Zemo

Learning to listen

Music involves and impacts everyone in so many ways, that the way music is treated nowadays is truly sad. Music is a deep and powerful tool, and should be treated as such. Sadly, most people don’t know how to use this tool, hence, this guide! This guide will take you through the basics of the audiophile lingo, and teach you how to really listen to the music, not just hear it.

As a result, you will not only enjoy your music more, but while attending live concerts, your heightened attention to sound will give you an even greater appreciation for the music.

Keep in mind that the recorded samples linked to here will push your equipment to its limits. This is not damaging, but don’t get frustrated if you can’t really hear a certain part of the sound….maybe it’s time to upgrade!

High Resolution - Rebeca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem Clip1 Clip2
This is a very special recording with all the elements of an audiophile classic. First, Rebecca’s voice should just “breath.” It should sound like there is space in front, behind, and to the sides. On high resolution systems, her voice will be so real, you will feel like you could reach out and touch her. Pay special attention to the bass. It should sound robust and deep, but also very detailed. You should listen closely for the sound of the fingers on the strings, or the strings occasionally hitting the fretboard. Also listen closely to the shaker. Each shake should sound distinct and different from the one before it. It should also sound like it’s place back in the soundstage (the area the music sounds like it fills). If they sound too similar, listen a couple more times….if still no dice, the system isn’t resolving this fine detail. The string sound should occupy the same acoustic space as the rest of the band. The more you listen to this, the more you’ll understand what high resolution is all about. I still find myself finding new little pieces of detail each time I listen!

Depth - Sara K. - If I Could Sing Your Blues
The term “depth” is tossed around a lot in audio circles, and it’s meaning can be rather ambiguous….not this time. The trumpet that opens this piece was placed 10 feet away from the microphone, and provides us with a true test of depth reproduction. Sara should sound close, but her voice fills the studio with reverberation….listen to see if you can gauge the size of the studio. The guitar is intimate with a full, warm tone. Keep in mind that most modern records have artificial depth, added via rackmount effects and the like. These cannot be used reliably to gauge this important aspect of sound reproduction. Also keep in mind some of the high resolution ques…listed for the sound of Sara’s lips smacking, or the pick (or fingernails) on the strings of the guitar.

Atmosphere - Leny Andrade - Maiden Voyage
There is a warm, inviting soundstage in this recording….the stage should be expansive, yet lenny’s voice is quite immediate (sounds close) with a wide dynamic range (lots of loud/soft contrast). The bass is full and warm, with the drums seeming to fill the room, forming a very lush recording. You’ll find this one very relaxing.

Midrange Purity - Livingston Taylor - Grandma's Hands
On this acappella track, Livingston is accompanied by 3 soulful backup singers, and it’s a remarkable example of midrange purity. Try this: Snap your fingers…listen carefully to the sound that each snap makes. While listening to this recording, pay close attention to those recorded finger snaps. They should have the same unique, flesh and bone quality. Livingston’s voice should have a good sense of “chest.” This meaning that you can hear that his whole body is contributing to the sound. It rather sounds like a person is singing, not a floating head, as is found in most recordings. His voice should sound very real, and very human. See if you can hear how many backup singers he has…

Naturalness - Ana Caram - Correnteza
The natural acoustics of the church where this was recorded provided a perfect setting for this music. This piece opens with a rainforest of percussive effects and bird sounds, wich should envelop you. Next, the cello fills the church, to the point you can identify where it’s placed. Ana’s voice should sound so real, you should almost feel her breath as she sings. There should be no sense of an electronic glare…you should not hear your gear at all, only the music.

Transparency - The Fred Hersh Trio - Played Twice
Piano, bass, and drums. This recording is remarkably clean and powerful. Pay close attention the “transient attack” (the very start of the note…whether it starts sharply and abrupt, or lagging and slow) of the piano. Remember that the piano is a percussive instrument. The hammer strikes the strings….that percussive quality should be evident. The bass should sound warm and full, but not boomy. Each note should sound distinct. The pluck of the bass is heard quite clearly. The drums are setback behind the drums and the bass, and define the acoustics of the studio. This meaning that you should really get a feel for the size and wall coverings used in the studio, based on the drums sound. The cymbals sound very airy and delicate. If your system is capable, this recording will make the hardware seem to disappear, and only the music will remain.

Presence - McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson - Ask Me Now
Concentrate on Joe’s dazzeling sax work. This was recorded in a large studio, where joe was facing the back wall, 15 feet away. He is 3 feet from the mic. The sound should seem as though it’s coming from just right of center….not from any specific speaker, but from thin air. Listen to the detail in this recording….his breath, the mechanical sound of the keys, and most important, that warm tone. Also listen carefully to the reflection of the sound off of the back wall. The more discrete the sound of that reflection, the more detail the system is capable of. Ask yourself as you listen, “how much do I believe that a man is standing between those two speakers?”

Visceral Impact - Monty Alexander - Sweet Georgia Brown
This is a truly exciting piece. Listen carefully….you’ll hear two drummers (jazz and rock), and two basses (acoustic and electric). On high res systems, the different acoustic settings of each drum kit should be rather obvious. This track features some stunning dynamics, so play it loud!

Rhythm and Pace - Johnny Frigo - I Love Paris
77 year old Johnny Frigo is having a grand old time, as well as his whole band. This energy and excitement is easily conveyed in the music. Rhythm and Pace refers to a systems ability to translate energy and excitement in the music. This is that foot tapping, wanna get up and shake my groove thing sound. If you’re not physically responding to this track, check your pulse. In fact, with all high energy music, take note of your physical reactions. If you’re not reacting, it’s time to upgrade.

Focus - The Connecticut Early Music Festival Ensemble - Vivaldi, Flute Concerto in D
Focus refers the “outline” of an instrument within a soundstage. You should be able to pick each instrument apart from the others, and listen to only one at a time. This recording has an extraordinary sense of focus. The flute used in this track is a mid-19th century bonwood, and it envokes a delicate beauty. Each note should sound distinct, and not at all blurred. Each instrument posses this quality. As with video, the sharper the image of each instrument within the sound, the better the focus.

Holographic Imaging - Westmister Choir - Britten, Festival Te Deum
This recording of a choir is recorded in St. Mary’s Cathedral….a truly marvelous place, acoustically speaking. Even on two speaker systems the sound should seem very 3 dimensional. There was only one microphone used for this recording, and it was perched atop a microphone boom, 35 feet in the air. The choir was in a high loft, above the pews. This means the mic was positioned in free space, with no reflecting surfaces nearby. You should be able to close your eyes and “see” the choir before you, and sense a large cathedral, 60 feet wide, 225 feet long, and 90 feet tall. Some systems will even resolve a sense of highth in this recording. The organ should sound very ambient, simply filling the cathedral with sound. That hissing noise you hear is not tape noise….it’s the sound of the valves from the organ.

Transients - Solisti New York - Stravinsky, The Royal March
Simply quick dynamic changes in the level of the music. These quick, dynamic shifts in the music generally provides quite a challenge for speakers and amplifiers. This track offers some incredible transients. The speaker driver’s mass must therefore be able to start and stop with incredible precision. The grip and speed that the amplifier has over the sound will give a good indication of the quality of your hardware. The drums should sound very tight, which is one of the best tests for speaker and amplifier control.

Bass Resonance - Chesky Jazz - Best of Chesky Jazz
A solo standup bass in the middle of large studio. The bass is 3 feet from the mic. You should hear a strong transient pluck, followed by the resonance of the body of the instrument. This is a test of accuracy for woofers. Some woofers, when pushed to their limits will make non musical sounds. This Track is a good test of speaker design.

Dynamics - Chesky Jazz - Best of Chesky Jazz
Loud and soft….need I say more? Careful….this track gets loud. Did you notice the drummer putting both sticks in one hand at the end of the track?


As with most new skills, listening takes time to hone and perfect.....practice makes perfect!

NOTE: I apologize, but it's darn hard to upload music on a bad 56k line... links to the tracks will be added as they are uploaded.

-Z

PinchyCM

z, freakin awesome man. look forward to the rest of the links.

Zemo

Yes, please give me feedback! Any suggestions for improvment? Any more terms you'd like to see covered?

-Z

PinchyCM

i'm a little tired to think about it right now - i didn't even read the whole thing yet. i need to go to bed but from what i can tell, this is exactly the guide that a lot of newer audio guys need. i'm no audiophile myself, but i can definitely appreeciate aural goodness.

if i didn't have to pay for school, i'd be all over the amps, etys, and sennheiser 650s. oh yeah, throw in some quality HT stuff in there too. haha. i guess my ultras will have to tie me over until i graduate.

got any more of that stuff i could get for ya? i'd use ubernet, but my upload is way too slow while at home - 30k/s to upload 25 albums, i'll be back at school by the time it finishes, and my internet would be incapable of doing anything for that whole time.

PCJ

I guess I can't really hear it right now on my 212s and mostly 192kbps mp3s. But once I get my new equiptment, I'll also have a 1280/256 dsl line, which will be flat from 10pm to 8am, which means my rig will be on ubernet all night.

proxops-pete

Hmm... too long for me ... :P
Seriously, I will have to wait to read them in more detail! Could you also maybe focus on practical stuff?? What you can do with stuff you already have (ie. speaker positions, angle, etc) and perhaps "minimum system requirements" to listen to music in good quality.

Zemo

I'll work on it, thanks!

-Z

PCJ

I'd say there are no "minimum requirements". It's different for each person. What you could do is suggest some speaker/amp/headphone sets for every budget.

r0bby

Wow, awesome Zemo! I like it, and I love how you actually supply the song and don't make everyone go get it, thanks

I need an upgrade.... anyone wanna donate some 580's and a maxed out zmoy? :P I think if I could just make this computer quieter, it'd sound better.