The HiFi Five Podcast

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1. The HiFi Five Episode 43: Solid-State Versus Tube Amplifiers

   29 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 21 min

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   Guests

   David Berning -- Founder and Designer of The David Berning Company

   John Curl -- Founder and Designer of Vendetta Research, Designer for Parasound and for Mark Levinson

   Michael Fremer -- Founder and Editor of Tracking Angle and the Editor at Large of The Absolute Sound

   Ralph Karsten -- Founder and Designer of Atma-Sphere

2. The HiFi Five Episode 42: Truths About Cables

   15 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 39 min

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   Guests:

   Matthew Bond -- Founder and Designer, Matthew Bond Audio; formerly Founder and Designer at Tara Labs

   Galen Gareis -- Designer at Iconoclast Cables; formerly Principal Engineer at Belden Wire & Cable

   Ralph Karsten -- Founder and Designer of Atma-Sphere tube and solid-state electronics

   William Low -- Founder and Chief Designer of Audioquest

   Eric Neff -- Reviewer for HiFi+ Magazine

   This is the most candid and insightful discussion about cables every recorded!

   Topics:

   A $25 interconnect vs. a $250,000 one, a 10,000-to-1 price gap. Where does the extra money stop buying better sound?

   Expectation bias is real. So how does someone who sells cables justify sighted listening over blind testing?

   Can everything that matters sonically about a cable be measured objectively, or do the measurements miss things we can hear?

   How much of the sound of a cable is attributable to the electrical characteristics of the two components the cable is connecting?

   How should an audiophile go about selecting cables?

   Where does diminishing returns set in on cables?

   The "full loom": real engineering or just a way to sell you more cable?

   What's the biggest myth audiophiles believe about cables?

3. The HiFi Five Episode 41: Is Your Set-Up All Wrong?

   24 september 2026 · 1 uur 27 min

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   This is the most actionable, answer-packed discussion about set-up issues and conundrums we all face ever recorded! Lees meer

   Guests:

   Frank Doris -- Editor, Copper Magazine; Senior Associate Editor, Positive FeedbackPeter Noerbaek -- Founder and Designer, PBN Audio

   Lee Scoggins -- Reviewer, Positive Feedback

   Norman Varney -- Founder, A/V RoomService

   Topics:

   What are the most common setup mistakes audiophiles make?

   Can measurements really tell you where to put your speakers and listening chair -or do you ultimately have to trust your ears?

   What do you do when bass problems simply won’t go away? TubeTraps, subwoofer swarm, digital EQ or active bass?

   Process for selecting cables.

   What if your system sounds edgy and fatiguing around 4–5 kHz? How do you figure out what’s actually causing it?

   Should your equipment rack be between the speakers—or along a side wall? Can its location actually change the sound?

   Speakers spikes or no spikes? Component footers?

4. The HiFi Five Episode 40: Are HiFi Influencers Breaking the Rules?

   10 september 2026 · 1 uur 29 min

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   This episode shines a bright line on many questionable practices in the industry, and proposes a remedy.

   Guests:

   Frank Doris -- Editor of Copper Magazine, Senior Associate Editor at Positive Feedback

   Mike Powell -- OCD HiFi Guy and founder of the audio brand Verastarr and online dealer 11Stereo

   Stu McCreary -- attorney and Senior Associate Editor and legal counsel for Positive-Feedback

   David Robinson -- Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Positive Feedback

   Topics:

   Are some YouTube, magazine and influencer reviews really paid endorsements in disguise?

   If a reviewer, YouTuber or influential audiophile gets free gear, an accommodation price or a huge discount, should you be told? What about the “ordinary hobbyist” who gets a sweetheart deal because a manufacturer expects him/her to talk about the product online?

   When does a long-term “review loan” stop being a loan and become compensation? And what if the reviewer eventually sells the gear and keeps -- or shares -- the profit?

   What are the Federal Trade Commission rules already requiring reviewers, influencers and audio companies disclose some of their business relationships?

   Should the industry adopt the disclosure rule proposed by Ron in the episode?

5. The HiFi Five Episode 39: Is Vinyl All That?

   27 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 14 min

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   Guests:

   Jefferson Douglas -- CEO of Tubelandia Music

   Mike Lavigne -- audiophile hobbyist

   Amadeus Meitner -- Managing Director, EMM Labs and Meitner

   Doug Schneider -- founder of SoundStage!

   Topics:

   Which is the best sounding format, and what does best sounding mean?

   When great vinyl beats state-of-the-art digital, what are we really hearing -- the format, better mastering, or better gear?

   If master tape is the ultimate reference, which gets closer: vinyl or digital?

   If an LP was recorded, mixed or mastered digitally, what exactly do you gain by playing it on vinyl? Can mastering digital onto vinyl actually make it sound better?

   Where does another $25,000 buy you more sonic improvement -- vinyl or digital?

   Twenty years from now, will vinyl still be a reference-quality format -- or mainly a collectible experience while digital becomes the unquestioned reference?

6. The HiFi Five Episode 38: Buying Used Components and Repairs

   13 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 4 min

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   Guests:

   Morrison Agen -- Hardcore HiFi, a dealer and component repair and restoration business

   Jay Caceres -- Jay’s Audio Lab, a dealer in used components

   Peter Glenn -- Director of Quality Assurance at The Music Room, a dealer in used components

   Jim Yager -- audiophile hobbyist

   Topics:

   Is buying used actually the smartest way to build a great high-end audio system?

   What high-end components are safest to buy used -- and which are the biggest gamble?

   What components are easiest to resell -- and which ones can you get stuck with?

   Are used high-end audio prices getting ridiculous -- or are today’s prices actually justified?

   How big does the used discount have to be before you’re willing to give up the security of a factory warranty?

   What actually breaks more often: relatively new high-end components or vintage gear -- and are tubes or solid state easier to keep running?

   How does Jay’s Audio Lab and The Music Room determine their buying prices and their selling prices?

7. The HiFi Five Episode 37: Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report

   30 juli 2026 · 57 min

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   Guests:

   Chad Crawley -- audiophile hobbyist

   Gary Gill -- founder and organizer of the Southwest Audio Fest and Capital Audio Fest

   Matt Philpot -- YouTube channel Everyday Audiophile

   Keith Rochelli -- audiophile hobbyist

   Joey Veloso -- President of the DFW Audiophile Club

   Topics:

   Was Southwest Audio Fest better than last year—or did it take a step backward?

   Which new components were the biggest surprises… and which failed to impress?

   Favorite exhibits?

   Best affordable systems?

   Can you really judge a six-figure audio system by how it sounds in a hotel room?

   Do the most expensive systems actually sound the best at an audio show?

   What was the biggest piece of industry gossip or insider information we heard at SWAF?

8. The HiFi Five Episode 36: Roger Hwang, CEO Crystal Claire, on Audio Research and Acora Acoustics

   16 juli 2026 · 22 min

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   In this The HiFi Five Special Episode Ron Resnick interviews Mr. Roger Hwang, the CEO of Crystal International Group Inc. and Crystal Claire Cosmetics Inc., who explains the many recent corporate and personnel developments at Audio Research Corporation and at Acora Acoustics. Lees meer

9. The HiFi Five Episode 35: Dynaudio Withdrawal and Distributor Life Today

   15 juli 2026 · 58 min

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   Guests:

   Brian Ackerman -- Founder of Aaudio Imports

   Bill Leebens -- CEO of Leebens Marketing and Management

   Doug Schneider -- Founder of SoundStage!

   Hiram Toro -- Founder of Supreme Acoustic Systems and of Decibel+

   Topics:

   Is this an isolated case, or the first major warning sign that the economics of importing high-end audio into North America have changed fundamentally?

   What role did tariffs really play in Dynaudio’s decision to leave the U.S. market

   Are U.S. distributors facing the toughest business environment they’ve seen in decades?

   Who really pays the tariffs on imported high-end audio—the manufacturer, the importer, the dealer, or ultimately the consumer

   How today can foreign imported brands compete against domestic brands?

10. The Hi-Fi Five Episode 34: Thirteen Full System Recommendations from $500 to $100,000

    9 juli 2026 · 1 uur 13 min

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    In this Episode 34 the guests and Ron explain thirteen full system recommendations from $500 to $100,000! The HiFi Five supports budget and student audiophiles! Lees meer

    Guests:

    Erin Hardison -- Erin’s Audio Corner

    Danny Kaey -- Sonic Flare

    Eric Neff - Reviewer for HiFi+ Magazine

    Andrew Quint -- Senior Writer at The Absolute Sound

    Additional Topics:

    How should audiophiles divide their budget among speakers, amplifier, preamplifier, source components and cables?

    Would you rather have outstanding speakers with modest electronics, or modest speakers with outstanding electronics? Why?

    Should audiophiles select the loudspeaker first, and match an amplifier to the loudspeaker, or select the amplifier first and match a loudspeaker to the amplifier?

    Which source experiences faster diminishing returns to improving sound quality, digital playback or vinyl playback?

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