Crutchfield: The Podcast

About Crutchfield: The Podcast

Crutchfield has been selling awesome gear for enjoying audio, video, and more since 1974. In our first-ever podcast, co-hosts JR and Eric chat about the gear that makes life fun, sharing shopping and installation advice along the way.

Publisher

Crutchfield: The Podcast

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Mar 2020

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

80 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Thanks, Bill: Celebrating 80 years of Sony with Bill Crutchfield

   For years, JR and Huffy have ended episodes by thanking Bill Crutchfield. This time, they get to do it with him in the studio. To celebrate Sony’s 80th anniversary, Bill joins the guys for a conversation about the products, people, and shared values behind a partnership that began in 1975. From the tiny transistor radio that helped spark Bill’s interest in electronics to Walkmans, Betamax, CD players, and Crutchfield’s early adventures in online shopping, it’s a trip through decades of innovation — with a few stories you won’t find on a spec sheet. JR and Huffy share their own Sony memories, and Bill offers his perspective on Sony’s departure from the car stereo business before answering a question promised back in the podcast’s early days: what gear does he enjoy at home? This episode also marks a pause for Crutchfield The Podcast, with no return date set. It’s a fitting way to close this chapter: good stories, a little friendly ribbing, and a chance to thank Bill in person for letting the guys talk about the coolest stuff on the planet. Share your memories, questions, and thoughts on the show’s future at podcast@crutchfield.com. www.crutchfield.com/podcast (www.crutchfield.com/podcast )

2. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Digital audio formats decoded: FLAC, WAV, MP3, DSD, and more

   What’s the difference between a FLAC file and a WAV file? Is Apple Lossless really lossless? Does high-resolution audio always sound better? JR and Huffy bring in Zak from Crutchfield’s video team to decode the alphabet soup of digital music formats, including PCM, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, DSD, and the mostly-retired MQA. Whether you’re sorting through a hard drive full of old downloads, ripping a CD collection, or starting a music library you actually own, this episode helps make sense of what those letters and numbers mean. The conversation gets beyond file formats, too. The guys explain bit depth and sample rate, why a well-mastered CD-quality song can beat a poorly mastered high-res track, and where great sound can get lost between your source, DAC, amplifier, speakers, Wi Fi, and Bluetooth. They also compare the lossless offerings from Apple Music, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Spotify — plus why convenient Bluetooth listening can still be exactly the right choice, even for people who care a lot about sound quality. Email us if you have any questions you’d like us to answer on the show, podcast@Crutchfield.com (mailto:podcast@Crutchfield.com). Zak really likes his WiiM streaming devices. Here’s a link to all our current WiiM products: WiiM at Crutchfield | Find the Right Gear for You (https://www.crutchfield.com/shopsearch/wiim.html)

3. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Where's the DAC? Everything you need to know about digital-to-analog converters

   You're probably using a DAC right now — you just don'tknow it. JR and Huffy kick off this episode with a game of "Where's the DAC?", a series of scenarios where you try to identify which device in the audio chain is handling the digital-to-analog conversion. From there, JR walks through the surprisingly interesting history of how standalone DACs went from a niche audiophile topic to a full product category at Crutchfield — and what the wave of early returns taught the team about setting customer expectations. The big takeaway: a better DAC will reveal how good your music sounds, not fix how bad it sounds. Garbage in, garbage out still applies. The guys also get into bit rates, sample rates, and whyyou probably shouldn't lose sleep over which DAC chip brand is inside your gear — but you should know what to look for when it matters. JR discusses three noteworthy standalone DACs worth knowing about: the Cambridge Audio DacMagic200M, the iFi ZEN DAC 3, and the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt. If you have questions or want to tell JR which DAC chip brand you think sounds best, send an email to podcast@crutchfield.com (mailto:podcast@crutchfield.com) Links from this episode of Crutchfield: The Podcast Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M (Silver) Stereo DAC/headphone amplifier/preamp with built-in Bluetooth® (Silver) at Crutchfield (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_779DM200M/Cambridge-Audio-DacMagic-200M-Silver.html?tp=59309) iFi ZEN DAC 3 Desktop USB DAC and headphone amplifier at Crutchfield (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_246ZENDAC3/iFi-ZEN-DAC-3.html) AudioQuest DragonFly® Cobalt Plug-in USB DAC/headphone amplifier, compatible with Apple® and Android™ mobile devices at Crutchfield (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_703DFLYCBL/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Cobalt.html?tp=59309) DAC buying guide (https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/choosing-a-digital-to-analog-converter.html) Guide to high-fidelity computer audio (https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/homeaudio/computer-music.html) Intro to high-resolution audio (https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/high-resolution-audio-guide.html)

Who has been a guest on Crutchfield: The Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kelvin Riviera
• Bryan Loy
• Porter
• JR's mother
• Cris Baker

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

20 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

6 ratings

Contact Crutchfield: The Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Crutchfield: The Podcast