Audio Insider, an AXPONA Podcast

The Audiophile Analogy That Changes How You Think About Vinyl Forever

If you have been sitting on the fence about moving from a moving magnet cartridge to a moving coil, this episode is going to push you right off it. Garth from Musical Surroundings brings over 40 years of high end audio experience to this conversation and what he breaks down about cartridge design, analog resolution, and the physics of why a moving coil just sounds more alive is the clearest explanation most audiophiles have ever heard. He compares it to the difference between a low res JPEG and a 60 megabyte TIFF file and once you hear it that way, you cannot unhear it. On top of that, Garth takes us deep into two of the most respected cartridge brands in the world, Clear Audio and HANA, and the stories behind both are genuinely fascinating. A nuclear physicist who founded Clear Audio because turntables were not good enough. A 56 year old Japanese company that quietly built cartridges for everyone else before finally putting their own name on one. And a turntable that weighs 770 pounds with a magnetically levitated platter that sells for $300,000. This is what it looks like when a lifetime obsession with music and sound collides with 40 years of industry knowledge in one conversation.

AXPONA 2026 Seminar - All Ears Welcome: Building a More Inclusive Audio Community

About This EpisodeThis episode features an exclusive presentation recorded live at AXPONA 2026. The audio world is changing—but is it changing fast enough? This session takes a frank look at diversity and inclusivity across both the industry and the hobby, exploring who feels represented today and who's still missing from the conversation. Attendees will dig into shifting demographic trends, cultural barriers that have shaped participation, and the growing efforts to broaden the community. Expect an honest discussion about what progress looks like, why it matters, and how the audio world can evolve into a space that genuinely welcomes every listener. Moderator: Angelas Cardas, Manager, Cardas Audio Speakers: Harry Kimura, Sound Quality Judge, IASCA Kat Ourlian, MoFi Electronics Anastasia Protopappas, President, Pass Labs

Every Audiophile Needs to See What Is Inside These Speakers

Rich from Monarch Systems sits down and unpacks some of the most engineering forward speaker and turntable technology in the world right now. We are talking speakers built with ceramic foam and copper foam inside the cabinet, spiderless drivers, glass cladding, and a modular flagship that was sold in only 10 pairs at a quarter million dollars. And then there is the turntable story that almost sounds too good to be true. Garrard, a company that started as a jeweler making crown jewels, is now rebuilding their legendary 301 idler wheel turntables from the ground up using original paint recipes, original rubber mat molds, and a brand new rubber formulation for the idler wheel that makes the whole thing run in complete silence. This is the kind of episode audiophiles share with each other. The level of craft, history, and engineering obsession packed into this conversation is genuinely rare and Rich clearly loves every bit of it. Whether you are a speaker person, a vinyl person, or both, there is something in here that is going to make you want to dig deeper.

Bringing the Live Concert Experience Home for Audiophiles

If you have ever stood in a room and felt music physically move through you, you already know what this conversation is about. Rob from Third Ear Speakers joins the AXPONA Audio Insider podcast and what he describes goes far beyond specs and measurements. We are talking about a speaker so focused in its imaging that you can walk out of the sweet spot entirely and the center image does not move. Not a little. Not at all. Rob comes from the pro audio world, has mixed in arenas, has stood on the floor at Metallica, and has listened in the nosebleeds at Madison Square Garden with Clapton's own engineer at the helm. When someone with that set of ears tells you a speaker changed how he thinks about sound, you listen. This is the kind of episode that reminds you why audiophiles never stop searching. Rob breaks down what separates a truly great listening experience from everything else, why most rooms are far from perfect and why that might not matter as much as you think, and what it actually feels like when a speaker just disappears and leaves only the music. Third Ear Speakers is the real deal and this conversation will make you want to hear them for yourself.

The Wildest Audio Brand on the Planet

On this episode of the AXPONA Audio Insider podcast, Lenny Florentine sits down with Jeff from Reel Sound Distribution to explore one of the most unique and artist-driven brands in high-end audio—Metaxas & Sins. From groundbreaking reel-to-reel tape machines and jaw-dropping turntables to omnidirectional electrostatic speakers and sculptural headphone amplifiers, this conversation dives into how Kostas Metaxas blends engineering, music, and pure artistic vision to create hi-fi unlike anything else in the world. They discuss the philosophy behind the designs, the pursuit of lifelike sound, and what makes these components as much collectible art as they are serious audio gear.