SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by sound engineer, educator, and content developer Marcela Rada to discuss her obsession with sound, her personal history, how she became involved with the recording industry, and what’s different about mixing for immersive formats like Dolby Atmos.
Sources:
Marcela Rada: https://marcelarada.com/
“Audiophile Atmos—Dominique Fils-Aimé Surrounds with ‘Our Roots Run Deep’”: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/encore/1120-audiophile-atmos-dominique-fils-aime-surrounds-with-our-roots-run-deep 
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:04:12 An education in audio 00:09:05 Experimentations with immersive audio00:20:37 Music break: “You Won't Be the Last” by Moon00:21:29 Maxing mixes that translate well00:33:06 Different flavors of immersive audio00:45:39 “Smile” by Aves

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Ian Colquhoun, founder of Axiom Audio and now also the owner of Bryston and Magnum Dynalab, to discuss the origins of the company, its connection with the National Research Council, his own relationship with Dr. Floyd Toole, and how the company’s speakers evolved after the legendary NRC research wound down.
Sources:
“Canadian Hi-Fi Trilogy: Axiom Audio, Bryston, and Magnum Dynalab—All Under One Expanding Roof”: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1785-canadian-hi-fi-trilogy-axiom-audio-bryston-and-magnum-dynalab-all-under-one-expanding-roof
Axiom Audio: https://www.axiomaudio.com/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:03:31 Axiom’s origin story 00:12:30 Busting the myth of different speakers for different music00:25:46 Music break: “Empty Pockets” by Bamtone00:26:52 Axiom as OEM00:30:27 OEM no more00:29:34 The twin-tweeter controversy00:47:07 Measurement artifacts01:08:34 “Wherever I Am” by Bamtone

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc. The two cover the birth of Anthem Room Correction, the pros and cons of IIR and FIR filters, side quests, diversions, why flat in-room response isn’t actually the goal, and how ARC has evolved in response to market pressures.
Sources:
“The History of Anthem Room Correction (ARC®)”: https://www.anthemarc.com/advanced-topics/the-history-of-arc.php
“The Detection Thresholds of Resonances at Low Frequencies” by Olive, Sean E.; Schuck, Peter L.; Ryan, James G.; Sally, Sharon L.; Bonneville, Marc E.: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=7868
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:03:15 IIR vs FIR 00:09:15 Pesky patents and water picks00:11:58 Untested waters00:17:01 Music break: “Hulullúlulu” by Art Against Agony00:08:01 ARC is finally born00:23:46 Why flat sounds flat00:26:59 Removing the cap00:38:56 “First” by IamDayLight 00:40:51 The music that moves Peter

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Peter Schuck, technical director at Paradigm Electronics Inc., to discuss his history in hi-fi, how he ended up at the NRC, how his work with Dr. Floyd Toole evolved into the pioneering Athena project, and exactly what sorts of tests he and others constructed and conducted to determine listener preference with regard to the effects of the room on loudspeaker performance.  
Sources:
“The History of Anthem Room Correction (ARC®)”: https://www.anthemarc.com/advanced-topics/the-history-of-arc.php
“The Detection Thresholds of Resonances at Low Frequencies” by Olive, Sean E.; Schuck, Peter L.; Ryan, James G.; Sally, Sharon L.; Bonneville, Marc E.: https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=7868
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:07:58 The Energy 22 crossover00:15:41 Commerce or science?00:29:35 Music break: “Precursor” by Aquartos00:30:22 The five-point preference scale00:34:54 What makes a good test track?00:36:01 The circle of confusion keeps spinning00:50:38 “Day 1” by Aquartos

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers. If you haven’t listened to season 3, episode 1 yet, do check that out first! In this second half of their conversation, the two discuss how the research at NRC contributed to the evolution of PSB speakers. Along the way, Paul gives the most cogent explanation ever of baffle diffraction and waveguides, and discusses how different driver materials affect the performance of a speaker.
Sources:
PSB Speakers: https://www.psbspeakers.com/
“PSB's Paul Barton (Part 1)”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/psbs-paul-barton-part-1-music-and-violins-starting-making-speakers-dr-floyd-toole-and-nrc/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:00:44 Why the measurements matter 00:06:07 Explaining diffraction00:10:04 Waveguides are more than felt00:16:21 Music break: “Scorched Earth” by Maya Belsitzman00:17:59 Room correction and exotic materials00:22:21 Exploring different driver materials00:24:25 Diminishing returns and setting priorities00:38:06 “Your Papa and Mama” by Dialgo

Welcome to season 3! This week, host Jorden Guth sits down with Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers, to discuss his personal history, his love of music, his passion for violin, and the origin story of PSB Speakers—all as a lead-in to a discussion about his time at the NRC doing research with Dr. Floyd Toole.
Sources:
PSB Speakers: https://www.psbspeakers.com/
Messiah Violin, by Stradivari: https://www.ashmolean.org/messiah-violin-stradivari
“Making the Violin”: http://www.makingtheviolin.com/
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:28 Introductions00:01:06 The origins of Paul’s love of music and hi-fi 00:12:11 Making speakers in high school00:14:50 Pre-industrial light & musical magic00:18:00 The small world of Canadian hi-fi00:21:23 The road to meeting Dr. Floyd Toole00:29:23 Planting seeds for the future

For the final episode of season 2 of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast, host Jorden Guth is joined by T+A COO Condradin Amft to discuss the company’s history and heritage, its entry into the headphone market, and how hi-fi will evolve into the future.
Sources:
“44 Years of T+A—Germany's Hi-Fi Giant in Detail”: https://youtu.be/lzW18SuAJW0?si=SUjQkUfzU-obTWDv
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:20 Introductions00:01:53 The long road to today’s T+A 00:20:44 Music Break: “Finale” by David Morton00:22:15 Where does T+A—and the hi-fi industry—go from here?00:34:05 Outro: “Mirrors Sometimes Lie” by Marco Martini

When Sonus faber introduced its massive new flagship loudspeaker system, Suprema, at this year’s CES, most of the press responded by asking about the price and finishes and little else. In this episode of the podcast, host Jorden Guth and SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider ask the real (and really tough) questions about the design and technical specifications of this world-class 4.5-way system comprised of two towering speakers and one or two massive subwoofers.
Sources:
Sonus faber Suprema product page: https://www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/suprema
“Suprema: the Sonus faber sonic revolution”: https://youtu.be/8rvz6C-D6Ng?si=f9aCKCfleNgivNRu 
Chapters:00:00:00 Announcement00:00:20 Introductions00:01:53 Supreme in minute technical detail 00:38:58 Music Break: “Memory Lane” by Vox Portent00:22:01 The 30,000-foot view of the Suprema experience01:06:27 Outro: “Turquoise Soil” by Vox Portent