beginner audiophile | hifi | gear rev...
Michael O'Neal and his co-hosts bridge the gap between the clueless big box stores and the snobby stereo shops. Every show is filled with gear reviews, commentary, and interviews aimed to find out what makes a real world difference in your listening experience, how to get the most bang for your buck, and frankly, how to begin experiencing your music in the way it was intended.
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57: How Does Equipment THIS Cheap Sound THIS Go...
Our good friend Harris Fogel from comes by to do a show! Harris has been globetrotting to all of the audio shows, so he gives a quick rundown of what he's seen. Then we get into the "Chi-Fi" (Equipment made in China) and chat about...
42 min
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56: Top 10 Songs to Show Off Your System, with ...
Our good buddy David Solomon from Qobuz () is a MASTER of picking the RIGHT songs to show off his systems. He and I trade in this episode, talk about our favorites, and why we love them. David's playlist on Qobuz: My 10:...
86 min
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55: NAMM Show & T.H.E Show Update. Is Dolby Atm...
So great to be back on the mic! On today's solo show I talk about attending the NAMM show, and how the convergence of the Pro audio and HiFi Audio industry is happening. Then I move onto T.H.E. (The Home Entertainment) Show in Long Beach before...
36 min
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54: What's More Important, The Set Up or The Ge...
HEY! We're back! David Solomon of and I sit down in the lobby of the Hilton hotel Long Beach, where T.H.E. Show 2021 was taking place. We talked about how Covid affected (and still affects) the industry, as well as the importance of setup...
67 min
5
53: How Do We Audition Gear Moving Forward? | G...
The return of Patrick Norton, who's moved himself out to St. Louis from Oakland CA, and a review of the GoldenEar Triton 2+ and the JDS Labs Atom AMP and DAC. Book reco: DIY Acoustic Panels: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Acoustic...
51 min
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52: Dr. Paul Returns! | Parasound Halo Hint 6 R...
Dr. Paul Anderson is back in the house, chatting about his most recent iteration of his system, which includes the Dali Oberon 1, a MUCH cheaper DAC than his $7k Aesthetix, and more! We review the Parasound Halo Hint6 and the BAVSound Upgrade...
40 min
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51: How To Introduce Your Friends to Hifi | Jab...
It's an amazing thing to be able to "re-introduce" our friends to music again. Think about this: In a sea of Spotify, mp3's, and bluetooth, Some people under the age of 35 LITERALLY may have NEVER heard their music the way it was recorded. ...
34 min
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50: Setting Up A New Listening Room From Scratc...
On today's episode I tell a story of how I (almost) got scammed buying a pair of KEF LS50's, used, how I'm setting up a new listening room from scratch, and did a bake-off of the LS50 Passive vs. Wireless.
48 min
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49: Are Headphones Required Now? | HELM Audio F...
On today's ep. I chat about my new Long Beach House, and break down the system. (Check out for pics) Then I get into why headphones have gotten so important over the last couple of months. Finally, I chat with Eric Johnson, founder of HELM...
48 min
10
48: Vintage Audio Buyer's Guide with Mark Ceras...
LONG overdue, on this ep I bring vintage audio expert Mark Ceresuolo on, and we talk all things vintage audio, from which companies made the great gear, some origin stories, and what to look for in vintage receivers, speakers, and turntables.
66 min
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47: "Mid-Fi" Integrated Amp Bake Off - Peachtre...
During the course of creating this show, I set a mental "cap" that no piece of equipment would cost more than $3000. With few exceptions, I've stuck to that directive. Today however, we push right up to the edge of that limit with three...
47 min
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46: CES Wrap Up | Ported vs. Non-Ported Subs | ...
On today's solo episode, I talk about CES 2020, the state of audio, and what's up with the show. Then I break down ported vs. non-ported subwoofers. Finally, a review of the Jabra Elite 65T True Wireless earbuds, and the 85H headphones.
45 min
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45: Being A Kid in the 70's and 80's, and how i...
Everyone has a story. Many of us that were kids in the 70's and 80's had that friend or that kid in school that had all the cool stereo gear. Today my pal Brooks Hollan (@life_of_brooksie) and I talk about being a kid in a very influential...
64 min
14
44: New Gear For Beginner Audiophiles
On this show we talk about some new gear from Elac, Pro-Ject, Audioquest, Amazon Music and more!
33 min
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43: New "King of True Wireless" Earbuds, News ...
On this solo episode, I update you about the SVS install I did in Utah, cover the new Emotiva AVR in the news, and review the Hifiman TWS600. After a listener question involving the Amazon Echo Dot, we go listen to some great tunes! Check out ...
31 min
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42: Anatomy of an Affordable, KILLER 2 Channel...
Today I share the story of a home theater install I did for my good friend Jase Bennett () of The Ohana Adventure. They have (!) subscribers. Jase and his wife have 6 kids, and he wanted an amazing place for all of them to watch...
40 min
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41: Re-Imagining The "Audiophile Conference", T...
Today Dr. Paul and I talk about a "hypothetical" audio conference, and how we might reinvent it. With the advent of lifestyle systems, powered speakers with great DACs and sonic integration, it's time we re-think how people consume these audio...
56 min
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40: Speaker Setup Revisited, QoBuz Overview, Li...
Michael's got a new Mac Pro (from 2009) that he's just upgraded, and tells a story of hefting a giant SVS subwoofer up the steps with no help from Fed Ex. Speaking of, this episode is sponsored by SVS. Check out all of their amazing...
71 min
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39: Big Room Subwoofer Solutions, Choosing Spea...
On today's episode Patrick Norton and Michael O'Neal chat about an innovative way to break in your new speakers, Michael Reviews the Optoma UHL55 4K Portable Projector, and we answer a few of your questions! This episode is brought to you by SVS...
61 min
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38: True Wireless Earbud Bakeoff w/Sennheiser v...
Airpods? Airpods, really? What do you do when you want great sound in addition to the functionality of True Wireless Earbuds? Today we find out, with this momentus showdown between the , and the . Both priced at $300, do they...
61 min
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37: Interview with an Audiophile, with Matt Roc...
Today, 30 year audiophile (and one of the two guys that got me into the hobby) Matt Rockwell and I sit down for a chat in his house in Boulder. When I met Matt, he had a $300k+ system. Now, a few years later, he's "pared it down" to a...
65 min
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36: The Great USB Cable Bake-Off, Audio News, Y...
On today's episode we try a slew of USB audio cables to see if they make a difference in sound. We also check out current audio news, and bang through a few user questions. Follow us on Instagram at
40 min
23
35: 2019 Audiophile Gear "Bargains"
Today Dr. Paul Anderson and I go through the best "bargains" (in quotes because some are quite pricey...but still relative bargains to the competition) in audio in 2019. Please pardon my cough...I was nursing a bit of bronchitis on this...
36 min
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34: Setting Up A New Room | The Great DAC Bakeo...
Dr. Paul Anderson is back on the show! We are setting up his new place in LA, and spent many hours dialing in the room. We chat about what it takes to set up a new room, in terms of speaker placement, what to listen for, etc. We had...
58 min
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33: Andrew Jones from ELAC | NAMM Rundown | Sen...
Howdy! On this episode, we pin down Andrew Jones from Elac for a juicy interview on his philosophy behind creating speakers, and lots more. Michael gives the rundown on NAMM, the North American Music Merchants show. Those are the people...
63 min