SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

Dynaudio's Otto Jørgensen: Made in Denmark and Elsewhere

This week, host Jorden Guth chats with Dynaudio’s Otto Jørgensen about the company’s manufacturing processes, its massive Jupiter speaker-measuring room and how it compares to anechoic chambers, and why some things must still be made locally from a practical perspective. They also dig into why you can’t look at the “Made in X” label on a component and truly tell where it’s made. 
Outro music: “Raising the Stakes” by T Bless and the Professionals
Further reading:
Meet Otto: https://dynaudio.com/magazine/2016/march/ask-the-expert-with-otto-joergensen
Measures of success: how Jupiter delivers Dynaudio’s trademark quality: https://dynaudio.com/magazine/2018/december/how-jupiter-delivers-dynaudio-s-trademark-quality
Ibrahim Electric: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Electric

The World's Greatest Speakerman? Sandy Gross: From Polk to Definitive to GoldenEar and Beyond

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by industry legend Sandy Gross to discuss his passion for hi-fi and his insider perspective on the three brands he co-founded and remains mostly closely associated with: Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, and GoldenEar Technology.  
Sources:
“The 2024 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievements and Products of the Year”: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1927-the-2024-soundstage-network-awards-for-outstanding-achievements-and-products-of-the-year
GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R loudspeakers by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1277-goldenear-technology-triton-oner-loudspeakers
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 Introductions00:09:55 The origins of Polk Audio00:21:30 That famous labcoat advert00:26:01 Lights, camera . . . action?00:29:14 The road to Definitive00:36:02 Music Break: “Hypnotized” by Ian Post00:37:02 GoldenEar and the art of the demo00:43:05 A Triton by any other name00:54:19 Outro: “Blown Again” by Morphlexis

Dr. Sean Olive on the Harman Target and Its Myriad Alternatives

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined once again by Dr. Sean Olive, senior fellow at Harman International, to dive deeper into the development of the Harman target curve for headphones, the reason why so many alternative target headphone curves have cropped up in recent years, and what it all means for music fans. 
Sources:
“Sound Researcher Dr. Sean Olive” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/sound-researcher-dr-sean-olive-tonmeister-nrc-harman-and-floyd-toole-target-curves/
“Dr. Sean Olive on 35 Years of ‘Fast Car’” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1259-dr-sean-olive-on-35-years-of-fast-car
Seong-Jin Cho: https://seongjin-cho.com/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 Introductions00:02:09 A deeper dive into the origins of the Harman target curve00:18:26 Music Break: “Rush Hour” by Peter John00:19:24 Everybody and his brother has a target headphone curve00:38:02 Outro: “Piano Concerto (Ravel)” by Ohad Ben-Ari

A Completely Different Speaker—Ole Siig of Treble Clef Audio

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Ole Siig to discuss his history in hi-fi and the development and design of Treble Clef Audio’s distinctive and much-ballyhooed TCA-M active loudspeaker, which the SoundStage! Network video team covered when they traveled to Denmark last year to cover.
Sources:
“Treble Clef Audio's TCA-M Loudspeaker—Danish, Active, Expensive, and Dazzlingly Original” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/TNV6U9H1Rcc?si=62GFmSq_6iQs5Nw0
“January Snow Days—Treble Clef Audio and the David Chesky Trio” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1933-january-snow-days-treble-clef-audio-and-the-david-chesky-trio
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 The origins of Treble Clef00:21:00 Music Break: “Heavy Traffic” by Amos Ever Hadani00:22:20 What makes the TCA-M different?00:53:00 Outro: “Baker St” by Duffmusiq

Hi-Fi Entrepreneur Peter Lyngdorf—The Follow-Up Interview

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by hi-fi industry legend Peter Lyngdorf for a supplemental chat, following the release of SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider’s one-on-one video interview on the SoundStage! Network YouTube channel. Peter Lyngdorf is the founder of many hi-fi brands, including DALI, Lyngdorf Audio, Steinway Lyngdorf, and he is also the founder the the HiFi Klubben retail chain, which has nearly 100 stores throughout Europe.
Sources:
“How Peter Lyngdorf Became Denmark's Most Prolific and Successful Hi-Fi Entrepreneur” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/QxTsEqlnEC0?si=LcSCeuGEZ2AAzESR
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 Origin stories00:20:12 Music Break: “Less Than Tomorrow” by Raphaël Angelini00:22:44 A different approach to room correction00:54:09 Outro: “The Desert” by Patrick Ussher

All-Disc Playback: Rob Jones, President of Magnetar Audio North America

Do discs matter anymore? This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Rob Jones, president of Magnetar Audio North America, to discuss the brand’s high-performance universal disc players, the fuzzy lines between hi-fi and home theater, and the future of physical media.
Source:
“Magnetar UDP900 4K Ultra HD Universal Blu-ray Disc Player–DAC” by Roger Kanno: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1854-magnetar-udp900-4k-ultra-hd-universal-blu-ray-disc-player-dac
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 The road to Magnetar00:23:23 Music Break: “IDK” by Modern Aquatic00:24:15 The intersection of home theater and hi-fi00:37:47 Outro: “Let's Not Rush Out and Tell Everyone” by Glories

Back to Speaker Basics: Axiom Audio’s New Performance44 Series

Axiom is a Canadian loudspeaker brand founded by Ian Colquhoun in 1980. It was one of the first companies to adopt the design principles based on the research Dr. Floyd Toole was conducting at Canada’s National Research Council (NRC). Today, Colquhoun not only owns Axiom Audio, but also Bryston and Magnum Dynalab. This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Ian Colquhoun to discuss the value engineering that made the company’s new Performance44 loudspeaker line possible. 
Sources:
“Axiom Audio’s Ian Colquhoun and NRC” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/axiom-audio-s-ian-colquhoun-and-nrc-origin-dr-floyd-toole-music-types-twin-tweeters-measurements/
“Axiom Audio's M100 v4 Loudspeaker”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cdPUHJKx70
“Canadian Hi-Fi Trilogy: Axiom Audio, Bryston, and Magnum Dynalab—All Under One Expanding Roof” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1785-canadian-hi-fi-trilogy-axiom-audio-bryston-and-magnum-dynalab-all-under-one-expanding-roof
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 What makes Performance44 different?00:15:00 Music Break: “My Bet” by RocknStock00:16:12 Why now?00:30:41 Outro: “Batteries Are for Flashlights, Not for Pickups” by Art Against Agony

2024 SoundStage! Awards for Products of the Year and Outstanding Achievements

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to discuss the 2024 SoundStage! Awards for Products of the Year and Outstanding Achievements. Doug gives the insight on what the awards me and how they are chosen, as well as explain the special awards video SoundStage! created with singer Kellylee Evans.
Sources:
“The 2024 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievements and Products of the Year” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1927-the-2024-soundstage-network-awards-for-outstanding-achievements-and-products-of-the-year
“The SoundStage! Australia Products of the Year Awards 2024” by Edgar Kramer: https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/features/929-the-soundstage-australia-products-of-the-year-awards-2024
“Best Hi-Fi Products and Top People 2024—SoundStage! International Hi-Fi Awards” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/FYH1bDPczbA?si=-w2b7pGQudQSmIfU
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:30 Products of the Year: categories and choosing00:05:03 Explaining the Outstanding Achievement awards00:05:03 Outstanding Achievement award winners00:13:02 Music Break: "The Wassail Song" by The Reed Pittman Trio00:15:03 Welcome back from the break00:15:14 Products of the Year: Distinction category (core sites)00:15:14 Products of the Year: Outstanding Performance category (core sites)00:24:58 Products of the Year: Outstanding Performance category (SoundStage! Australia)00:26:53 Products of the Year: Distinction category (SoundStage! Australia)00:29:16 Products of the Year: Exceptional Value category (SoundStage! Australia)00:30:22 Products of the Year: Exceptional Value category (core sites)00:34:22 Where to find the awards (core sites)00:35:31 Outro: “Jingle Bells” by TEO