steve guttenberg

The 404 910: Where we are baked fresh every day (podcast)

When Steve "The Audiophiliac" Guttenberg tells us he has ideas for the 404 Podcast, we listen. We invited him to sit down with us today to talk about Netflix splitting in half, which "high-end" audio manufacturers are making impossible claims about their products, and the headphones that just earned Steve's award for "Worst-Sounding Audio Ever."

Be sure to keep checking The Audiophiliac blog on CNET for the latest hardware reviews and news, and follow up with Steve on Twitter @Audiophiliacman.

The 404 Digest for Episode 910

A $25,000 'bookshelf' speaker from Magico. The award for 'Worst-sounding audio product' goes to... Steve endorses these $74 5.1-channel home theater satellite speakers. And these $1 HDMI cables from Monoprice, too.

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The 404 842: Where drummers are underrated (podcast)

There's never a dull moment when our analog buddy Steve Guttenberg graces the 404 show. Tune in to hear about his recent interview with Colin Hanks, his disdain for "Forrest Gump," and why we'll be calling him "Sphere" for a very long time to come. All this and more on today's hilarious episode!

The 404 Digest for Episode 842

Follow the "Gut Man" on Twitter Read Steve's Audiophiliac blog on CNET

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The 404 802: Where we're breaking bread with the Gut Man (podcast)

The Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg makes an unusual midweek appearance on today's 404 episode and as usual, the discussion topics cover Steve's audiocentric stream of consciousness with a touch of disillusionment, like a Web site that takes the creativity out of naming your band, a mask that enhances audio, the unnatural origins of 3D, and the degrading quality of CD-Rs over time.

The 404 Digest for Episode 802

Korn and Hoobastank should've used Band Name Maker. Tape Op magazine offers free subscriptions to print edition. Add Steve Guttenberg on Twitter. Check out Steve's blog on all things audio, The Audiophiliac.

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The 404 731: Where we're freshly squeezed for 2011 (podcast)

Steve's back for one more episode before we head out, but we'll be posting special Yuletide episodes throughout the holiday so you can still get your 404 fix.

Our guest today is CNET's audio expert, Steve Guttenberg, and he brings a list of the most significant inventions of the early 20th century with him.

Wilson will probably be disappointed to see that the electric washing machine isn't included on that list, and neither are antibiotics like penicillin, so you'll have to tune into today's episode to hear the whole story; you might be surprised to hear about which invention changed Steve's life, for better or worse.

Steve also has plenty of suggestions for the top gifts to buy for the audiophiliacs in your life. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get top-quality sound from your devices, and Steve's list of gifts under $100 includes an affordable in-ear headphone from NOX, a pair of bookshelf speakers that can produce audiophile-quality sound for just $29/pair, and a small amplifier that'll add 15 watts of power to your music.

Also be sure to check out Steve's other list of audio devices for the more affluent gift-givers, and have a great holiday, everyone!

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The 404 721: Where we get black and blue with Steve Guttenberg (podcast)

CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg joins us for another Friday episode of The 404, and there's a lot to discuss, including a new trailer for the upcoming "Back to the Future" video game, Steve's encounters with John Lennon, Andy Warhol, and Warren Beatty in the 1970s, how to convert stereo into 3D sound, and more earbud advice for Wilson's freakishly small canals.

Steve tables his usual list of audio-related speaking points to tell us about his celebrity encounters while working at an East Village movie theater in the 1970s. He begins with a story about an awkward encounter with John Lennon and Yoko Ono just two years after the Beatles split, then tells us why he cussed out pop art star Andy Warhol, and finishes with a brutal rebuff from Warren Beatty! When's the book coming out, Steve?

We're going to record a special yuletide episode of The 404 entirely dedicated to the "Back to the Future" trilogy, but we can't wait any longer to show you the debut trailer for the upcoming "Back to the Future" video game!

It's a five-part game that picks up on the adventures of Marty and the Doc as voiced by Emmett Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd! The first part entitled It's About Time comes out this month, part two called Get Tannen! comes out in February 2011, and parts three and four--Citizen Brown and Double Visions, will drop in March and April, and the finale Outatime doesn't have a release date just yet. It's only available for download on PC/Mac, iPad, and PSN--sorry XBox fans!

I swear that today is the last you'll hear about Wilson's tiny ear canals, because I think we found a solution. I reviewed the Monster Jamz headphones for CNET last month and ran into similar fit issues, so the company sent me its SuperTips Sample Pack of gel and foam tips that comes with a variety of alternate shapes and sizes. With Steve Guttenberg's help, we'll finally solve this mystery!

Just after the break, Steve tells us about a professor at Princeton University who converts stereo into 3D sound! Edgar Choueiri is the director of the Engineering Physics Program and a rocket scientist, but he also happens to be an audiophiliac and set up a special 3D sound room using two closely spaced speakers and his revolutionary 3D Pure Stereo system. Check out the Audiophiliac blog for more details.

One last thing before we take off: Gknee is one of the valiant chatroom moderators for CNET TV and keeps the #CNETFans channel SFW (with the help of DAKlives).

She's celebrating a birthday on Monday, so happy birthday in advance Gknee, and a personal thanks from Jeff, Wilson, and me to all the CNETTV moderators who volunteer their work for the love of the game--we couldn't do it without you guys!

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The 404 571: Where the winner of the Audiophillie is... (podcast)

Steve Guttenberg joins the show today to unveil the winners of the Audiophilliac awards, popularly known as the "Audiophillie Music Awards for Excellence in Recorded Sound"--started right here on The 404. The premise of the contest? Not the quality of the songs, but the quality of the song recordings. There's a reason Guttenberg's ears are insured for a million dollars.

The six winners of the Audiophillies receive Monster Turbine Pro Gold and Copper headphones. The strange thing about these headphones is that the Copper model are superior to the Gold, but both are supremely superior to the stock earbuds that come with most music players. Be sure to check out the winners--we've included links to the songs, and the winning submissions are not only musically impressive, but also sound great from a recording engineer's perspective. Congrats to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who took the time to make a recording!

"Move On" by Magnet South

"Georgia" by Alan Carter

"Gimmie Mine" by Anthony Ceravolo

"Robin Hall" by Robin Hall

"Car Commercial" by Jeff Montville

"Blood Sweat and Funk" by David Adkins

Also on today's show, Steve reveals that he may actually be the long lost half-brother to Steve Guttenberg, the actor of "Police Academy" fame. He also gives us a family history of his father's salesman days travelling around with transistor radios!

Be sure to send in your voicemails by calling us at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). The last couple of entries have been absolutely hilarious, so thanks for your input! You can also e-mail us anytime at the404 [at] cnet [dot] com.

Have a great weekend!

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The 404 Podcast 527: Where the sound is the thing

We have no idea what today's show title means, so we're happy to welcome Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg back on the show to spell it out for us. He's also here to officially kick off "The Audiophillie Music Awards for Excellence in Recorded Sound" contest! Read Steve's blog on the contest here. Keep in mind that this is not "American Idol," so entries won't be judged by musical talent, but on the quality of the recording itself. This is your chance to prove your recording skills and promote your favorite unsigned band, so submit your entry on a CD and you'll be entered to win a pair of Monster Turbine Copper or Monster Turbine Gold in-ear headphones!

Click here for official rules and entry form (must complete and send along with CD). The contest ends on April 17, so good luck everyone!

The phrase "private Web browsing" has always been a bit of an oxymoron, but a new site called Have Your Friends Been There? threatens to broadcast your NSFW surfing to your closest friends and family. We're not exactly sure how it works, but the site works like this: you create a customized list of "naughty" Web sites, HYFBT generates a link that you can send to friends, and you wait for the results to come in, essentially catching your friends in the act. Think before you click on random URLs and don't forget to clear your history, people!

We've got plenty more to talk about in today's rundown, including a wrap-up of last night's spectacular hockey game, an update on the massive PSN meltdown and a segment we like to call, "What the hell did Justin do in his sleep last night?"

Finally, our hearts go out to the victims of the Chilean earthquake, and we urge all our listeners to join us in donating money to help. It's super easy; just text "Chile" to 25383 for Habitat for Humanity, 20222 for World Vision, 85944 for the International Medical Corp, or 52000 for the Salvation Army, and your $10 donation will automatically get added to your monthly phone bill.

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The 404 Podcast 522: Where we don't really blame Tiger Woods

CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg joins The 404 for an extra long and extra random episode that includes an exciting contest--listen to hear your chance to win a pair of Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers!

We're never entirely sure what will happen when CNET Audiophiliac Steven Guttenberg gets on the mic, but Lil Saint Steve always brings toys when he comes to town, and today he drops knowledge on vacuum-tube amplifiers and how a certain Panasonic Blu-ray player uses a Digital Tube Sound Simulator to enhance its audio qualities.

All this home theater talk gives us the perfect outlet for our rage against NBC's tape-delay of the 2010 Olympics. In our digital age of Twitter, Facebook, smartphones, and a million other gadgets that quench our thirst for instant gratification, everyone already knows the Olympic results before the network finally airs them on television! As a result, the sports tickers on ESPN continue to spoil ratings for browsers who just want to find out what time the events are on, which does not make Jeff a happy guy. Could Twitter, aka the world's collective unconscious, be the source to blame?

Steve is also on the show to give us a preview of a new contest in collaboration with The 404! It won't officially start until next week, but The Audiophillie Music Awards For Excellence In Recorded Sound will ask for high-quality demo recordings of you or your unsigned band, which Steve will judge and choose six winners based on what he thinks sounds the best from a technical standpoint.

Each winner will receive a pair of high-end Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers valued at $300-$400! Keep in mind that this won't be a judgment on the songwriting or composition, but rather an analysis of the recording itself. Check out more details after the break, and we'll officially announce the contest a week from today with all the information on how you can enter--so stay tuned!

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The 404 Podcast 480: Where new information has come to light, man

CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg joins The 404 Podcast for a special Friday episode all about the art of music appreciation. We love having Steve on the show because he actually comes prepared with topics of discussion, and today he launches right into a thoughtful point about how music has become background filler for the digital generation.

It might be because MP3s and digital audio watered down the listening experience compared with putting a needle on a record, but we suspect the current generation is so used to hearing overproduced music with pounding bass and autotuned vocals that they wouldn't recognize musical talent if it were performed live in front of them. Kids these days, I swear.

After we're done complaining about people younger than us, we address the ongoing prevalence of digital abuse. Cyberbullying took an ugly turn earlier this year when 13-year-old Megan Meier took her own life over a fake MySpace profile. Tragedy struck again in the form of another 13-year-old, Hope Witsell, who committed suicide after finding herself the subject of constant taunting and abuse over a nude picture message that made its way around her school. As a tech podcast, we also examine the role that text messages and cell phones play in the hands of young people and how parents can protect their kids from digital abuse.

It's not all sad news on today's show, though. We can always depend on Steve to bring the most random and hilarious anecdotes, and be sure to listen to his uplifting message at the end of the show to start your weekend off right. See you back here on Monday!

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