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. BookshelvesThe term "bookshelf speaker" has been misleading people for about seventy years, and the name shows no sign of going away. In 1954, Edgar Villchur and... Bookshelves
  2. Stereo religionThe word evangelist is older than audio, older than electricity, older than anything we'd recognize as technology. It comes from the Greek — euangelion — meaning... Stereo religion
  3. Movies or music?An A/V receiver and a high-end integrated amplifier look similar from the outside. They are miles apart from each other. A receiver tries to do everything.... Movies or music?
  4. MotorsThe voice coil is a tiny copper or aluminum cylinder buried inside your speaker, and almost every aspect of how a driver sounds traces back to... Motors
  5. Tired?A great system invites you to listen all night. A not-so-great one fatigues and wears you out. You struggle to stay engaged. Listening fatigue has identifiable... Tired?
  6. Warmth"Warm" is one of those audiophile words that gets used so often it stops meaning anything—at least to those of us who have been around long... Warmth
  7. Band AidsEQ in a music system is a Band-Aid. Sometimes a Band-Aid is what you need. Most of the time, the wound is somewhere else. A lot... Band Aids
  8. SurroundedAtmos and surround are wonderful for movies, but they aren't the same experience as listening to a proper two-channel system.  The difference between the two is... Surrounded
  9. Unwanted violinsTinnitus doesn't mean the end of high-fidelity listening. It means listening differently — and most of us at some point will need to learn that. Many... Unwanted violins
  10. The worldwide HiFi FamilyThere's a particular kind of joy that only happens at a high-end audio show. You walk into a room full of strangers and within five minutes... The worldwide HiFi Family
  11. The Trail That Never EndsBuilding an audio system reminds me of climbing a mountain. You hit a plateau that feels like the summit. Then you turn a corner and realize... The Trail That Never Ends
  12. Box warsThe chassis of an audio component isn't just a box. It's part of the circuit, and definitely part of the sonics. Electronic components are mechanical things... Box wars
  13. Teeth colorBluetooth has come a long way. Whether it's gone far enough to satisfy us serious listeners is a different question. Anyone who remembers the early days... Teeth color