SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

New Loudspeakers Galore - DALI | Treble Clef Audio | Radiant Acoustics | Arendal Sound | Focal

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to discuss all of the hot new speakers coming out right now, including models from DALI, Treble Clef Audio, Radiant Acoustics, Arendal Sound, and Focal. They dig deep into the specifics, and also touch on why so many new and noteworthy loudspeakers are coming out now.
Sources:
“DALI Epikore 11 Loudspeaker” by Jason Thorpe: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1225-dali-epikore-11-loudspeaker
“New DALI Epikore 9, 7, and 3—‘Affordable’ Flagship Speakers from Denmark” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/BSVHm31EmV4?si=_traJo-IQqWVZZZv
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:31 New Speakers from ALI, Treble Clef Audio, Radiant Acoustics, Arendal Sound00:31:36 Music Break: “Mojo” by Jimit00:32:50 Focal, too. But why now?00:59:24  “Mirleft” by Guy Buttery

Take a Break and Reflect - Anthony Grimani on Speakers, Rooms, Acoustics

Host Jorden Guth is expecting another child with his wife. Producer Dennis Burger has a few written reviews to catch up on for the SoundStage! Network. As a result, we decided it is a good time to take a quick break before we resume season 3 in a couple of weeks.
But we're not going to leave you hanging with nothing to listen to. Jorden Guth went through our archives and thought this was a good change to revisit the 12th episode from season 2: "Anthony Grimani on Speakers, Rooms, Acoustics." If you have not listened to it, we think you will enjoy it. If you have listened to it, you might want to listen again because there is a good change you will pick up on something that you didn't pick up on before. Enjoy!

Trinnov’s Road to WaveForming - Broken Atmos Promise | Misbehaved Bass

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Trinnov Audio general manager Jon Herron to discuss the company’s history, the synergy between physical room acoustics and DSP room optimization, why different frequencies of sound require a different approach, and how the company’s new WaveForming technology is a whole new approach to perfecting bass performance in-room.
Sources:
“Trinnov Amethyst DAC-Preamplifier-Processor" by Al Griffin https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/39-trinnov-amethyst-dac-preamplifier-processor
Trinnov Audio: https://www.trinnov.com/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:31 Introductions and origins stories00:09:51 What makes Trinnov different?00:26:59 The broken promise of Atmos00:31:59 Music Break: “Once Upon a Time in the West Elevator” by Jamison Dewlen00:33:17 A deeper dive into old-school acoustics00:36:23 Why bass misbehaves00:43:59 How WaveForming works00:59:24  “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Will Taylor

Marrying Hi-Fi with Pro Audio - Paul Hales | Pro Audio Technology Origins | What Matters

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Pro Audio Technology owner/president L. Paul Hales to discuss his history in audio, how audio research has guided the development of his speakers over the years, what really matters in audio and what doesn’t, and why most consumer speakers fall short in one significant way.
Sources:
“Theory Audio Design Sys5.2.2.8515 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos Surround Speaker System” by Vince Hanada: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1111-theory-audio-design-sys5-2-2-8515-5-2-2-dolby-atmos-surround-speaker-system
Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 1: https://www.soundstage.life/e/dr-floyd-toole-an-oral-history-1-two-ears-and-a-brain-transistors-rules-and-data/
Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 2: https://www.soundstage.life/e/dr-floyd-toole-an-oral-history-2-ab-tests-bass-athena-brains-rooms-hearing-listening/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:31 Introductions and origins stories00:30:16 Music Break: “Harpstrings and Chill (Gymnopédie No. 1)” by Lalinea00:31:19 Hi-fi PA speakers?00:43:08 The origins of Pro Audio Technology00:59:40 What really matters in audio?01:12:14  “Gymnopédie No. 1” by T. Bless and the Professionals

All About Vinyl - Earliest Experience | Cartridges | Accuracy | Belt vs. Direct Drive | Psychology

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by the SoundStage! Network’s Joseph Taylor, Jason Thorpe, and Dennis Burger to discuss records and turntables, from the perspective of two old pros and one recent convert to the format.
Sources:
“A Vinyl-Apathist’s Quest for His Perfect First Turntable” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1297-a-vinyl-apathists-quest-for-his-perfect-first-turntable
“Confessions of a Recent Vinyl Convert” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1301-confessions-of-a-recent-vinyl-convert
“Record Store Day and Vinyl Culture” by Joseph Taylor: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/features-menu/pulse-menu/1151-record-store-day-and-vinyl-culture
“Read the Instructions! The Perils of Cartridge Setup” by Jason Thorpe: https://soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/opinion-menu/1231-read-the-instructions-the-perils-of-cartridge-setup
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:31 Introductions00:15:01 Tea ceremony for music 00:26:39 Music Break: "Homecoming" by Rex Banner00:27:27 How much difference do cartridges make?00:36:34 The psychology of sound quality01:03:08  "Afternoon Dissection" by Chameleon Treat

Simaudio & the Art of Local Manufacturing - Origins | Nimbleness | Repairability

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined once again by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss how making its products locally affects the quality of the components, their serviceable life, rolling changes to production, and adapting to tough times like global pandemics. 
Sources:
North Collection: https://simaudio.com/en/product-category/north-collection/
“Simaudio’s North Collection: The Future of Hi-Fi?” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/simaudio-s-north-collection-the-future-of-hi-fi/
“Simaudio’s Moon 791 Streaming Preamplifier: Uncompromised” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1841-simaudio-s-moon-791-streaming-preamplifier-uncompromised
“Moon by Simaudio Has Exited the Echo Chamber” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1201-moon-by-simaudio-has-exited-the-echo-chamber
“Simaudio’s Étienne Gautier & the Art of Marketing Moon” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/simaudio-s-etienne-gautier-the-art-of-marketing-moon-baumgartner-restoration-taskmaster/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:31 The origins of Simaudio00:04:03 How manufacturing at home keeps a company nimble 00:22:03 Music Break: "Threads of Smoke" by Tamuz Dekel00:23:14 Local manufacturing’s impact on repairability00:49:24  "Alice Loses Her Temper" by Maybird

Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 2 - A/B Tests | Bass | Athena | Brains, Rooms, Hearing and Listening

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Floyd Toole, exploring the origins of the Athena project at Canada’s NRC, the reasons for and details of his move to Harman International, some of the most misunderstood aspects of his research, the origins of his legendary book Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms, his legacy, and the music that moves him.
Closing credits music: “Longitude” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships
Sources:
“Canada’s NRC: A Forthcoming Look at Its Role in the Advancement of Canadian Loudspeaker Design” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1849-canadas-nrc-a-forthcoming-look-at-its-role-in-the-advancement-of-canadian-loudspeaker-design“The Loudspeaker Class of ’74: A Canadian Reunion” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1866-the-loudspeaker-class-of-74-a-canadian-reunion
“Floyd Toole, NRC, SoundStage!—Filming of Our Upcoming Documentary” by the soundstagenetwork on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k8ykCTEOhZI?si=BfcmIAWg1s6BKyQm
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:01:19 The limits of A/B testing00:04:59 Why you have to measure everything00:15:42 All about that bass00:18:40 Athena, assemble! 00:23:47 How our brains make sense of rooms 00:27:28 “Emahoy” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships00:28:45 Working with the CBC00:31:14 How hearing loss impacts judgment00:37:48 Another fateful phone call00:41:20 L.A. is no place to live00:44:02 The hint of a corporate target00:46:22 Herding engineers00:51:13 Listening tests at Harman00:53:22 Publishing the Harman research00:55:55 A feature, not a bugbear00:58:47 “Horse Latitudes” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships01:00:10 Evolution or revolution?01:02:35 The two-sub solution01:07:54 The birth of Sound Reproduction01:11:05 Rewriting the book01:13:42 Unanswered questions and Dr. Toole’s legacy01:45:59 The music that moves Dr. Toole

Dr. Floyd Toole: An Oral History 1 - Two Ears and a Brain | Transistors | Rules and Data

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by the loudspeaker legend himself, Dr. Floyd Toole, whose research at Canada’s National Research Council (NRC), followed by his tenure at Harman International, resulted in arguably more improvements to the fidelity of audio we hear at home than anything attributable to any one person. In this first of our two-part discussion, Dr. Toole discusses his path from university to the NRC and right up to the onset of the Athena project, where we’ll pick up in the second part.
Sources:
“Canada’s NRC: A Forthcoming Look at Its Role in the Advancement of Canadian Loudspeaker Design” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1849-canadas-nrc-a-forthcoming-look-at-its-role-in-the-advancement-of-canadian-loudspeaker-design
“The Loudspeaker Class of ’74: A Canadian Reunion” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1866-the-loudspeaker-class-of-74-a-canadian-reunion
“Floyd Toole, NRC, SoundStage!—Filming of Our Upcoming Documentary” by the soundstagenetwork on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k8ykCTEOhZI?si=BfcmIAWg1s6BKyQm
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:04:39 The dawning of the age of the transistor00:11:05 Two ears and a brain00:21:28 A fateful interview00:27:58 Music break: "Turkish March” by T. Bless & the Professionals00:29:24 Friday afternoon experiments00:33:54 The differences between musicians and audiophiles00:38:54 An industry operating without rules00:49:45 What can we learn from a set of data?00:54:01 “When I Get Home” by Brian Claxton