Developing critical listening skills
I’m not really an audiophile, but a long time music fan who values quality gear as a way to enjoy the music I love, so please forgive me if this seems naive. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of new gear lately, and with different resolution files, trying to see what differences I can detect. When evaluating hi-fi equipment, I have a good idea of the things to listen for, but find it very difficult quantify and compare differences. For instance, I just added new cables to my desktop system, and I think they sound better (wider soundstage, and more natural, less forced presentation), but I have a hard time identifying differences in a quantifiable way and really don’t know whether it is just an optimism bias. I can’t accurately remember how the sound was specifically different. I’ve always just listened to music on decent systems, but never tried to develop my critical evaluation skills: actually developing a systematic way to isolate, identify, contrast sonic differences. All the guidance I can find is very vague and general. Things like "spend a lit of time listening closely", or invest in the right hardware. I’ve already done both in spades. Are there some specific sort of reliable, audible tests that can be performed to build my skills? Any guides? I just purchased the Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc, and Sheffield Drive and A2TB Test Disc.
Similarly, 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 time. What should I be listening for? After a lot of listening to the same track, I think I’m starting to hear differences in the bass guitar, where the image a little smaller, and less resonant in the compressed file. Also, the cymbals are a little more sibilant, and with less depth and decay. But it is very subtile, and not too successful in an A/B test. Specifically what parameters should I be listening for (and how to I isolate & memorialize these characteristics repeatably) to start to build my listening?
