David Ireland

1 week ago | magneticmag.com | David Ireland

OMD or Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark is on tour, and it’s exciting for a lot of reasons. Going to see shows where I know the audience will be in their 60s is always a challenge, as these shows often serve up audio nostalgia on a soup spoon, with ghosts of artists trying to hold on to what’s left. While the audience was indeed older, they were definitely not having any soup; they were having margaritas and big 20oz cans of beer and dancing like it was 1985.

3 weeks ago | magneticmag.com | David Ireland

If you live in Denver or have visited, one thing is immediately apparent: we love music of all types, great food, beer, and the outdoors. Music, Beer, Food, and Outside could be the state’s new motto, and the Outside Festival 2025 captured all of these elements perfectly. Not to be confused with Outside Lands in San Francisco, Outside Festival is an extension of the popular Outside Magazine group, and their second attempt was, for the most part, really well received by the Mile High City.

3 weeks ago | magneticmag.com | David Ireland

The current market for portable speakers that deliver big bass is primarily limited to the “party box” category, which can be underwhelming for serious music listeners and somewhat obnoxious for most people. A party box speaker is the audio equivalent of slamming a 20oz energy drink in public; no one wants to see that or hear it. The Brane X targets a more discerning listener who seeks a clean design, excellent sound, and various streaming and connectivity options.

3 weeks ago | magneticmag.com | David Ireland

I’m a huge fan of compact and straightforward solutions for good sound, and the wireless mini-mic category has exploded over the last five years with more offerings that I can keep up with. Ever since the RODE GO mic, mobile creators have been drawn to this easy and compact mic set format. Now, Maono might have just done the unthinkable: a tiny two-mic system for $149. So, when I got my hands on the new Maono Wave T5 wireless lavalier system, I was cautiously optimistic.

1 month ago | magneticmag.com | David Ireland

I’ve been a fan of the iLouds since day one, the first iteration being more of a box-shaped single unit that delivered monster sound for its size, and evolving to the iLoud Micro Monitors that set became a cult favorite for their small size and impressive performance. I still remember pulling the original Micros out of the box, expecting decent desktop speakers, and being completely blown away by how they sounded more like compact reference monitors than anything in their class.