Crutchfield: The Podcast

J.R. interviews Michael Buratto, a musician and Senior Product Manager at Klipsch, about his history with the company, the gear he uses to make and enjoy music, and what has made Klipsch an enduring brand for 75 years. (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/8D4) Michael also hints at some fun speaker projects in the works. After the interview, J.R. and cohost Eric explore wireless home theater solutions w...

J.R. brings in special cohost Colin to assist with a panel discussion about video games and the gear that makes gaming more immersive. J.R. talks to four Crutchfield employees about their console preferences, the A/V gear they use when they game, and the gear they wish they owned!  Some of the gear discussed includes: JBL gaming headsets (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/89Q) Astro gaming headsets (h...

J.R. introduces a Crutchfield exclusive — an interview with Sujan Hong, Head of US Music Content for Qobuz (www.qobuz.com/us-en/discover). Our headphone and high-res streaming expert Jeff caught up with Sujan to talk about all sorts of music-related topics, including music curation at Qobuz, Sujan's indie music credentials, and her favorite recent albums, available in high resolution. For video ex...

J.R. leaves shore for a lake tour on Advisor Ziggy's Bentley Cruise pontoon boat. Naturally, that boat had a rockin' audio system on board, and Ziggy got to show it off at (almost) full volume. If you'd like to follow along and see the boat, check out our full article about the installation. (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/85P) Some of the gear discussed includes: Rockford Fosgate PMX-5CAN marine d...

J.R. interviews Maria, one of Crutchfield's sales team leaders, about her history as a pro musician, the headphones that her husband and son love, and car installation whoopsies. After the interview, J.R. goes deep into the mail bag with co-host Eric, answering three customer questions about headphones. (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/82N) Some of the gear discussed includes: Klipsch T5 II true wir...

Co-hosts J.R. and Eric catch up with Francis, who works on our Crutchfield Business team, to take a deep dive on smart home gear and smart assistants (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/800). Eric, a big fan of Amazon Alexa (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/801), and Francis, who's all in with Google Assistant (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/802), discuss their home setups and how they made their choices....

J.R. talks to Carlos (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/7WF), one of our in-house drone experts, about growing up in Puerto Rico, his drone-racing experience, and what brought him to Crutchfield. (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/7WE) From great starter drones for kids to professional-grade drones, Carlos also shares some of his favorite picks. Some of the gear discussed includes: DJI Telo (https://www.c...

J.R. talks to Brooke, a Crutchfield Advisor for over 15 years, about how gear has contributed to the expansion of her family compound, which includes a large home gym and classic car garage. For more on what's in that garage, check out this spotlight on the audio gear she installed in her 1971 Chevy Blazer and the car shows her family attends. (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/7SM) Some of the gear d...

J.R. and Eric head over to our Returns Processing Center (RPC) to talk to Simon about his involvement with The Crutchfield Outlet (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/7PN) and our in-house employee store. With incredible access to so much cool gear, Simon has been able to build "dream" systems for his cars and his home, including a one-of-a-kind "three 5.1 home theater system" screening and gaming room....

Season 2 of the podcast kicks off with a new formula — host J.R. is the interview subject this time. Co-host Eric digs in on the what, why, and how of J.R.'s recent 2020 Subaru Crosstrek audio upgrade. If you'd like to follow along, check out our full article about the installation (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/7MG). Some of the gear discussed includes: Kicker KS Series car speakers (https://www....

If you're a satellite radio fan or if you just plain love music, you won't want to miss JR's interview with Paul Trueman from SiriusXM (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/76C). A roadie at the age of 16, a car audio installer in his 20s, and a member of the SiriusXM team for decades, Paul has a lifetime of rock 'n' roll stories. He gives us a peek behind the scenes at SiriusXM headquarters, shares a pr...

Co-hosts JR and Eric (safely) reunite in person to present a very cool Crutchfield exclusive — an interview with Bose Distinguished Engineer Dan Gauger. Our headphone expert Jeff chats with Dan about the origins of noise-cancelling headphones, his involvement in 1986's Rutan Voyager flight, what Bose fans can look forward to next, and more. For video extras and photos, check out Jeff's full articl...

JR and Eric take a "lightning round" approach to interviewing the latest class of Crutchfield Advisors (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6Y6), who are now available to help find the right gear for your needs. Each Advisor tells a little about themselves and the gear they couldn't resist buying since joining us. Check out our new Advisors and their gear (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6Y7): Felicia cho...

Emily writes articles and product copy on a wide range of home electronics including TVs and smart home gear. She's also clocked a lot of critical listening time, putting sound bars to the test. Her Best Sound Bars for 2020 article (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6UG) is among our most popular and is a great companion to this bonus episode, in which she and JR share their experiences with Sonos' la...

The gang's (virtually) back together for the season finale. JR and Eric catch up on their work-from-home lifestyle and chat with Lex, Crutchfield: The Podcast producer. They talk about the origin of the podcast, what they've learned along the way, some of their favorite podcasting gear, and what to look forward to in Season 2. For more info on how to start your own podcast, check out this article...

Chris, Crutchfield training manager, chats with JR about the in-house demo system he designed for our Southwest Virginia call center. It lets Crutchfield Advisors get hands-on with new home audio gear as often as possible so they can share their listening experiences with customers. Want to demo our wide selection of home speakers too? Check out our online SpeakerCompare tool. (https://www.crutchf...

Marisa, a Crutchfield Advisor who decided to revisit her love of her photography, discusses the fun of her DSLR camera (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6E3) and the challenges of using manual mode. Check out her photos at https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6DY. Marisa and JR also talk about the importance of a solid home audio system. Some of the gear discussed includes: Nikon DSLR camera and lens kit ht...

Carter, former Crutchfield Advisor and unabashed headphone-phile, talks to JR about his Bose® Frames and why they're a unique sound solution for him. JR and Eric also chat about headphone comfort, other Bose wearables (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/6BM), and the legendary Bone Fone (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/bone-fone-the-terror/279474/). Some of the gear discussed include...

SVS president Gary Yacoubian talks with JR about how he started in the electronics industry, his history at Beats, and how he transitioned SVS (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/68Q) from being all about that bass to being all about great sound (and that bass). He also reveals his Top 6 favorite movies to enjoy on his Dolby Atmos-equipped home theater system (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/68R). Plus,...

Rex is a Crutchfield Advisor, musician, and major music fan. Like most Crutchfield employees, he's been working from home since Virginia's shelter-in-place order began. He chats with JR about how he makes working from home work for him, his new-and-improved man cave, and his most recent Crutchfield purchase. Some of the gear discussed includes: Klipsch The Sixes powered stereo speakers https://www...

Chris, regional trainer for Sonos (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/637), pays a visit to Crutchfield and discusses his 7-zone multi-room audio system with JR. Plus, he explains the latest updates from Sonos, including their decision to create a separate app for use with legacy Sonos products. Some of the gear discussed includes: Sonos Move wireless portable speaker https://www.crutchfield.com/r/638...

Brady, a Crutchfield Advisor and full-time yacht-rocker, gives JR a virtual tour of the marine audio gear he installed on his boat. Check out this article (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/60R) to follow along with Brady's installation. Some of the gear discussed includes: Wet Sounds STX Micro 4 amplifier https://www.crutchfield.com/r/60S Wet Sounds REVO 8 speakers https://www.crutchfield.com/r/60T W...

Drummer, a Crutchfield Advisor and serious vinyl collector, talks about his analog roots and how his listening routine has changed since investing in digital media. JR also references our helpful video on setting up a turntable (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5Y9). Some of the gear discussed includes: Teac turntable https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5YB Klipsch Reference powered speakers https://www.cr...

Jess, a Crutchfield Advisor who's a serious classic rock fan, talks to JR about the resurgence of cassettes, her mega-sized home theater system, and listening to vinyl on her days off. JR also references our handy TV Sizes And Viewing Distances article (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5WS). Some of the gear discussed includes: 70" LG TV https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5WT Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A3080 9.2-...

Darren, a Crutchfield employee and car audio integration guru, walks JR through the "head unit back" audio upgrade he installed in his '17 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. Check out these articles to follow along with Darren's installation (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5V7) and his custom fiberglass work (https://www.crutchfield.com/r/5V8). Some of the gear discussed includes: Hertz Mille ML Power 5-cha...