A friend of mine came to me today with questions about hi-fi headphones and premium music streaming services that offer hi-fi streaming.

With his new Philips X2/27 Fidelio Premium Headphones he took a test from the recent NPR article below and got 1 out of 6 in picking the uncompressed version of songs. When I laughed he put me on the spot in front of a group of people, some of whom I've mixed albums for. In my mind I was thinking, "I'm about to lose clients!"

So I took the test, but with my cellphone speakers (good excuse just in case I failed). 6 out of 6.
About 10 other people took it. They averaged 2 out of 6 (even the musicians I've mixed for got fewer then 3 correct).

NPR: How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?

Everyone seemed to miss "MURRAY PERAHIA & THE ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17, K. 453 (II. Andante)". "KATY PERRY ‘Dark Horse' was the easiest for me. Read the article, take the test, share your thoughts.

Took the test again in studio with monitors, 4 out of 6.

 

3 out of 6 on my HD650

 

First try on the laptop with my 10 year old Logitech Z2300 - 4 out of 6. But it was mostly intuition and guessing, everything sounded the same Will try again with my monitors

Edit: 3/6 and 1/6 on my mobile. But the worst is I seriously voted the worst quality best - multiple times. I'm starting to question my mental health right now

 

5 out of 6 on studio monitors

 

hey, all audio lovers,

congratulations!

might be wrong, this here present self of mine feels that the six from six success on mobile phone speakers might come from the phenomenon that most audible artifacts are in the working area of such speakers, making it easier to spot them, compared to the auditing on full spectrum studio monitors, even if their resolution, their characteristics, etc. are loads better.
also, one might try to simulate the frequency transfer curve of the phone speakers on the studio chain, quite possibly makes it easier, too.

sorry for being, sounding, so pedantic, am really tired, losing english language abilities, etc. (one biiig, looong, yawwwn before going to sleep)... *yes*

all the best for all of us...

 

3 out of 6 with my 30€ Creative Gaming Headset.

But hey, my chronic tinnitus doesn't make it easier. *no*

And a t least the 3 I did wrong, was the 320's

 

3/6