News

Most audiophiles probably consider low-fi media such as podcasts irrelevant. But this may change when accessories manufacturer Boston Audio Design launches its new HiFi Industry Podcast Series later this fall.

Podcasts are simply digital audio files, usually very low-resolution MP3 files, that contain a talk program or news or special-interest report featuring spoken word. These files can be subscribed to or downloaded and then played on a portable audio player or computer, or burned to a CD and listened to in the car.

Boston Audio Design's Austin Jackson says its podcasts will be in a live interview format with questions submitted by the public. The free 30-minute podcasts will be released monthly and may be downloaded automatically via RSS or manually by visiting the Boston Audio Design website. The first podcast will feature an interview with artist and turntable designer Simon Yorke of Simon Yorke Designs.

According to Jackson, by allowing the public to ask questions directly of industry manufacturers and personalities, "the podcasts will give audiophiles worldwide a new way to learn about and interact with the audio community. Also, by syndicating the podcasts through hubs like Apple's iTunes, the podcasts will help promote the hi-fi hobby to a wider audience."

Also scheduled for this fall are interviews that Jackson will conduct with designers from 47 Laboratory and Avantgarde Audio, recipient of Stereophile's 2000 Speaker of the Year award. Lest anyone think that Jackson is doing this simply as a promotional tool for his own company, he points out that "the idea is for me to get out of the way and let the participants answer the questions and express what they want to express. Since I'm a manufacturer as well, any discussion of my products is off limits for obvious reasons." He also encourages listeners to suggest who to interview and what to ask.

"I'm really excited to play a role in attracting new audiophiles through syndicating the podcasts," explains Jackson, "or at the very least, helping people understand what goes into the $10,000 turntables, $50,000 speakers, and $25,000 CD transports that are often mentioned (or mocked, rather) in mainstream publications."