The Occasional Podcast

Hosted by Brian Hunter

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Episodes

154

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Join us in an audio-centric exploration of high fidelity listening. Gear talk, recommendations, interviews and plenty of interesting insights into high-end and personal audio, manufacturing and the people that make up the pastime. Our discussions primarily focus on music, music production, HiFi, audiophile speakers, headphones, amplifiers, turntables (record players), tubes, CD players, digital streaming, DAC and other digital sources.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 838 min

HIGH END Vienna 2026 - HiFi Highlights and Best Of Show

Marc is back from his travels abroad and he returns with all the good news, highlights and best sound from the HIGH END Vienna show. Hosted for the first time at its new location in Austria, HIGH END 2026 found a new home for one of the biggest international audio shows on the planet. Marc and Brian dive deep into the best parts of the Hifi event, with all the audio goodies and tasty sounds from the massive high end convention. S14E8 Sponsors: VAC-AMPSdotCOM - When Music Matters PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times JMF-AUDIOdotCOM - Intstruments For The Music AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You BORDERPATROLdotNET - For Music Lovers, Not Scope Jockeys

May 28, 2026Episode 71 hr 0 min

Julie Mullins (Stereophile/Analog Planet)

An interview with Julie Mullins of Stereophile Magazine, Analog Planet and many more endeavors. This week we chat with Julie about her long history in audio (which includes all the major HiFi publications) and her epic history as a freelance writer for the arts. From audiophile roots growing up to her high-paced journalism, Mullins has been both listening and writing for most of her life. We discuss music, the arts, AI and writing in this episode - along with some interesting conversations about listening and some of the unique hurdles HiFi faces as a community. S14E7 Sponsors: VAC-AMPSdotCOM - When Music Matters PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times JMF-AUDIOdotCOM - At Hi-Fi Deluxe Show In Vienna, June 5-7 AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You

May 14, 2026Episode 61 hr 4 min

William Low From AudioQuest

A very special interview with Bill Low of AudioQuest. This week's episode is a much more cerebral experience, and one of our favorites to tackle. Joined by AudioQuest founder William Low, we talk about some great topics for anyone interested in high fidelity, critical listening and all the possibilities around hearing. What is realism in audio? Why does our hearing focus on certain things and not others? How have we evolved as a species to hear things a certain way? Bill and host Brian Hunter jump in to the fray with these and plenty of other audio tips, tricks and passing thoughts for this mid point of Season 14. A real highlight for the season so far. S14E6 Sponsors: VAC-AMPSdotCOM - When Music Matters PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times BORDERPATROLdotNET - For Music Lovers, Not Scope Jockeys WOOAUDIOdotCOM - The New WA300-BAL Speaker Amp

April 29, 2026Episode 548 min

Steve Guttenberg And Andrew Jones - Live Recording From AXPONA 2026

A huge show this week with both Steve "The Audiophiliac" Guttenberg and legendary speaker designer Andrew Jones. The Reviewer and the Designer was recorded live at AXPONA 2026 in Chicago this year. In a keynote session on Friday, The Occasional Podcast had a live audience for the first time. The three way banter was a great variation for the format, with some great conversations and educational bits alike. We pulled out some interesting stories from both Steve and Andrew, along with some unique perspectives on both measurements and design philosophy. Andrew's new speaker is the field-coil concentric Jones And Cerreta Troubador. And Steve Guttenberg has a new book coming out titled "The Blind Projectionist" but you can also follow his HiFi commentary on his regular YouTube channel "The Audiophiliac". S14E5 Sponsors: VAC-AMPSdotCOM - When Music Matters AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times AUDIOVISIONSFdotCOM - San Francisco May 16th-17th In-Store HiFi Celebration

April 17, 2026Episode 456 min

AXPONA 2026 - HiFi Highlights And Best Of Show

Live from Chicago, IL - The cast and crew from PartTimeAudiophile's coverage of AXPONA 2026 weigh in. Held April 10-12 in the Schaumburg Convention Center, this episode reports back on all the showroom highlights and the latest hifi product releases from the largest high fidelity audio event in North America. Best of show, standout gear and plenty of weekend observations. Special thanks to Marc Phillips and to all the fans who weighed in on the songs this week! Hear all the AXPONA 2026 songs and see the room-by-room coverage on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePartTimeAudiophile/reels/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PT-Audio Seasonal Merch is now available! The pt.AUDIO Record Weight In Copper S14E4 Sponsors: AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times BORDERPATROLdotNET - For Music Lovers, Not Scope Jockeys

April 6, 2026Episode 349 min

An Interview With Jana Dagdagan (Jana Loves HiFi/Stereophile)

In this episode we sit down with Jana Dagdagan from the YouTube channel Jana Loves HiFi. Jana shares her story and gives us her unique perspective on the HiFi industry, having worked with both Stereophile magazine and darko.audio before recently kicking off her own YouTube channel. Jana's videos have a keen eye for angles and a distinctly cinematic feel in a sea of talking head creators. A refreshing talent in the HiFi industry, you can find her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@janaloveshifi S14E3 Sponsors: AXPONAdotCOM - North America's Audio Expo AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times THEVOICETHATISdotCOM - For The Joy Of Music WOOAUDIOdotCOM - The New WA300-BAL Speaker Amp AUDIOVISIONSFdotCOM - San Francisco May 16th-17th In-Store HiFi Celebration

March 26, 2026Episode 21 hr 21 min

Frank Doris Of Copper Magazine And The Absolute Sound

An interview with long time industry writer/editor/PR/guitarist Frank Doris. Frank is an audiophile enthusiast who has written for The Absolute Sound (back in the Harry Pearson days) and now Copper Magazine. He has also worked in PR (and does so currently) with various HiFi brands. This episode contains mostly stories from Frank's history in the hobby, along with a little cosmic wisdom and teachings from a life well lived. S14E2 Sponsors: AXPONAdotCOM - North America's Audio Expo AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times THEVOICETHATISdotCOM - For The Joy Of Music WOOAUDIOdotCOM - The New WA300-BAL Speaker Amp

March 11, 2026Episode 158 min

Robert Harley Of The Absolute Sound Magazine

An interview with Robert Harley, Editor-In-Chief of The Absolute Sound. In the Season 14 premier, we enter our 2026 collection of conversations with none other than Robert Harley himself. One of the more prolific reviewers of the hobby, Robert chats about his long tenure in high-end audio, along with his unique perspective (and history) with analog, critical listening, regionalized sounds and just enjoying the music. He also drops in some of his favorite designers and engineers in audio from over the years. A really great interview with a massively influential personality in HiFi. S14E1 Sponsors: AXPONAdotCOM - North America's Audio Expo AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times THEVOICETHATISdotCOM - For The Joy Of Music BORDERPATROLdotNET - For Music Lovers, Not Scope Jockeys

February 26, 2026Episode 1139 min

Florida Audio Expo 2026 - HiFi Highlights And Best Of Show

Marc and Brian take on pt.AUDIO's coverage of the Florida Audio Expo in Tampa, held February 20-22. This episode reports back on all the showroom highlights and the latest hifi product releases from the Q1 event. Best of show, standout gear and plenty of weekend observations. From proper room etiquette to stranded HiFi writers, this episode tells you everything you need to know about the first big audio event of 2026. S13E11 Sponsors: AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times PASSLABSdotCOM - Rediscover Your Music Like Never Before WHARFEDALEUSAdotCOM - Legendary British Sound – Elevated SVSOUNDdotCOM – Join the Sound R|Evolution AXPONAdotCOM - North America's Audio Expo

January 28, 2026Episode 1024 min

The History And Continuing Legacy Of The Quad ESL 57 Loudspeaker

A full breakdown of the history and ongoing legacy of one of, if not THE most iconic and legendary speaker of all time, the Quad ESL 57 Electrostatic Loudspeaker. In this informative and educational episode, we provide some context, impressions and observations about one of the most-longstanding reference HiFi speakers ever. What makes the ESL 57 so special? How did it earn its title in the pantheon of audiophile history books? Brian Hunter lays it all out in simple terms. Special thanks to pt.AUDIO Editor-In-Chief Marc Phillips for his help with the episode! S13E10 Sponsors: AUDIOQUESTdotCOM — High-Performance Cables & Power Products — Made for You PTdotAUDIO - Great Sounds Meet Good Times PASSLABSdotCOM - Rediscover Your Music Like Never Before WHARFEDALEUSAdotCOM - Legendary British Sound – Elevated SVSOUNDdotCOM – Join the Sound R|Evolution AXPONAdotCOM - North America's Audio Expo