In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, hosts Robert and Sandra tackle the challenge of acoustic nulls—those frustrating dead zones where bass seems to vanish. Caused by wave cancellations from room boundaries, nulls can rob music of weight and impact. Learn how to identify them, why speaker and listener placement matters so much, and what can (and can’t) be fixed with treatment or EQ. Solving nulls is key to unlocking your system’s full low-frequency potential.The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Visit PS Audio. To get your own copy of Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, get it on Amazon.
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12:13
The Rule of Thirds
In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, the spotlight turns to the Rule of Thirds—not the photography rule, but the powerful guideline for speaker and listener placement. Discover how dividing your room into thirds can unlock surprising improvements in imaging, bass response, and depth. It's a simple starting point that often gets you closer to the magic: a wide, holographic soundstage where the speakers disappear and the music stands in their place.The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Visit PS Audio. To get your own copy of Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, get it on Amazon.
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10:48
Understanding the RIAA curve
Vinyl isn’t just about the warmth of analog—it’s also about precision, especially when it comes to the RIAA curve. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we explore why records are cut and played back with intentional equalization, and how the RIAA curve preserves fidelity, lowers noise, and restores musical balance. Discover how your phono stage decodes this curve, and why getting it right is essential for hearing vinyl the way it was meant to sound.The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Visit PS Audio. To get your own copy of Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, get it on Amazon.
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13:44
The role of the preamplifier
Often overlooked but never unimportant, the preamplifier plays a central role in the character and performance of a high-end system. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we explore how a great preamp shapes dynamics, preserves signal integrity, and brings life and dimensionality to the music. From gain structure to input stage design, discover why the preamp isn’t just a volume control—it’s the beating heart between source and amplifier, and a key to musical immersion.The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Visit PS Audio. To get your own copy of Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, get it on Amazon.
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10:18
The soul of Audiophilia
In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, hosts Robert and Sandra dive into the soul of audiophilia—what drives us to chase perfect sound, and why it matters. Beyond specs and gear, this is a passion rooted in emotion, memory, and connection. They explore the moments that move us, the systems that disappear, and the music that keeps us coming back. For audiophiles, it’s not just sound—it’s something closer to truth.The Audiophile’s Guide publishes daily. Want to learn more or join the HiFi Family? Visit PS Audio. To get your own copy of Paul McGowan’s The Audiophile’s Guide, get it on Amazon.
The Audiophile's Guide podcast is your invitation into the world of high-end audio, and connecting with me, Paul McGowan—a 50-year veteran in the art and science of sound and the co-founder and CEO of PS Audio. We do kind of a mind meld between me and our technologically connected hosts. Each episode is a fresh, no-nonsense exploration of how to bring music to life in your home, drawn from my decades of hands-on experience designing the gear that makes it happen.
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