The Front Row

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Welcome to The Front Row Podcast, where we dive into everything audio, video, and home entertainment with a mix of expert insight and real-world experience. Whether you're already invested into the AV space or just starting out, this show is here to break topics down and make the details easier to understand. Hosted by Erik Wesley and Ryan Charpentier, each episode covers topics like speaker specs, video formats and system calibration that will help you make sense of what you're seeing and reading online. We’ll have honest conversations with knowledgeable guests and share plenty of practical takeaways you can actually use in your own setup.

  1. The Real Reason Bass Is So Hard to Get Right

    12/16/2025

    The Real Reason Bass Is So Hard to Get Right

    On this episode of The Front Row Podcast, Peter Aylett from Officina Acustica and Cinema Bureau joins us once again to close out the year with a conversation about subwoofer placement and low frequency in a room. This episode feels like a natural continuation of our earlier discussions around room design, but this time we zoom in on the part of home theater that tends to cause the most head scratching once the system is powered on. We spend time talking about active room treatment, and why it may be one of the most important developments in audio over the last decade. We also revisit the long standing sealed vs ported subwoofer discussion and break down why neither option is inherently better than the other. Peter explains how each design plays a different role depending on the room, and the type of experience you are trying to create. Rather than treating it as a simple checklist decision, we talk about how subwoofer design choices tie back into room size, layout, and how bass actually behaves in someone’s space. Placement is a major focus of this episode, especially why putting a subwoofer in a convenient spot is rarely the best choice. We spend time talking about why measurements matter, and how room interactions can create peaks and nulls. Understanding what is happening at the listening position is key, and Peter does a great job of explaining how to approach this in a practical way without overcomplicating it. We touch on infrasonic subwoofers, when they make sense, and why you might consider them. This episode closes out the year and helps tie together many of the themes we have covered so far, from designing the room first to making informed equipment decisions and now dialing in low frequency performance. If you are planning a new build or looking ahead to improvements in the new year, this is a fitting way to wrap things up. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Martin Logan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pandora

    1h 36m
  2. The One Thing Most Theaters Get Wrong

    12/02/2025

    The One Thing Most Theaters Get Wrong

    In this episode of The Front Row Podcast, we sit down with Peter Aylett from Officina Acustica and Cinema Bureau, a thirty year veteran of the industry and one of the most respected voices in acoustics. Peter is known throughout the professional community as a mentor, teacher, and lecturer, and his work has shaped the standards many integrators follow today. He is a longtime CEDIA instructor, and currently serves as Chair of the CEDIA and CTA R10 Standards Committee. This week, we dive into home theater and entertainment room design, and Peter immediately flips the usual approach on its head. Most of us in this hobby, myself included, tend to buy gear first and then try to build a room around it. Peter explains why that approach often limits what the system is capable of and why it makes much more sense to start with the room, the goals you want to achieve, and the experience you are trying to create. He breaks down how to think about the space itself before choosing products, and why that mindset leads to better results every time. He also surprises us with a few things many enthusiasts never think about. One of those is why carpet is not the acoustic advantage many believe it to be. We also get into the do’s and don’ts of building a baffle wall, and why small design decisions can have a big impact on performance. This is only part one of a two part series with Peter. In the next episode, we’ll be getting into low frequencies, and the challenges that come with managing bass. If you have questions you want us to ask Peter in part two, drop them in the comments and we'll make sure to ask when we shoot part 2 in the next week or so. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠Paradigm Electronics⁠. At Paradigm, sound is not just heard, it’s felt. It’s audio that stirs emotion and is designed to move you. ⁠Paradigm - Authentically Canadian, Acoustically Brilliant.⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠iHeartRadio⁠ ⁠Amazon Music⁠ ⁠Pandora

    1h 36m
  3. Inside the Components That Make or Break Your Speakers

    11/20/2025

    Inside the Components That Make or Break Your Speakers

    In this episode of The Front Row Podcast, we’re finally kicking things off on the audio side, and we could not have asked for a better guest to start with. We’re joined by Geoffrey Heinzel, co managing partner and designer at Ascendo Immersive Audio, and someone who brings a wealth of experience in how speakers are designed and engineered. We dig into what actually goes into designing a speaker from the ground up. Geoffrey walks us through the decisions behind different tweeters and drivers, the materials used, and why certain designs come with advantages and trade offs. He also helps break down parts of speaker design most people never think about, like cabinet enclosures, porting, and one of the most overlooked components of any speaker, the crossover. What does it do and how much can it influence what you hear? You might be surprised by how big of a role it plays. This episode is really the start of us getting into the audio side of home theater. Over the next few episodes we’ll be discussing room design, measurements, setup, and everything that goes into getting great sound at home. We would love to Geofrrey have him back for another episode, so if you have questions you want us to ask him next time, drop them below and we’ll make sure they make it into the conversation. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Martin Logan⁠⁠⁠⁠. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. ⁠⁠⁠⁠MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pandora

    1h 37m
  4. Why Cinema Might Never Be the Same Again

    11/04/2025

    Why Cinema Might Never Be the Same Again

    In this episode of The Front Row Podcast, we sit down with Tayloe Stansbury, CEO of Kaleidescape, to talk about the changing landscape of cinema and home entertainment. Tayloe isn’t just the company’s CEO, he’s also a longtime Kaleidescape customer and fellow enthusiast with a background in both technology and the film industry. We discuss how the movie industry continues to evolve, from theatrical production and mixing to how films are mastered for the home. Tayloe shares insights into the technical and creative differences between theatrical and residential mixes, and even where we think the film industry is headed. We also touch on Kaleidescape’s Filmmaker Spotlight Series, including our recent conversation with Ron Bartlett, the Oscar-winning sound mixer behind Dune and Blade Runner 2049. Tayloe gives us an inside look at what inspired the series and why it resonates with both filmmakers and enthusiasts. And of course, we talk a little about Kaleidescape itself such as how the process looks once the mezzanine file comes in, where it’s heading and how it fits into the entertainment ecosystem. It’s a great conversation about where the industry stands today and how the relationship between cinema and home entertainment continues to evolve in exciting new ways! We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, Martin Logan. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983. Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Amazon Music Pandora

    1 hr
  5. Is HDR Actually Hurting Your Projector’s Picture?

    10/21/2025

    Is HDR Actually Hurting Your Projector’s Picture?

    This week on The Front Row Podcast, we’re joined by Rob Brennan, Technical Account Manager at Epson, and someone who’s been around long enough to see just about every shift in display technology. We sit down to talk about HDR - what it is, why it matters, and why it can be such a mixed bag on projectors. If you’ve ever looked at HDR on a projector and thought something seemed off, you’re not alone. Rob helps break down why HDR looks great on TVs, the challenges projectors face, and why tone mapping has become such a big deal when it comes to home theater projectors. We even get into the question that always comes up, sometimes, is it just better to stick with SDR on a projector? So grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us for an honest and practical conversation about HDR, tone mapping, and the ongoing journey to get projectors looking their best. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠⁠⁠Martin Logan⁠⁠⁠. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. ⁠⁠⁠MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983.⁠⁠⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Pandora

    1h 24m
  6. Manufacturing, Myths, and Misfires of HDMI Cables

    10/06/2025

    Manufacturing, Myths, and Misfires of HDMI Cables

    We’re back with part three of our HDMI series featuring James Chen, Managing Director of Kordz. This time, we’re taking a look at the physical side of HDMI: how the cables are manufactured, what testing looks like, and what’s really going on inside once you strip away the jacket. James walks us through the cable-building process and gives us a clear understanding of how design and build quality play a role in performance and longevity. We talk about what makes a high-quality cable, how shielding and conductor design impact performance, and why some cables are rigid and unforgiving while others feel like they might fall apart in your hand. We also discuss why some cables fail, what standards really mean, and how to look past flashy packaging and buzzwords when picking the right one for your system. Coming up in Episode 10, we’re shifting focus to the video side of the chain. Rob Brennan joins us to talk tone mapping and projectors, how HDR gets interpreted by different systems, and why your image might not always look the way you expect it to. And after that? We’re stepping away from video for a bit and finally moving into audio, so be on the lookout for that. So grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us to take a closer look at how the cables are manufactured and what to look for when you’re on the hunt for a new HDMI cable. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠⁠Martin Logan⁠⁠. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. ⁠⁠MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983.⁠⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pandora

    1h 31m
  7. CEDIA 2025 Recap

    09/18/2025

    CEDIA 2025 Recap

    This week, we’re switching gears for a special CEDIA 2025 recap episode. It’s a more relaxed conversation, more like a roundtable hangout, and we’re joined by a few friends we caught up with at the show: Don from Horizon Home Theater, Ike from EasyHT Tech, and Paul from Brews and Views. CEDIA is one of those events that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there. Yes, it’s about gear and demos, but it’s also about reconnecting with people you only see once a year, finding weird surprises in the back of a booth, or getting into a long discussion over a single speaker placement. In this episode, we talk through the demos that stood out, the gear that caught us off guard, and the conversations that kept coming up while walking the show floor. It’s not a best of list and we’re not ranking anything, this one’s more about the moments that stuck with us and the things that had us thinking long after the show ended. We also touch on what we’re optimistic about, where we think the industry might be spinning its wheels, and the little details that often get overlooked in the bigger headlines. If you missed CEDIA this year or just want to hear some honest takes from folks who were there, this one’s for you. And while this episode is a bit of a detour from our HDMI series, we’re not done with that topic. James Chen will be back next episode to dig into HDMI issues and how to fix them. In the meantime, grab a coffee or a drink and hang out with us as we decompress from a packed few days in Denver. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, ⁠Martin Logan⁠. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. ⁠MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983.⁠ Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠iHeartRadio⁠ ⁠Amazon Music⁠ ⁠Pandora

    2h 28m
  8. HDMI Part Two: Because One Episode Wasn’t Enough

    09/02/2025

    HDMI Part Two: Because One Episode Wasn’t Enough

    In Episode 7 of The Front Row Podcast, we’re back with part two of our deep dive into HDMI with James Chen, Managing Director of Kordz. Last episode, we set the stage by unpacking the fundamentals, from pin layouts to protocols like TMDS and FRL. This time, we’re going further down the rabbit hole. We start by breaking down HDMI 2.2 and what it actually means in a real-world setup. From there, we look at the different types of HDMI cables and their use cases. We also start to touch on one of the most requested topics from Episode 6: HDMI issues. What do they look like, what causes them, and how do you fix them? We’re just getting started here, but this episode sets the stage for an even deeper dive into real-world HDMI problems. So if you’ve ever had gear mysteriously stop working or been stuck in a signal handshake loop, you’re going to want to stick around. This is part two of our four-part series with James, because honestly, there’s just too much to cover in one or even two episodes. Part three is already in the works and will air after CEDIA, so keep an eye out for that. And speaking of CEDIA, we’ll be on-site this week with some of the highlights from the show in our next episode. We want to give a big thank you to our podcast sponsor, Martin Logan. MartinLogan delivers high-performance audio that fuses cutting-edge technology with sleek, elegant design. Engineered for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts alike, MartinLogan products bring every sound to life with incredible clarity and power. MartinLogan – Bringing you truth in sound since 1983. Listen to The Front Row Podcast on your favorite platform and be sure to follow and leave a review on Apple & Spotify: Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio Amazon Music Pandora

    1h 12m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Front Row Podcast, where we dive into everything audio, video, and home entertainment with a mix of expert insight and real-world experience. Whether you're already invested into the AV space or just starting out, this show is here to break topics down and make the details easier to understand. Hosted by Erik Wesley and Ryan Charpentier, each episode covers topics like speaker specs, video formats and system calibration that will help you make sense of what you're seeing and reading online. We’ll have honest conversations with knowledgeable guests and share plenty of practical takeaways you can actually use in your own setup.

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  • Creator
    AVSForum.com
  • Years Active
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  • Episodes
    14
  • Show Website
    The Front Row

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