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PODCAST

The Audiophiles Guide

The Audiophile"s Guide podcast is your invitation into the world of high-end audio, and connecting with me, Paul McGowan—a 50-year veteran in the art and science of sound and the co-founder and CEO of PS Audio. We do kind of a mind meld between me and our technologically connected hosts. Each episode is a fresh, no-nonsense exploration of how to bring music to life in your home, drawn from my decades of hands-on experience designing the gear that makes it happen.

technology

All Episodes

19:08

How to maximize the Vertical Tracking Angle of your...

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/14

Getting your turntable’s vertical tracking angle (VTA) right can unlock a new level of clarity, depth, and realism in your vinyl playback. On today’s episode, we’ll look at what VTA actually is, why it matters, and how small adjustments can have a big sonic payoff. Whether your tonearm is adjustable or fixed, we’ll walk through simple ways to get the most from your cartridge—and help your records sound the way they were meant to. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or j...

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19:03

The Direct to Disc era

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/13

In the 1970s, a radical idea shook up recording: skip the tape. On this episode, we explore the era of direct-to-disc—the high-wire act of capturing music straight to vinyl in real time. No edits. No safety net. Just pure, uncompressed sound with jaw-dropping dynamics. We’ll look at the challenges, the gear, the pioneers like Doug Sax and Lincoln Mayorga—and why, for a brief shining moment, DTD gave us vinyl at its absolute best. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or j...

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15:06

How lossless manages to squeeze file size without...

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/12

How can a “lossless” audio file be smaller than the original—and still sound exactly the same? Today we’re diving into the magic of lossless compression. Unlike MP3s, which toss out information, lossless formats like FLAC and ALAC use clever math to shrink files without losing a single bit. It’s like zipping a folder—you get smaller size, perfect recovery. We’ll break down how it works, and why your music deserves nothing less. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or joi...

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14:37

Digital jitter and reclockers

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/11

Digital audio promises perfect sound—but timing is everything. Today we’re talking about jitter: the microscopic timing errors that blur imaging, flatten soundstage, and drain the life from music. Where does jitter come from? And more importantly, how do we fix it? Enter the reclocker. These unsung heroes of digital playback clean up jittered signals and restore clarity and focus. If you’ve never heard what a clean clock can do, this episode might surprise you. The Audiophile’s Guide publishe...

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16:52

The birth of the Compact Disc

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/10

In the early 1980s, a shimmering silver disc promised perfect sound forever—and changed music forever. On today’s episode, we’re diving into the origin story of the compact disc: the technology, the engineering, and the industry shakeup it caused. From vinyl’s crackle to digital’s clarity, we’ll explore what we gained, what we lost, and why some of us never looked back. This is The Birth of the Compact Disc. Let’s dig in. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the ...

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15:47

A word about Paul McGowan and his stereo philosophies

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/09

Paul McGowan has spent a lifetime chasing the magic of music in the home. As the co-founder of PS Audio and the voice behind The Audiophile’s Guide, Paul’s approach to high-end sound is clear, practical, and always centered on one thing: emotional connection. In this episode, we explore Paul’s stereo philosophy—why speakers come first, what makes a system truly high-end, and how engineering serves the music—not the other way around. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more o...

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11:12

What is an Audiophile?

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/08

The word audiophile gets thrown around a lot—sometimes with pride, sometimes with a raised eyebrow. But what does it really mean to be one? It’s not about how expensive your gear is, or how many specs you can rattle off. Being an audiophile is about loving music enough to chase its truth. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the mindset, the passion, and the reason so many of us devote ourselves to better sound. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? ...

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18:52

What is an AV receiver?

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/07

For most people, the AV receiver is the heart of their home theater—a one-box solution that powers speakers, switches inputs, and decodes surround formats. But for audiophiles, it’s often a compromise. So what exactly is an AV receiver, how does it work, and where does it fall short when it comes to music? Today, we’ll take a closer look at these all-in-one units—and why a dedicated two-channel system still holds the edge for serious listening. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to ...

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13:38

Moving coil vs. moving magnet cartridges

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/06

For vinyl lovers, the cartridge is where it all starts. And one of the biggest choices you’ll make is between moving magnet and moving coil. They both have their strengths—and their tradeoffs. Today, we’ll break down how they work, why they sound different, and what to expect when you switch. Whether you’re spinning a $20 thrift store find or a mint Blue Note original, the right cartridge can bring it to life. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family?...

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13:19

Tubes vs. Solid State

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/05

It’s one of the oldest debates in high-end audio: tubes or solid-state? Some swear by the warmth and romance of glowing glass, others want the grip and precision of transistors. But what’s really going on under the hood—and how does it shape what we hear? Today, we’ll dig into the sound, the science, and why both camps have loyal followers. Because in the end, it’s not about the parts. It’s about the music. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Vi...

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10:36

The mirror trick

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/04

Getting great imaging isn’t just about your gear. It’s about the room—and how sound bounces around in it. One of the simplest tools we have to tame those reflections? A mirror. In today’s episode, we’ll walk through the classic mirror trick for locating first reflection points, why it matters, and how treating those spots can make your speakers disappear and the soundstage open up. It’s an easy fix that delivers big results. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join t...

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13:14

The digital audio journey

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/03

It’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come. Digital audio didn’t start with streaming or downloads—it started with a promise: better fidelity, less noise, and the dream of perfection. From the first compact discs to high-resolution streaming and today’s state-of-the-art DACs, digital’s come a long way. In this episode, we’ll trace the journey—from clunky beginnings to the clarity and realism we now expect. It’s the story of how digital found its soul. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. ...

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18:14

The evolution of stereo sound

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/02

Most people don’t think twice about stereo. Two speakers, some music, and they’re good to go. But for us audiophiles, stereo is everything—it’s how we disappear into the music. Today, we’re going back to where it all began. From Alan Blumlein’s first stereo recordings to the rise of high-end two-channel systems, we’ll trace the history of stereo sound—and how it became the foundation for everything we love about high-fidelity music reproduction. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to...

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9:47

Speaker impedance and amplifier interactions

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/07/01

Some speakers are an easy load; others are more demanding than they appear. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we explore the complex relationship between speaker impedance and amplifier behavior. Impedance isn’t just a number—it changes with frequency, and that affects power delivery, tonal balance, and control. Learn how amplifier design interacts with low and reactive loads, why damping factor matters, and what to consider when matching gear. Get this right, and the system breathes...

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9:45

Electrostatic Loudspeakers

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/30

Weightless, fast, and eerily transparent—electrostatic loudspeakers have a sound that captivates audiophiles like few others. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we explore how these panels work, using charged diaphragms and high-voltage fields to reproduce music with astonishing detail and delicacy. But that magic comes with trade-offs: limited dynamics, narrow dispersion, and placement sensitivity. Still, when everything lines up, electrostatics can deliver a level of realism that’s ...

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7:02

Subwoofer Xmax

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/29

In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, hosts Robert and Sandra dive into the concept of subwoofer Xmax—short for maximum linear excursion. It’s a critical spec that tells you how far a subwoofer cone can move without distortion, and it directly affects how deep and clean your bass can go. They explore how Xmax impacts dynamics, headroom, and low-end authority, and why more excursion isn’t always better unless it’s backed by smart design and control. The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily....

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7:48

Class A/B amplifiers explained

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/28

Not all amplifiers play by the same rules—and Class A/B designs strike a careful balance between purity and power. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we break down how Class A/B amplification works, blending the sweetness of Class A with the efficiency of Class B. Discover how biasing, crossover distortion, and thermal performance shape the sound, and why this classic topology remains a favorite in high-end audio. When executed well, it delivers music with both grace and grip. The Aud...

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13:12

Room modes and the bass battle

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/27

Bass that booms in one spot and vanishes in another? You’re hearing room modes in action. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we dig into the invisible battlefield of standing waves, boundary effects, and the fight for consistent low-frequency performance. These powerful acoustic forces can shape or sabotage your system’s foundation. Learn how to identify problem areas, why subwoofers are part of the solution, and what it takes to win the bass battle in your own room. The Audiophile’s ...

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12:17

Transparent Video Screens

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/26

In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, hosts Robert and Sandra take a momentary diversion from traditional two-channel audio to explore the world of transparent video screens. Once limited to commercial installations and sci-fi films, these emerging displays are finding their way into high-end home environments. What do they mean for system integration, acoustic transparency, and room aesthetics? It’s a glimpse into a future where visuals and sound might share the stage more gracefully th...

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17:15

Loudspeakers first

The Audiophiles Guide ·

2025/06/25

Forget the source, forget the amp—start with the speakers. This episode makes the case for putting loudspeakers first when building a high-end system, drawing from the principles in The Audiophile’s Guide. Why are speakers the most flawed—and most important—part of the chain? How do their limitations shape everything downstream? If you’ve ever wondered where to put your money first, this is a clear, no-nonsense look at why it all begins with the box (or the panel). The Audiophile’s Guide publ...

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86 results

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