You’ve spent time with. Mid-eighties to 2000. Tube or SS. Try to restrict it to the standout performers. For instance, I have an Aragon 8008 that is an amazing amp, but my Threshold S/300 edges it out in most categories so I’ll restrict my offering to that unit. And also try to limit your suggestions […]
AUDIO: Ask us
A dialogue between audiophile enthusiasts
Found 571 results
Paul McGowan Ok, file this post under Paul’s Pet Peeve department. In reading comments on YouTube and even our forums, why is it some call others “stupid” when they don’t see eye to eye? The dictionary defines stupid as: “having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense” and I don’t think most […]
I lived many blissful years with my Reimyo CDP-777, but finally decided it was time to start the transition to PC audio. I opted for the Esoteric K01 in order to have the maximum playback flexibility with CD, SACD, and asynchronous USB DAC. Fast-forward about 6 months and I find myself really missing the […]
I get how an action figure in it’s original box and unopened can fetch more money but why does the original box and paperwork become so value added for stereo gear? I would value the original owners manual or service manual or schematics if they are not available anywhere else. And even then I would […]
Paul McGowan: …is that it leads to success. Perhaps the hard way, but sometimes it’s the only path there. Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement about the amp not living up to what I wanted but, here’s the thing about failing, it pushes you harder to succeed and in the process of figuring […]
“I was just curious why more home systems don’t utilize active monitors from hi-end manufacturers. Dynaudio, Focal, PMC and Genelec to name a few seem to have very high value offerings that, on the surface, appear taylor made for a simple system. Just add a cd player with volume and balanced outs or a hi-end […]
Hello Chaps. After doing a cleanup of my photobucket account I found lots of pics from my hifi past and some current ones too so I thought I’d share this selection of kit. This is by no means everything I’ve owned in the past but I don’t have the pics for some other kit. Anyways, […]
Rarevids writes: I have been selling on ebay for nearly 2 decades. I use to love it. Over the last decade, all of their policy changes heavily favor buyers. Sellers cannot leave negative feedback, and we cannot stop non-paying bidders from bidding on our auctions. This has turned into a huge hassle and a waste […]
Paul McGowan writes: Just for grins I pulled out a 30 year old preamplifier from PS Audio and gave it a listen. I was stunned at just how good it sounded. At first I was depressed because it immediately said to me that we can’t have made much progress over the last three decades. But […]
If you’re upgrading or assembling a stereo system from scratch what’s the biggest bang for the buck? How can someone on a strict budget ever get good sound? Watch Now
Paul McGowan writes: Last night we’re walking by a hotel and through an open window I hear the sound of a live piano. The folks I am with hear the same thing and comment on the fact it’s live. How is it we can tell something is live vs. recorded and reproduced from a distance […]
Paul McGowan writes: A while back I mentioned John Atkinson’s name and several of my readers were horrified–said they could not trust him–because he had heard a difference on a process that intellectually offended them. Rubbish. Let’s examine this notion. The offending item is the demagnetizing of CDs. I may be thrown out of the […]
Seen on twitter – he’s just bought a pair of Audion Silver Night 300b monos. https://twitter.com/profbriancox/sta…51962666307584 Join the conversation HERE
Paul McGowan: I am always fascinated by macro views – those all encompassing views of complex interactions we tend to think of as simple and explainable when in reality they are terribly complicated and intertwined. Let me give you some examples. Ever stop and wonder what the rules and mechanisms of automobile traffic patterns might […]
In 2006 I was in a reasonably lucky financial situation and so bought via Ornec an Original 2008F HDCD CD player and a Yarland Pro 200SE 300B SE amplifier. Both of these units looked amazing and were very stylish by comparison with British units but of course I could not listen to either before purchase. […]
Paul McGowan writes: Have you ever noticed how much better your car runs after you wash it? Or how about how much better your audio system sounds after you’ve cleaned, dusted, and taken some time to groom the room? Maybe I am the only one on this planet that feels this, but I suspect not. […]
The thread starts ….. Following on from a recent post of mine (that was posted in the wrong place) I have decided to share with those interested the thoughts and findings of a good friend of mine who works as a consultant technician for a well known and respected loudspeaker manufacturer. Over the last ten […]
In yesterday’s post about the fluidity of my stereo system, I mentioned upgrading from the amazing BHK300 monoblock amplifiers to the newer BHK600s. More than a few people emailed me asking why. Why would I upgrade what is already an overkill amplifier to one with even more wattage? It’s a good question. Let’s look at some of […]
When I hear someone suggest that as humans we’re all the same I cringe. Thankfully, we are not all the same. Each of us is wired differently than the others. Sure, we have much in common (thank goodness), but what works for me might not work for you. The differences in our wiring can often […]
PAUL McGOWAN / PS AUDIO … In a nutshell, it seems like everything’s up these days: shipping costs, parts costs, materials, labor. And, to make matters worse, I am certain it’s not news that there’s even a worldwide parts shortage that’s become known as the Partsdemic. Our team at PS Audio has been working their ever-loving tails off […]
The central appeal of an integrated amplifier is the chance for a designer to maximize the synergy between internal systems: the preamp that best fits the amplifier. Unfortunately, most integrateds are not designed with synergy as their guiding principle but rather squeezing as much into a single box as budget will allow. I think of […]
Paul McGowan writes ….. It’s not always easy to separate fact from fiction because few things in life are black and white enough to make simple judgments. For example, years ago a young technician who became a reviewer, Enid Lumley, drove three and a half hours to PS Audio headquarters to report a discovery she […]
James Harward, works at James Harward ProductionsUpdated September 19, 2018 · Upvoted by Michiel Lombaers, 30 years as a sound engineer writes … Audio engineers typically do use high-end headphones, just not high-end consumer headphones. There is a difference from headphones that are meant for studio use (mixing) vs. what is used for listening to […]
I am starting this thread in the hope of gathering some information on what we can hear (frequencies) and how we approach our music listening. Also what type of music we listen to, and if that affects HOW we listen, and vice versa. This came up in the “The little changes…” thread, but I feel […]