Your Headphones' Greatest Enemy

Compressed Audio

by Kyle C
 
Working at Sound Lion has granted me an amazing opportunity to talk to hundreds of people about music, audio technology and of course headphones. It has also made me more aware of a problem that is becoming more and more rampant in the personal listening field. Most people aren’t aware that their music streams are compressed, and that they are degrading their experience and ultimately holding back the potential of their mobile devices.
Before I get into the specifics of the different music/media apps and their overall quality, let’s get a basis for what digital sound quality is, and what it really means to be low-fi. The most common format that you will find audio files from the web to be is MP3. This format tends to be very small in file size, and can have several different compression rates. The compression rate is measured in Kilobytes Per Second, or KBP/S. The higher the rate, the better the quality. For instance, a 256kbps track will sound significantly better than a 64kbps track. Any way you cut an MP3, the accuracy of it will never truly match the uncompressed formats, such as .wav or .flac . 

When a track is compressed, the compression algorithm chooses which data is needed and which is not. This loss of data is replaced by estimates made by the compression program, which means accuracy is lost. A low quality mp3 can be characterized by very tinny sound, cymbals and highs that sound distorted or crunchy. At a higher bit rate, such as 256kbps, this becomes much less noticeable, so try to keep your library’s average rate at a higher bit rate to improve your listening experience.


(Note that this is a very broad description, that individual tracks will sound better than others at specific compressions, and the above information is just to give you an idea of how it all works.)

When a customer walks into the store, the odds are they’ll gravitate towards the most intriguing pair they find and begin to search for music. We have iPads in the store with a library of tracks to listen to, but folks are much more inclined to play something from their own device. Being able to reference a song you know to judge the quality of the headphones can be very useful, so using your own library is always encouraged at Sound Lion.

Music & Media Apps

What I have realized from these encounters is that many music lovers aren’t giving themselves quality music! How do I know? Because the the first instinct for many customers is to open up YouTube or Pandora with the intent to judge the headphones' quality. It has become apparent that many people use music and media apps like these to get their music on the go, but if you’re investing in a quality pair of headphones it is nearly unjust to use some of these apps.
To put things into perspective: When someone uploads a song to YouTube, the odds are it will already be in compressed MP3 form. If the poster of the audio isn’t the actual record label, often the video won’t be in high definition, thus the sound quality suffers along with it. When the compressed MP3 is uploaded, it is compressed once more by YouTube (and the mobile version is the worst of it). If you are listening at home, then the following graph shows you the different selections of quality on a video and how the audio bitrate changes based on your choice.

Resolution	Audio Bit Rate	Compression
Original	152 kbps	AAC
1080p	152 kbps	AAC
720p	152 kbps	AAC
480p	128 kbps	AAC
360p	128 kbps	AAC
240p	60 kbps	MP3

(SOURCE: http://www.h3xed.com/web-and-internet/youtube-audio-quality-bitrate-240p-360p-480p-720p-1080p)

Many songs you will find were uploaded quite a while ago. If they are only available in 240p you can see (and hear) there is a serious degradation of quality as a whole. Even if you are playing the video just for the music, be sure to bump your quality up as high as it will go for the best experience. If possible though, avoid this venue all together and support your artists with a more accurate and reliable streaming service.

Another common customer interaction:
Me: “If you have your own music with you, you’re more than welcome to use that.”
Customer: “I don’t have any music on this phone, but sure, I’ll just play something on Pandora.”

Pandora can be a great service to learn new artists and tracks from the styles you love. The issue with this is that for someone who is not subscribed to the service the audio quality of each streamed track is 64kbps. As referenced before, this is much less than ideal, so if you enjoy the service and find yourself a frequent listener, you should really invest in a subscription for a higher quality sound. Spotify (another app which you can select specific tracks to listen to) streams to unsubscribed mobile devices at 96kpbs. While still a bit better than Pandora on this front, the subscription route will deliver you 320kpbs tracks which is very close to CD quality.

Home Library

If you’re backing up your CD library and you have the space to do it, compress at the highest bitrate you can to make sure you’re enjoying music the way it was intended by the artist. Personal listening can be one of the most powerful ways to experience your music, and doing your speakers or headphones justice will make your overall happiness with what you’re hearing skyrocket. Be aware that although convenient, streaming music will usually not be as accurate as the real CD, unless you pony up for the subscription plans. YouTube or Spotify can be good in a pinch, but if you’re a consistent music listener your best experience will not be found in compressed audio, period.



I don’t knock anyone for using any of these apps, of course. they are all quick and easy solutions to get music, and sometimes when you need a specific track that is the only method available to you. However, when you’re looking to make a purchase, or really just test out any type of speaker, try your best to avoid these forums. A high fidelity device needs high fidelity signal to properly perform! If you’re ever curious about the nitty-gritty of compression or want to hear the difference for yourself, come into the store and I’ll be happy to give you a demo.

We Love That Dirty Water

Boston is known for a great many things. Birthplace of The Revolution (American, not the group who played with Prince). Home of the Kennedys. Only having twenty-five letters in our alphabet. Wicked snowstorms. A Dunkin’ Donuts on every corner. But maybe above all else, our sports teams. Yes, sports are the true lifeblood of the city, the one binding and common theme that runs through all native Bostonians. Let’s face it…we’ve had it good the past 10 years. Every major professional team has won a championship! Even the Revolution (the soccer team, still not the group that played with Prince) has come close to winning the MLS Cup. I’ve come to realize during these championship runs how specific songs always make me think of a certain team or moment, and the emotions and memories that those conjure up. Here are the five songs that will forever hold a place in my heart, and a key to teleport me back to some of the best sports related moments in Boston history.

Beautiful Day U2/ Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne

Honestly, could there be two more contradictory songs that evoke memories of triumph for me? Doubtful. Back in 2001, when the country was in turmoil following the 9/11 attacks, somehow our beloved Patriots made it to the Superbowl. Sparked by an upstart backup quarterback who would soon become the face of the franchise, The Pats made it all the way to New Orleans for the big game. The halftime show that year was U2, with Bono running around a heart shaped stage, singing “It’s a beautiful day…don’t let it get away” to the thousands in attendance. And sure it was, for all New England, when Adam “Golden Toe” Vinatieri knocked that field goal down as time expired. The underdogs were now the champs, and Boston had its first sports title in more than a decade. Chaos ensued. For the rest of my life, I’ll forever link “Beautiful Day” to the Pats first championship title, due to the amazing performance and the fact that, yes, it was a beautiful day for all of Patriots fandom. 

Fast forward 8 months. Standing in the seats of Gillette Stadium, awaiting kickoff. Bouncing up and down as the initial chords strike. The entire crowd as one screaming “ALL ABOARD!! aye aye aye!” as Golden Toe himself runs down to boot the opening kickoff at the game I was attending. From this point forward I make it a point to get to the game in time for kickoff, because this exact routine happens every home game without fail. No matter who’s kicking off, the opposing team knows where they are when its game time. Nothing like having thousands of New Englanders who’ve been tailgating since 10am screaming Ozzy lyrics at you. I’m shocked there aren’t more fumbles on the return.

Kernkraft 400 Zombie Nation

Now you may not know the name of the song, or the band, or dj, or…whatever these guys are. And you really don’t have to. Why? Because I guarantee once you hear it, you’ll know it. Doubt me? Go ahead, search for it. I’ll wait. No really. Do it.

Told you you’d know it! Nothing to me is more Bruins than this song. Well, besides the fights and bears and Marchand’s nose. Lighting the lamp for the black and gold means one thing: This song BLASTS through the speakers at the Garden and get the crowd into a tizzy. I first remember hearing this song before the Bruins became the team they were today, when they were habitually losing to, well, everyone. Watching Glen Metropolit bury the puck, this song started to pump through the arena. Hey! It’s that weird techno song that foreign kid at school always listens to! I thought to myself. But it got the crowd into the game, clapping along to the beat. And here were are some 6 years later, and it still echoes through the Garden after the lamp gets lit. Even at home, you can hear it hitting your speakers, and even at home, I bet you can’t help yourself but chant “Ohhhhh uh-oh oh ohhhhh oh oh oh oh, ohohohohohoh” I know I sure can’t. Nothing was more fitting than watching the Bruins raise Lord Stanley’s Cup on home ice to this song. Or watching Marchand climb on top of every bar he saw when it played. Forever, this song will embody a win for the good guys in my book.

Tessie Dropkick Murphys/Dirty Water The Standells

Ok, these are obvious. These are slam dunks right? 2004, the Red Sox won their first World Series in almost a hundred years, all those decades of heartache gone with one underhand lob from Keith Foulke to Doug Mientkiewicz. I know the obvious choice would have been “Sweet Caroline” but bear with me. That’s just too easy. I remember the first 3000 times I heard “Tessie” that season I hated it. Loathed it actually. But something happened during that playoff run with the Yankees. I heard the song right before Game 4, when all hope was lost. But wait…we won? Meh, they’ll blow the next one. Heard the song again right before Game 5. And they won that one too. Now, much like any other Boston fan, I am superstitious to a fault. So if hearing this song right before the game was the key to the Red Sox success, you’re damn skippy I was cranking it every day right through the World Series. When the Sox won the World Series, following the immediate emotional collapse, the bar I happened to be in played this song for about an hour straight. And you know what? I’m ok with that. I’m still ok with this song. Because in my mind, if it weren’t for hearing this every day before the game, we’d never have won a thing.

Few things truly need to be said about the city’s unofficial theme song, “Dirty Water” by The Standells. Played at the end of every Red Sox victory, Bruins victory, most weddings, some bat-mitzvahs, and the occasional funeral, no one song better holds the essence of the town in chords and vocals. Gritty, tough, kind of dirty…but wholly open to great sing alongs, upbeat, and fun. That sums us up, doesn’t it? Warm, welcoming, but always that hint of “those guys are sketchy” to outsiders (you know, my Uncle worked for Whitey…). 

A victory by any of our teams isn’t the same without “Dirty Water” accompanying the game ending high fives and hugs. Boston Sports and The Standells…forever linked. Because we love that dirty water, oh Boston you’re our home.