SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

This week, host Jorden Guth continues his conversation with Dr. Floyd Toole, exploring the origins of the Athena project at Canada’s NRC, the reasons for and details of his move to Harman International, some of the most misunderstood aspects of his research, the origins of his legendary book Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms, his legacy, and the music that moves him. Closing credits music: “Longitude” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships Sources: “Canada’s NRC: A Forthcoming Look at Its Role in the Advancement of Canadian Loudspeaker Design” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1849-canadas-nrc-a-forthcoming-look-at-its-role-in-the-advancement-of-canadian-loudspeaker-design “The Loudspeaker Class of ’74: A Canadian Reunion” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1866-the-loudspeaker-class-of-74-a-canadian-reunion “Floyd Toole, NRC, SoundStage!—Filming of Our Upcoming Documentary” by the soundstagenetwork on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k8ykCTEOhZI?si=BfcmIAWg1s6BKyQm Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:01:19 The limits of A/B testing 00:04:59 Why you have to measure everything 00:15:42 All about that bass 00:18:40 Athena, assemble! 00:23:47 How our brains make sense of rooms 00:27:28 “Emahoy” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships 00:28:45 Working with the CBC 00:31:14 How hearing loss impacts judgment 00:37:48 Another fateful phone call 00:41:20 L.A. is no place to live 00:44:02 The hint of a corporate target 00:46:22 Herding engineers 00:51:13 Listening tests at Harman 00:53:22 Publishing the Harman research 00:55:55 A feature, not a bugbear 00:58:47 “Horse Latitudes” by Rowan Hudson's Passing Ships 01:00:10 Evolution or revolution? 01:02:35 The two-sub solution 01:07:54 The birth of Sound Reproduction 01:11:05 Rewriting the book 01:13:42 Unanswered questions and Dr. Toole’s legacy 01:45:59 The music that moves Dr. Toole

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by the loudspeaker legend himself, Dr. Floyd Toole, whose research at Canada’s National Research Council (NRC), followed by his tenure at Harman International, resulted in arguably more improvements to the fidelity of audio we hear at home than anything attributable to any one person. In this first of our two-part discussion, Dr. Toole discusses his path from university to the NRC and right up to the onset of the Athena project, where we’ll pick up in the second part. Sources: “Canada’s NRC: A Forthcoming Look at Its Role in the Advancement of Canadian Loudspeaker Design” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1849-canadas-nrc-a-forthcoming-look-at-its-role-in-the-advancement-of-canadian-loudspeaker-design “The Loudspeaker Class of ’74: A Canadian Reunion” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1866-the-loudspeaker-class-of-74-a-canadian-reunion “Floyd Toole, NRC, SoundStage!—Filming of Our Upcoming Documentary” by the soundstagenetwork on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k8ykCTEOhZI?si=BfcmIAWg1s6BKyQm Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:04:39 The dawning of the age of the transistor 00:11:05 Two ears and a brain 00:21:28 A fateful interview 00:27:58 Music break: "Turkish March” by T. Bless & the Professionals 00:29:24 Friday afternoon experiments 00:33:54 The differences between musicians and audiophiles 00:38:54 An industry operating without rules 00:49:45 What can we learn from a set of data? 00:54:01 “When I Get Home” by Brian Claxton

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Dr. Sean Olive, senior fellow at Harman International, to discuss his time at NRC with Dr. Floyd Toole, his move from there to Harman, the development of the Harman target curves for headphones and earphones, and his thoughts on the future of immersive audio and more. Sources: Dr. Sean Olive on 35 Years of “Fast Car” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1259-dr-sean-olive-on-35-years-of-fast-car Audio Musings by Sean Olive: https://seanolive.blogspot.com/ Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:04:27 What is a Tonmeister? 00:12:19 Sponsored by Canada’s best and brightest 00:18:10 All roads lead to California 00:24:54 Music break: "Paris Café” by Wesly Thomas 00:26:13 Manager of subjective evaluation 00:36:03 The origins of the Harman target curve 00:42:41 How to train your listeners 00:49:09 “I Will Always Remember You” by Marek Jakubowicz

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage’s Doug Schneider, Jason Thorpe, and Matt Bonaccio to discuss the biggest audio show in the world, what’s new, what’s different, and what were their favorite sights and sounds this time around. Sources: Coverage of High End 2024 - Munich, Germany: https://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/high-end-2024-munich-germany High End Society: https://www.highendsociety.de Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:28 What’s Munich all about? 00:20:01 Music break: "Scapes" by Gray North 00:20:48 Favorite sights and sounds 00:46:30 “Diagrammatic” by Oliver Michael

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by James Tanner, CEO of Bryston Ltd., to discuss the company’s origins in the medical industry, the design of its original amplifiers, how the company has evolved over time, and how he eventually joined forces with Axiom Audio’s Ian Colquhoun. 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 Bryston: https://bryston.com/ Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:01:52 Bryston’s origin story 00:16:11 Expanding product lines 00:25:40 Music break: "Deadman Pass" by The Talbott Brothers 00:27:32 Bryston in the 2000s and beyond 00:53:25 “Pirate Blues” by Leon Laudenbach

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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:04:12 An education in audio 00:09:05 Experimentations with immersive audio 00:20:37 Music break: “You Won't Be the Last” by Moon 00:21:29 Maxing mixes that translate well 00:33:06 Different flavors of immersive audio 00:45:39 “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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:03:31 Axiom’s origin story 00:12:30 Busting the myth of different speakers for different music 00:25:46 Music break: “Empty Pockets” by Bamtone 00:26:52 Axiom as OEM 00:30:27 OEM no more 00:29:34 The twin-tweeter controversy 00:47:07 Measurement artifacts 01:08:34 “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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:03:15 IIR vs FIR 00:09:15 Pesky patents and water picks 00:11:58 Untested waters 00:17:01 Music break: “Hulullúlulu” by Art Against Agony 00:08:01 ARC is finally born 00:23:46 Why flat sounds flat 00:26:59 Removing the cap 00:38:56 “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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:07:58 The Energy 22 crossover 00:15:41 Commerce or science? 00:29:35 Music break: “Precursor” by Aquartos 00:30:22 The five-point preference scale 00:34:54 What makes a good test track? 00:36:01 The circle of confusion keeps spinning 00:50:38 “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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:00:44 Why the measurements matter 00:06:07 Explaining diffraction 00:10:04 Waveguides are more than felt 00:16:21 Music break: “Scorched Earth” by Maya Belsitzman 00:17:59 Room correction and exotic materials 00:22:21 Exploring different driver materials 00:24:25 Diminishing returns and setting priorities 00:38:06 “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 Announcement 00:00:28 Introductions 00:01:06 The origins of Paul’s love of music and hi-fi 00:12:11 Making speakers in high school 00:14:50 Pre-industrial light & musical magic 00:18:00 The small world of Canadian hi-fi00:21:23 The road to meeting Dr. Floyd Toole 00:29:23 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 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:01:53 The long road to today’s T+A 00:20:44 Music Break: “Finale” by David Morton 00:22:15 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 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:01:53 Supreme in minute technical detail 00:38:58 Music Break: “Memory Lane” by Vox Portent 00:22:01 The 30,000-foot view of the Suprema experience 01:06:27 Outro: “Turquoise Soil” by Vox Portent

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! Access editor and producer of the podcast Dennis Burger to discuss his recent article about how reviewers’ reference systems are often necessarily different from the systems they wish they could own. Dennis also gives Jorden some tips on writing a good review. Sources: “The Needs of the Many versus the Needs of the Reviewer” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1273-the-needs-of-the-many-versus-the-needs-of-the-reviewer “Martijn Mensink On the Magic of Dutch & Dutch”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/martijn-mensink-on-the-magic-of-dutch-dutch-active-speakers-cardioid-dispersion-acoustics/ “Speaker and Headphone Measurements Mash-Up”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/speaker-and-headphone-measurements-mash-up-misinformation-what-matters-active-vs-passive-listening/ “Simaudio’s North Collection: The Future of Hi-Fi?”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/simaudio-s-north-collection-the-future-of-hi-fi/ Baumgartner Restoration: https://www.youtube.com/c/baumgartnerrestoration Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:05:44 The needs of the many vs. the needs of the reviewer 00:19:52 Music Break: “Threads of Smoke” by Tamuz Dekel 00:22:01 How does Dennis write a review? 00:50:50 Outro: “Turquoise Soil” by Tamuz Dekel

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Australia editor Edgar Kramer to discuss their respective 2023 year-end awards. Sources: “The 2023 SoundStage! Network Awards for Outstanding Achievements and Products of the Year” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1843-the-2023-soundstage-network-awards-for-outstanding-achievements-and-products-of-the-year “The SoundStage! Australia Products of the Year Awards 2023” by Edgar Kramer: https://soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/features/832-the-soundstage-australia-products-of-the-year-awards-2023 Audiophile Atmos—Dominique Fils-Aimé Surrounds with Our Roots Run Deep: https://youtu.be/74YJo-KM_Po?si=pWqHAGO6nRCOYomd 2023 SoundStage! Awards—Best Hi-Fi Products and Outstanding Achievements with Dominique Fils-Aimé: https://youtu.be/pQf2W60g5T0?si=iIsNb1Os2lSlkJIH “Tell Me Taylor Swift Fans Don’t Care About Sound Quality” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1270-tell-me-taylor-swift-fans-dont-care-about-sound-quality “Seven Shades of AC/DC’s Back in Black–Finding the Best Version to Test Your System With” by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/system-one/1280-seven-shades-of-acdcs-back-in-black-finding-the-best-version-to-test-your-system-with Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:05:44 How SoundStage! does it different 00:18:25 Music Break: "Walkabout Australia" by Hans Johnson 00:19:21 Recognizing the people who make the magic happen 00:46:26 Outro: “Too Many Steps” by Oran Loyfer

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider to tell the origin story of SoundStage! Network’s InSight video series, how they’ve evolved, and the details of their most recent globetrotting trip to Wilson Audio and T+A. Sources: Muraudio's Domain Omni Series Speaker | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/VkHQC8pz2H8?si=Lax4bC_UDAXXxSkj Axiom Audio's M100 v4 Loudspeaker | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/7cdPUHJKx70?si=bNa83Mkf2R08yY8N Totem Acoustic's Torrent Technology | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/GTIpO19Eg-k?si=O5M9YYEgUioRq6Vs Vivid Audio's Giya Series Speakers | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/RT2ytbENY34?si=4RoFWyyMbBN8J8dw Paradigm's Prestige Series | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/_q7pMJ3LSjs?si=IO6pPLHwz-7714g9 MartinLogan's Neolith Loudspeaker (February 2015): SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/XIinQTD36cE?si=cODB7nSvy2pZ0ORi Monitor Audio Hyphn Speaker 1 - From Visionary Concept to Cutting-Edge Completion | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/uk5vckG5Imw?si=dL753LtRdgLAE_Cz Monitor Audio Hyphn Speaker 2 - Advanced Acoustical Concepts and Daring Industrial Design | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/5BTZ5REwjCQ?si=VSEyOua-ZKRjJHRv Daryl Wilson: Growing Up and Into Wilson Audio: https://www.soundstage.life/e/darylwilson-growing-upand-into-wilsonaudio-the-wilsonhouseholdbuildingwattpuppy-speakersnorth-star-measurements-andlisteningpink-floyd-fridays/ 44 Years of T+A - Germany's Hi-Fi Giant in Detail | SoundStage! InSight: https://youtu.be/lzW18SuAJW0?si=AsMDlMuEuCaraWqO Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:00:52 The Two-Day Rule 00:14:16 Music Break: "Ocean Depth" by Veaceslav Draganov 00:15:39 This ain’t marketing 00:21:45 Touring a facility and picking up slack 00:24:35 From Jazz to T+A and beyond 00:34:51 Picking favorites?

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Simaudio product director Dominique Poupart and marketing director Étienne Gautier to discuss the company’s new North Collection, how it was developed, what it means for the future of hi-fi, why the remote control is the best in the world, and how the lineup has been embraced by audiophile press and customers alike. They also dig into how a brand radically reinvents itself after four decades without losing its identity, and why it’s scary for a manufacturer to pack so much functionality into fewer and fewer boxes. Sources: North Collection: https://simaudio.com/en/product-category/north-collection/ "Simaudio’s Moon 791 Streaming Preamplifier: Uncompromised" by Doug Schneider: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/opinion/1841-simaudio-s-moon-791-streaming-preamplifier-uncompromised "Moon by Simaudio Has Exited the Echo Chamber" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1201-moon-by-simaudio-has-exited-the-echo-chamber "Simaudio’s Étienne Gautier & the Art of Marketing Moon" on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/simaudio-s-etienne-gautier-the-art-of-marketing-moon-baumgartner-restoration-taskmaster/ "The Maverick" by Baumgartner Restoration: https://youtu.be/LV2eOu14fQM?si=eiVbtAhMteYG2taI Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Greetings and salutations 00:01:07 The development of the Simaudio North Collection 00:23:45 Music Break: "Funkymania" by Omri Smadar and The Original Orchestra 00:25:11 Controlling the North Collection and where Simaudio goes from here 00:51:48 The soundtrack to Dominique’s and Étienne’s lives

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SVS president Gary Yacoubian and VP of marketing Nick Brown to discuss the company’s history, its unique approach to hi-fi and home theater, and how it actively engages with its customers. Sources: SVS: https://www.svsound.com/ “The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World” by Audio Unleashed: https://audiounleashed.podbean.com/e/the-only-true-currency-in-this-bankrupt-world/ “SVS Prime Wireless Pro Active Loudspeaker System” by Gordon Brockhouse: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/217-svs-prime-wireless-pro-active-loudspeaker-system “SVS Prime Pinnacle Loudspeakers” by Philip Beaudette: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1358-svs-prime-pinnacle-loudspeakers Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Greetings and salutations 00:06:32 SVS: A brief history 00:22:47 Music Break: "Everyday with You" by Ben Sharkey and Ziggy 00:24:09 How SVS builds its community 00:42:21 The soundtrack to Nick and Gary’s lives

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Ultra senior editor Jason Thorpe to discuss Warsaw 2023, why it’s such a special show, what it’s like to be there, and what it was like to see it through the eyes of a young audiophile. Sources: SoundStage! coverage of Audio Video Show 2023 - Warsaw, Poland: https://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/audio-video-show-2023-warsaw-poland Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:01:07 What makes Warsaw special? 00:27:12 Music Break: "Let Me Show You" by Eldar Kedem & Floating World 00:28:47 A vicarious walkthrough of the show00:50:20 The soundtrack to Jason’s life

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Emotiva’s Dan Laufman to discuss the origins of his passion for hi-fi, the history of electronics manufacturing in the neoliberal era, how to make an profit in the audio business ethically, the long hard road to revitalizing North American manufacturing capabilities, and the virtues of being inclusive instead of exclusive. Sources: Emotiva: https://emotiva.com/ "The True Cost of Saving a Few Bucks: A Q&A with Emotiva's Dan Laufman" by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1144-the-true-cost-of-saving-a-few-bucks-a-q-a-with-emotivas-dan-laufman Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:20 Introductions 00:01:11 The road to Emotiva 00:23:01 Music Break: "Terems" by Amit Sagie 00:24:07 The realities of 21st century manufacturing 00:55:02 The soundtrack to Dan’s life