SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

Dancing About Architecture - Graffiti Jazz | Dirac’s Auto Target Curve | Cutting-Edge Class-D

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into a new album by David Chesky called Graffiti Jazz, a unique and fascinating jazz composition that comes with separate mixes for speakers and headphones. From there they transition into a discussion about Dirac Live’s new Auto Target Curve and how it potentially improves some aspects of room correction, as well as how it could be improved even more. As an aid to new listeners who’ve complained about overuse of terms like hertz and kilohertz without explaining what these mean, we’ve also included a few tone sweeps to illustrate the frequency ranges being discussed. 
To wrap things up, Brent and Dennis dig into two new articles about GaN FETs vs. MOSFETs and what they mean for class-D amplifiers, which gives them a perfect opportunity to dispel some myths about class D. 
Sources:
Graffiti Jazz (David Chesky) [Digital Download]: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/products/graffiti-jazz-david-chesky-digital-download
"David Chesky's New New Revolution in Headphone Sound" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/329-david-cheskys-new-new-revolution-in-headphone-sound
"Dirac Introduces New Dirac Live Auto Target Curve" by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/dirac-introduces-new-dirac-live-auto-target-curve
"This One Room-Correction Trick Could Breathe New Life into Your A/V Receiver" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1109-this-one-room-correction-trick-could-breathe-new-life-into-your-av-receiver
"NAD C 399 Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1179-nad-c-399-integrated-amplifier-dac
"Voice for True Wireless Earbuds, GaN, and More Exciting Audio Frontiers in audioXpress April 2022": https://audioxpress.com/news/voice-for-true-wireless-earbuds-gan-and-more-exciting-audio-frontiers-in-audioxpress-april-2022
"The Peachtree Audio GaN400: A New Breed of Class D Amplification" by Jacob Green: https://www.audioholics.com/amplifier-reviews/peachtree-audio-gan400

Cryogenically Frozen Kitty Litter - RF Filter | Wilson Lōkē Sub | DACs | Blind-Test Problems

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger slay the RF interference dragon with math and science. Next up, they opine about the new Lōkē subwoofer from Wilson Audio, which has caused quite a bit of controversy in the audiophile community in recent weeks. 
Wrapping things up, they dig into a recent article by Dennis about digital-to-analog converters and whether they make a difference, which leads to a discussion of an older SoundStage! Experience article by Brent in which he put this exact question to the test. 
Sources:
“Fono Acustica - Compás Speaker Ground System”: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/fono-acustica-compas-speaker-ground-system/
“Wilson Audio Introduces the Lōkē subwoofer (for TuneTot)” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2022/03/wilson-audio-introduces-the-loke-subwoofer-for-tunetot/
Wilson LōKē Subwoofer discussion thread at ASR: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/wilson-l%C5%8Dk%C4%93-subwoofer.31552/
“How Much Difference Do DACs Really Make?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1183-how-much-difference-do-dacs-really-make
“The Problem with Blind Testing” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/pulse-menu/834-the-problem-with-blind-testing

Like Marriages and War - Measurements | Headphone Sound | Sound United | Florida Audio Expo

In this episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig deep into the former's most recent editorial on SoundStage! Solo: "Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements." They also give their take on the recent news that medical equipment manufacturer Masimo has purchased Sound United—parent company of Denon, Polk, Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Definitive Technology, and Boston Acoustics—for a billion bucks.
Finally, Brent and Dennis take a virtual stroll through SoundStage! Global's coverage of the 2022 Florida Audio Expo and talk about the products they most wish they could have auditioned for themselves.
Sources:
"Why You Shouldn't Always Rely on Measurements" by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/325-why-you-shouldnt-always-rely-on-measurements
"Thoughts on Reviewing" by Jim Austin: https://www.stereophile.com/content/thoughts-reviewing
"Segmentation of Listeners Based on Their Preferred Headphone Sound Quality Profiles" by Sean Olive, Todd Welti, and Omid Khonsaripour: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=20289
"Monitor Audio Silver 300 7G Loudspeakers" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1175-monitor-audio-silver-300-7g-loudspeakers
"Sound United Acquired by Medical Products Maker Masimo Corp. in $1B Deal" by Ted Green: https://www.strata-gee.com/sound-united-acquired-by-medical-products-maker-masimo-corp-in-1b-deal/
"Florida Audio Expo 2022 Coverage from Tampa, USA" by Doug Schneider and Jason Davis: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/florida-audio-expo-2022-tampa-usa

Stop Me If I Get Unhinged - A Dangerous Myth | NFTs | Danny Richie & Reviewer Corruption

In this episode of the SoundStage Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into The Most Dangerous Myth in Audio and open up the reader mailbag to find a link to an alternative point of view from The Absolute Sound. That leads right into a discussion of a recent Audioholics piece about NFTs, the art market, and the future of hi-fi.
Lastly, they dig deep into a recent video from Danny Richie of GR-Research about corruption in the audiophile press and how YouTube reviewers aren't quite savvy enough to review his gear.
Sources:
"The Most Dangerous Myth in Audio" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1174-the-most-dangerous-myth-in-audio
"Philosophical Notes: Secrets You Need to Know to Be an Audiophile, p.1" by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/philosophical-notes-secrets-you-need-to-know-to-be-an-audiophile-p-1
"Measuring Sensory Memory: Magnetoencephalography Habituation and Psychophysics" by Zhong-Lin Lu and George Sperling: https://lobes.osu.edu/Journals/LEA03b.pdf
"CALLING OUT the REVIEWERS!" by Danny Richie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVzN0_TCaM&t=23s&ab_channel=GR-Research
"The Biggest Problem with Audio Reviewers (and Manufacturers)" by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1084-the-biggest-problem-with-audio-reviewers-and-manufacturers

Kerfuffle Coming Up! - Headphones vs. Speakers | Cheap Speakers | Less-than-Perfect $45K Amps

In this inaugural episode of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, hosts Brent Butterworth and Dennis Burger dig into fan mail, relitigate the great “headphones vs. speakers” debate, and discuss why they’re hopping on the podcasting bandwagon at this juncture.
They also riff on a recent video from The Audiophiliac himself, Steve Guttenberg, about why you shouldn’t spend a ton of dough on your first pair of speakers. The two also pontificate about a hot new Kickstarter campaign for the Heavys, the first modern wireless headphones aimed squarely at metalheads, and speculate about why no manufacturer is making cans specifically for the underserved Yacht Rock community.
Lastly, they dig into a new article by SoundStage! editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz titled “Stereophile and D'Agostino: Is It Really a Progression?” Is there really any excuse for a $45K/pair monoblock amplifier to measure anything less than perfectly? And what do those measurements mean, really? Unsurprisingly, Brent and Dennis have opinions on the matter.
Sources:“BEFORE you buy an expensive speaker watch this video!” by Steve Guttenberg: https://youtu.be/dZDylt8F0fI
“Speakers or Headphones?” by Dennis Burger and Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1167-speakers-or-headphones
HEAVYS | Headphones Engineered for Heavy Metal: https://www.heavys.com/
“Stereophile and D’Agostino: Is It Really a Progression?” by Jeff Fritz: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1069-stereophile-and-d-agostino-is-it-really-a-progression