10 Ways in Which Your Music Technology Is Years Behind
It always seems like the devices your S.O. gave you for Christmas are already out-of-date by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around. New versions of smartphones, laptops, and DSLRs drop every year, and it might be hard to keep up with what’s hot and happening. The same goes for the technology that handles your music. There’s a system of working parts that comes into play when you consider how you consume and experience sound, and it can be as simple or complex as you’d like. Whether it comes to taking your music library on the go or simply kickin’ back in your dorm room and bumping some needed tunes to get amped for finals, there are a handful of ways your music technology can be tweaked so you can get the most out of its potential (depending on how far you’re behind to begin with, that is).
Here are 10 potential ways the music technology you have now can be years behind.
Wired vs. Wireless Headphones for Working OutWireless technology has improved over the last few years, and it’ll continue to improve into the next few. If you’re still carrying around your earphones (and having to untangle them each time you pull them out of your pockets) wireless is the way to go. While they’re not exactly “sleek,” many are designed to feel comfortable while you’re performing activities. This is especially true if you like to listen to music while working out. Nothing is more annoying than having your earphone wires smack you while out on a run for a few miles. We recommend the Plantronics BackBeat Fit.
Downloading Music vs. Streaming MusicFor the better part of the last decade, downloading music was king. Thanks to iTunes and the rise of other marketplaces like Amazon and Google Play, dropping a buck for a song was no big deal. And you probably did a lot of it, compiling enough music on your computer for you to let it run for a month straight without repeating a song. So if you have a vast music library already, you might be holding out on trying a streaming service. If that’s the case, you should hop on a free trial, which many of the services offer (Apple Music has three free months)—and you might just become a convert. Streaming saves you space on your smartphone and computer, and, if you have multiple computers (like one at the office and one for personal use), simply opening up your streaming-service account will let you access your playlists from wherever you are, given that you have an Internet connection. Easy breezy.
Keeping Your Music Library on Your Hard Drive vs. the CloudIf you really, really want to use all of that music you bought over the years, but are tired of lugging it around on a physical drive (#firstworldproblems), then you should try out Google Play or iTunes Match. Google Play, unbelievably, offers a service where you can upload 50,000 of your own songs and access them from their servers whenever you want. It’s the best of both worlds (your music library and streaming). Apple’s service, iTunes Match, is similar, but it only lets you upload 25,000 songs. Google Play runs $9.99 a month, while iTunes Match is $25.99 a year.
Lossless vs. Lossy Song FormatsDownloaded an MP3 in the last few years? Well, here’s some news for ya: Those MP3s are cutting a lot of the detail out of the original song. Didn’t notice that before? Maybe that’s because your headphones aren’t up to par to even notice the difference. Those MP3s are considered “lossy” (since you lose song data with them). The alternative is dubbed “lossless,” and these are the FLAC and ALAC files, among a few others, that come in bigger sizes and carry more of that precious data. Don’t break a sweat just yet looking at the hundreds of thousands of MP3s in your library. New services such as Tidal (forget the criticisms, this is its true strength) and Deezer allow you to access the lossless versions of songs over the cloud. Once you have this, you’ll just need some higher-end compatible equipment in order to fully enjoy it.
Using Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi When Streaming Your Hi-Def Music at HomeIf you’re using Bluetooth to transmit your hi-def music over the air to your speakers, you’re not getting the full punch of the potential. In order to do that, using wi-fi (yeah, that thing) can get you what you’re expecting. Think of wi-fi streaming as the Incredible Hulk, easily carrying your lossless data from your device to your speakers, and Bluetooth streaming as, well, measly Bruce Banner trying to do the same thing. Speakers with DTS Play-Fi technology can stream lossless music from your smartphone, tablet, and laptop over wi-fi. Play-Fi is in soundbars, amplifiers, A/V receivers, and home theater systems across a bunch of different brands that all work together, so as long as the technology is in it, you can stream lossless audio to it.
Standard vs. Hi-Fi Portable Music PlayersIf you’re still using a dedicated portable device for your music instead of a smartphone, well, hats off to you. While the iPod still might be the standard when it comes to a portable music player, if you broaden your horizons, there are a slew of high-end music players that may catch your eye and make you stand out in a crowd. There’s the Sony Walkman A17, PonoPlayer, FiiO X3, Astell&Kern AK Jr, and iBasso DX90. These portable players are specially crafted for lossless audio, and are better paired with headphones that can handle the detail that comes from the audio. If you’re an audiophile, or are just feeling curious about what hi-def audio is all about, they’re a worthwhile investment (especially if you frequently deal with those long trips on the subway and just need to zone out).
Stylishly Expensive Headphones vs. Actual Quality HeadphonesIn recent years, a certain company became incredibly popular selling deliciously stylish headphones with the help of some clever marketing. While they might wow someone as a gift, when it comes to the details that someone who is really into audio quality might look for, they come up short. Ditch the illusion of quality and get the real deal, with headphones like over-ear Audeze LCD-3 or Sennheiser Momentum 2.0.
Flat-Panel Speakers vs. Box SpeakersYou’re probably accustomed to the shape of traditional box speakers—with the exception of some models, most are clunky pieces of wiring that might not be as eye-catching as everything else in your living room. But what if you could go thinner without sacrificing that much sound quality? For design-conscious consumers, flat-panel speakers may be the way to go. Just like how thin TVs did away with the heavy, boxed TVs of the 2000s, flat-panel may be the way of the future as the technology continues to get better. As of now, Magnepan MMG speakers are some of the best ones you can buy, and they look elegant in your home as well.
Hi-Def Audio on a Laptop and Headphones vs. Hi-Def Audio on a Laptop With a Headphone AmpOne of the simplest ways to make sure you’re getting the best sound is to consider the means in which you’re playing the sound. If you’re spinning some good quality orchestral music through your laptop, say, in your university’s library with headphones on during a study sesh, you’d want those sounds to come through in the best way possible, right? Grabbing a headphone amp with an internal digital to analog converter (DAC) and plugging it into your laptop will enhance the clarity of those strings and woodwinds. An entry-level amp, like the FiiO Amp, may get the job done, considering you have decent enough headphones already. This goes for headphones, not earphones.
Stereo vs. 3D AudioWe’ve talked about listening to music, but what about what goes into recording it? More and more videos are being uploaded every day to YouTube and Vimeo, and more people are getting interested not only in how the footage looks, but in how it sounds. One interesting way to record is through binaural audio equipment. Through recording devices that are literally in the shape of a human ear, filmmakers are able to mimic the way our ears would digest sound so they can closely replicate that audio through your headphones. It’s also known as 3D audio.
While this might not be the answer to finally getting the feeling that Drake is in the same room with you when you put on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, it’s great to search some sounds and experiment with what it’s all about. You might not find very many pop artists who’ve used it, but you will find other musicians who have experimented with the equipment, and their tracks could feel quite intimate.Once virtual reality becomes more mainstream—which may likely happen with the release of the Oculus Rift in the near future—you may hear more about 3D audio, since using it will make the VR experience more immersive.
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