The Hifi Podcast with Darren and Duncan

If you’ve ever heard an album or a specific group of albums in your library sound amazing on your system, hang on to that memory. Once you make a change to your setup, you may notice an entirely different set of sounds and records coming to the forefront of recording and playback quality in your listening room. Systems grow, they change, and they settle in. It’s entirely possible that not every pi...

You're moving to a new house, and the dreaded system setup is on the horizon. You bought a new piece of gear that's supposed to wipe the floor with what you've currently got, but right out of the box, the opposite seems to be the case. Moving speakers inch by inch for hours and feeling like you're getting nowhere is an unfortunate part of the hifi audio hobby, whether we like it or not. The comple...

Have you ever stumbled upon a YouTube video showing off a piece of hifi gear, or perhaps an entire system? Knowing the limitations of such a lengthy and compromised signal chain as it relates to showcasing a fine-tuned stereo system, such a display can seem relatively useless for any meaningful understanding of what's going on. But is that completely true? The growing trend of showing off changes...

In this week’s episode, listener questions abound, and Darren and Duncan settle in to answer all of them. One listener shares his room size and speaker placement needs, and the guys consider some options about a speaker type for his situation. Another listener with wireless KEF LS50s wants to add tubes to the mix, and it turns out there are a few options out there for doing just that. A listener w...

It's about the system, and everything therein matters. You may have heard this before. When it comes to records, excellent vinyl playback hinges on the interactive choices made when assembling not only the record player system but also the library. Beyond that, the physical constraints of the vinyl itself requires music on the black discs to be mastered differently than for digital, and released w...

In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan focus on a couple of great listener questions. After the usual “what’s up with us, audio-wise” reports, the guys dig into the topic of how to decide when an audio product is ripe for a modification. Given recent podcast focus on tweaks and mods, and their own re-build projects involving a pair of Audio Research D-115 tube amplifiers, it...

Horn mouth diffraction, cardioid bass, high Q drivers, acoustic filters, constant directivity and line arrays. This is the world of loudspeakers from the perspective of someone who designs them, and in this week’s episode Darren and Duncan sit down with an expert who does exactly that, to chat about the devices which make the music we love so much. Speaker design engineer Chris Brunhaver brings a...

There’s something to be improved in almost any piece of off-the-shelf audio gear, because the decisions made to put the components on the store shelf in the first place include some compromises or choices based around availability of parts, not highest fidelity. Sure, a few hifi companies strive to build products purely for the highest sound quality, going out of their way to source the finest ing...

If you've ever felt the itch to crack open the crossovers of a pair of speakers and drop in some V-Caps on the tweeter, or replace the feet of an amplifier with blocks of wood, this podcast episode is for you. And if you've ever been curious what the heck is the matter with people who put beeswax in fuses or bitumin on chassis lids and who talk about quantum materials, maybe this will shed new lig...

Desktops of the last 30 years have become dominated by the computer monitor. Gone are the days of a big desk full of a mess of papers, or the clean workspace with perhaps a small lamp on one side and a rotary telephone on the other. As the visual element of computing has taken more real estate, its seems that less and less has been offered to the sonic element. Tiny speakers the size of beer cans...

Did your favorite hifi audio brand used to be for sale only at respected hifi dealers, but now they make bluetooth speakers you can find at Best Buy? Is the company that made the amp or speakers you love struggling to keep the doors open amid staggering overhead costs? What makes a brand ready for the "mainstream," and a viable candidate for purchase by a big conglomeration? Darren and Duncan pond...

Excellent listener questions have been flowing in, and Darren and Duncan pick two good ones to discuss at length in this episode of The Hifi Podcast. Will asks what elements of different products the guys have seen when popping the hood of a device or poking around the inside of a speaker. Darren shares his feelings about Audio Research PC boards and layout, and Duncan brings up the inside of Vinn...

"MMmmm, feels like it's a bit heavy around 6KHz... those cymbals are a little dark." If you've ever found yourself saying something like this, chances are you've spent some time developing you listening skills and abilities, which is one of the most important elements of being an audiophile. The idea of "Golden Ears" having to do with actual ears is wrong. Superior listening skills happen in betwe...

Bill Johnson, the founder of Audio Research Corp. and a legend in our business, said that he wanted power supply components to be of such high quality that music could be enjoyed through each of the parts. We know that all audio equipment uses power — usually DC in variety — to amplify or produce the music we love, and his point is clear: clean power is as essential to the eventual excellence of a...

We’ve all been there. You sit a friend down in front of your system in the sweet spot, and try to blow their mind. Maybe they know a little about audio, and maybe they don’t. Maybe you’re trying to explain through music exactly why you’re so obsessed with wringing out the best musical playback you can from two speakers and a chain of expensive gear. Whatever the case, talking to non-hifi people ab...

Would millions of people be interested in learning about cars if Ferrari wasn’t making super cars or if Lamborghini didn’t exist? Possibly not. Their amazing achievements not only represent the top of what’s possible, but also serve to inspire all of us to devote ourselves to learning more about what makes a great car truly special.   Audio is no different, and the top end of hifi audio, known com...

If you’ve ever looked at a calculus equation as it relates to DIY audio and wondered just how the heck is that going to correlate with the sound signature you want to achieve, you’re not alone. Darren talks about his experiences going through school to get his Electrical Engineering degree (EE), in the hopes of convincing some that an application-focused approach to audio design is completely vali...

In a tough hobby full of myriad choices and sometimes wanton expense, there are a range of things to think about adjusting based on what’s already there. Instead of suggesting new speakers or recommending component matching for synergy, the guys are looking at five ways a good system can be improved as it stands already. Specific approaches and ear-approved moves are mentioned which have made seri...

Upgrades, product specifications, room problems and system deficiencies can consume the mind of the active audiophile. It can take discipline to let go of all of that and realize the beauty of what you've already got.  Whether it's a visit to a friend's audio system or a friendly compliment to your own stereo, there are ways to adjust our perspectives on this craft and bring us back to what's most...

Some hifi companies, like Boulder's PS Audio, recommend that balanced connection between components is the only way to go. Other companies don't offer that option at all. Duncan and Darren explain what all the hoopla is  regarding single ended versus balanced operation, bringing up some pros and cons for each and shedding light on the whole affair. From overly complex topologies to bank-breaking c...

In audio's past, folks have tried to get along without a subwoofer or subwoofers in the mix. From modern production capabilities to the intentional limits of excellent speakers, the guys explain that subwoofers are an essential part of great speaker systems. Touching on a few makes and models out there, Darren zeroes in on what type of subwoofer drivers make the most linear - or truthful - bass. H...

Darren and Duncan break down their opinions on single ended triode amplifiers and their use with speakers with no crossover -- single driver full range speakers. Duncan talks about his DIY corner horns and his latest amplifier purchase - a Decware Mini Torii SEP (pentode) 3.9 Watt tube amplifier and how good it sounds in his new bedroom audio system. Engineer Darren explains why so much of this is...