How do you do critical listening?

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Pancakes, Oct 11, 2020.

  1. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    Thanks for the thoughts/suggestions. @AllanMarcus I'm terrible at flowery language and salesmanship. I guess I need to get out of the hi-fi game :(:)
     
  2. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    don’t do any of this
     
  3. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    So I'm gonna go off the deep end here, but hopefully it might drive some insight into what we're discussing here.

    To preface, I've got a design background. BSID, BFA, and an MSARCH, despite the fact that I know this is an appeal to authority, I'm just throwing it out there as simple fact that I'm not "making this up".

    Okay, first concept that needs to be understood in critical discussion of subjective impressions:

    You should try to not use the term "like". As in, "I like these headphones more than these headphones." Any derivation of "liking" shouldn't inform a critical discussion. Preference has to fall much later in the sequence of critical discussion.

    Second, try to talk about what the headphones allow you to do in a way that's different from your other experiences, whether that is from other headphones or other ways of hearing sounds. This is loosely known as affordance theory (google it!).

    Third, discuss limitations in a way that expresses an aspirational quality. IOW, instead of saying, "the bass is loose and boomy", perhaps suggest that the headphones could be improved with tighter bass, or better transient response. This one is hard, because it requires one to have either 1) subjectively experienced a "better" artifact, or 2) have enough local knowledge of the subjective interpretations of qualia to provide an informed suggestion for some physical improvement to either the artifact itself or the design of the artifact.

    The third one is one that I fail at most frequently. It's pretty easy to just call a headphone garbage, but not explain why. But, I feel a lot of critical discussion of headphones, or any audiophile nonsense, fails the first qualifier anyway. So, I guess there's room to improve?
     
  4. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I love writing in depth reviews about crappy headphones. I wrote an extensive review about 1$ airline headphones once for the hell of it. It’s probably still in head-if’s review archives.

    but can’t it be as simple as STFU, listen and describe what you hear? Do we need review guidelines?
     
  5. Tom R

    Tom R Acquaintance

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    The very best buzz-kill is a ‘critical’ listening session. Add A/B/X and you’ll be ready to off yourself in no time. I listen to gear for long periods of time with music I love. That’s how I do critical listening.
     
  6. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I once sent a pair of 600 ohm AirCanada headphones to Tyll, but sadly he never got around to measuring them. It might have been briefly mentioned at the end of one of his other reviews as a pending, I don't remember now.
     
  7. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    OK, in all seriousness, I too close my eyes to listen critically. I don't know why, but it helps to remove the distraction. Once I think I can hear a difference between something, I try to identify the frequency (in general terms). At this point, I'm mostly satisfied if I can hear a difference, and if I can determine which of the two sounds I'm hearing I might like better. Often they are just different, and one is not better than the other. Just listen for what you like, and if you hear a difference and can't decide what it is or if you like one or the other, it's doesn't really mater. If you have to struggle to determine if you liek one over the other, then one isn't better than the other; they are just different.
     
  8. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    You have to be wearing nothing but your underpants and they must be worn inside out and backwards. The weird feeling from this is what allows you to listen critically.
     
  9. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    AND backwards??? Well shit, there's my problem.
     
  10. Clear Water

    Clear Water Friend

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    I try to listen to tracks that all have about the same overall volume level. Sometimes I think I hear differences when it's really that a particular track is louder or softer than I would normally listen at (common when testing many different albums in one sitting).
     
  11. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    On your head. Might be obvious to you, but please spell it out for others.
    And the on your head bit? I bet you're missing that too.

    Look... are you sure you're really cut out for serious audio modding/engineering?
     
  12. ogodei

    ogodei MOT: Austin AudioWorks

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    I have two modes of listening.

    "I'm enjoying \ not enjoying these" mode. I throw whatever headphone got mentioned last in a post onto whatever amp presents itself to me. This may or may not involve a quick tube roll. Source is usually streaming these days. Listen for 10 mins, tells me if the combo or headphone is good. If its good I listen until something else catches my ear. If its not I sell it.

    "Im testing this gear" mode. Media are music files I've clipped down to loops of about 5 to 10 second. Each one focuses on an aspect I want to listen for ( bass, mids, treble, air, attack, imaging, dynamics, vocals (baritone, alto, contralto, mezzo soprano, etc.) , etc. Source is JRiver on PC, ASIO or WASAPI drivers, ethernet streamed into a Singxer SU6 which can feed multiple DACs at the same time. Two passive goldpoint level controls are chained between DACs and amps which allows level matching the hardware while easily A/B switching & volume adjustment to a degree. Level matching is done with a home-made flat-plate rig & digital meter. Amps\DACs get level matched to pink noise at about 72dB, headphones to each other somewhere near there. Headphones and DACs are usually tested with the neutral-ist SS amp I have on hand to avoid influence of tube romance.

    Setting up for testing takes 30 or 40 mins because things change. Once in place and leveled, actual listening takes maybe an hour to complete and document after which I can tell you aspect by aspect which gear is up or down, left or right, pretty or pink. I tend to set up on day 1 and listen on day 2 so I have plenty of time for both. My hearing for definition/pierce/air can vary with time of day & caffeine consumption so I tend to listen to those at a couple of different times.

    'Enjoying / Not Enjoying' mode is 99% of my listening and I actively focus on the enjoyable aspects of a combo because I have little time for hating these days. Because of that I post very few impressions around here, most of it would sound like fanboy head-fi crap. I'm only comfortable posting 'good' or 'bad' opinions after I've done testing, and though I enjoy doing that too it takes pre-planning and time.

    So expect more profile posts about "Ive got new gear and I'll post about it next week". Yeah, sure I will.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2020
  13. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    I am :(

    Definitely not. Luckily I do it only as a hobby.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2020
  14. Pancakes

    Pancakes Friend

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    I hadn't thought of doing that. Thanks.
     

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