Stereophile

Slow Listening

THERE ARE AS MANY OPINIONS AS THERE ARE EXPERTS

THIS ISSUE: Pro audio is coming around to what audiophiles have known for years.

Subjectivist audiophiles have long maintained that long-term listening is necessary to assess the quality and character of an audio component. Scientific testing methodologies such as ABX, which require quick and conscious evaluation of a change in the sound, have long struck many of us as insufficient, seeming to miss much that affects our enjoyment of music.

A pair of Genelec researchers—Thomas Lund, an audio on the science of hearing and perception, and their findings appear to support such views. Among their observations:

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Stereophile

Stereophile4 min read
Letters
When my Stereophile reaches my doorstep, the first thing I turn to is Herb Reichert’s reviews. I don’t care what he’s reviewing; I love how he writes about it. In April’s edition, he shared his thoughts on an unexpected emotional response to Brice Ma
Stereophile9 min read
Silent Angel Bonn NX
With every passing season, a new audiophile-grade network switch hits the market. These products, which can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, do the same basic thing as network switches bought at Best Buy for $30 or so (except, in some cases, sl
Stereophile13 min read
The Lina chronicles
I was at least 40' away when I spied my first dCS Lina stack at CanJam. It was black, sitting conspicuously on a table emitting a strong Space Odyssey Monolith vibe. I can’t remember which headphones I used, but I do remember how good it felt to face

Related Books & Audiobooks