SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

For this landmark 100th episode (Season 4, Episode 22), current host Jorden Guth is joined by original hosts Dennis Burger and Brent Butterworth for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast. Together, they look back at how the show began, why it needed to change, and how it has grown across four seasons into what it is today.

Sources:

“‘The World's Best-Sounding Power Amplifier’ of 1977—Electrocompaniet's Surprising 52-Year History” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/gu49PjqtyiI?si=tm3GF1PuRzHSkU7P

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:31 Introductions
00:01:04 The origins of the podcast
00:05:23 Passing the baton to Jorden
00:10:40 Technical difficulties
00:15:48 Turn, turn, turn
00:28:31 Why we care where it’s made
00:37:12 We get comments!
00:43:25 Doug’s master plan
00:48:07 Outro music: “Bamba African Market” by Kaleido Sea

This week, host Jorden Guth is joined by Lasse Danielsen, sales and marketing director at Electrocompaniet, for a conversation that blends personal history with company heritage. Danielsen talks about a lifelong obsession with music, the role of happenstance in bringing him to Electrocompaniet, and how those same values are reflected in the brand itself. The discussion explores Electrocompaniet’s Norwegian origins, why the company has chosen to remain based and built in Norway from the beginning, and how designing, assembling, and sourcing nearly all parts locally continues to define its products. Together, they examine how place, people, and long-term thinking shape Electrocompaniet’s sound, identity, and future direction.

Sources:

“‘The World's Best-Sounding Power Amplifier’ of 1977—Electrocompaniet's Surprising 52-Year History” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/gu49PjqtyiI?si=tm3GF1PuRzHSkU7P

“Precision in 1000 Steps: Electrocompaniet’s EC 5 Preamplifier” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/0oY0tx1FAog?si=hTMZICutPbSdszSQ

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:31 Introductions
00:04:57 A fateful conversation
00:07:45 Job transitions
00:10:36 A brief history of Electrocompaniet
00:15:10 The Michael Jackson connection
00:18:30 Another gold-dust moment
00:20:17 Westcontrol enters the chat
00:25:42 A question of off-shoring
00:28:48 New preamp, who dis?
00:39:36 Outro music: “How the Story Goes” by Ge Filter Fish

Host Jorden Guth travels to Stavanger, Norway, to visit T-Time Vinyl Plant, where he sits down with general manager Sigve Håland to discuss how the facility came to be, why it’s located where it is, and how modern vinyl records are actually made. The conversation then moves step by step through the pressing process—from lacquers and stampers to presses, cooling, and quality control—explaining what truly matters for sound quality in today’s vinyl era.

Sources:

T-Time Vinyl Plant: https://t-timevinylplant.com/

“T-Time Vinyl Plant record pressing” by SoundStage! Network on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1402154741482521

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:31 Origin stories
00:04:10 Norwegian . . . vinyl?
00:07:14 Good vibes
00:10:53 Why press locally?
00:12:59 Keep cool, man!
00:16:36 Pellets to platters
00:19:49 QC
00:22:37 What about the rejects?
00:28:17 The future of T-Time
00:30:44 Outro music: “There” by Lake Jons

This week on the 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦! 𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵, host Jorden Guth sits down on location with Arendal Sound founder and CEO Jan Ove Lassesen to look back at the company’s most pivotal year to date. Following the launch of the flagship 1528 series—its most ambitious engineering project yet—Arendal Sound has experienced rapid growth and major operational shifts.

Lassesen walks through what has changed since the 1528’s debut: how the company approaches R&D and measurement, what its prototyping pipeline looks like today, how shipping and logistics have evolved, and what it really takes to move a product from concept to customer in a global direct-to-consumer model. It’s an inside look at a brand navigating momentum, scaling ambitions, and the challenges that come with success.

Sources:

“Norwegian Loudspeaker Disruptor: Arendal Sound Founder Jan Lassesen” on the SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast: https://www.soundstage.life/e/norwegian-loudspeaker-disruptor-arendal-sound-founder-jan-lassesen/

“Exposed: Arendal Sound 1528 Loudspeakers—Key Design Details Audiophiles Need to Know”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nr6ExBq3Ss

“The Norwegian Speaker Company More Audiophiles Need to Know About: Arendal Sound”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Hmz0cYTBY

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:31 Catching up with Jan
00:06:28 R&D as a time-saver, Klippel as a space-saver
00:09:26 Prototyping
00:11:37 The long and winding road from manufacturer to consumer
00:20:48 The right solution for the right customer
00:22:52 The shipping problem
00:26:45 The path forward
00:34:00 Outro music: “Somni” by Lake Union

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined by Vinnie Rossi, founder of VinnieRossi. They trace his path in audio—from the beginnings of Red Wine Audio (a name inspired by the Italian translation of “Vinnie Rossi”) to the creation of the VinnieRossi brand and its flagship Brama series. Vinnie also talks about where his products are built, why those manufacturing choices matter, and how they shape his design approach.

Sources: 

“About Vinnie Rossi” by Hans Wetzel: https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/features-menu/in-good-company/1007-about-vinnie-rossi

Chapters:
00:00:00 Announcement
00:00:31 Introductions 
00:05:26 The road to Red Wine
00:16:32 A change of names
00:33:21 Where it’s made and why
00:39:50 A choice of tubes
00:44:33 Outro music: “Mon Amour” by ANBR