“We’re Free to Suck In a Way AI Is Not”

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Dennis and Brent kick things off with a discussion of the audio technology our electeds are most familiar with—AM radio—before pivoting into a long diatribe about whether this newfangled spatial-audio stuff is ever going to catch on. The real question on everyone’s lips this week, though, is whether a SanDisk Extreme Pro flash drive is the real road to audio Nirvana. 💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off. 📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP Brent’s audio projects: 💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album 💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album 💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants Further Reading:

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Dennis and Brent get caught in the trap of being forced to discuss Apple’s big new thing—improved open-ear noise cancellation—and how it might compare to that of the Cleer ARC 3 Open Wireless Earbuds. Then they riff yet again on the subject of AI music, largely centered on UMG’s recent deal with the devil, as well as 404 Media’s intentional hacking of Lathe of Heaven’s Spotify page to inject it with lazy AI slop. Last up for most people, they dig into Brent’s thoughts on several recent one-small-driver speakers, as well as Steve Temme’s first published measurements for Stereophile in the dystopian post-Atkinson world we hi-fi heads find ourselves living in. The real question, though, is: how many mic adapters can Brent manage to string together before the end of the episode? 💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off. 📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP Brent’s audio projects: 💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album 💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Dennis and Brent spend a lot of time and a lot of words riffing on the same fundamental theme: are we making this hi-fi stuff entirely too complicated? And if so, why? Does REL need to make stuff up about mysterious disappearing bass harmonics to sell its gorgeous subs? Does Benchmark have to make stuff up about audible distortion to sell its excellent amplifiers? And perhaps most importantly: does cheapaudioman have to make stuff up about 4K Blu-ray players to sell ED drugs? 💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off. 📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP Brent’s audio projects: 💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Dennis and Brent kick things off with a bit of a different segment: a deep dive into some of the wackier (and cooler) IEMs Brent has found on Facebook, and a look into the psychology of the people buying and reviewing them. Then they investigate what sort of “intimate machines” Stereophile’s Jim Austin is into, and whether we should care if “normal” people can afford them. They wrap the regular episode’s discussion with a read-through of Darko’s review scorecard, and what kind of score Darko deserves on his own test. 💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off. 📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP Brent’s audio projects: 💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album 💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album 💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants Further Reading:

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashedThis week, Dennis and Brent get the party started by pondering the deep question of whether or not a “loom” of anything is automatically sus. Next up, they split hairs over the distinction between a clone and an homage by way of Erin’s Audio Corner’s new video about a Chinese McIntosh knock-off. Then they wrap up the main show by answering a listener’s question about Darko. 💿 “The Audiophile Society's Speaker Test and System Optimization Album”: https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album. Use code AudioUnleashed25 for 25% off. 📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP Brent’s audio projects: 💿 The Audiophile Society's Amazing Fabulous Magnificent Speaker Test Album (engineered by Brent with VO by Dennis): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-speaker-test-and-system-optimization-album 💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album 💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants Further Reading: “Most Audiophiles Upgrade in the Wrong Order Why the System — Not the Component — Is the Unit of Analysis: A Response to the Acurus/Aragon Upgrade Pyramid” by Theodore Walton Denney III: https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/most-audiophiles-upgrade-in-the-wrong-order-why-the-system-not-the-component-is-the-unit-of-analysis-a-response-to-the-acurus-aragon-upgrade-pyramid/ “Most Audiophiles Upgrade in the Wrong Order” by u/Goooooner4Life: https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1v7vqwx/most_audiophiles_upgrade_in_the_wrong_order/ “Fake Mcintosh Audiophile Tube Amplifier vs the Real Deal” by Erin's Audio Corner: https://youtu.be/7wMTjeYVYXQ?si=KwWbl2Q_7lxxjGu2 “Five dongle DACs for your consideration” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/07/five-dongle-dacs-for-your-consideration/ “The great DAC distraction 🌶️” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/03/the-great-dac-distraction/ “KEF Coda W review: real hi-fi for less than a Sonos Arc Ultra” by John Darko: https://darko.audio/2026/02/kef-coda-w-review-real-hi-fi-for-less-than-a-sonos-arc-ultra/