Critical Listening Training Document


In 1980, Peter Cuddy, a salesperson at HIFI Haven in New Brunswick NJ, gave me an education in how to listen as an audiophile. He also gave me a one page, manually typed (on a typewriter!) document full of questions to ask myself while listening to music and gear, as well as to remind me of his lessons for years to come.

It's now 22 years later, and I still have it... somewhere. Luckily, I scanned it a few years back. And now I can share it with you.

After you read it, try the techniques on a piece of good classic jazz, which I find easiest. And please post any guidance you would give to newbie audiophiles that is not covered.

Download the pdf by clicking on this link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17725584/Critical%20Listening.

Wherever you are, Peter Cuddy, thanks!

Have fun.
alonski
Alonski wrote:

"That hypnotic groove machine zone is an indescribable state of musical nirvana for musicians. How lucky are we to have experienced that in this life, huh?"

Yes, very lucky indeed. I miss those Nirvana moments. Sometimes during a guitar solo, I'd tip my head back, close my eyes, and literally hop into another universe. And I'm talking sober as a church mouse, just pure music magic.

Alonski, Regarding your well written description of your listening session when you described tympani blasting you and your wife off of the couch (I hope it was a soft landing), I had a similar experience when I was new to this hobby. A friend handed me a cd of Bela Fleck and the Flectones. On it there is a playful meandering track called "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo". Like you and your wife, I was half zoned out sitting on the couch reading a magazine. About three-quarters of the way through the song I heard this blasting that shook an old window, rattled the floors, and made me hop up quick and look to see if someone was trying to break down my door. Well, it was Victor Wooten's bass melody making its way through my sub-woofer and into the floors and beams of my house! I could not believe it. He was playing at least a full octave lower and it sounded as if he was right smack in front of me. It had the same transporting effect that the tympani and the orchestra had on you.

Moments like that are fun and magical and sure make this hobby worth all of the trouble we go through to finally "get there".
Judsauce, well... it's critical listening night at our house (I just decided). Our first selection was.... you guessed it, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo! Your anecdote was so compelling I had to get that track and hear it for myself.

Wooten is just a magician with the bass. I love how he can keep his time and groove going seamlessly while casually dropping down what sure sounded like a full octave! I don't think I've ever heard bass quite that far down on my system, except maybe a few sub-terrerian notes played by that Swedish Pipe Organ dude on Cantata Domino, the reference LP of choral Christmas music.

Putting on my Gear Guy hat, I'm happy to report that the twins (a pair of REL Sub-Bass units) shook the house without compromising Wooten's superb line. No boom, no flab... just great.

Because you prepared me for it, I wasn't launched off the couch... but I thoroughly enjoyed attempting to duplicate your experience. Thanks!