“Kick! Punch! It’s All in the Mind!”

Audio Unleashed

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This week, Dennis and Brent gaze deep into what they assumed would be the abyss of the EISA Hi-Fi Awards and see some pretty sensible selections gazing back. Then, Brent humors Dennis by letting him rant about video game music, and the two of them dig into the mechanics of how a guy made some of the world’s most memorable music with just a few bloops and bleeps. Then, they dig deep into the sometimes glorious, sometimes sordid history of Monster Cable by way of a cheapaudioman video essay, and recount their own decades of struggle in dealing with a company that makes your average rock band look like a well-run business.

And for Patrons: What goes through Brent and Dennis’ minds when they read a glowing review of an idiosyncratic speaker? Find out in real time…

💿 Michael Gaughn’s Jour et Nuit on Bandcamp: https://michaelgaughn.bandcamp.com/album/jour-et-nuit

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

Further Reading:

• A roundup of EISA Hi-Fi Awards for 2025-2026: https://stereophile.com/content/eisa-hi-fi-awards-2025-2026; https://hometheaterhifi.com/press-releases/eisa-awards-for-2025-26-announced/; https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/eisa/2025-2026-awards/2025-2026-hi-fi/2006-eisas-best-products-of-2025-2026
• “Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo’s 8-Bit Masterpiece”: https://www.20k.org/episodes/super-mario-bros
• “8-Bit to Orchestras: Video Game Music Scores”: https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/episodes/8-bit-to-orchestras-video-game-music-scores
• “The Truth About an Audio Empire That Almost Ruled” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/6mmPkqVzhb4?si=mTWc-MU5VOOSSxWz
• “Audiophile Music Scandal EXPOSED! The UNTOLD Story…” by cheapaudioman: https://youtu.be/tPLsS6kCebw?si=TjbQJkIFSDQUj9gc
• “Monster Cable Correspondence”: https://www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/index.htm