Theo Mensah
Digital, DACs & Streaming Editor
Based in Perth, WA
Theo here. By day I write software, by night I argue with people on forums about whether bit-perfect playback is "solved" (it mostly is, and then it isn't). I cover the digital end — DACs, streamers, servers, the whole messy ecosystem of getting a file to sound its best. My promise to you: I'll separate the genuine engineering from the audiophile folklore, and I'll never tell you a $500 streaming bridge sounds "blacker" unless I can explain why.
34 published articles · most recent August 18, 2026
Theo here. By day I write software, by night I argue with people on forums about whether bit-perfect playback is "solved" — it mostly is, and then it isn't.
I cover the digital end: DACs, streamers, servers, the whole messy ecosystem of getting a file to sound its best.
My promise: I'll separate the genuine engineering from the audiophile folklore, and I'll never tell you a $500 streaming bridge sounds "blacker" unless I can explain why.
Articles by Theo Mensah
Cartridge alignment: why the last half-millimetre matters more than the cartridgeOverhang, zenith angle and azimuth decide more about vinyl sound quality than the cartridge you buy. Here's the engineering, explained by a digital guy.- Streamer output stage vs speaker sensitivity: matching the digital front end to your pairYour streamer's output impedance and gain structure interact with speaker sensitivity more than most buying guides admit. Here's how to actually match them.
- Bass management over network audio: why your streamer's DSP matters for subsModern streamers now carry crossover and room EQ duties that used to live in an AVR. Here's what that shift actually changes for your subwoofer.
Digital source, analogue speakers: why your streamer choice still shapes the pairA DAC engineer's take on why speaker matching starts upstream — how digital volume, output stage and streamer choice interact with standmounts and floorstanders.- Phono preamp gain and loading, explained by someone who'd rather not own a turntableGain and loading settings on a phono stage aren't optional extras. Here's what they actually do to your cartridge's signal, explained without the mysticism.
AVR vs processor plus power amps: when to make the jumpThinking about splitting your AV receiver into a processor and separate amps? Here's the engineering case for and against, without the marketing fog.
Feedback and damping factor: what negative feedback actually does in an amplifierNegative feedback gets blamed for "solid-state sound" more than any other design choice. Here's what it actually does, measured, and why the folklore doesn't hold up.
Room correction software: what it actually fixes and what it can'tRoom correction promises to fix your acoustics with DSP. Theo Mensah explains what the algorithms genuinely solve, where they fall short, and when treatment beats software.- Subwoofer DSP: how to use digital signal processing to fix your bassDSP can fix room-driven bass problems no amount of placement tweaking will solve. Theo Mensah explains what the tools actually do and how to use them without making things worse.
- Dolby Atmos object audio explained: what the spec actually does in your roomAtmos promises to place sound anywhere in three dimensions. Here's the engineering behind it — and where the format's limits actually are.
Streaming service audio quality settings: what you're actually sending to your DACEvery major streaming service has quality settings that most people never touch. Here's what those settings actually change in the signal chain — and where it genuinely matters.- Digital volume control vs analogue: which actually degrades your signal?Digital volume attenuation has a bad reputation, but is it deserved? Theo Mensah separates the real maths from the folklore.
- How to bi-wire and bi-amp standmount speakers: what actually worksBi-wiring and bi-amping promise better sound from speakers with dual binding posts. Theo Mensah cuts through the folklore and explains what the measurements say.
- Subwoofer bass equalisation: when and how to use DSP to fix problem bassRoom modes wreck bass regardless of placement. Here's how to use DSP equalisation to actually fix the problem — and where it can't save you.
- Speaker sensitivity and room size: how to calculate the power you actually needSensitivity ratings, room volume and amplifier watts are all connected by maths, not magic. Here's how to work out what you actually need.
- Amplifier output impedance and damping factor: what the specs actually meanDamping factor and output impedance appear on every amp spec sheet, but few buyers know what they're really measuring. Here's what the numbers mean for your speakers.
- Headphone output impedance: why your amp's specs matter more than you thinkOutput impedance shapes how your headphones actually sound. Theo Mensah explains the engineering behind the number and what it means for IEMs, planars and dynamic cans.
- Bass management explained: how to integrate a subwoofer with any systemCrossed over wrong, a subwoofer makes everything worse. Theo Mensah breaks down bass management, crossover settings and placement so your sub actually locks in.
- Roon vs UPnP vs proprietary apps: which streaming protocol actually sounds best?Theo Mensah cuts through the forum noise to explain what Roon, UPnP/DLNA and proprietary apps actually do differently — and whether any of it affects the sound.
Lumin X2 Review: The Flagship Streamer That Builds Its Own DAC From ScratchLumin's X2 ditches off-the-shelf DAC chips for a fully discrete converter, marking a bold new direction for the Hong Kong brand's flagship network player.
NAD's C 589 CD player revives MQA with QRONO d2a processing and an ESS Sabre DACNAD's C 589 CD player pairs MQA Labs' QRONO d2a reconstruction technology with an ESS Sabre DAC — here's what that means for serious listeners.
dCS breaks from stereo tradition with the 16-channel MCD 16 Ring DACdCS unveils its first-ever multichannel DAC at High End Vienna 2026 — eight stereo Ring DACs, discrete Class A outputs, and a question worth asking: is this the future of high-end home cinema?
HDMI 2.2 and the Ultra96 cable arrive, doubling bandwidth to 96 GbpsHDMI 2.2 doubles bandwidth to 96 Gbps, introduces the Ultra96 cable and a new latency protocol. Here's what it means for Australian home cinema buyers right now.
Dolby and LG launch the first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect soundbar at CES 2026LG's Sound Suite H7 is the world's first soundbar powered by Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, promising adaptive spatial audio across up to 27 speaker configurations for US$999.99.
Spotify gates lossless behind a new three-tier Premium structure in emerging marketsSpotify's new three-tier Premium structure in India, Indonesia, UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa gates lossless 24-bit FLAC behind the top Platinum tier. Here's what it means for AU listeners.
Samsung's 2026 Micro RGB LED lineup pushes big-screen displays down in priceSamsung's R95H and R85H series bring RGB mini-LED LCD down to $1,599 at CES 2026 — a genuine shift in big-screen home cinema value.
Apple Music VP says most listeners can't hear lossless — so why does it matter for serious audio?Apple Music VP Oliver Schusser says most fans can't tell lossless from standard quality. Theo Mensah unpacks what that means for serious Australian listeners.
Qobuz Draws a Line in the Sand: An AI Charter and Detection Tool to Keep Human Music HumanQobuz has published an AI Charter and a proprietary detection system to tag fully AI-generated music, pledging to keep human curation at the heart of its catalog.
Dolby Atmos Music hits 150-plus car models across 35-plus automakers at CES 2026At CES 2026, Dolby confirmed Atmos Music is now built into 150+ vehicles across 35+ automakers. Here's what it means for spatial audio's mainstream moment.- How Spotify's Lossless Launch Shook, Then Ultimately Helped, QobuzQobuz MD Dan Mackta says Spotify's lossless rollout caused only modest cancellations before the hi-res streamer's user base grew — here's why that matters.
Why GaN specialists like Orchard Audio still lead the technology's edgeOrchard Audio's Starkrimson 25 monoblock launch confirms that gallium nitride amplification's real advances still come from dedicated specialists, not the mainstream brands.
Four million taps: inside Chord's £25,000 Quartet FPGA upscalerChord's new Quartet runs four million WTA filter taps across five FPGAs and adds a built-in ADC. Theo Mensah explains what FPGA reconstruction actually does.
AKM's Comeback Completes: The Flagship AK4499EX Arrives in a $450 DongleAKM's recovery from its 2020 fab fire reaches a milestone as the AK4499EX lands in Astell&Kern's $450 HC5 — the first portable DAC to carry the chip.
R2R versus delta-sigma: what the Gustard R30 says about discrete ladder DACsThe Gustard R30's Darko.Audio review reignited the R2R debate. Theo Mensah unpacks why discrete ladder DACs are serious contenders at AU-friendly prices.