What "The Audio Stuff" is

An independent audio publication with 68 scored reviews across headphones, speakers, DACs, headphone amps, speaker amps and preamps, digital sources and accessories. Alongside the reviews sit 16 free audio tools that run client side in any browser.

How the reviews are made

• Level matched, not eyeballed. Every A/B comparison is volume matched to ITU-R BS.1770-4 loudness, with reference material normalized to EBU R 128

• Blind where it matters. Double blind comparison follows ITU-R BS.1116-3 methodology

• Measurements defined, not invented. SNR, THD+N and IMD figures cite AES17 and AES-2-2012

• Headphones on a known coupler. Frequency response plots use IEC 60318-4, with Harman preference research informing tonality without dictating it

• Speakers on Spinorama. On axis, listening window, sound power and directivity index per ANSI/CTA-2034-B

The scoring

One number from 0 to 10, one word verdict, anchored to a published per category reference list. Verdict tiers own score bands and the site build fails if a score lands outside its band. Reference status is rare by design.

The free tools

Sixteen of them, no account, no download, nothing uploaded to a server:

• Speaker cable gauge, damping factor and signal loss

• Cable capacitance, phono loading and treble roll off

• Acoustic panel absorption curves with NRC and SAA

• Speaker loudness at any listening distance

• Digital volume bit depth loss for Windows and macOS

• Test tone and noise generator with polarity and channel checks

• Sound Signature Finder, a blind preference test that names your taste in plain English

• Plus blind ABX testing, ear training, room mode mapping, amp power matching, EQ simulation, hi res file verification and a WHO based safe listening timer