The Occasional Podcast

Our picks for the top 10 best sounding speakers from 2026. Marc and Brian rundown their favorite loudspeakers from cheapest to most expensive. Fresh back from a run across the country listening to the world's hottest hifi gear, pt. AUDIO's Editor-In-Chief Marc Phillips joins host Brian Hunter for a full breakdown of the best sounding bookshelf and floor-standers in the known universe.  S14E9 Spons...

Marc is back from his travels abroad and he returns with all the good news, highlights and best sound from the HIGH END Vienna show. Hosted for the first time at its new location in Austria, HIGH END 2026 found a new home for one of the biggest international audio shows on the planet. Marc and Brian dive deep into the best parts of the Hifi event, with all the audio goodies and tasty sounds from t...

An interview with Julie Mullins of Stereophile Magazine, Analog Planet and many more endeavors. This week we chat with Julie about her long history in audio (which includes all the major HiFi publications) and her epic history as a freelance writer for the arts. From audiophile roots growing up to her high-paced journalism, Mullins has been both listening and writing for most of her life. We discu...

A very special interview with Bill Low of AudioQuest. This week's episode is a much more cerebral experience, and one of our favorites to tackle. Joined by AudioQuest founder William Low, we talk about some great topics for anyone interested in high fidelity, critical listening and all the possibilities around hearing. What is realism in audio? Why does our hearing focus on certain things and not...

A huge show this week with both Steve "The Audiophiliac" Guttenberg and legendary speaker designer Andrew Jones. The Reviewer and the Designer was recorded live at AXPONA 2026 in Chicago this year. In a keynote session on Friday, The Occasional Podcast had a live audience for the first time. The three way banter was a great variation for the format, with some great conversations and educational bi...

Live from Chicago, IL - The cast and crew from PartTimeAudiophile's coverage of AXPONA 2026 weigh in. Held April 10-12 in the Schaumburg Convention Center, this episode reports back on all the showroom highlights and the latest hifi product releases from the largest high fidelity audio event in North America. Best of show, standout gear and plenty of weekend observations. Special thanks to Marc Ph...

In this episode we sit down with Jana Dagdagan from the YouTube channel Jana Loves HiFi. Jana shares her story and gives us her unique perspective on the HiFi industry, having worked with both Stereophile magazine and darko.audio before recently kicking off her own YouTube channel. Jana's videos have a keen eye for angles and a distinctly cinematic feel in a sea of talking head creators. A refresh...

An interview with long time industry writer/editor/PR/guitarist Frank Doris. Frank is an audiophile enthusiast who has written for The Absolute Sound (back in the Harry Pearson days) and now Copper Magazine. He has also worked in PR (and does so currently) with various HiFi brands. This episode contains mostly stories from Frank's history in the hobby, along with a little cosmic wisdom and teachin...

An interview with Robert Harley, Editor-In-Chief of The Absolute Sound. In the Season 14 premier, we enter our 2026 collection of conversations with none other than Robert Harley himself. One of the more prolific reviewers of the hobby, Robert chats about his long tenure in high-end audio, along with his unique perspective (and history) with analog, critical listening, regionalized sounds and just...

Marc and Brian take on pt. AUDIO's coverage of the Florida Audio Expo in Tampa, held February 20-22. This episode reports back on all the showroom highlights and the latest hifi product releases from the Q1 event. Best of show, standout gear and plenty of weekend observations. From proper room etiquette to stranded HiFi writers, this episode tells you everything you need to know about the first bi...

A full breakdown of the history and ongoing legacy of one of, if not THE most iconic and legendary speaker of all time, the Quad ESL 57 Electrostatic Loudspeaker. In this informative and educational episode, we provide some context, impressions and observations about one of the most-longstanding reference HiFi speakers ever. What makes the ESL 57 so special? How did it earn its title in the panthe...

An Interview With Brad Lunde, President of Lone Mountain Audio. This episode is packed with tons of amazing stories, tips, and advice - from both sides of the musical coin - Pro Audio and HiFi. Plenty of ink has been spilled on the differences between utilizing HiFi as a way to consume music, and the techniques for producing music using speakers and other production gear as "tools". However, the t...

19-year-old Lucca Chesky already has few speaker designs under his belt. The LC1 and LC2 Bookshelves have been touring the HiFi audio show circuit and earning some well-deserved accolades in the process. Implementing both 3D printing and a sub-$2k budget invites not only a younger crowd with more entry-level spending habits, but also some real HiFi intentions to a entirely new crowd of much-needed...

Our 2026 Buyer's Guide For Audiophiles. Marc and Brian go over some of the best and brightest audio products reviewed and heard for the upcoming year. Broken out into several HiFi categories, the buyer's guide provides some insight into the season's best audiophile products along with some general banter and tips for the hobby. See the full guide in written form at PT.Audio . Video coverage:  http...

Coverage and impressions from Captial Audiofest 2025. Marc, Brian and Scot broadcast live from the big DC audio event. This show includes full impressions and observations on trends. What rooms sounded like perfection? What new products really impressed? All the details on a ton of new gear get annouced at this East Coast show and we have them all to share with you in this robust, boots-on-the-gro...

Marc And Brian from pt. AUDIO run down all the latest gear hitting the HiFi and Audiophile market for the holiday season. From premium speaker products to headphones, IEMs and amplifiers, this episode discusses and dissects all the new product announcements for 4th quarter and beyond.  If you are attending Capital Audiofest next weekend, please swing by the Wilson Room and see our CAF 2025 sponsor...

An interview with Ed Mullen and Nick Brown of SVS . In this detailed educational discussion, we explore all the things that you can do to improve the sound of your stereo through adjusting your listening room. An often overlooked, essential part of HiFi performance is condition of the ceiling, walls and floor of the room your rig is located in. Technical expert Ed Mullen joins us to dissect the su...

An interview with Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith. Peter has a very long history of research and development in audio. From his time at IBM to amps to turntable cartridges, Peter has long sought to educate and enlighten the twisting technicalities of HiFi. In this interview we chat about why audio is sometimes pros, cons and compromise. It is an evolution that attempts to help to solve a host of pro...

This episode is a collection of interviews that help explore the idea of measurements as they relate to high fidelity audio reproduction from an audio product designer's perspective. Some of the most predominant makers of HiFi gear share their thoughts on measurements, discussing the usefulness, limitations, and greater impact on the market. Includes interviews with Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK...

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding Turntable Carts from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best turntable cartridges for record players available to buy today. Released in conjunction with the pt. AUDIO Buyer's Guide Summer 2025. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here: https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/ In this ep...

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding turntables from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best turntable picks from 2025. Released in conjunction with the pt. AUDIO Summer Buyer's Guide. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here:  https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/ Video coverage: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio Season...

An interview with Vince Burzzese of Totem Acoustic. Vince has been developing speakers for many years, and his longtime brand Totem Acoustic has carved out its audience in the HiFi realm since 1987. We sit down with him to chat about his design philosophy, audio journey, and more in this very unique interview. Vince is a rare Canadian designer based out of Montreal, Quebec. His goals and mission i...

An intervew with Director of Acoustic Design at IAG, Peter Comeau. Peter helps manage the sound design for IAG brands, including Wharfedale, Mission, Quad, Castle and Audiolab. We chat him up and discuss his outlook on listening, reproducing sound and more. Peter gives his take on several audiophile myths, including how far a speaker should really be placed from a wall for the best bass response....

Our recommendations for the top 10 best sounding integrated amplifiers from the past 12 months. Marc and Brian run down their best amp picks from cheapest to most expensive. Released in conjunction with the pt. AUDIO Buyer's Guide Summer 2025. You can check out all the "best of" gear from every HiFi category here:  https://pt.audio/category/audio-gear-reviews/buyers-guide/ Video coverage: https://...

An interview with Kevin Hayes Of VAC. The KT88 and the 300b tube are some of the most popular options for HiFi amplification. But what are the differences and why do some amp designers choose one over the other? Kevin explains the situation and also discusses Class A, if amplifiers "warm up", and if tubes sound better in the pre amp or power amp. A very educational and inspirational interview with...