Nearfield & Stream: How To Master Desktop Audio

Desktops of the last 30 years have become dominated by the computer monitor. Gone are the days of a big desk full of a mess of papers, or the clean workspace with perhaps a small lamp on one side and a rotary telephone on the other. As the visual element of computing has taken more real estate, its seems that less and less has been offered to the sonic element. Tiny speakers the size of beer cans seem to dominate the landscape, and while computer audio and streaming fidelity have increased, the idea of a decent pair of monitors on small stands flanking the computer screen is still foreign to many.The fact is, nearfield listening offers a potential for some of the most enjoyable sound in your life, and moving away from "in-the-head" sound of headphones can increase the focus applied to work at these desks, whether at home or in a traditional office. In this episode, Darren and Duncan explain why fidelity and soundstage need not be sacrificed on the desktop, and offer a path for setup of a stereo system that will make you look forward to sitting down and getting some work done.Elements like boundary interaction, surface coupling, toe-in, speaker width and rake all come into the equation and are perhaps more prone to fine adjustment rewards than a larger system. The guys go through each element and also offer a number of great setups and desk-appropriate speakers they've heard for the task of achieving a rewarding desk audio system.Earlier in the episode, Darren talks about his latest phono preamplifier being chosen as Stereophile's Analog Component Of The Year, and at the end, the album recommendation of the week is revealed which features a French pianist playing Middle Eastern jazz with a sizzling group of Israeli players.
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