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Developing critical listening skills

I’m not really an audiophile, but a long time music fan who values quality gear as a way to enjoy the music I love, so please forgive me if this seems naive. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of new gear lately, and with different resolution files, trying to see what differences I can detect. When evaluating hi-fi equipment, I have a good idea of the things to listen for, but find it very difficult quantify and compare differences. For instance, I just added new cables to my desktop system, and I think they sound better (wider soundstage, and more natural, less forced presentation), but I have a hard time identifying differences in a quantifiable way and really don’t know whether it is just an optimism bias. I can’t accurately remember how the sound was specifically different. I’ve always just listened to music on decent systems, but never tried to develop my critical evaluation skills: actually developing a systematic way to isolate, identify, contrast sonic differences. All the guidance I can find is very vague and general. Things like "spend a lit of time listening closely", or invest in the right hardware. I’ve already done both in spades. Are there some specific sort of reliable, audible tests that can be performed to build my skills? Any guides? I just purchased the Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc, and Sheffield Drive and A2TB Test Disc.

Similarly, trying to AB test files, and see if I can really hear a difference between 44.1/16 and a 256kbps file derived from the original, I honestly have a hard time. What should I be listening for? After a lot of listening to the same track, I think I’m starting to hear differences in the bass guitar, where the image a little smaller, and less resonant in the compressed file. Also, the cymbals are a little more sibilant, and with less depth and decay. But it is very subtile, and not too successful in an A/B test. Specifically what parameters should I be listening for (and how to I isolate & memorialize these characteristics repeatably) to start to build my listening?
svenerik
roberttcan
248 posts
 
Floyd Toole's research at Harman would suggest otherwise. Here is how a variety of listeners performed (100% being best). I have to ballpark the numbers as it comes from a graph:

  • Selected and Trained listeners:  >90%
  • Retail Sales (audio): 35-40%
  • Audio Reviewers: ~ 20%  (but admitted small sample size)
  • Brand Sales and Marketing ~10%
  • Student (i.e. completely untrained) ~ 5%

The How to Listen blog/app I linked and the Harley book are good resources. I will warn you, being a critical listener is a double edged sword. Once you know something is "wrong" you can't ignore it any more. It can interfere with enjoyment.


cleeds
6,246 posts
 
roberttcan
Floyd Toole's research at Harman would suggest otherwise ...
Quite so! Those who seek statistically valid results from controlled, double-blind listening tests often provide some training for the test subjects in advance of the test. In my experience, this training typically includes demonstrating for the subjects exactly what difference or anomaly they are trying to detect in the test. Test organizers know there is a "difference," so the only question is: Is the difference reliably detectable? Without some guidance, even experienced listeners will often struggle.
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@svenerik  Are you enjoying your music? Are you able to relax and let yourself 'be' in the moment during your listening sessions?


twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,326 posts
 
It's important to have two benchmarks, music that you know well played through a system you know well, and real live music.  When you audition a new piece, in theory you can then judge whether it then sounds better, worse, different or the same as the components you know, and the criterion for better should be it sounds more like what you hear as live music.
svenerik OP
21 posts
 
@svenerik Are you enjoying your music? Are you able to relax and let yourself 'be' in the moment during your listening sessions?
@david_ten Yes, listening and enjoying is something I've never had a problem with. I can say if something sounds good to me, or is somehow off or un-involving.  The skill I lack is being able to objectively evaluate & compare listening situations, and determine why something is off. Hence my desire to develop those skills.
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