SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast

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. “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

Host Jorden Guth talks with SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and SoundStage! Ultra editor Jason Thorpe about Warsaw’s Audio Video Show 2025—what sets it apart from other hi-fi events, their favorite gear finds, and whether optical phono cartridges are the future or just a niche. Sources: Audio Video Show 2025 Coverage from Warsaw, Poland, on SoundStage! Global: https://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/audio-video-show-2025-warsaw-poland Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:31 The road to Warsaw 00:04:27 New gear, who dis? 00:09:37 The business of audio shows 00:15:40 Optical vinyl? 00:22:45 Why Jason isn’t holding space for the CD revival 00:27:00 The best of the rest? 00:40:47 Room for improvement? 00:43:50 Outro music: “L.A. Suite: Sunset Blvd / Peatloaf Ave” by Art Against Agony

Host Jorden Guth visits Diapason founder Alessandro Schiavi in Brescia, Italy, to talk about his lifelong pursuit of musical realism and the art of building speakers by hand. Schiavi traces his journey from teenage recording engineer to maker of some of Italy’s most beautiful loudspeakers, explains why every cabinet is still crafted locally from aged walnut and olive wood, and introduces his latest creation—the Didascalìa, a stunning two-way floorstander debuting today. Sources: “Diapason Didascalìa — Rethinking the Two-Way Loudspeaker” by SoundStage! Network: https://youtu.be/V94uSXjLeqE  Diapason: https://www.diapason-italia.com/en/ Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:31 Introductions  00:10:26 The case for natural materials 00:15:00 Handcrafted artistry 00:20:31 Didascalìa 00:31:15 Trying to please all the people all the time 00:35:56 Outro music: “Under a Weary Moon” by Ziv Moran