Audio Unleashed

“Math UNLEASHED!”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis opine about whether or not an elaborate AI-powered streaming music scam is any worse than most of what Spotify does, pontificate about whether or not anyone needs to read amplifier reviews, and dig through the mid-year revenue report from the RIAA for clues about the future of music formats.
 
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
 
📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET
 
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
 
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
 
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
 
Further Reading: 
“FBI busts musician’s elaborate AI-powered $10M streaming-royalty heist” by Benj Edwards: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/09/fbi-busts-musicians-elaborate-ai-powered-10m-streaming-royalty-heist/
“Eleven Predictions: Here's What AI Does Next” by Ted Gioia: https://www.honest-broker.com/p/eleven-predictions-heres-what-ai?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=296132&post_id=148502330&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=130q1&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
“Hegel H600 and H400: Unleashing the Power of the New Control App” by CE Critic: https://cecritic.com/news/integrated-amplifier/hegel-h600-and-h400-unleashing-the-power-of-the-new-control-app
“RIAA MID-YEAR 2024 RECORDED MUSIC REVENUE REPORT” Analysis by Matt Bass, RIAA Vice President, Research | Gold & Platinum Operations: https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RIAA-Mid-Year-2024-Revenue-Report.pdf
“Music Keeps the Groove in the First Half of 2024” by RIAA: https://riaa.medium.com/music-keeps-the-groove-in-the-first-half-of-2024-8844d6c9949d
The Tronosonic Experience: https://thetronosonicexperience.bandcamp.com/

“The Paradox of Punks”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis kick things off with everyone’s favorite: a vocabulary lesson! What’s the difference between decibels and SPLs, and how are those distinct from loudness? Also, what the heck are LUFS? Next: If EarFun’s new earphones are all that, why pay more? And can Sonos un-punch its own face?
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Further Reading: 
“EVerything Explained | Episode One: What Do ‘dB’, ‘Loudness’and ‘SPL’ Actually Mean? by Electro-Voice Official: https://youtu.be/SrOiveJvlFE?si=mvHVLeGBjZiaufMw
“For the Love of Music: Loudness Normalization” by Thomas Lund: https://audioxpress.com/article/for-the-love-of-music-loudness-normalization
Harry Styles - “As It Was” (Official Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5v3kku4y6Q
“Spirit They've Vanished” by Avey Tare & Panda Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pyaRPzZ3A
“Earfun Air Pro 4 review: the best budget wireless earbuds on the planet” by Simon Cohen: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/earfun-air-pro-4-review/
“The Sound Of Failure At Sonos” by Dan Pontefract: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2024/08/24/the-sound-of-failure-at-sonos/
“Apple’s War on Windows” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/feature-articles/259-apples-war-on-windows
 

“The Microsoft of Really Cheap Turntables”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis ponder whether our objective measurement techniques are keeping up with the sorts of audio gear people are actually buying, talk more trash about Spotify, and dig into the pros and cons of single-driver speakers.  
 
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
 
📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET
 
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
 
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
 
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
 
Further Reading: 
“New Ways to Measure Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and Other Modes in Headphones and Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://audioxpress.com/article/new-ways-to-measure-noise-cancelling-transparency-and-other-modes-in-headphones-and-earphones
“We're changing our scoring” by Christian Thomas: https://www.soundguys.com/were-changing-our-scoring-103635/
“Why I Finally Quit Spotify” by Kyle Chayka: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/why-i-finally-quit-spotify
“Why Crossoverless Single-Driver Speakers Are (Mostly) Crap! (Ep:84)” by soundstagenetwork: https://youtu.be/Uc7dtawhSVg?si=HLOhQknvyXbh-fE3
GR Research LGK 2.0 Speaker Review (A Joke): https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/gr-research-lgk-2-0-speaker-review-a-joke.34783/
“Voxativ Ampeggio 2024 loudspeaker Measurements” by John Atkinson: https://www.stereophile.com/content/voxativ-ampeggio-2024-loudspeaker-measurements

“I Bought My Lightsaber; Now I’m a Jedi!”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedApologies for the sound quality this week. We had some back-end technical issues and had to rely on our compressed cloud backup audio stream for editing. With that said, the conversation is one we hope you dig. We start by digging into the reader mailbag to address comments in support of and opposed to our take on the ASR v. GR-Research kerfuffle. Next up, we dig into why Sonos felt it needed to send out an apology letter to its customers,  then discuss a cool episode of Your Morning Coffee that breaks down how algorithms and pay structures affect what music we hear.
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
 
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
 
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
 
Further Reading: 
Audio Unleashed Ep. 32: “But... the Nakamichi Dragon!”: https://youtu.be/4_1NoCl_uzw?si=Sj_0ohv0Dnn69BLG
“What the HECK was Revel Thinking?! Revel Performa M22 Upgrades!” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/JH1DrkqHatQ?si=4NLBuHevAogzefcJ
“Does a ‘high end’ name equal high end performance? Revel M106” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/liNKOnNinSs?si=1aDAbEnTqvMiiHpC
“Sonos Apologizes for Widely Criticized App Redesign, Provides Progress Update” by Juli Clover: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/25/sonos-app-update-apology/
“The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System” by Dennis Burger: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/sonos-player/
YMC Special - Will Page's “A Case For Completion” by Your Morning Coffee: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ymc-special-will-pages-a-case-for-completion/id1529809478?i=1000662736677

“But... the Nakamichi Dragon!”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedBuy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis respond to ASR’s criticism of Danny Ritchie, discuss whether or not you should get a portable cassette deck, and wonder if the rumors about Bluetooth’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Further Reading: 
“Danny Richie's latest…” on Audio Science Review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/danny-richies-latest.38223/page-4#post-2021834
“New Portable Cassette Players Transport You Back to the ’80s. But Do You Really Want to Go There?” by Brent Butterworth and Arriana Vasquez: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-portable-cassette-players/
“Bluetooth is Dead and You Should Be Happy About It!” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/B6dp7Uvc0Fs?si=SjcPgJJQwH2_xgQB

“We’re Just Giving Ted Denney Free Ideas”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedBuy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
This week, Brent and Dennis ponder how long it should actually take to evaluate a product under review, speculate on what’s going on with Tidal, and weigh in on why some people say music sucks so much these days.And for Patrons: Stereophile did blind testing?! How’d that go?
Further Reading: 
“HiFi Thoughts: How Much Time Is Enough Time to Write a Meaningful Review?” by Michael Lavorgna: https://twitteringmachines.com/hifi-thoughts-how-much-time-is-enough-time-to-write-a-meaningful-review/
“End of an era: Tidal to drop last remaining MQA tracks” by Ben Patterson: https://www.techhive.com/article/2370126/tidal-to-drop-last-remaining-mqa-tracks.html
“So long, Samsung: Tidal drops support for Samsung TVs” by Ben Patterson: https://www.techhive.com/article/2377017/tidal-drops-support-for-samsung-tvs.html
“The Real Reason Why Music Is Getting Worse” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/1bZ0OSEViyo?si=dNMs9Bitjb33VSC1
“Blind Listening” by John Atkinson, Will Hammond: https://www.stereophile.com/features/113/index.html

“I'm Not a Redneck; I'm a Hillbilly!”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis talk about Jabra blowing out of the True Wireless earphone market with two last hurrahs, Passion for Sound redefining what it means to be an audiophile reviewer, and Lenbrook teaming up with HDTracks to start a new MQA-centric streaming service. 
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
 
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
 
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
 
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
 
Further Reading: 
“GN Group Announces Surprising Decision to Exit True Wireless Earbuds Consumer Space” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/gn-group-announces-surprising-decision-to-exit-true-wireless-earbuds-consumer-space
“Jabra Unveils Elite 8 Active and Elite 10 Generation 2 True Wireless Earbuds” by Joao Martins: https://audioxpress.com/news/jabra-unveils-elite-8-active-and-elite-10-generation-2-true-wireless-earbuds
“Why I'm quitting being an audiophile reviewer” by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/P0beuLLYR5c?si=WlR9G0O4rBH28s09
“FLAC or MQA? ‘Yes!’ says HDTracks & Lenbrook’s new streaming service” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/06/flac-or-mqa-yes-says-hdtracks-lenbrooks-new-streaming-service/

“A Nixon-in-China Kind of Thing”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis talk about the flaming dumpster fire that is Spotify, get straight to the heart of what a “Speaker Improver” actually improves, and ponder the age-old question: When do DACs stop burning in?
And for Patrons: a virtual tour of High End Munich 2024.
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Further Reading: 
“Spotify Is Not Offering Refunds After It Bricks ‘The Car Thing’” by Collin Woodard: https://jalopnik.com/spotify-is-not-offering-refunds-after-it-bricks-the-car-1851499512
“Spotify says it will refund Car Thing purchases” by Will Shanklin: https://www.engadget.com/spotify-now-says-it-will-refund-car-thing-purchases-193001487.html?guccounter=1
“Spotify raises prices on premium plans to boost profits” by Wendy Lee: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spotify-raises-prices-premium-plans-162702081.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
“Spotify's Phony War On Bots” by Benn Jordan: https://youtu.be/kVY7-Ti77UQ?si=EMKay-FMnVHz6dxT
“The Problem with Music” by Steve Albini: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music
“Ted Gioia on AI's Threat To Music” by Rick Beato: https://youtu.be/ibMd_Jx9daw?si=LKqRpAn8_InPxliv
“Akiko Audio Speaker Improver” by Malcolm J. Gomes: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/akiko-audio-speaker-improver/
“Burn in for DACs” by Paul McGowan, PS Audio: https://youtu.be/LYtBuoaYwNY?si=lJFIqbbr793cFNXo
 

“Harry Pearson = Jesus!”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis ponder whether Class D can really live up to the performance of Class A and Class AB amps, talk about testing USB cables and why they aren’t in Singapore, and deconstruct a new manifesto by John Darko.
And for Patrons: Which company has ruined its own cred with a disastrous software update? 
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Further Reading: 
“Is Class-D Amplification Now Better than Class-A/B and Class-A?” by Robert Schryer: https://pmamagazine.org/is-class-d-amplification-now-better-than-class-a-b-and-class-a/
Lachlan does another blind test of USB cables, nobody can tell the difference, chooses to discount the results and prefer his magic USB cables” by u/blorg: reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1crkiz3/lachlan_does_another_blind_test_of_usb_cables/?share_id=iyNIc119UUqLVBbEe5qIB
“The Music-First Audiophile Manifesto” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2024/05/the-music-first-audiophile-manifesto/
PDF grab of Darko homepage, May 13, 2024: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jIrdTzbJbKgKaVtjq7MsPfuYpGH5j0woY4ZF53Gj2Wg/edit?usp=sharing

“One Hillbilly Shootin’ at Another’n”

We’re on Patreon now! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Brent and Dennis dig into a blog post by John Siau of Benchmark Audio about audiophile snake oil, deconstruct Jorge Sadurni's Spherical Dual loudspeakers, and weigh in on a Facebook feud about whether diminishing returns are even a thing. 
Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):
📚 Budget Travel For Dummies by Geoffrey Morrison: https://amzn.to/3uiIPlp
📚Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms by Floyd Toole: https://amzn.to/3ZlTLtE
📚Loudspeaker Design Cookbook 8th Edition: Volume 1 by Vance Dickason: https://amzn.to/42pdwk0
Further Reading: 
“Audiophile Snake Oil” by John Siau: https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/audiophile-snake-oil
“Sadurni Acoustics with Wolf Systems and House of Stereo” by Jason Victor Serinus: https://www.stereophile.com/content/sadurni-acoustics-wolf-systems-and-house-stereo
“The Magico M9 & The Myth of the Law of Diminishing Returns” by The Absolute Sound: https://youtu.be/uqm9P8HSq08?si=v-n_Ryq3P1nvFmsg
“If DAC Chips Perform Perfectly Then Why Don’t All DACs Sound the Same?” by Jerry Del Colliano: https://futureaudiophile.com/if-dac-chips-perform-perfectly-then-why-dont-all-dacs-sound-the-same/