CE Pro April 2023 - 4

From the Editor
by Arlen Schweiger
When PS Audio's McGowan Talks,
Aspiring Audiophiles Listen
Even if you're
not a PS
Audio dealer,
integrators can
learn a great
deal [from the
channel] -
about designing
and installing
systems,
answering
customers
questions
and creating
engaging
YouTube content.
IT'S SO EASY to fall down YouTube rabbit
holes. Recently I discovered the channel
of PS Audio co-founder/CEO & designer
Paul McGowan, who provides a wealth of
audiophile system information and opinions
in response to viewer emails via bite-sized
5- to 10-minute videos.
I clicked on PS Audio channel's subscribe
button recently and have been steadily making
my way through his many years' worth of
" Ask Paul " videos. The channel has amassed
200K subscribers and over 60 million views
from hundreds of videos created since 2008.
The statistics remind me of the old TV
commercial for financial institution E.F.
Hutton (Google it if you're not a Boomer or
older Gen Xer)... when Paul McGowan talks,
people listen. Really he's delivering a master
class in how manufacturers and integrators
can take advantage of YouTube as both a
marketing and educational tool.
From a demo room, engineering room or
his office in PS Audio's base in Colorado, the
avuncular McGowan reads the question du
jour, which run the gamut in the audio industry.
Even if you're not a PS Audio dealer,
integrators can learn a great deal - about
designing and installing systems, answering
customers questions and creating engaging
YouTube content. Here is a sampling of titles
just from the past few months:
" Hearing higher sample rate " ; " Analog
Arlen Schweiger is
executive editor of
CE Pro. He can be
reached at
arlen.schweiger@
emeraldx.com and
@ArlenSchweiger
vs digital EQ " ; " Do expensive CD players
color the sound? " ; " Why audiophiles hate
electronic music " ; " Achieving soundstage
depth " ; " How speakers image height " ; " CD
transport vs DAC " ; " Acoustic panel placement " ;
" Understanding current and voltage
in audio " ; " Building a DSD system " ; " Getting
bass in the sweet spot " ; " CD or stream? " ;
and much more.
In one of the latest videos, " How to
become an Audiophile, " Andrew from St.
Petersburg, Fla., shares an audio story and
4 | CE Pro April 2023
question that hi-fi dealers and integrators
likely hear often in this version or another:
" I'm an audiophile at heart, but to this
point a novice. I have what I and most listeners
would consider a very good Hi-Fi and CD
setup as well as a decent quality receiver.
What would be the best, difference-making
next step forward - a set of [better] speakers,
a DAC to start breaking into separates,
a new moving coil cartridge, etc.? There are
a million ways to go, but this is going to be a
one-step upgrade at a time for me. "
He added that he wanted to start with
the biggest-bang-for-your-buck category.
Now, if you put a dozen self-proclaimed
audiophiles in a room, you might receive a
dozen answers... and all likely valid and justifiable.
Here's what McGowan had to say:
" My recommendation is always going to
be loudspeakers, " replied McGowan. " Put
your best foot forward with what you can afford
for a loudspeaker... I would rather listen
to [higher-performance speakers] driven by
a cheap receiver than I would a cheap pair
of speakers driven by a beautiful piece of
electronics.
" Speakers are the single-most personal
aspects in all of audio, and in my experience
make the biggest difference, " he enthuses.
" Whatever you do, go for your speakers first,
because the right speaker can make beautiful
music with not-so-great electronics
and the opposite isn't true... then over time
upgrade your electronics, and each step
along the way will be a real joy for you to
experience. "
Adding in his answer why he takes the
time and effort to offer all this content, " E.F.
McGowan " says, " If I can be generous, kind
and helpful to people, and do things that
make others happy I'll leave the world in a
better place. And clearly I've been on a journey
my whole life, and the journey continues
on. " Well, we can all learn from that.
cepro.com
http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro April 2023
