Paul's Posts

Sorting out recording qualities from the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of choices of high-resolution DSD offerings can be a challenge. We go to a label's offerings and read the blurb, listen... Read more...

Polishing touches

It is always a conundrum whether to polish or rearrange a system. The first time I hear a new system that has yet to be dialed in I have to... Read more...

Is analog soft?

When we think of the analog sound we're inevitably referencing a reproduction. This is because we experience analog sound through our stereo systems which, of course, are reproduction playback systems.... Read more...

Staying home

It wasn't that long ago that my purchasing decisions were made mostly in stores. I would figure out what I wanted, search for a retail outlet that carried it, hopped... Read more...

Too cool for comfort

Can audio components run too cool? This is an interesting question. We've all experienced how different our systems sound when we first turn them on. Cold they sound like their... Read more...

Classics

In 1976 Swedish recording engineer, Gert Palmcrantz recorded live to analog tape a Swedish jazz group featuring Arne Domnérus, alto sax, clarinet; Bengt Hallberg, piano; Lars Erstrand, vibes; Georg Riedel,... Read more...

Robot discrimination

We are all familiar with websites (like our own) requiring us to prove we are human. Sometimes it's a simple checkbox certifying your humanness. Other times it's a challenge to... Read more...

They're here......

Since the beginning of the pandemic and the partsdemic: the crazy times we all seem to be accepting as "normal", there is sometimes a light of success shining through. Yesterday... Read more...

Beginning or end?

Linn's Ivor Tiefenbrun famously suggested that if you can't get the information off the vinyl disc in the first place then nothing else you do afterward matters. There's much truth... Read more...

Lamp cord

On the rear of my Infinity IRSV is a wire bundle connecting all the tweeters and midranges to the crossover. The wiring appears to be standard lamp cord until you... Read more...

Routine and ritual

Routines are often helpful patterns we use to repeat tasks in such a way as to make sure they are done correctly. A couple of quick examples might include shutting... Read more...

Bad recordings and great systems

We often think of the revealing nature of a great system as a double-edged sword: wonderful recordings sound better while poor ones sound worse. The idea of a system's ability... Read more...

The problem with same

For those that read my blog or watch the YouTube channel, it is well known I am not a fan of how pro audio studio monitors sound. Let's just say... Read more...

DoP

The three-letter acronym, DoP has a number of meanings depending on what you're interested in. To the Italians, D.O.P. stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin): the... Read more...

Art or science?

I am often asked whether high-end audio is an art or a science. Of course, the convenient answer is both. Maybe a better question would be the degree to which... Read more...

Imposters

At some level, we're all imposters. We fear our projected self-worth—the way we present ourselves or the way we believe others see us—doesn't live up to expectations. In my 74... Read more...

Last chance today

Just a gentle reminder to grab what you can from Octave Records as today is the last day of our sale. We are offering a rare chance to get free... Read more...

Compressing sound

In recordings, it is quite common for an engineer to use a compressor to better fit dynamics. Especially those of a singer. I like to imagine the art of compression... Read more...

Stark differences

Since we are all on the same page when it comes to wanting the accurate and enjoyable reproduction of music in our homes, it's always startling to me how different... Read more...

Polished or live?

When we make a studio recording it's understood it will be polished and perfect. The best we can do in a controlled environment. When we record live our goal is... Read more...

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