From the desk of Paul McGowan

Paul's Posts

Notes on music, gear, and the long pursuit of better sound. New most mornings.

Paul's Posts

More from Paul

  1. Timing is everything...until it doesn't matter. I’ve been babbling a bit about streaming music and how it all works, and here’s something surprising that most folks don’t realize:... Timing is everything
  2. Nerding outIn yesterday's post I mentioned that in my experience, using the Qobuz app into the PMG streamer or AirLens sounds a little better than when run... Nerding out
  3. Simple experimentHave you ever tried a simple experiment with streaming? Use a streaming service like Qobuz and listen to your favorite reference track. Now, if you're a... Simple experiment
  4. Surprise!A great system doesn’t stop surprising you. The first time you hear a high-end system dialed in, it can be either overwhelming or hopefully jaw dropping.... Surprise!
  5. Bad mythsDigital sound isn’t lifeless. Bad digital is. There’s a long-standing myth in audio that digital equals cold, sterile, and flat. That it strips the life out... Bad myths
  6. The elephant in the...Every room adds its voice to the system. Even perfect ones. No matter how transparent your gear is, or how carefully you set it up, you're... The elephant in the...
  7. Harder than it looksGetting great sound takes time. And skill. And work. You can connect a system and start listening in an afternoon. But that first impression is rarely... Harder than it looks
  8. Links in the chainNo component lives in isolation—the whole system matters. This is one of the hardest lessons to learn in high-end audio. When something doesn’t sound right, it’s... Links in the chain
  9. The last stopWe've been waxing on about streaming for the past few days covering the idea the controller, the iPad or phone you use to discover all about... The last stop
  10. The unsung heroIn a streaming audio setup your fancy, schmancy remote is the interface you control and interact with to choose your music. Once your controller picks the... The unsung hero
  11. Roon? A fancy remoteMost of us are streaming these days, so I thought we’d spend the next few days exploring how it really works. For something so common, streaming... Roon? A fancy remote
  12. A nice bottom endI’ve never been shy about my love for bass—and our new Foundry F12 subwoofer is a dream come true. We’re launching the F12 near the end... A nice bottom end
  13. Starting from scratchFew people ever get the chance to build a high-end audio system from the ground up. Most systems evolve piece by piece. A new amplifier here,... Starting from scratch