Paul's Posts

We're all aware that jitter in the digital audio stream is to be avoided. Jitter is all about timing deviations where the audio data isn't exactly where it is supposed... Read more...

When better should be ignored

It is comforting to believe that we use the best simply because it is the best. Tell that to Mark Levinson (the man) when he tried to force a change... Read more...

It might seem obvious

In yesterday's post on subwoofers, I cautioned about the use of series crossovers: one low pass filter in the receiver feeding another in the subwoofer. What I did not address... Read more...

Double Duty

For those that have receivers or integrateds with dedicated RCA subwoofer outputs, this post may have some interest. For the most part, a dedicated subwoofer output on a receiver or... Read more...

Effortless

Perhaps one of the keywords describing what I am after in sound quality is effortless. When a system plays at all levels without ever drawing attention to itself we might... Read more...

Uneven speaker cable lengths

Without question, my obsession with symmetry and fears of getting things wrong has always prompted me to make sure my speaker cables were exactly the same length. Down to the... Read more...

What Would Edison Say?

If inventor Thomas Edison hopped in a way-forward time machine to see how his phonograph had been improved upon in the intervening 144 years, do you think he’d be surprised... Read more...

Is Simple Good Enough?

The more I get involved in the recording arts the more I become convinced simple is key. Yes, we can get a bit more intimate with close miking, and we... Read more...

Performance Audio

It’s been suggested to me that the term High-End audio should be retired and in its place, we refer to it as Performance Audio. It’s a fresh notion but, for... Read more...

Unexpected Pleasure

If you’ve ever enjoyed a deep scalp massage you’ll know there’s little comparison between that and scratching your own head when washing your hair. The difference between the two is... Read more...

Two forms of simplicity

The word simple means easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. It is simple for me to push a button on the elevator and be whisked up or down to... Read more...

Desert Island Disc

Whenever I hit the road to attend a HiFi show or help set up a system I make sure I am armed to the teeth with my reference material. Going... Read more...

Room Or Speaker?

There seems a persistent notion that rooms need to be of a certain quality in order to take full advantage of what a speaker has to offer. If your room... Read more...

Emotional memories

Everything we choose is based on a reference—a model in our heads of what we should expect. Each of our internal references have been honed over the years. We know... Read more...

Much improved

Over on the PS Audio forums, there's a thread about cable lifters. You can read it by clicking this link. Elevating the speaker cables off the floor works to improve... Read more...

Terminology Building Blocks

One of the easier ways to get on the wrong path is to build an understanding based on piecing together little-understood terms. A good example of this problem might be... Read more...

Raw Or Refined?

As an aspiring amateur hack of a writer, one of the first lessons in getting words on paper was to just start typing. Let whatever was in my head flow... Read more...

Advanced Judgement

It has been multiple decades—in fact, most of our adult lives—that neither Terri nor I have consumed meat or fish. To many Americans we encounter we are an anomaly, a... Read more...

A Special Day

Today, October 2nd is a special day. A day set aside to recognize and appreciate those of us who direct our passions to music and its home playback. Today is Audiophile... Read more...

Golden Ear Award

The day loudspeaker designer Chris Brunhaver joined the PS Audio team marked the 2nd to the last step on a lifetime journey (Octave Records would be the final step in... Read more...

Country/Region

Country/Region