For those of you scratching your head, a shorting plug is an RCA connector with its signal and ground wires shorted together. Here’s a picture of some fancy gold-plated versions. The idea is to stuff these shorting plugs into the unused inputs on a preamplifier. The goal is to make sure no noise gets into […]
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Rules are made to be broken and I cannot think of a better one to break than that of the Rule of Thirds. When that rule is applied to loudspeaker setup it calls for the room to be broken up into thirds: 1/3 of the room’s longest dimension away from the front wall is where […]
When you see a woofer moving in and out at low bass notes does that action cause distortion? And if so, what kind and how important is it? Paul helps a person make the right choice in speakers. Watch Now Paul McGowan
Paul McGowan writes: If for some reason your power amplifier puts DC into your loudspeaker you’ll wind up letting the magic blue smoke out and killing your loudspeaker. ”Magic blue” smoke is engineering humor: it’s what we jokingly say when a component blows up and smoke spews from its innards – “oops, we let the […]
How can equipment with only 2-prong plugs have ground? There is no earth ground, right? Paul explains in easy to understand terms all about that mysterious subject, ground. Watch Now Paul McGowan
Two of the greatest loudspeakers ever built are the Infinity IRS V and its successor, the Genesis 1, both designed by the legendary Arnie Nudell. What are the differences between these two monster speakers? Watch Now Paul McGowan
When we think about distortion products we are generally referring to the harmonic kind. Harmonics are naturally occurring byproducts of sound: a plucked string will generate the intended frequency (called the first harmonic) and then higher versions of that note, each slightly less loud than its predecessor. These higher frequencies are all integers (whole numbers) […]
Most recognize the difference in sound quality between tubes and transistors, but why? They both amplify, they both make music, can be used in any electronic circuit, yet perform differently. Paul does his best to explain the inner workings of tubes and differences with transistors. Watch Now ▸
There’s a common misconception that bigger more powerful amplifiers play louder. Find out the truth behind this audio myth and why bigger amps are preferred over smaller ones. And it isn’t because they play louder. Watch Now
Paul McGowan writes: When the subject of polite conversation eventually turns to exposing the fact I am an audiophile I get a number of interesting changes in body language. Everything from an eyebrow raise, to a questioning look, to a head shake, as the notion that I am someone not only off the beaten path […]
It is human nature that causes most of us to be a skeptic. After all, no one wants to be fooled or taken down a crooked path. What fascinates me is the triggers that tell me when to turn on or off the skeptic in me. If I am on a journey or a mission […]
Paul McGowan writes: How do you connect a subwoofer up if there’s no subwoofer output available on your equipment? Paul explains the best way to go about it and why. Watch Now
Paul McGowan … All stereo systems produce a sonic image—some better than others. But, regardless of the image quality, there’s one thing we can say they have in common: a size to that image. If you turn the level of the stereo down to a whisper there’s a tiny image trapped between the speakers. Crank […]
Volume controls of all kinds affect sound quality in negative ways, some more than others. Is there one type of level control that’s better than all others and if so, why? Watch Now
When we speak of global feedback we’re referring to the practice of wrapping the output signal of a device back to its input for comparison and correction. Because the input “knows” what’s right, a simple comparison circuit between the two serves to rectify any differences. Of course, nothing in engineering is a free lunch. You […]
Paul McGowan writes: I suppose the term “headroom” must have come about in response to tall people trying to make sure there’s enough room for their heads to go through a doorway or fit into a carriage. Makes sense anyway. In audio, headroom means that there’s enough space to amplify music without running into the […]
Paul McGowan … Sorry about the headline, just couldn’t resist. We are going to start delving into the working of Class D amps, also incorrectly known as “digital amps” and correctly labeled PWM amps – short for Pulse Width Modulation. As is our custom we’ll start with an overview and then get into details. It’s […]
Wouldn’t it be easier for PS Audio and other manufacturers of high-performance stereo gear to look inside their competition and steal their secrets? Why don’t more manufacturers do it?
There’s plenty of different models of loudspeakers on the market. How do some become recognized as audiophile quality while others do not?
DSD is the finest sounding recording medium. Far better and more analog-like than PCM which is everywhere. But, does it have a future in the recording industry? Watch Now
Some preamp manufacturers insist their use of an inverted output is the right way to go and any products that do not invert are simply not as good. Is that true? Watch HERE
Ever wonder about the advantages and disadvantages of horn load speakers? Here’s your chance to learn all you need to know. Watch Now Paul McGowan