Solid Walls of Sound

Bzzzz bzzzz.  Right, so, the next couple of paragraphs are going to be tech-laden and boring.  I promise!  Those who don’t have at least a higher degree in electrical engineering or related experience will want to tune out.  Granted, I don’t have those qualifications, but I pretend to be “in the know” with certain technological advancements.  That said, here goes boredom.

I was gifted a small portable headphone amplifier.  It’s awesome.  It’s like someone is pouring sweet ambrosia into my ears (with certain recordings) and I don’t know how I listened to music without it.  An explanation: 

When you buy a home stereo or home theater system, routinely, to get better sound, you don’t just plug speakers into the TV.  Right?  You invest in a home amplifier and surround sound system…some in 5.1 (5 speakers and a sub-woofer) or 7.1 (7 and a sub)…and you let your movie quality recordings either on DVD or Blu-Ray, fill the room, where the split channels create an atmosphere of sound.  Wonderful.  So, why wouldn’t you give the same gift to your ears through your portable (read iPhone, iPod or any portable music device) MP3 player?

Firstly, a caveat: most poorly recorded MP3s (128 bits per second, the iTunes default) won’t benefit from an amplifier as it will just make them louder.  But, my friends, while the amp can be used for that (loudness), it’s true purpose is to take the responsibility of powering your headphones away from using the juice in your MP3 player.  What’s this do for you?  It allows you to hear greater detail at lower volumes.  A fuller more complete sound.  Starting (albeit barely) at recordings made at 192bps (which is a setting you can make in iTunes) and going through Apple’s own lossless audio codec (ALAC) you can achieve a sound through the amp rivaled only by being in front of the musician him/herself.    

(Side-bar: all MP3s have significantly reduced audio quality as compared with CDs in order to make them portable and smaller files.  Lossless formats (WAV, FLAC, ALAC) are far larger files, but deliver every note in the highest quality.  The more bits per second (bps) the better the recording (i.e. more information; higher file size) and the better the sound.)

You’ll need a good set of either in-ear or over the ear headphones which aren’t cheap.  Starting in the $150-$200 range, you can drop a lot on a good set of headphones.  But, with this perfect combination: high impedance headphones, high-quality, lossless recording, and a small headphone amp, you too can sit blissfully unaware of the happenings around you while taking in the sweet, sweet sounds of a performance just as the musician intended. 

FYI – my rig: either Incase Sonic over-the-ear headphones or Etymotic ER6i earphones, FiiO E7 headphone amplifier, and the iPhone 5s 64Gb.  You can also get an iPhone-specific Digital Analog Converter/Amp combo for nearly $500, but even I have limits on what I can (read: am allowed to) spend on an absolute self-gratifying luxury.

So, if you call me at night after 9:30, and you don’t reach me, chances are that I’m lost in a swirling world of notes and pauses, whisked away to a better place where guitarists are gods and the high-hat king, where volume is truly 3-dimensional, letting music touch me in places I never thought to be touched, which is maybe too much information…until you’ve tried it yourself.  Enjoy!