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I can't believe I just listened to an audiophile interview for 1 hour and 14 minutes... All I can say is BRILLIANT...

Thank you, Ajani. Much of the credit should go to UltimateAVMag.com's editor Scott Wilkinson, who was an excellent interviewer. He put me at my ease, asked good questions, and kept the discussion moving forward.

What wasn't apparent from the recording was that 15 minutes before the live videocast via Skype was due to start, I was getting an unacceptable delay and dropouts via WiFi on my video transmission and had to run a temporary 75' CAT5 cable from my listening room to the router in our kitchen, then reboot my laptop. Got it all working properly with 10 minutes to spare :-)

The archive podcast is audio-only, however.

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I honestly hope a transcript of the interview will be available on the Stereophile website as I consider it a must read for audiophiles...

That's a great idea.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Yeah totally agree, just finished listening to it myself.
Great discussion that to me anyway seemed balance and thoughtful, and as JA says the hosting was superb, really can tell how he makes those involved welcomed and relaxed with a good structure on topics.

Heh John it did sound to me at the beginning you were either a bit stressed or uncomfortable (may just be me), but maybe the hassle just before the chat did cause this?
Anyway great work and hopefully others will listen to it, initially this may seem a long broadcast but it is enjoyable to the extent that the 1hour and a bit goes pretty fast.

On one of those topics relating to amps, I find it surprising how those arguing amps sound the same cannot technically accept the affects and design considerations of negative feedback.
And you raise an interesting point that I never thought of myself relating to speaker cables; expanding the discussion consideration is it possible that the speaker cables with an integrated network (such as some of the MIT/Transparent/etc) can assist the amps in terms of the effects you outlined relating to nfb and potential for influence?
I always presumed such cables with an integrated network should always be avoided but this has me thinking now.

Thanks
Orb

http://twit.cachefly.net/htg0017.mp3

I would imagine that this is what everyone is talking about. JA does a good job of making us all seem a bit more reasonable, intelligent, and well adjusted.

Thanks for the smoke screen John.

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http://twit.cachefly.net/htg0017.mp3

I would imagine that this is what everyone is talking about. JA does a good job of making us all seem a bit more reasonable, intelligent, and well adjusted.

Thanks for the smoke screen John.

Or you can follow the link on the front of Stereophile that goes to:
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/podcasts/

Some other interesting podcasts there as well.
BTW what do you mean by smoke screen?
Cheers
Orb

I was just about to start a thread about John's interview along the same lines. I found it to be excellent, very interesting and very informative. The combination of John's technical engineering, musical, audio and recording engineering background provide him with unique insights as to what is going on with our audiophilia. His explanations of why folks prefer vinyl, why many of us like tubes (the description of harmonics characteristics as it relates to musical temperament was the clearest and most lucid I've ever heard). I also found his descriptions of the interactions that occur in cables to provide me with insights I've never had, and also provide why different cable designs really can make a difference (like the use of silica gel packing in Shunyata cables to provide RFI sheilding).

John, I really think there's a great opportunity for Stereophile to create a unique and differentiated value to your readers by your writing a column along the lines of the sorts of things you discussed. No one else in stereo magazine industry is doing this. For example, the tie-in between tube harmonics and temperament was one I was never aware. It ties together the music we listen to, how we listen to it and what our equipment is doing. This can provide greater insights into our experiences in listening to music.

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I was just about to start a thread about John's interview along the same lines. I found it to be excellent, very interesting and very informative.

Thank you, Stephen.

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John, I really think there's a great opportunity for Stereophile to create a unique and differentiated value to your readers by your writing a column along the lines of the sorts of things you discussed. No one else in stereo magazine industry is doing this.

That's an intriguing suggestion, because the reality is that nothing I talked about in the interview is new, it just hadn't been gathered together in in one place. The example of high-order distortion harmonics being out of tune with equal-temperament music is something I have mentioned 2 or 3 times in the magazine in the past 20 years. These mentions were only in passing, however, within a review or an article on another subject, so it is not surprising that they get overlooked.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Yes, John, that is exactly what I am talking about. For example, you mentioned that the perception that our brain creates that define what we hear as an "image" was worked out in the 30's, but I had never heard the description you gave before. It was fascinating because it reminded me of how Edwin Land worked out how we see color with his retinex theory of color perception. So, having a column called "Insights" or something along those lines where the sort of things discussed in your interview and other relevant experience and perspectives could be shared would be of great value. There's lots of great equipment and music reviews out there....but nothing like what you talked about in your interview. For example, that superb piece you wrote in Jan 2009 about jitter is the sort of thing I'm talking about...it provided your readers with insights and understanding that many of us had never had before. We knew jitter was important, but really understanding WHY was what that article provided. In the same way, that was why your interview so informative and value-added.

Excellent suggestion, well-presented, Stephen.

I concur.

John, fire that new writer (the one who keeps pissing off manufacturers and has an unhealthy obession with choral music) and use his pages to unload what you've learned after of these years.

What was interesting to me is that I've known John for almost ten years now. Though we've spent countless hours in control rooms recording albums, in his listening room editing and mixing albums and in bars in restaurants eating and drinking - this podcast is the most I've EVER heard John talk about audio.

I agree that the current magazine format only allows for John's knowlege to become infused into the magazine in a piece meal sort of way.

My guess is that, knowing John, he has tried his best to not come across as the egocentric know-it-all magazine editor. But in doing so, he is robbing us all of his valuable insight.

Though John is clearly the boss of Stereophile and his touch comes through on every page, the guy's just too damn English to make himself the focus.

I'd like to see a year-long mini column from JA where he can unload on us.

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I'd like to see a year-long mini column from JA where he can unload on us.

+1

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What was interesting to me is that I've known John for almost ten years now. Though we've spent countless hours in control rooms recording albums, in his listening room editing and mixing albums and in bars in restaurants eating and drinking - this podcast is the most I've EVER heard John talk about audio.

If I remember correctly, Erick, we talked about music, women, music, cars, music, women, musicians, and making recordings. And music. And women. But the audio was always there as an undercurrent.

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I'd like to see a year-long mini column from JA where he can unload on us.

I'd actually thought a couple of years back about writing a 1-page article on a single subject every month, but nothing came of it, mostly because of my need to sleep 7 hours every night :-)

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

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If I remember correctly, Erick, we talked about music, women, music, cars, music, women, musicians, and making recordings. And music. And women. But the audio was always there as an undercurrent.

I remember it that way too. We also talked about what time beer o'clock was.

It was just fun to hear a straight shot of your knowlege of audio in one podcast.

I do wish it was broken up into parts that could be revisited in a convenient way.