Audio Equipment
67 episodes
#6157: Where to Sit When You're Fine-Tuning Your Own Voice
Your phone's built-in mic is the point — the setup around it is what ruins the takes. Rooms, remotes, and the app setting that deletes your data.
#5847: Why One EQ Curve Can't Fix Two Voices
One static EQ curve can't serve two different voices — here's why, and what actually works instead.
#5840: Why Voice Clones Lisp: Sibilants, Codecs, and the Sounds We Lose
Sibilants and plosives are the most fragile sounds in speech — and every stage of the audio chain is quietly built to destroy them.
#5734: USB Amps: What Actually Happens When You Plug In
Your device pulls current, it doesn't get pushed — and that changes everything about picking USB adapters.
#5721: What's the Red and Black Speaker Cable Actually Called?
It's called zip cord — and the gauge you need depends entirely on current, not the 300V printed on the jacket.
#5720: Active, Passive, and the Speaker That Lied to Daniel
A rented PA speaker turns out to be mislabeled, and untangling why reveals the real difference between active and passive — plus what mic and line ...
#5718: How Far Can You Run RCA, XLR, and 3.5mm Cables?
Published cable-length advice ranges from 3 meters to 200 feet. The physics explains why — and why the cable isn't the variable that matters.
#5676: DIY Cable Guide: Barrel Jacks, XLR, and What to Avoid
Soldering your own cables won't save money — it buys exact-length runs. But some connectors hide polarity traps and tooling costs.
#5328: A Shabbat Radio That Can't Be Paused
A soundproof box that plays podcasts continuously — no pause, no skip, no volume. Just open the lid and listen.
#5232: Zello, PTT Buttons, and the Kitchen Intercom Question
Why your Bluetooth speaker ignores Zello's push-to-talk — and what to buy instead for a hands-full, phone-off fallback.
#5160: Bluetooth Peripherals on One Android Phone
How many Bluetooth devices can one Android phone juggle? The seven-device limit is a stack artifact — profiles matter more.
#4925: ESP32 Mics for Remote Home Monitoring
Why an $8 ESP32 with a MEMS mic beats expensive cameras for remote audio monitoring in a vacation home.
#4831: The Podcast Player That Doesn't Exist
Why can't you buy a dedicated podcast player that downloads episodes for offline listening?
#4787: The Motion Test: Which Weird Peripherals Actually Earn Their Port
Does that fancy peripheral actually remove a motion you make hundreds of times a day? We put steno keyboards, TourBox, Stream Deck, and more to the...
#4726: Why a 2026 Foot Pedal Uses a 1990s Connector
Why does a brand-new foot pedal ship with an 8-pin DIN connector? The surprising engineering logic behind "obsolete" design.
#4684: Focus-Aware Key Remapping on Linux: The Hard Parts
How keyd bridges kernel input events and display-server focus — and why Wayland makes it harder than it should be.
#4413: Bluetooth Tape Measures: What Actually Works
Can you pair a laser measure to your phone and skip manual typing? The compatibility landscape is messy.
#4376: Which Mic Actually Lowers Word Error Rate?
Laptop mics hit 18% WER. A $70 mic drops it to 4%. Here's what actually works for voice-first dictation.
#3953: Bats in Your Bumper: Parking Sensors vs. Lane Keeping
Ultrasonic parking sensors vs. highway lane keeping—two radically different technologies that answer the same question.
#3601: The All-Day Headset Unicorn: 12-Hour Mic & Comfort
One device, all day, great microphone, comfortable enough to forget. What actually exists for 12-hour voice work?
#3454: Bluetooth Range Lies: How to Get Audio Through Concrete Walls
Your phone's Bluetooth antenna can't punch through concrete walls. Here's the dedicated transmitter that can.
#3446: Where to Clip a Speaker for the Best Sound
Tiny placement changes dramatically alter sound. Learn the physics of where to clip your speaker for the best audio.
#3403: Why Clip-On Speakers Beat Headphones for Parents and Workers
Clip-on speakers solve problems headphones can't. Who uses them, what they clip onto, and which ones are actually good.
#3169: Why Your Phone Betrays You to a Nursery Speaker
Android’s Bluetooth still can’t manage multiple devices. Here’s why—and what actually works.