Increase the Accuracy of Your Listening Comparisons and Reduce the Stress

Never use entire tracks or discs to compare equipment or room changes. Pick two or three one minute selections—longer will overload your audio memory, increase listeing stress and lead to inconsistent, faulty judgments.

Make sure your selections encompass the instrument timbres and dynamics that mean the most to you.

Always listen to exactly the same selections in the same order, before and after each tweak or change. After 25 or so of these tests, you’ll be surprised at how precisely you resolve small sound differences.

For LPs, you must de-static before every repeat listen. The diamond stylus rubbing the vinyl groove walls generates instant static; thus, every repeat of a track creates new static and new harshness. See our anti-static devices for more info.