Key Takeaways
- Determine if you can hear the difference between regular and hi-fi audio through tests online.
- Assess if you have high-quality gear, including wired headphones, to truly benefit from a high-fidelity streaming platform.
- Consider the amount of attention you can dedicate to music before investing in high-quality audio.
While many music streaming services offer a “high-fidelity” option, Spotify has long been an exception. Once again, rumors are circulating that Spotify will finally do so, but there are some questions you should ask yourself if high-fidelity audio even makes sense for you.
Can You Hear the Difference Between Regular and Hi-Fi Audio?
It’s easy to hear the difference between a low-bitrate file and a higher one, but it might not be that obvious that a high-fidelity file could be significantly different from an already high-quality file.
There are several A/B/X tests on the web, such as one from NPR, that you can use to judge your ability to perceive the quality of different audio files. Try them and see if investing in a high-quality audio streaming plan would make sense to you.
Do You Have High-Quality Audio Equipment?
If you’ve signed up for high-fidelity audio, do you have gear that can take advantage of it? The audio market isn’t exactly what it was at its height in the 1970s and 1980s.
A lot of people listen on headphones. While headphones can sound good, most prioritize being light and easy to carry around rather than sound quality. And while you can still buy a stereo system with booming loudspeakers, specialist audio seems rarer. Most manufacturers seem to concentrate on home theater rather than dedicated stereo systems.
If you do sign up for a high-quality streaming platform, you need high-end audio gear, such as amplifiers, speakers, and headphones, to take advantage of it. For some people, it’s an investment that leads to much greater enjoyment of their favorite tracks.
How Much Attention Can You Pay to a Track?
For a lot of people, music is more something to put on in the background rather than something to devote their full attention to.
This could mean that any advantages of high-fidelity streaming might be lost if you don’t pay as much attention to music while you’re working, surfing the web, cooking, or tidying up around your house.
High-fidelity audio is ideal when you really want to relax and enjoy the music. Even in today’s fast-paced society, there are still people who want to do so.
It might be why the vinyl market has been revived, even though it seemed dead by the start of the ‘90s. There’s something about pulling out a concept album on an LP, stretching out with the artwork, and poring over the lyrics.
It’s difficult to recreate the immersive experience on a smartphone or tablet, though Spotify seems to try with its lyric and Canvas displays.
If you really want an immersive experience with high-quality audio, a good pair of headphones would be your best bet. Wired headphones will offer higher quality than Bluetooth, even if you might need a dongle if your device doesn’t have a headphone jack.
How Much Ambient Noise Is in Your Environment?
Ambient noise can make it difficult to concentrate on the music. It can be difficult to settle into the music while leaf blowers, lawnmowers, and jackhammers are blaring out. Or maybe you’re on a crowded flight with the jet engines spooling up. This may make you question your investment in high-quality audio.
Again, a good pair of headphones will help, as will using them correctly. For sounds like jet engines, active noise-canceling headphones are especially useful for blocking out unwanted sounds to let you focus on the music.
Given that you’re probably surrounded by distractions and might not want to be tied down to equipment that can only stay in one place, a better bet might be to opt for acceptable sound quality you can use across all your devices.
Either way, investing in a pair of good headphones is always useful when you want to escape into music.
