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. Living in the cornerLow frequencies accumulate where walls meet. Room corners are bass magnets. Low-frequency waves reflect off walls and pile up where boundaries intersect, creating areas of excessive... Living in the corner
  2. It’s not the note ......it’s what surrounds the note that gives it life. Any given pitch is built from a fundamental frequency and a series of overtones. That harmonic structure... It’s not the note ...
  3. Mirror, mirrorFirst reflections matter most. When sound leaves your speakers, some of it travels straight to your ears—that's the direct sound, the one that carries the music's... Mirror, mirror
  4. The breath of musicThe best systems don't just play music—they let it breathe. I was recently listening to a recording of Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard I found... The breath of music
  5. Texture and TruthTexture is what tells us how something feels—not just what it sounds like. When I listen to a bowed double bass, I want to hear the... Texture and Truth
  6. Toe to toeOne inch makes a difference in quite a number of respects, especially in loudspeakers. The angle of your speakers—whether they point straight ahead or aim directly... Toe to toe
  7. Chasing airHigh frequencies give us space. But it’s the air around the notes that gives us presence. Years ago, I was auditioning tweeters for a loudspeaker design,... Chasing air
  8. Your Listening Chair Belongs in the Wrong PlaceMove it forward three inches. Most people position their listening chair where it feels comfortable in the room—against the back wall, centered between the speakers, maybe... Your Listening Chair Belongs in the Wrong Place
  9. TimbreTimbre is what lets us tell a violin from a flute, even if they’re playing the same note. I remember the first time I sat down... Timbre
  10. The couchFurniture is acoustic treatment. Every object in your listening room affects the sound, whether you planned it that way or not. Your couch absorbs midrange and... The couch
  11. TrianglesGeometry matters more than you think. Your listening setup should form a triangle—left speaker, right speaker, and your seat. If your speakers are ten feet apart,... Triangles
  12. The 4-foot ruleYour speakers need breathing room. I've walked into countless living rooms where beautiful speakers sit pressed against the wall like furniture. The owners wonder why their... The 4-foot rule
  13. PausesMusic isn’t just made of notes—it’s made of pauses. In live performance, silence sets the stage for impact. The decay of a piano note, the hush... Pauses