In this episode of Audio Talks, host Oisin Lunny sits down with Sean Olive, former Senior Fellow at HARMAN and one of the most influential figures in modern audio research. Known for his groundbreaking work on the HARMAN Sound Curve, Sean has helped elevate the entire industry’s understanding of sound quality - bridging the gap between how we hear and how we measure sound. From struggling with poor recordings of his own piano recitals and jazz orchestrations to his mentorship under audio legend Dr. Floyd Toole and leadership as President of the Audio Engineering Society, Sean’s mission has always been to transform the way we experience sound. Here, he shares the personal and professional journey that led him to reshape how we think about listener preferences, headphone equalization, and predictive modeling of sound quality.

Check out the latest AKG headphones:

Learn more about the Audio Engineering Society here: https://aes2.org/

Look out for the upcoming fourth edition of Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003477495/sound-reproduction-floyd-toole-sean-olive-todd-welti

For Sean's upcoming keynote at the 2025 AES International Conference on Headphone Technology visit:https://aes2.org/event-extra/2025-aes-international-conference-on-headphone-technology-program/

Our Audio Talks Playlist: https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/6d14f4ad-f1c7-404d-ba82-fe8d0a320b93

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