in, garbage out” doesn’t always apply—especially in digital audio. But if we look a little deeper, it’s clear that... Read more...

GIGO

Garbage in, garbage out. It’s one of those acronyms that just feels right. Feed a system poor input, and you're going to get poor results. In computing, data processing, and... Read more...

Lifting veils

A more revealing audio system doesn’t add detail—it removes what's been hiding it. I remember the first time I truly heard the room around a solo violin, the decay of... Read more...

The truth of transients

If transients aren’t right, nothing is. Think about a snare hit. A string pluck. A trumpet attack. These are transient events—rapid, complex bursts of energy that tell your brain something... Read more...

Loud!

Loud doesn’t equal dynamic. It’s a common trap. You turn up the volume and the system feels more alive. The bass hits harder, the treble shines: “Now that’s dynamic!” But... Read more...

Your Room, Their Vision

Every recording engineer had a room in mind when they made your favorite album. It’s easy to forget that music is recorded in physical spaces. Rooms with size, shape, and... Read more...

Why music matters most

We build systems to serve music—not the other way around. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to lose sight of. We obsess over gear, upgrades, and specs. We compare cables... Read more...

Disconnected

Some systems sound amazing, but never move you. They’re clear. Detailed. Impressive. But emotionally? They fall flat. HiFi. You like the sound at first, but you don’t feel the music.... Read more...

Listening with our brains

Oops. My apologies. This was supposed to be yesterday's Paul's Post, and I got them mixed up. Oh well, they still say the asme thing, just in a different order. ... Read more...

The shape of sound

What we perceive as bass, warmth, or body in a cable has less to do with how loud the lows are—and more to do with timing. That’s the final idea... Read more...

Hearing with our brains

What we hear from a cable isn’t just in the cable—it’s in our brain. That’s one of the most striking ideas from AudioQuest founder Bill Low, and it runs somewhat... Read more...

Different sides of truth

In my experience, no one brings more science to cable design than Galen Gareis of Iconoclast, and no one has contributed more to the art of cable voicing than Bill... Read more...

The Last Few Percent

Getting imaging right is easy compared to getting the music right. I’ve heard countless systems that can pin a violin dead-center or place a voice with precision, yet still fail... Read more...

Pure power isn't an option

Every piece of equipment in your system starts with the AC power coming out of the wall. That power runs the circuits, charges the capacitors, and ultimately defines the limits... Read more...

Purchase or Audition Locally