Michael O'Neal and his co-hosts bridge the gap between the clueless big box stores and the snobby stereo shops. Every show is filled with gear reviews, commentary, and interviews aimed to find out what makes a real world difference in your listening experience, how to get the most bang for your buck, and frankly, how to begin experiencing your music in the way it was intended.
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57: How Does Equipment THIS Cheap Sound THIS Good??? WTF? (00:42:06)
Our good friend Harris Fogel from http://maceditionradio.com comes by to do a show! Harris has been globetrotting to all of the audio shows, so he gives a quick rundown of what he's seen.
Then we get into the "Chi-Fi" (Equipment made in China) and chat about a few of the choice items.
Fosi Audio TB10D: https://amzn.to/3YnWocL Aiyima T9: https://amzn.to/3x0KDNU Emotiva Airmotiv B1+: https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-b1-pair
Geshelli Labs https://geshelli.com/product/jnog2/ Capital Audiofest https://www.capitalaudiofest.com THE Show https://thehomeentertainmentshow.com Copper Magazine https://www.psaudio.com/copper-magazine/ Marantz CD 60 https://www.marantz.com/en-us/product/cd-players/cd60 Schitt Audio https://www.schiit.com PS Audio - The Loudspeaker Book and SACD https://www.psaudio.com/products/the-loudspeaker/ JBL Spinner BTS Turntable https://news.harman.com/releases/harman-luxury-audio-to-unveil-jbl-spinner-bt-turntable-at-harman-explore HARMAN Luxury Audio - JBL Classic Series https://news.harman.com/releases/harman-luxury-audio-to-introduce-new-jbl-classic-series-integrated-amplifier-streaming-media-player-cd-player-and-turntable-at-harman-explore I review the Marantz CD-60 CD Player before we wrap it up.
Thanks for listening!
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56: Top 10 Songs to Show Off Your System, with David Solomon from Qobuz| Beginner Audiophile (01:26:46)
Our good buddy David Solomon from Qobuz (http://qobuz.com) is a MASTER of picking the RIGHT songs to show off his systems. He and I trade in this episode, talk about our favorites, and why we love them.
David's playlist on Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/9292025
My 10:
*Trouble’s What You’re In (Live from Union Chapel, London - Oct 5 2011) - Fink *The Sweetest Taboo - Sade Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) | Eagles Lonely Lonely - Feist Bali Run - Fourplay Best Time - Chris Botti Tin Pan Alley (AKA Roughest Place in Town) - Stevie Ray Vaughan Time - Pink Floyd Fascinating Rhythm (Album Version) - Dave Grusin Gold Dust Woman (2001 Remaster) - Fleetwood Mac HIs 10: Calypso Mino Abdullah Ibrahim Sotho Blue Paper Tiger Lonnie Smith Boogaloo to Beck Looking for A Home Keith Greeninger Blue Coast Collection Raleigh and Spencer Tony Furtado Tony Furtado Band Harlem Nocturne Illinois Jacquet Swing's the Thing Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um Warriors Too Many Zooz Too Many Zooz Firebird Suite The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Quarter Chicken Dark Yo Yo Ma Cakewalk Flim and the Bee bees Tricycle Want to transfer your stuff from another service to Qobuz? http://soundiiz.com
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55: NAMM Show & T.H.E Show Update. Is Dolby Atmos The Future of Hifi? (00:36:19)
So great to be back on the mic! On today's solo show I talk about attending the NAMM show, and how the convergence of the Pro audio and HiFi Audio industry is happening. Then I move onto T.H.E. (The Home Entertainment) Show in Long Beach before discussing the brilliant new Tears for Fears Album in Tidal's Dolby ATMOS, and how immersive and mesmerizing it is.
Here are the ceiling speakers I discussed:
Micca M8C. https://amzn.to/3tAEOoV Micca R8C https://amzn.to/3NN6yPm
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54: What's More Important, The Set Up or The Gear? With David Solomon of Qobuz (01:07:22)
HEY! We're back! David Solomon of http://qobuz.com and I sit down in the lobby of the Hilton hotel Long Beach, where T.H.E. Show 2021 was taking place. We talked about how Covid affected (and still affects) the industry, as well as the importance of setup vs. gear.
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53: How Do We Audition Gear Moving Forward? | GoldenEar Triton 2+ Review and More! (00:51:00)
The return of Patrick Norton, who's moved himself out to St. Louis from Oakland CA, and a review of the GoldenEar Triton 2+ and the JDS Labs Atom AMP and DAC. Book reco: DIY Acoustic Panels: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Acoustic Absorbers and Diffusers
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52: Dr. Paul Returns! | Parasound Halo Hint 6 Review | BMW Audio Upgrades (00:40:40)
Dr. Paul Anderson is back in the house, chatting about his most recent iteration of his system, which includes the Dali Oberon 1, a MUCH cheaper DAC than his $7k Aesthetix, and more! We review the Parasound Halo Hint6 and the BAVSound Upgrade for your BMW, Mini, or Supra.
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51: How To Introduce Your Friends to Hifi | Jabra Elite 75t Review (00:34:22)
It's an amazing thing to be able to "re-introduce" our friends to music again. Think about this: In a sea of Spotify, mp3's, and bluetooth, Some people under the age of 35 LITERALLY may have NEVER heard their music the way it was recorded. You have the chance to see their face light up when they feel the energy and passion the artist intended when they recorded it. That's what this episode is about.
I also discuss the Jabra Elite 75t and determine whether it's the best true wireless earbud on the market today.
Keep listening to good music!
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50: Setting Up A New Listening Room From Scratch | KEF LS50 Wireless vs. Passive | Getting Scammed with Used Gear (00:48:08)
On today's episode I tell a story of how I (almost) got scammed buying a pair of KEF LS50's, used, how I'm setting up a new listening room from scratch, and did a bake-off of the LS50 Passive vs. Wireless.
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49: Are Headphones Required Now? | HELM Audio Founder Eric Johnson Interview | Long Beach System Breakdown (00:48:40)
On today's ep. I chat about my new Long Beach House, and break down the system. (Check out http://instagram.com/beginneraudiophile for pics) Then I get into why headphones have gotten so important over the last couple of months. Finally, I chat with Eric Johnson, founder of HELM audio, about their new program for first responders.
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48: Vintage Audio Buyer's Guide with Mark Cerasuolo (01:06:12)
LONG overdue, on this ep I bring vintage audio expert Mark Ceresuolo on, and we talk all things vintage audio, from which companies made the great gear, some origin stories, and what to look for in vintage receivers, speakers, and turntables.
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47: "Mid-Fi" Integrated Amp Bake Off - Peachtree vs. Vincent Audio vs. Parasound (00:47:10)
During the course of creating this show, I set a mental "cap" that no piece of equipment would cost more than $3000. With few exceptions, I've stuck to that directive. Today however, we push right up to the edge of that limit with three different units: The $2999 Peachtree Nova 500, the $2499 Vincent Audio 247mkII, and the roughly (It's discontinued now) $2500 Parasound Halo.
Now...the truth is, we'd be happy to have ANY of these units on our shelf. Have a listen to see which one we picked as the best of the three!
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46: CES Wrap Up | Ported vs. Non-Ported Subs | Our New Fave Wireless Earbuds from Jabra (00:45:00)
On today's solo episode, I talk about CES 2020, the state of audio, and what's up with the show. Then I break down ported vs. non-ported subwoofers. Finally, a review of the Jabra Elite 65T True Wireless earbuds, and the 85H headphones.
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45: Being A Kid in the 70's and 80's, and how it Shaped Our Music Tastes, with Brooks Hollan. AudioQuest Cobalt Review (01:04:28)
Everyone has a story. Many of us that were kids in the 70's and 80's had that friend or that kid in school that had all the cool stereo gear. Today my pal Brooks Hollan (@life_of_brooksie) and I talk about being a kid in a very influential time for planting musical seeds. We then review the AudioQuest Cobalt...is it the best portable DAC?
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44: New Gear For Beginner Audiophiles (00:33:46)
On this show we talk about some new gear from Elac, Pro-Ject, Audioquest, Amazon Music and more!
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43: New "King of True Wireless" Earbuds, News from Emotiva, Powered Bookshelf Comparo, and more! (00:31:24)
On this solo episode, I update you about the SVS install I did in Utah, cover the new Emotiva AVR in the news, and review the Hifiman TWS600. After a listener question involving the Amazon Echo Dot, we go listen to some great tunes!
Check out http://kit.com/solohour for the earbuds, and any other gear I talk about in this episode.
Check out all the gear at http://svsound.com
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42: Anatomy of an Affordable, KILLER 2 Channel/Home Theater Setup (00:40:24)
Today I share the story of a home theater install I did for my good friend Jase Bennett (@jasebennett) of The Ohana Adventure. They have a youtube channel of over 2.6 MILLION (!) subscribers. Jase and his wife have 6 kids, and he wanted an amazing place for all of them to watch movies. We were really shocked by the result of this install!
have a look at http://beginneraudiophile.com/gear to check out our recommended gear, and some of the gear we used in the install.
Also, if you are looking for incredible bang for the buck, look no further than SVS Sound! http://svsound.com
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41: Re-Imagining The "Audiophile Conference", T.H.E. Show Review (00:56:06)
Today Dr. Paul and I talk about a "hypothetical" audio conference, and how we might reinvent it. With the advent of lifestyle systems, powered speakers with great DACs and sonic integration, it's time we re-think how people consume these audio conferences, and how manufacturers approach them.
We'd love your suggestions on how you would like to experience an audio conference. What would you like to see included? How much would you pay to attend? Where should it be located? Hit us up here with your suggestions: http://beginneraudiophile.com/contact/
This episode brought to you by SVS. Check out the amazing offerings, including the Prime Wireless Bookshelves, at the SVS Website Here. (http://svsound.com)
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Michael's got a new Mac Pro (from 2009) that he's just upgraded, and tells a story of hefting a giant SVS subwoofer up the steps with no help from Fed Ex. Speaking of, this episode is sponsored by SVS. Check out all of their amazing offerings at http://svsound.com.
Patrick had to move his bookshelf speakers, so they dug into the basics of speaker setup and room treatment. Then we dug into a few of your questions, including adding an amp to an AVR, outdoor speakers, and some DAC info.
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39: Big Room Subwoofer Solutions, Choosing Speaker Wire, A RAD 4k Projector, and Speaker Break-In Redux (01:01:08)
On today's episode Patrick Norton and Michael O'Neal chat about an innovative way to break in your new speakers, Michael Reviews the Optoma UHL55 4K Portable Projector, and we answer a few of your questions!
This episode is brought to you by SVS Sound. From the Prime Wireless to their legendary subwoofers, SVS has what you need to absolutely transform your listening experience. Try their subwoofer matching tool at http://svsound.com.
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38: True Wireless Earbud Bakeoff w/Sennheiser vs. Master & Dynamic, BlueSound Gear, and Your Questions (01:01:06)
Airpods? Airpods, really? What do you do when you want great sound in addition to the functionality of True Wireless Earbuds? Today we find out, with this momentus showdown between the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, and the Master & Dynamic MW07. Both priced at $300, do they fit the bill of lifestyle vs. audiophile? We unbox the Cleer NEXT and are very pleasantly surprised. Then we talk about the BlueSound Vault 2i, PowerNode 2i, and Node 2i. Finally, we dig into your questions and head out to listen to some great music.
Today's Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by SVS Sound! Check out their dazzling array of subwoofers, SVS Prime Wireless, and the brand spankin new SVS Pinnacle at http://svsound.com
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37: Interview with an Audiophile, with Matt Rockwell (01:05:09)
Today, 30 year audiophile (and one of the two guys that got me into the hobby) Matt Rockwell and I sit down for a chat in his house in Boulder. When I met Matt, he had a $300k+ system. Now, a few years later, he's "pared it down" to a simple $36k system. I know that sounds like a lot, but this was a fascinating conversation about audio, art, gear, and the true essence of the hobby.
Note...Matt speaks quite softly, so I've done my best with the audio.
Here's Matt's current system:
Speakers: Green Mountian Audio http://greenmountainaudio.com/eos-hd/
Subwoofer: Rel https://rel.net/shop/powered-subwoofers/serie-ti/t9i/ Integrated Amp: Jeff Rowland https://www.jeffrowlandgroup.com/continuum-s2/
DAC: http: Aesthetix Pandora with Signature Upgrade //aesthetix.net/digital.php Digital Source: Custom Ubuntu 18.04 Linux, Real-Time Kernel. Running Roon/Tidal and JRiver Media Player Headphones: Speaker Man - Ether : https://www.mrspeakers.com/headphones-22/ether.html Headphone Amp: Amp Sound : https://ampsandsound.com/products/kenzie-headphone-amp Speaker Cables: Analysis Plus Oval 9 https://www.analysis-plus.com/product/home-audio/speaker-cables/black-mesh-oval-9/ Digital Interface: Off-Ramp-4 https://www.stereophile.com/content/empirical-audio-ramp-4-usb-format-converter Power Conditioning: Running Springs Jaco : http://www.tonepublications.com/review/running-springs-audio-jaco-power-conditioner/ Power Cables: Shunyata Venom : https://shunyata.com/products/power-cables/venom-hc/ Interconnects (RCA and XLR: Audo Magic Liquid-Air : https://www.audio-magic.com/files/128166265.pdf Today's Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by SVS. SVS makes some of the best bang for the buck in high-end audio. Check them out at http://svsound.com
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36: The Great USB Cable Bake-Off, Audio News, Your Questions (00:40:03)
On today's episode we try a slew of USB audio cables to see if they make a difference in sound. We also check out current audio news, and bang through a few user questions.
Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/beginneraudiophile
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35: 2019 Audiophile Gear "Bargains" (00:36:27)
Today Dr. Paul Anderson and I go through the best "bargains" (in quotes because some are quite pricey...but still relative bargains to the competition) in audio in 2019. Please pardon my cough...I was nursing a bit of bronchitis on this episode!
Remember to follow our Instagram account at http://instagram.com/beginneraudiophile.
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34: Setting Up A New Room | The Great DAC Bakeoff | Listener Questions (00:58:58)
Dr. Paul Anderson is back on the show! We are setting up his new place in LA, and spent many hours dialing in the room. We chat about what it takes to set up a new room, in terms of speaker placement, what to listen for, etc. We had some really surprising results, especially with subwoofer setup and what it did to Paul's Harbreth monitors.
Then, we listened to a number of different DAC's (digital audio converters) and the results were also REALLY surprising! Everything matters!
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33: Andrew Jones from ELAC | NAMM Rundown | Sennheiser Momentum (01:03:55)
Howdy! On this episode, we pin down Andrew Jones from Elac for a juicy interview on his philosophy behind creating speakers, and lots more. Michael gives the rundown on NAMM, the North American Music Merchants show. Those are the people that MAKE the music we listen to.
We have a brand new Youtube channel! Click here to Subscribe and check out the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless Earbuds Unboxing!
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