We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week, Dennis wonders why a writer for The Atlantic is wondering why his cheap Bluetooth speaker can’t generate the feeling of community he got at a Beyoncé concert, while Brent wonders why Dennis was reading The Atlantic. Then they dig into a recent article on acoustics by one of audio’s most popular personalities to learn what’s better: a lousy speaker in a good room or a good speaker in a lousy room. They conclude with a deep dive into—surprise!—an article about hi-fi published in a mainstream scientific magazine, which recommends a whole new (well, kinda new) speaker layout.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

• “Bluetooth Speakers Are Ruining Music” by Michael Owen: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/bluetooth-speakers-ruining-music/681571/?gift=UE260Y8zIMsW6uBskvxKEDxO5tYZ2efPoBTRLiJy30M&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
• “The most important hi-fi component is your room” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2025/02/why-your-room-is-your-most-important-hi-fi-component/
• “How to Make Your Own Audio Diffusers” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.lifewire.com/make-your-own-audio-diffuser-3134903
• “The Science of Hi-Fi Audio” by John Beerends, Richard Van Everdingen: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-science-of-hi-fi-audio
• “The Influence of Listeners’ Experience, Age, and Culture on Headphone Sound Quality Preferences” by Olive, Sean; Welti, Todd; McMullin, Elisabeth: https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=17500
• “MEMS!” by Geoffrey Morrison: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/445
• “Fresh From the Bench: USound Megaclite 4.0 UH-R2040 MEMS Earphones” by Brent Butterworth: https://audioxpress.com/article/fresh-from-the-bench-usound-megaclite-4-0-uh-r2040-mems-earphones

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week, Dennis and Brent discuss Danny Ritchie’s diagnosis of the legendary Wilson WATT/Puppy; can he find the cure for questionable engineering? Then they ponder whether Spotify is truly evil, and what malice might lurk in the hearts of other streaming services. And they wrap up with speculation about why a stupid article on vinyl seems to have been memory-holed entirely off the internet—and why a vinyl guru’s attempt to demo over YouTube says much about the psychology of crowds and nothing about vinyl.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

📚 Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: https://amzn.to/4aMl9Xl

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

• “The $27,900 disappointment? Wilson Audio Watt Puppy 8 issues…” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/Tma9jFZ3-3k?si=ddg-crv3nFK7g03p
• “Upgrade Success or Failure With Wilson Audio?” by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/pIt2pcQvf6M?si=A9Y6-QLI6uig4-_t
• “Is There Any Escape from the Spotify Syndrome?” by Hua Hsu: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/12/30/mood-machine-liz-pelly-book-review
• “The Physics of Vinyl (A Sonic Hug in a World of Noise)” by Andrew Oattes (if you find it, let us know!)
• “It’s time we admit to, and accept, vinyl’s dirty secret” by John Higgins: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/time-to-admit-to-vinyls-dirty-secret/
• “2024 Golden Ear: Wilson-Benesch GMT One Turntable System” by Michael Fremer: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/2024-golden-ear-wilson-benesch-gmt-one-turntable-system/?mc_cid=02535d5b76
• “LIsten to "Babylon Sisters" UHQR on $370K Wilson-Benesch GMT One Turntable” by TrackingAngle: https://youtu.be/NBCnoVlFLDY?si=twY4G5cyczAXbgYD
• “Hard truth: most vinyl is digital anyway” by AP Mastering: https://youtu.be/IM7sI7GZPbk?si=3StyrxM4fRRqlnqL

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week, Dennis and Brent discuss how spending money and seeing measurements can influence subjective listening impressions, take a weird vicarious trip to a Japanese Kissa, and listen to a direct comparison between the same digital master delivered on a variety of different media.

Buy-now links for products mentioned herein (As Amazon Associates, we may earn a small cut from qualifying purchases):

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s new album! CD normally costs $13 ($10 + $3 for shipping); use code audiounleashedepi42 for 40% off the CD. (Offer extended! Now expires 2/1/25.)

https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

📚 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: https://amzn.to/4h7kZwb

📚 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

📚 The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward: https://amzn.to/4cyzSET

Further Reading:

• “Was ASR right on the Power Plant?” by Paul McGowan, PS Audio: https://youtu.be/wAywgassj1Q?si=hvhFJwuaL_ToguSI
• “On Listening - Part 7: The Japanese Kissa” by OMA ǀ Oswalds Mill Audio: https://youtu.be/ZYb6AnGOJ0I?si=UqYPJQnZsKdXuLuV
• “Is Hi-Fi a Kink or a Fetish?” by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1305-is-hi-fi-a-kink-or-a-fetish
• “I Compared Vinyl vs Tape vs Cassette vs Streaming – Results were SHOCKING!” by Dom Sigalas: https://youtu.be/6iohmhZWDNo?si=kRUeHQxxTf7jZVbH
• “The New Standard That Killed the Loudness War” by Brent Butterworth: https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/274-the-new-standard-that-killed-the-loudness-war