The Audio Explorer

Most of my fondest memories of Jim Thiel come from a factory tour in 2001. During the first night at dinner Jim, Kathy, and the higher rank...

Today the sad news about the passing of Jim Thiel was announced. On the few occasions that I met Jim he was always very gracious. I can...

As anyone who's been following the blog for a while knows I am a big proponent of Thiel Loudspeakers . They contain quite a few origina...

Nonesuch records (Wilco's label after being dumped by Reprise for refusing to change aspects of their brilliant Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ) h...

Both my blogmate and I agree; until the Beatles mono remastered box set arrives, it will require one thing and one thing only to tide us ove...

Audiophiles often bemoan the lack of a younger generation of audio enthusiasts. To be honest it's all a bit like Chicken Little claimin...

Just to make The Beatles mono-mania that's going on around here a little more absurd earlier today I received the following email from ...

Since it's essentially Beatles month here at The Audio Explorer, I thought I'd link a very interesting program from BBC Radio 2 wher...

Both myself and my blogmate have been anxiously awaiting the release of The Beatles remasters box sets, particularly the mono set since they...

Do you like Miles Davis' Kind of Blue , but can't stand all that analog fidelity or unencumbered studio ambiance. Then look no furth...

Enjoy a quick video that presents a snapshot of George Cardas' listening room. What I find refreshing is that he could have any equipme...

Recently Miles Davis' seminal "Kind Of Blue" album turned fifty years old. It's quite possibly the most re-issued and pra...

This photo is all over the internet and I have one major question. Does the Wow and Flutter make every singer sound like William Shatner? ...

Sadly many people haven't heard of Les Paul. In addition to being a great guitarist he was a great innovator and even an inventor. He ...

Les Paul may not be the most celebrated guitarist of all time, but there is little doubt that he was the most important. Having not only pav...

Below is a link to the professional diary of Guy Fletcher, a veteran keyboardist who has worked with Mark Knopfler (among many others) since...

One of the best ways to explore the history of music is to find out who influenced a given artist and explore their work. In this way Led Z...

What do bimbos and audiophile recordings have in common? For the most part after the first encounter or two the thrill is gone. In the end...

As one who is still very new to the active collection and enjoyment of vinyl records (I'm not counting using them as frisbees or surfing...

NPR has a wonderful interview with Greg Milner, author of "Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music" which ca...

The arrivals of the iPod, iPhone, Airport Express and Apple TV have raised the bar of consumer expectations of convenience when it comes acc...

Many times it is a struggle to explain to those not interested in high-end audio what drives the audiophile to sacrifice time, money, aesthe...

Click on the photo to see a Wilco studio outtake featuring Jay . Sadly, last weekend saw the passing of former Wilco member, Jay Bennett. Be...

Without a doubt the audio component furthest away from perfection in our systems is the lowly loudspeaker. With distortion ratings left of ...

To All Subjectivists- [sarcasm begins] Cast off your subjectivist sins and all will be forgiven. Become an objectivist, it's cheaper and...

The Furutech deMag device has been causing controversy in high-end circles for some time now, Stephen Mejias' excellent blog entry rei...

I often tend to approach my hobbies with a collector's mentality. Unfortunately, this means I always have shelves overflowing with media...

Below is a brief interview with Simon Yorke, designer and manufacturer of some of the worlds most highly regarded turntables. While I don...

Hello, folks. Audio Explorer has graciously invited me to contribute to this site, so I thought I'd provide a little background about my...

Sometimes I find it remarkable how much disrespect people can treat objects that are art. I was saddened to read earlier today that the pre...