We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week’s episode is a long one, y’all! Brent and Dennis lead off the discussion by digging into an actually useful post from Headphone Sty about a collection of audio tools you can download for free, and comment about their own experience with these, which runs from extensive to non-existent. Then they’re joined by buddy Geoffrey Morrison, who has a bit of a tongue-lashing for our dynamic duo over their apparent (to Geoff) distaste for any music of the post-Scott Joplin era. Then they use a questionable review of Klipsch’s new ProMedia Lumina 2.1 speaker system to get into a discussion of how reviewers should deal with (or not deal with) bass reproduction issues.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

• 12 Free Audio Tools That Expose Hidden Flaws in Your Audiophile Setup by Alexandra Plesa: https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/02/free-tools-expose-hidden-flaws-audiophile-setup/
• Snyderman’s Choice: Are You an Audiophile or a Music-Lover? by Dennis Burger: https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1373-snydermans-choice-are-you-an-audiophile-or-a-music-lover
• Have you been listening to the same music for 30 years? by u/taosaur: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xennials/comments/1rdjfp5/have_you_been_listening_to_the_same_music_for_30/?share_id=RrjD81wp_lvvm7n5XgJdo
• Klipsch ProMedia Lumina Review: Surprisingly Uneven Bass Mars This 2.1 Speaker System by Mark Knapp: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/klipsch-promedia-lumina

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week, Brent and Dennis kick things off by wondering whether or not you should grind up your headphones and use them as face cream, and somehow or other that’s not the silliest topic of conversation for this episode. That leaves the question of whether the silliest topic is a blind test involving audio cables, wet mud, and bananas, or is it the notion of whether your speakers would sound better if they were in the middle of a forest made of dowels. Or something like that.

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

• Hazardous substances found in all headphones tested by ToxFREE project by Damien Gayle: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/18/hazardous-substances-headphones
• The Sound of Contamination: A Comprehensive Analysis of Endocrine Disruptors and Hazardous Additives in the Headphones: https://arnika.org/en/publications/the-sound-of-contamination
• In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud by Jowi Morales: https://www.tomshardware.com/speakers/in-a-blind-test-audiophiles-couldnt-tell-the-difference-between-audio-signals-sent-through-copper-wire-a-banana-or-wet-mud-the-mud-should-sound-perfectly-awful-but-it-doesnt-notes-the-experiment-creator
• Acoustic Grove System AGS-MN1 Small Curved Wave Diffusor (each): https://upscaleaudio.com/products/ags-mn1-small-curved-wave-diffusor-each
• Ultimate Audiophile Listening Room Setup - HiFi Speaker Set Up by The Greek Audio Geek: https://youtu.be/w6NQBdE1T1Q?si=obHjFP_2LPOcFERs

We’re on Patreon! Find us at https://www.patreon.com/AudioUnleashed This week, Brent and Dennis flaunt their unmatched talent at finding an audio angle in anything, with a fascinating examination of what long-range acoustic devices (LRADs) do and whether hearing protection products can guard your ears against them (and your power tools). Next up, they dig into cheap audio’s biggest controversy: Whether or not an $80 boutique op amp can transform the sound of a $100 power amp. And how does The Absolute Sound work, really? This one isn’t a hostage video, we promise

📖 Get your copy of the 4th edition of Floyd Toole’s legendary book, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones with DISCOUNT CODE 25SMA4: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930

Dennis’ relaunched YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdventureswithCPAP

Brent’s audio projects:

💿 Plaid Pants, Brent’s latest album! https://cygerbutterworth.bandcamp.com/album/plaid-pants

💿 The Audiophile Society's Headphone Evaluation and Spatial Audio Test Album (engineered by Brent): https://theaudiophilesociety.com/collections/albums/products/the-audiophile-societys-headphone-evaluation-and-spatial-audio-test-album

💿 tics by Flip City, mixed by Brent

https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/tics

Further Reading:

• Minnesota State Patrol uses long range acoustic device, first used by military, to disperse Maple Grove protesters by Derek James: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-state-patrol-long-range-acoustic-device/
• Defeating LRAD by Tech Ingredients: https://youtu.be/CXKTBQBugIA?si=3fSJfexSUB5z2cMG
• Does Rolling Opamps Make Amps Sound Better? by Audio Science Review: https://youtu.be/nGy-Q8jKXr4?si=in-MnDG8yb2trkia
• Hell Yeah Rolling Opamps Makes Your Amps Sound Better! (Hear It For Yourself!) by GR-Research: https://youtu.be/-E8wEJF5jAs?si=ZXZ_3Ok2o54lbuDi
• Cheap upgrade, HUGE sound improvement! Virtual HiFi opamp review by Passion for Sound: https://youtu.be/Mub-xo619PY?si=RRM1Gv-3YCt38qvZ
• How The Absolute Sound Works – Incentives and Ethics by Tom Martin: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/how-the-absolute-sound-works-incentives-and-ethics/