@svenerik
A few simple pointers might help
Listen for:
- sense of space between instruments and volume (not loudness, i.e. does the tenor sound like a tenor or a mouse?)
- 3-dimensional soundstage, wide and deep?- Bass: is it clear? Not overpowering, but clear- Do you hear low-level detail
- Do you get listener fatigue very quickly?
There are many other considerations, but these are the simplest I think.
A few simple pointers might help
(...)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 timeIt helps if you listen to loud music (because our hearing is "flat" at higher amplitudes), listen to s/thing you're familiar with (see elizabeth above); you also need a system capable of reproducing low-level detail, which I imagine your system is.
Listen for:
- sense of space between instruments and volume (not loudness, i.e. does the tenor sound like a tenor or a mouse?)
- 3-dimensional soundstage, wide and deep?- Bass: is it clear? Not overpowering, but clear- Do you hear low-level detail
- Do you get listener fatigue very quickly?
There are many other considerations, but these are the simplest I think.