All You Ever Wanted To Know About Speakers - Part I

12/16/20 • 144 min

Horn mouth diffraction, cardioid bass, high Q drivers, acoustic filters, constant directivity and line arrays. This is the world of loudspeakers from the perspective of someone who designs them, and in this week’s episode Darren and Duncan sit down with an expert who does exactly that, to chat about the devices which make the music we love so much.

Speaker design engineer Chris Brunhaver brings a lifetime of experience and diverse influences to the discussion, and the guys flesh out this all-important audiophile topic over local beers as the fire glows and the snow falls outside.

Part I of this speaker series focuses on non-traditional, interesting approaches to making sound, why it’s done and how some of these things are made. From open baffle science to new patents in horn design to 6-foot-long ribbons and dipole characteristics, this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast is sure to offer something you haven’t heard before.

Listener questions about power cable priority and streaming options are answered as well, and at the end, an absolute stomper of a new album is revealed as the album pick of the week.

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

Listener questions about power cable priority and streaming options are answered as well, and at the end, an absolute stomper of a new album is revealed as the album pick of the week.

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

Previous Episode

Audio Tweaks And Mods, Part 2

There’s something to be improved in almost any piece of off-the-shelf audio gear, because the decisions made to put the components on the store shelf in the first place include some compromises or choices based around availability of parts, not highest fidelity.

Sure, a few hifi companies strive to build products purely for the highest sound quality, going out of their way to source the finest ingredients and eschewing PCBs for point to point wiring or spending an arm and a leg on cabinet design. Some amps get impracticably hot, some speakers stand menacingly large, some drivers are the best money can buy.

But more often than not, practicality drives many decisions for consumer products, even in hifi, and some real fun and potentially untouchable sound can be had by diving in an tweaking a thing or two.

In this week’s podcast, Darren and Duncan steer away from the more dangerous high voltage projects to address the many elements of speakers that can be adjusted or replaced, and end up talking about the important role of cables in answer to a listener representing the school of thought that cables make little difference in a system.

Before diving into the tweaks however, the guys share some interesting news and reports about their latest hifi audio acquisitions and projects. Be sure to listen to the end, where a spectacular modern electronic album makes the recommended listening list.

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.

Next Episode

Move Over, Sweet Spot: Perfecting The Party Zone

In this week’s episode of The Hifi Podcast, Darren and Duncan focus on a couple of great listener questions. After the usual “what’s up with us, audio-wise” reports, the guys dig into the topic of how to decide when an audio product is ripe for a modification.

Given recent podcast focus on tweaks and mods, and their own re-build projects involving a pair of Audio Research D-115 tube amplifiers, it makes sense that there should be some guidelines to help identify which products can be modded, and which ones should be left alone.

After tackling that question, the guys move on to answer one from an old friend of Duncan’s. This DJ is focused on turning his basement into a Klipsch-powered party zone, featuring several DJ turntables and a huge collection of great vinyl from the “Deep House” genre.

From SPL to sound absorption, proper cabling and amplifier matching, the guys attempt to lend a hand in what promises to be a seriously fun spot for enjoying music and dancing. Along the way they learn more about this jazz and funk-infused dance music that combines elements of “Chicago House” and complex chord progressions found outside of the traditional dance music sphere.

As for the album of the week, this one is one of Darren’s and Duncan’s favorite holiday records. It features one of the absolute greats to ever touch a piano, and was recorded two years after he suffered a stroke. But you would never know that by listening... the brain is an amazing, curious machine. As always, sound quality is superb — this album belongs in every audiophile’s library regardless of the season.

This podcast is powered by CommonGround Cables Whisper power cable. Read customer reviews and order your own at www.commongroundcables.com.

Find all of our album recommendations in one place, at www.thehifipodcast.net.