PhoÂto via AdamanÂtios at WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
Back in the Mad Men heyÂday of high-end home stereo, audioÂphiles could buy records full of sound-but-not-exactÂly-music, specifÂiÂcalÂly engiÂneered to test the limÂits of — or simÂply show off — their perÂsonÂal sysÂtems. Less techÂniÂcalÂly obsesÂsive but still proud hi-fi ownÂers could drop the neeÂdle on one of the albums known almost as well for the richÂness of its sound as the artistry of its music, such as Frank SinaÂtra’s In the Wee Small Hours or Charles MinÂgus’ MinÂgus Ah Um. The webÂsite, What Hi-Fi?, includes both of those 1950s landÂmarks on their list of twelve of the best vinyl test records, which goes on to menÂtion Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night, TalkÂing Heads’ Remain in Light, and RadioÂheadÂ’s In RainÂbows, all worth a lisÂten no matÂter your setÂup.
But what if you lisÂten, as so many of us in the 21st cenÂtuÂry do, not on vinyl through speakÂers but on digÂiÂtal data interÂnet-streamed through headÂphones? SpoÂtiÂfy (whose free softÂware you can downÂload here) has assemÂbled a 150-song playlist designed to give you a sense of how well those headÂphones are servÂing you, bringÂing togethÂer the work of such audio-conÂscious artists as the aforeÂmenÂtioned Neil Young (a vocal critÂic of today’s music forÂmats), David Bowie, Suzanne Vega (known as “the MothÂer of the MP3”), Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, and those conÂsumÂmate stuÂdio geniusÂes Steely Dan (albeit not “DeaÂcon Blues,” long their audioÂphile-preÂferred stereo-testÂing song). Mixed in with the bigÂger names, you’ll also hear from musiÂcians less wideÂly known but no less dedÂiÂcatÂed to craftÂing rich and varÂied soundÂscapes.
You don’t have to be Neil Young, though, to object to the very premise of the playlist, arguÂing that interÂnet-streamed music, which first underÂgoes digÂiÂtiÂzaÂtion and comÂpresÂsion, can offer nothÂing but a badÂly subÂstanÂdard lisÂtenÂing expeÂriÂence — let alone when through a pair of headÂphones, and often cheap earÂbuds at that. But as all the best recordÂing and mixÂing engiÂneers know today, you shouldÂn’t release an album unless you’ve first lisÂtened to it closeÂly through someÂthing humÂbler than your ultra-high-end stuÂdio monÂiÂtors or fanÂcy proÂfesÂsionÂal headÂphones, makÂing sure it sounds acceptÂable on everyÂthing all the way down to lapÂtop and cellÂphone speakÂers. Bear in mind, a music fan who’s nevÂer givÂen a thought to audio qualÂiÂty might well, when they’ve testÂed their cheap earÂbuds with this nevÂerÂtheÂless sonÂiÂcalÂly scinÂtilÂlatÂing playlist, find themÂselves wantÂiÂng to hear not just more, but betÂter.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
How Steely Dan Wrote “DeaÂcon Blues,” the Song AudioÂphiles Use to Test High-End StereÂos
Neil Young on the TravÂesÂty of MP3s
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities and culÂture. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer, the video series The City in CinÂeÂma, the crowdÂfundÂed jourÂnalÂism project Where Is the City of the Future?, and the Los AngeÂles Review of Books’ Korea Blog. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.