EPT---- Original Post ----
The following is some advice for getting the most out of your listening sessions. Some of it will seem obvious to some people, some of it won't. Hopefully there is something new in here for everyone. In any case, it's the condensed version of everything I've learned that is relevant to the experience. We'll start from inside and progress to the exterior.
The Brain
![[image loading]](http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/20071017_Medicine_whitematter/Photos/head_and_brain.jpg)
In case you don't know where your brain is, there's a picture of it. That bright, little fiery spot is someone's artistic interpretation of joy.
In case you don't know where your brain is, there's a picture of it. That bright, little fiery spot is someone's artistic interpretation of joy.
The important thing to remember about your brain is that you need to keep it open, but not so open that it falls out. Learn about new concepts, but don't immediately accept them. This is REALLY important to keep in mind because there are a tonne of idiots in the world of 'audiophilia' and if you don't have an overactive sense of cynicism or skepticism, you'll waste a lot of money.
The Ear
![[image loading]](http://images.cutoutandkeep.net/steps/6486/6486.jpg)
Here's a picture of some guy's ear. Don't worry if yours is a different colour, they basically work the same.
Here's a picture of some guy's ear. Don't worry if yours is a different colour, they basically work the same.
While not strictly necessary, ears are pretty useful for listening to music, and it's hard to find replacements. So take care of them.
Don't use Q-Tips. Q-Tips push and build up wax in your ear, making it very dense. It's a bad idea to be poking around your ear drum anyway, so just stop. Seriously. You may take out some wax, but the wax you don't get gets compacted in your ear and causes problems which you may eventually need to see a specialist for.
So how do you clean your ears? It's actually really simple. Pour water into them. While you're in the shower, or just with a cup of water, direct the stream of water to the inside of your ear. If water stays in your ear, turn your head upside-down to drain it. Don't worry about your ears somehow being damaged from water... Humans are aquatic creatures. We swim. Water is supposed to be able to go there. Don't wash the insides of your ears too often, because we have earwax for a reason, but every once in awhile cleaning out your ear is fine and will help you hear a lot more clearly especially if it's been awhile.
Audio Equipment
![[image loading]](http://www.freewebs.com/wboz102-5/Audio%20Equipment,%20front%202.JPG)
Oh god...
Oh god...
Remember what I said about your brain? That was pretence for this. Audio equipment, especially "audiophile equipment" is probably the most frustrating area to learn about, and most dangerous to get involved in. Follow my guidance, and maybe you will make it out alive without feeling like an idiot. I'll try to be brief, but I really want to warn people about the garbage surrounding this scene.
Some preliminary advice: Don't trust anyone on Head-fi.org. They don't know what they're talking about, and they waste hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on equipment that doesn't enhance anything. Also, just because someone works at an audio retail store, or reviews equipment, doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. Trust me on this, and trust no one who starts talking about audio equipment as if it were food at a restaurant.
Headphones
Or earphones, or IEMs, or whatever. When looking to buy new ones, you should be judging the following characteristics: Comfort, convenience, and to a far lesser extent, power consumption. Comfort just means do you feel okay with them being on your head. If your headphones aren't comfortable after an hour of listening, they're probably not very good. You want to be able to wear them long enough to at least listen to the entirety of an album. In general most headphones and earphones and whatever you can get used to... But you should know if you do spend a decent amount you won't have to get used to them, they'll just be nice to wear. IMO that's what expensive headphones offer most. Convenience is pretty obvious... Get whatever you want for whatever purpose you need them. Earphones for transit, big headphones for home. Simple. Power consumption is a bit more complicated, but really pretty negligible. Silver connects on the jacks are more conductive, and thus it will take less battery power to run. Gold connects aren't as conductive, but they are longer lasting because silver tends to oxidize quicker.
Headphone Cable
And cables in general. Don't spend insane amounts of money on this. Unless you're buying super duper cheapo crap cables from a guy in an alley, they all reproduce music as effectively as the other. The only thing to know about cables is that most cables will transmit noise if you tap them, which is mildly annoying, and if you pay just a little bit more you can get a cable that won't. It doesn’t cost you more than 30 bucks, and even that is kind of a lot. You certainly don't need to pay 200 dollars (and there are really dumb/ignorant people who seriously do that).
Amplifiers
Unless you're powering full sized speakers, DON'T BOTHER. There will be a lot of people who tell you that you need an amplifier for headphones to sound good. This is just not true. An amplifier will not make your music sound better; it'll only increase the amplitude of the signal. That's what an amplifier does, it increases amplitude. So if you are hearing your music at a volume that satisfies you, you don't need an amplifier. I have HD650s which anyone on head-fi will tell you need an amplifier to be any good. And I can tell you they're wrong, they're powered just fine by my iPod.
DAPs
Digital Audio Players. Basically get whatever fits your needs, and PLEASE ignore any claims about sound quality people make. Cowon does not sound better than Apple, Apple doesn't sound better than Sony, and Samsung, and HiSound, and whatever other brand. Digital Audio Converters have been figured out, and they're not horribly expensive to make. Music is not going to sound better. That said, something less obvious to think about when buying a DAP: What formats does it play? Ideally you want a DAP that plays Ogg Vorbis, and maybe flac, which are excellent and pretty popular FREEWARE formats. I'm not going to tell you Mp3 is bad, because on the whole it isn't, but it is proprietary. Mp3 is good because it's convenient for listening to samples of bands, since it is HUGELY popular, but really it should be replaced with freeware stuff that has shown itself to be just as good. Other than that... Your concerns are battery life and whatever will be convenient for your uses. NOT SOUND QUALITY cause they all do it the same. You want features like gapless playback (no pauses between loading tracks), but you don't want to take advice from people who tell you the sound quality of a device is like eating a juicy steak.
Audio Formats
For ripping CDs, use FLAC. FLAC is a lossless codec, and therefore the best kind of file to use when converting tracks to what is actually convenient. You shouldn't, however, use FLAC files for general listening. They are HUGE, they have insanely high bitrates (good-bye battery life), and they don't improve the sound you're hearing one iota. These files have only one purpose, and that's so you can convert them to lossy formats (since converting from one lossy format to another can have disastrous effects on quality). Again, ideally you should convert to OGG, but it doesn't really matter. If you like mp3 that's fine, mp3 can handle almost all files pretty well. I've heard 192 kb/s is the lowest a file can be without hearing a difference, but I play it safe with 255 kb/s. Either way, you're not going to win an abx test against flac with those files, so save your DAP's space and battery life. In case you're wondering, FLAC files play at about 1000 kb/s on most modern rock albums, and 500 on Jazz and classical albums. That's A LOT harder on your DAP. The only thing you don't wanna do is start converting your files to 128 kb/s or lower, because then the artifacts WILL be very noticeable, and it's just generally not asking that much to move up to 196. Right now formats are competing to make 160 kb/s flawless, but I don't think they're there yet.
Exact Audio Copy cd ripper
Listening Environment
![[image loading]](http://www.radisson.com/rad/images/hotels/ONTORONT/room2_450.jpg)
Okay... We made it... Ooo! Pillows! =D
Okay... We made it... Ooo! Pillows! =D
This is where I get pretentious and start saying things that you may or may not already do, think is bloody obvious, or whatever. But keep reading, because maybe there is something you didn't think of.
Time
It's my opinion that music is best enjoyed in the complete absence of other worries. So save music for a quiet day, or after you don't have anything more you need to do. Give yourself enough time to listen to a whole album. One of the worst things people do these days is listening to single songs by themselves. That's fine for when you're on the bus and just looking for some sound, but I really think when you first get an album you should listen to it all the way through, without interruption. If you're used to downloading songs, and you hardly ever obtain full albums, try this because it will give you a whole new appreciate of the artist. Lots of songs don't sound very good on their own, but in the context of a complete album are great. Not only this, but you will miss out on any genre with long slow songs, because YOU'RE LIVING YOUR STUPID FAST PACED LIFE AND AREN'T STOPPING TO SMELL THE FLOWERS! GOD YOU'RE SUCH A NOOB AT LIFE! No! I don't gotta skate you fucker! Slow down!
Space
Be somewhere comfortable. A nice sitting chair, or a bed, or whatever. Just make sure it's not somewhere that's going to distract you from the music. Sometimes it can be really nice if you find some nice art to look at while you listen to music, but everyone's done that. However, something that might be neglected is listening to music in the dark. You know how they say that a blind person's hearing is greatly enhanced because they need it that much more? Well I like to imagine that when the lights are turned off it's a similar effect. Not because we need to listen closer to get around (we're completely obstructing that ability with the music), but because without visual stimulation, our brain can concentrate a whole lot better. So try listening to an entire album in the dark, especially if it's an ambient genre. You might find it that much better, especially if you let your imagination run wild and start picturing the music.
Flux
Not really. But try to be in an area you're not going to be interrupted, or tempted to leave. So maybe the middle of the day when you're the only person with the day off, or late at night when it's too late for anyone to call. Naturally, in a room people aren't walking in and out of all the time.
Music
![[image loading]](http://minuet.dance.ohio-state.edu/~lerose5/Images/Words/Rhythm/Music_Circle.jpg)
It... It... Just makes me want to... Get up and dance like a retard!!!!
It... It... Just makes me want to... Get up and dance like a retard!!!!
The first rule to enjoying music is to ALWAYS be trying to expand your horizons. If you haven't already, stop dismissing genres. Don't listen to a few raps songs, or a few country songs, and decide they're all awful. Don't look down on electronic music because it's done in front of a computer. Don't stop listening to something because it sounds weird. ALL music sounds weird at first. It's when we get used to it that we start liking it. But we shouldn't ever get too used to it, because then music gets boring. So always search for new songs and support innovative works. Most people reading this are hopefully scoffing and saying 'well duh!' but for you kids who haven't made the leap into maturity, there is no art form that is inherently bad. No matter what the instruments used, you will be able to find something you like, and you will be glad you did.
Other fun things...
Listen to ambient music when you're writing or drawing. Sometimes it can really inspire you.
Listen to relaxing classical music when studying. When you're relaxed you will absorb information into memory more easily.
Listen to exciting songs or Rocky Theme songs before a test. I listen to all the Rocky Theme songs before every final and not only does it get my pumped to kick its butt, but it works as a conditioner so that whenever I hear those songs, I'm ready to perform and I'm happy. IE Application of Pavlov's Dog study.
Listen to music when preparing food... It makes you feel classy.
One thing you SHOULDN'T do... Compliment people on their music taste. Why? Cause it makes you look really dumb. Don't apply subjective terms to it, just say "We have the same taste in music!" because that's all it is. You don't say "Oh, you have good taste in food!" when someone eats the same flavour of potato chips as you, so don't say it about music.
An Album
![[image loading]](http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/o/our-lady-peace/album-spiritual-machines.jpg)
Spirtual Machines, by Our Lady Peace
Spirtual Machines, by Our Lady Peace
Just for fun, I'll end this guide with my favourite album. I always hesitate to declare a favourite album, because then I start thinking of all the other great albums I've heard (which tends to send me off to music land for a few hours
), but really I love this one, and I've loved it for almost a decade so maybe it does deserve it.Regardless, it's an alternative rock album 'about' a future where Artificial Intelligence has become so advanced that moral concerns become a major political issue. That's what the cool little 10 second intermission tracks are about. The tone is very sorrowful and about regret. Raine Maida's singing is absolutely incredible as usual, and the recording is excellent. It's rare to see vocals become the forefront of music while the music remains complex and interesting, but it's worth it. Maida really knows how to move his voice, and it conveys the varied emotions of his lyrics perfectly. Imagine the voice of a terrible argument with a loved one and then storming off... Then imagine having no reason to feel upset, but mimicking that voice. Raine Maida can do that. An actor among singers. Heavy bass, fun guitar, solid drumming. Check it out.
+ Show Spoiler [EDIT:] +
Note
This guide has provoked a few posts about my section on equipment. All I'm saying in those sections is that there is no reason to believe the equipment makes a difference, because there are no studies or proof or whatever. Anecdotal evidence is not enough for me. If it's enough for you go ahead and waste you time. I'm not discussing this anymore.
On amplifiers: I don't like to think I have exceptional hearing, but apparently other people who don't own HD650s think that an iPod won't give them enough volume, so maybe I do just have amazing hearing because I don't need an amp. Regardless, there are exceptions to headphones and amps. If you headphones have something insane, like 600 ohms of impedance you probably will want an amplifier... and at 300 ohms if you're one of those people who needs to have volume high enough that it damages your ears, you'll want an amp too. My advice is for safe listening, and based on my own hearing ability which I assume is average (though because I practice safe listening, if you don't you might have worse than expected hearing for your age).
This guide has provoked a few posts about my section on equipment. All I'm saying in those sections is that there is no reason to believe the equipment makes a difference, because there are no studies or proof or whatever. Anecdotal evidence is not enough for me. If it's enough for you go ahead and waste you time. I'm not discussing this anymore.
On amplifiers: I don't like to think I have exceptional hearing, but apparently other people who don't own HD650s think that an iPod won't give them enough volume, so maybe I do just have amazing hearing because I don't need an amp. Regardless, there are exceptions to headphones and amps. If you headphones have something insane, like 600 ohms of impedance you probably will want an amplifier... and at 300 ohms if you're one of those people who needs to have volume high enough that it damages your ears, you'll want an amp too. My advice is for safe listening, and based on my own hearing ability which I assume is average (though because I practice safe listening, if you don't you might have worse than expected hearing for your age).
Good info though.
