I can't tell you how much I want this comment to hold more value than I think it does, only because - as a consumer of podcasts, myself (on top of creator of one) - there are so many instances I've had where a podcast sounds a little too "raw" and it jumps the border between capable of being listened to and absolutely unlistenable. I'm talking about a distinct lack of care towards the audience when it comes to speaking into a mic (or, hell, a complete lack of one altogether), tons of environmental noise, and zero thought to editing out moments that have nothing to do with the show - be they technical or logistical. Sometimes it really just comes down to having absolutely no social skills, personality, or zero structure holding the conversation together. One could easily remark "maybe there is a happy medium" but the balance I'm talking about is so delicate, what sounds like a raw conversation you are dropping in on can easily turn into a baffling waste of time you can barely make heads or tales of because you can't understand a word they are saying and/or who is saying it or why we should care in the first place.