Paul's Posts

Perhaps my single most asked question is what piece of equipment makes the most difference. My quick answer has always been the loudspeakers. Loudspeakers are the most flawed element in... Read more...

Touching souls

When we listen to music we're hoping for a connection. Does it touch our soul? We all have experienced that connection to music. Sometimes it happens at a concert, other... Read more...

Knowledge nibbles

Here are two interesting and opposing gems of wisdom: a little knowledge goes a long way and knowledgeable enough to be dangerous. In my experience, the last one more often... Read more...

Spicy

One of the cures for bland tasting food is to liven it up with the addition of a dash of spice. In audio, it's not so easy. There's really not... Read more...

Community members

From as far back as 1974 (which to me doesn't seem that long ago) I have felt part of a community. The community of people like you and me. Out... Read more...

Grails, holy and hopeful

One of the more famous literary motifs is the idea of the Holy Grail, a metaphorical vessel with miraculous powers providing happiness, eternal youth or sustenance in infinite abundance. Grails,... Read more...

Audibility

We often ask ourselves what's audible and what's not. We can say with some confidence 10% distortion is audible, but is 0.1%? And, compared to what? Can we hear the... Read more...

Cheats

It's good when we can cheat death, but not so much if we cheat on our diets or cut ourselves permanently short when it comes to getting what's best from... Read more...

Inspiring confidence

I don't believe it comes as a surprise that at my core I am an engineering nerd. My internal fires light up when we start talking engineering-speak. One of the... Read more...

Outward appearances

Like it or not we place a lot of importance on outward appearances. Take rats for example. Most of us are repelled by the sight of these rodents, but dress... Read more...

Rituals

There are plenty of audiophile rituals. Though they might seem quirky or odd to the great unwashed they are part of what defines us as purveyors of the art. Take... Read more...

A real breakthrough

To be honest, I have been working on a secret project for more than a decade and wanted to use this opportunity to tell the world—shout it out to the... Read more...

Marrying components

When we're building a system it can often feel like a marriage. We want our components to get along with each other but we also want to make sure their... Read more...

Finding your passion

Passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm for something (or someone). Finding it isn't always easy but, when you do, it's great to hone in on the elements that really... Read more...

Recording vs. reproducing

As Octave Records grows it's becoming more evident to me the difference between recording and reproducing. On the former, we're often using heavy hands to capture as best we can... Read more...

The problem with evaluations

What do you call the lowest-performing student graduating medical school? A doctor. In any field, the range from good to great is all over the map. Graduation degrees, specifications, and... Read more...

Becoming one with the machine

Ok, so the headline of today's post is all very zen-like but I am yet again reminded of the importance of becoming one with the problem, technology, machine, or stereo... Read more...

Impersonal personal

As the information age grows, communications have increasingly become both more impersonal as well as the opposite. Where once we might have picked up the phone and called a retailer... Read more...

Phono cartridges, microphones, and loudspeakers

We all know that microphones sound different, and not just by a little. And we all know phono cartridges sound different, and not just by a little. And don't get... Read more...

In memory

In light of recent events, I think it may be helpful to turn to the one thing we can all agree upon. Music. As some of you know, Octave Records... Read more...

Country/Region

Country/Region