Robert Schryer

Robert Schryer

Robert Schryer is PMA’s editor-in-chief and believes that all you need is love… along with music and good gear. Such is his belief in the power of music and audio to bring harmony to the world that he has chosen to dedicate his life to advancing their collective cause.


  • Are you a Believer?

    Listening to music is akin to a religious ceremony. For one, it invokes the spirits of the past, and every recording ever made is about the past. Secondly, it involves rituals. This is especially true when it comes to listening to music on my big rig downstairs. When I say big, I don’t mean too…

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  • Can music actually save a life?

    We all know about music’s power to change a life, but can it literally save one, to make the difference between life and death? According to a Nashville FOX 17 report, that’s exactly what Johnny Cash’s grandson, Thomas Gabriel, says music was for him — a determining factor in keeping him alive. After spending eight…

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  • Stop, Hey, What’s That Sound? Part 1

    Just as listening to bad music is no fun, it’s no fun listening to bad audio, so knowing what to listen for when auditioning a component is important. “Stop, Hey, What’s That Sound?” is a series dedicated to recognizing aspects of good and bad sound reproduction. Once you’ve settled on what features you want your…

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  • A Word with Twisted Sister’s Fearless Jay Jay French

    Jay Jay French recalls funding his first hi-fi with pot money, trashes a Dylan concert, and champions budget gear that “sniffs cocaine like it’s Jaws”—all while slowly, skeptically courting jazz.

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  • Music Unites Us

    Of course, music isn’t the kind of language we’ll use, say, to order food at the drive-thru or book a car appointment at the garage (even for a car tune up, hehe). Music transcends words. It operates on an emotional frequency to make us feel. Even in songs with lyrics, it’s the song’s harmonic and…

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  • Music is in my Guts

    I’ve heard the comments from audio enthusiasts trying to put a positive spin on being Corona-confined: “Stuck inside? Hey, it’s like I’ve been preparing for this all along!” I know about music’s health benefits. I’ve read those credibly-sourced studies that prove how listening to music can help reduce depression, anxiety, physical pain, and enhance Alzheimer-,…

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  • Audio is Getting Better. Here’s why.

    After decades of lo-fi compromises, improved gear and high-res streaming from Tidal to Qobuz signal a turning point—finally letting listeners hear the full artistry behind recordings, not just a compressed shadow of it.

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  • Do Terminators Dream of Mechanical-Sounding Audio?

    A T-800 might settle for bad sound, but as this witty essay makes clear, music is meant to stir human emotion—not metallic circuits. Good audio connects us; bad audio shuts us down.

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  • 5 Classical Recordings That Will Blow Your Mind!

    From du Pré’s iconic Elgar to Stravinsky’s riotous Rite of Spring, this list highlights five stunning classical recordings—each a sonic and emotional powerhouse, perfectly suited for seasoned collectors or curious newcomers alike.

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