For vinyl lovers, the cartridge is where it all starts. And one of the biggest choices you’ll make is between moving magnet and moving coil. They both have their strengths—and their tradeoffs. Today, we’ll break down how they work, why they sound different, and what to expect when you switch. Whether you’re spinning a $20 thrift store find or a mint Blue Note original, the right cartridge can bring it to life.

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.

It’s one of the oldest debates in high-end audio: tubes or solid-state? Some swear by the warmth and romance of glowing glass, others want the grip and precision of transistors. But what’s really going on under the hood—and how does it shape what we hear? Today, we’ll dig into the sound, the science, and why both camps have loyal followers. Because in the end, it’s not about the parts. It’s about the music.

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.

Getting great imaging isn’t just about your gear. It’s about the room—and how sound bounces around in it. One of the simplest tools we have to tame those reflections? A mirror. In today’s episode, we’ll walk through the classic mirror trick for locating first reflection points, why it matters, and how treating those spots can make your speakers disappear and the soundstage open up. It’s an easy fix that delivers big results.

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.

It’s easy to forget just how far we’ve come. Digital audio didn’t start with streaming or downloads—it started with a promise: better fidelity, less noise, and the dream of perfection. From the first compact discs to high-resolution streaming and today’s state-of-the-art DACs, digital’s come a long way. In this episode, we’ll trace the journey—from clunky beginnings to the clarity and realism we now expect. It’s the story of how digital found its soul.

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.

Weightless, fast, and eerily transparent—electrostatic loudspeakers have a sound that captivates audiophiles like few others. In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, we explore how these panels work, using charged diaphragms and high-voltage fields to reproduce music with astonishing detail and delicacy. But that magic comes with trade-offs: limited dynamics, narrow dispersion, and placement sensitivity. Still, when everything lines up, electrostatics can deliver a level of realism that’s hard to forget—and harder to walk away from.

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.

In this episode of The Audiophile’s Guide, hosts Robert and Sandra dive into the concept of subwoofer Xmax—short for maximum linear excursion. It’s a critical spec that tells you how far a subwoofer cone can move without distortion, and it directly affects how deep and clean your bass can go. They explore how Xmax impacts dynamics, headroom, and low-end authority, and why more excursion isn’t always better unless it’s backed by smart design and control.

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.