The HiFi Hobbyist Podcast
by alan gillies
This podcast is part of the HiFi Hobbyist Multichannel project for people whose hobby is High Fidelity audio reproduction. It started life as a blog in 2020 and has expanded to include videocasts and AI-generated audio discussions. The HiFi Hobbyist podcast is a new channel that aims to discuss the issues raised in more detail through a dedicated audio podcast channel where in-depth talks will be alternated by AI discussions of the same issue. We will also produce occasional special editions. Our goal is to publish once a week. You can visit the main HiFi Hobbyist site at hifihobbyist.net
Episodes
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What you need to know about Transmission Line speakers, but are afraid to ask
The transmission line loudspeaker represents one of audio engineering’s most fascinating attempts to solve a fundamental acoustic problem. Engineers must produce deep, uncoloured low-frequency sound from an enclosure without letting the driver's rear wave interfere with the front wave. This topic...
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A generated discussion comparing the audio engineering output of Steven Wilson and Miles Showell
Welcome to The final episode in our mini-series about the production of vinyl records and other physical media music formats. It has been inspired by attending a talk by Miles Showell, a renowned audio engineer who reminded me that my Hi-Fi only sounds as good as the material as I play on it. In...
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The remastering work of two great British audio engineers
Welcome to the third episode in this mini-series about the production of vinyl records and other physical media music formats. It has been inspired by attending a talk by Miles Showell, a renowned audio engineer which reminded me that my Hi-Fi only sounds as good as the material as I play on it.…
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The role of mastering and remastering
Welcome to the second episode in this mini-series about the production of vinyl records and other physical media music formats. It has been inspired by attending a talk by Miles Showell, a renowned audio engineer which reminded me that my Hi-Fi only Sounds as good as the material as I play on it....
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Producing a vinyl record
Welcome to this mini-series about the production of vinyl records and other physical media music formats. It has been inspired by attending a talk by Miles Showell, a renowned audio engineer who reminded me that my Hi-Fi only sounds as good as the material as I play on it. In this mini-series in...
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A generated discussion about the role and future of Samsung in Hi-Fi
In recent years, Samsung has emerged as a major player in the global hi-fi marketplace. This episode is the third in a series of podcasts that seek to understand how and why this has happened and what the implications are for Hi-Fi hobbyists. The Hi-Fi Hobbyist has a personal interest here, Mark...
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Why did Samsung acquire its Hi-Fi brands?
In recent years, Samsung has emerged as a major player in the global hi-fi marketplace. This podcast mini-series seeks to understand how and why this has happened and what the implications are for Hi-Fi hobbyists. The Hi-Fi Hobbyist has a personal interest here: Mark Levinson, the manufacturer of...
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Samsung and its role as a major player in the Hi-Fi market
In recent years, Samsung has emerged as a major player in the global hi-fi marketplace. This podcast seeks to understand how and why this has happened and what the implications are for Hi-Fi hobbyists. The Hi-Fi Hobbyist has a personal interest here, Mark Levinson, the manufacturer of my…
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The generated debate about the audio characteristics of valve and transistor amplifiers
Back in December, the Hi-Fi Hobbyist podcast took a first look at the use of valves and transistors in Hi-Fi components. Valves or strictly thermionic valves are the British terms for what U.S. Hi-Fi Hobbyists call vacuum tubes. In this series of episodes, we are taking a deeper, more detailed…
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The reality of valve and transistor amplifiers
Back in December, the Hi-Fi Hobbyist podcast took a first look at the use of valves and transistors in Hi-Fi components. Valves or strictly thermionic valves are the British terms for what U.S. Hi-Fi Hobbyists call vacuum tubes. We will use the term “valve” throughout these podcast episodes. In...
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The theory of valve and transistor amplifiers
Back in December, the Hi-Fi Hobbyist podcast took a first look at the use of valves and transistors in Hi-Fi components. Valves or strictly thermionic valves are the British terms for what U.S. Hi-Fi Hobbyists call vacuum tubes. We will use the term “valve” throughout these podcast episodes. In...
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Generated discussion comparing the Japanese and Chinese HiFi industries
This podcast is the last in a series that seeks to explore the rise of Japanese Hi Fi, understand how this occurred, and to look at the lessons from history about the current rise of the Chinese Hi-Fi industry, In this episode, we will consider the parallels between the growth of the Japanese…
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The Rise of the Japanese Hi-Fi Industry: Post War expansion and lessons for China
This podcast is the third in a series that seeks to explore the rise of Japanese Hi Fi, understand how this occurred, and to look at the lessons from history about the current rise of the Chinese Hi-Fi industry, In this episode, we will tell the stories of the businesses that joined them after…
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The Rise of the Japanese Hi-Fi Industry: the pioneers
This podcast is the second in a series that seeks to explore the rise of Japanese Hi Fi, understand how this occurred, and to look at the lessons from history about the current rise of the Chinese Hi-Fi industry, In this episode, we will focus on the life stories of the first Japanese Hi-Fi...
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The rise of Japanese Hi-Fi: lessons for China
In the current era, much has been made of the rise of Chinese manufacturing companies within the Hi-Fi industry. However, they are not the first Asian country to rise from almost nothing to world domination in terms of the audio industry. After defeat in the Second World War, Japan’s industry was...
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The AI view of the BBCs contribution to Hi-Fi
In the previous two podcasts we have detailed 100 years of the BBCs contribution to audio and Hi-Fi in the UK across, engineering innovations, high quality radio broadcasting, talent nurturing, and loudspeaker designs. This week we prompted an AI discussion to consider which of these…
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The Contribution of the BBC to Hi Fi Part Two
In this podcast, the second of a miniseries of three, we shall discuss the BBC’s contribution in three specific areas: loudspeaker design, digital audio and nurturing audio engineering talent. The music that accompanies this podcast once again reflects the BBC's long contribution to classical...
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The Contribution of the BBC to Hi-Fi Part One
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) was founded on October 18, 1922, as the British Broadcasting Company by a group of wireless manufacturers. It was later established as a public corporation under a Royal Charter on January 1, 1927, which is when it officially became the British...
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Anniversary reflections on the use of AI
Welcome to the second of our anniversary special podcasts in the hi-fi hobbyist series. Throughout the first year of the hi-fi hobbyist podcasts, we have explored the use of AI technology in a number of different ways. In most cases, the podcasts have alternated in style on a fortnightly cycle.…
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First anniversary special - personal reflections
Welcome to the first of two special Hi-Fi hobbyist podcasts that celebrate our first anniversary. The first sets out to reflect how the global trends and issues discussed in the podcast have impacted my own experiences with Hi-Fi at home, and influenced my buying choices. Discussions of my own...
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The Debate: Roy Gandy versus Ivor Tiefenbrun
This week's podcast concludes our current series of podcasts about my Hi-Fi Heroes. We have prompted our AI protagonists to debate the relative contributions of our two most recent Hi-Fi Heroes,Roy Gandy of Rega and Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn. These two highly influential figures have both led their...
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HiFi Heroes: Roy Gandy of Rega
This week's podcast is devoted to out final Hi-Fi hero for now, Roy Gandy. Roy Gandy founded Rega Research in 1973. It is a prominent British audio manufacturer celebrated for its minimalist engineering philosophy and high-fidelity equipment, which has always combined excellence with good value....
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HiFi Heroes: Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn
This is the third of our series of podcasts about my HiFi Heroes. If Peter Walker and Gilbert Briggs were the founding fathers of the British Hi-Fi Industry, Ivor Tiefenbrun is regarded by some as their heir apparent and by others as their problem child. He has always been a controversial figure...
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AI discussion of Gilbert Briggs ongoing contribution to British Hi-Fi
This week’s podcast features a discussion about the impact of Gilbert Briggs on the development of the British Hi-Fi scene between two AI protagonists. They have been prompted to compare Briggs’s contribution with another of my Hi-Fi heroes, Peter Walker, founder of QUAD, and to consider Briggs's...
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HiFi Heroes: Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale
This is the second in an occasional series of podcasts devoted to some of my Hi-Fi heroes. This podcast is dedicated to Gilbert Briggs, founder of Wharfedale. These days, Wharfedale is owned by the International Audio Group and like QUAD, many of its products form part of the current fashion for...
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The AI debate about the extent of Chinese audio innovation
Welcome to this week's podcast. The Hi-Fi Hobbyist is on holiday this week, but he will be back next week with another Hi-Fi hero. In the meantime, we have prompted two AI protagonists to revisit the podcast from a few weeks ago where we looked at how far the Chinese hi-fi industry has progressed...
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AI debate about Peter Walkers greatest contribution to audio
This week’s podcast features a debate between AI protagonists about one of my Hi-Fi heroes, Peter Walker, founder of QUAD. Peter Walker is responsible for a range of major innovations in audio equipment design. In this week’s debate, the protagonists consider the relative merits of Walker’s...
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HiFi Heroes: Peter Walker of QUAD
This is the first in an occasional series of podcasts devoted to some of my Hi-Fi heroes. This podcast is dedicated to Peter Walker, founder of QUAD. These days, QUAD is owned by the International Audio Group and many of its products form part of the current fashion for retro products. However,...
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Journeys: an experiment in AI and Music Part 2
This is the second part of the Hi-Fi Hobbyist Podcast on AI and Music. In this part we present the second side of the virtual album “Journeys”. Side 2 is made up of songs based upon real-life journeys undertaken by ancestors of the HiFi Hobbyist, or other people known to him. These journeys were...
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Journeys: an experiment in AI and Music Part 1
This week’s podcast is in two parts. It is a departure from the usual pattern, looking at the use of AI in the generation of music. There are legal and ethical issues, especially in the area of creativity and intellectual property, and we shall return to these at the end of Part 2 of the Podcast....
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How Chinese brands are no longer merely imitating Western brands
In a previous podcast, we looked at Chi-Fi, Chinese-manufactured Hi-Fi, which is gaining increasing recognition in the international Hi-Fi market. In this podcast, we will look in more detail at how this industry has developed from a low-cost manufacturing centre to an innovation and R&D hub, and...
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The AI debate about how to deal with your room acoustics
Last week's podcast looked at the issue of room acoustics and room treatment. This week, we hand over the topic to AI protagonists for a debate about whether specialist room treatments are required in a domestic setting, or whether simpler pragmatic adjustments to room decor with the potential...
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The elephant is in the room and its called acoustics
Recent opinion pieces on the HiFi Hobbyist website have reported on differing views from online commentators on the importance of room acoustics and room treatments. In this podcast, we will look in more detail at the underlying scientific theory and seek our own conclusions on the topic. Part 1…
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AI takes a deeper look at how the recording quality of live albums improved over the 1970s
This week's podcast is a generated discusison take a deeper look into how the recording quality of live albums improved over the 1970s. The discussion is not limited to the five albums I discussed last week, and the discussion has a more U.S-centric feel which may balance things for those who…
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My favourite double live albums from the 1970s
For me, the 1970s were a golden age of the double live album. Of course, these were the days of vinyl, so we’re talking about four sides, giving a total playing time of up to about 90 minutes. Speaking personally, this was how I got to know some of my favourite bands of this era. In this podcast…
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The AI discussion about 100 years of recordings of Beethoven Symphonies
This week’s podcast is the last in a cycle of four. Using the same sources as the Hi-Fi Hobbyist did last week, our AI protagonists discuss the significance of the key recordings of Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies. This week’s music accompanying the podcast are selections from an early recording of…
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100 years of recordings of Beethoven’s Symphonic Cycle
This week’s podcast is the third of a four-week cycle. This week will review recordings of Beethoven’s nine symphonies from the last one hundred years. This will be followed next week by letting our AI protagonists discuss the most significant recordings of Beethoven’s symphonies. The podcasts…
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What happens when AI debates the merits of Beethoven's Symphonies
This week's podcast is the second in a cycle of four in which our AI protagonists discuss Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies. Using the same sources as the Hi-Fi Hobbyist did last week, our AI protagonists select and rank their favourite three symphonies, and then go on to justify and debate their choices....
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The HiFi Hobbyist's guide to Beethoven's 9 Symphonies in which select our top 5 Beethoven symphonies
This week’s podcast is the first of a four-week cycle. This week we will review Beethoven’s nine symphonies and choose a top five. This will be followed next week by letting our AI protagonists discuss the symphonies and the Hi-Fi Hobbyists ranking. After that, the following week’s podcast will...
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The AI Debate about CHi-Fi: Hi-Fi Hobbyists dream or nightmare?
This week’s podcast is a generated debate to decide whether Chi-Fi represents a dream or a nightmare for the Hi-Fi Hobbyist. The AI protagonists use the sources from last week's podcast to create their arguments. Once again, the music accompanying this podcast consists of tracks of Chinese music…
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Chi-Fi: Is it a HiFi Hobbyists dream, or a nightmare?
A few weeks ago, the main Hi-Fi Hobbyist looked at the emergence of Chi-Fi. Chi-Fi describes an industry phenomenon where independent Chinese brands deliver high-performance audio equipment at disruptive prices. It marks a shift from OEM manufacturing of Western designs to the emergence of…
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Two AI protagonists debate whether Class AB or Class D amplification is better
In last week's podcast we looked at the different amplifier classes and how they linked to the sound quality of key exemplar amplifiers of each type. One of the conclusions was that the vast majority of modern amplifiers are either Class AB or Class D. For this week's podcast, we have generated a...
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What class is your amplifier in?
A few weeks ago, we looked at the the difference between valves and solid-state components such as transistors or integrated circuits in hi-fi amplifiers. One of the issues that emerged from that podcast was the question of amplifier topology or class. It appeared from the research undertaken…
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Two AI protagonists debate the merits of the HiFi Hobbyist ranking of Jethro Tull albums
In last week's podcast, I selected my favourite five Jethro Tull albums. The selection was based on musical and lyrical quality, rather than the sound quality of the original releases, but as this was a Hi-Fi Hobbyist podcast, sound quality was raised, especially in relation to the Steve Wilson...
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The HiFi Hobbyist Top Five Jethro Tull Albums - Ranked!
Jethro Tull have been producing music since 1968, and therefore selecting 5 favourite Jethro Tull albums for this podcast is a difficult task. This week's podcast is the Hifi Hobbyist's attempt to select a Top Five Jethro Tull albums. Only five in the list in order to try to explore the merits of...
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The HiFi Hobbyist New Year Podcast - Two AIs debate how to perform Messiah
Welcome to this week’s podcast, which is a generated debate about the different approaches to performing and recording Handel’s Messiah, as discussed in last week's Christmas podcast. The AI protagonists debate the merits of the newer authentic or "historically informed" performances compared to...
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The HiFi Hobbyist Christmas Podcast: Handels Messiah
Happy Christmas from the HiFi Hobbyist! This week’s podcast considers Handel's Messiah, which has become a staple at Christmas. We shall consider its origins, its impact, and the HiFi Hobbyists favourite recordings The selections of Messiah that accompany the podcast are supplied from Wikimedia...
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A Generated AI debate about the merits of valve and solid-state circuitry in high-fidelity audio amplification
This week’s generated discussion iis about last week’s podcast about the relative merits of valve and solid-state (transistor) circuitry in high-fidelity audio amplification. It takes the form of a debate about the merits of each technology with each participant championing one of the…
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A Technical and Subjective Comparison of Valve vs.Solid State Hi-Fi Amplifiers
This week’s podcast which considers the relative merits of valve and solid-state circuitry in high-fidelity audio amplification. We use the term “solid state’ because the discrete transistors of early designs have now largely been superseded by integrated circuits incorporating many transistors...
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Two AIs debate evidence from last week's podcast to decide which PInk Floyd masterpiece is better
This week’s generated discussion uses the evidence gathered for last week’s podcast about Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd to debate the merits of each album with each AI participant championing one of the titles. Will they agree with the (human) HiFi Hobbyist?
About this show
This podcast is part of the HiFi Hobbyist Multichannel project for people whose hobby is High Fidelity audio reproduction. It started life as a blog in 2020 and has expanded to include videocasts and AI-generated audio discussions. The HiFi Hobbyist podcast is a new channel that aims to discuss the issues raised in more detail through a dedicated audio podcast channel where in-depth talks will be alternated by AI discussions of the same issue. We will also produce occasional special editions. Our goal is to publish once a week. You can visit the main HiFi Hobbyist site at hifihobbyist.net
Hosted by
alan gillies
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