
Music is energy in the form of vibration. Capturing that energy and playing it back as faithfully as possible is what the home audio industry is all about (or should be). Our sole mission at KEF is to reproduce the energy sent to our speakers from whatever source, as faithfully and honestly as the source allows. Upstream from the actual loudspeaker itself, the world of music has gone digital. The tech that makes our music so easily available to us may be complicated but getting at least a passing knowledge of it all isn’t. With that in mind, here is our Digital Music Primer:
The human voices and natural instruments like pianos, guitars, drums and the like all reside in the analog domain. From the 1880s on, we recorded and stored music through the use of devices that would transfer the vibrations of the musical energy onto a medium that was easily manipulated by these vibrations – wax cylinders, acetate record albums, magnetic recording tape.
In today’s world these vibrations are captured digitally, allowing us to take whatever music we love, in whatever quantities we choose anywhere we go. Musical performances are now converted to a series of digital bits. From there it will remain a giant mass of organized 1's and 0's until you convert it back to analog to listen to it.
After we record our analog performance we send our recording through a circuit called an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). Once we've digitized the music via the ADC, we the 1's and 0's into a digital file. When we get ready to listen back, we un-digitize by reversing the process through a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). That analog signal is then sent through our amp to our speakers.
The ADC samples the frequency (and amplitude) of the signal at a set rate and then converts that sample to digital information (binary 1s and 0s) and it is then stored as a digital file.
Take whatever song you’re thinking of right now and freeze a single slice of it in time – that’s what an ADC does. The resolution of the sampled music comes from what we do with this singular slice of time.
The number of samples we take of this singular second of music is called the sampling rate. With Red Book CD (the standard for CDs) we take 44,100 samples of this singular slice of music per second equating to a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. Obviously, the more frequently you sample the more information you retain, so it stands to reason that a sample rate of 96kHz (considered the lower limit of high-resolution) will sound better that 44.1kHz, but not as good as 192kHz.
If we look at the sine wave below, which represents an audio signal, the y-axis (top to bottom) is amplitude, or volume, and the x-axis (left to right) is frequency, or time.
To convert the signal to digital, we assign a digital number to pre-determined sections on the y-axis, this is the word size. Common word sizes in audio are 16- and 24--bit. Then we take samples of the signal along the x-axis. The amount of times we sample is called the sample rate, (the more we sample the better the sound).
In the digital domain we can store the information on a CD, hard-drive or the Cloud (which is really just a hard-drive someone else owns). Magnetic tape and vinyl records are simply analog storage devices.
The illustration below simplifies the conversion process by using relative points of reference to make the point. It is not meant to be an accurate, mathematical depiction of analog-to-digital conversion.
The vertical red lines represent the sample rate.
The lines at A show a very slow sample rate, which leaves out a lot of the audio signal. For example, lower sample rates are used with telephones and hand-held radios where a very limited frequency range (the human voice) is sampled.
B represents a medium-sample rate. For this demonstration we could say this is a sample rate of 44.1kHz, and C would represent a very high sample rate used for professional applications. The sampling standard for CDs and commercial audio started at 44.1kHz, but 48kHz is now considered the standard minimum sample rate.
But sample rate isn't the only thing we should be concerned about. Word length is actually more important. Basically, we're converting all of our wonderful analog music to 1's and 0's, so it stands to reason that the more 1's and 0's we have, the more detail we capture and therefore the higher the sound quality when we listen back. It’s not just the number of samples we take but the amount of that information we store that determines the sound quality of a digitized song. That’s where bit depth comes in – the deeper the bit depth (the larger the data word), the higher the resolution.
Red Book CD uses a bit depth of 16-bits. The broadcast video standard for audio, as well as files considered high resolution is 24-bits. Dynamics are particularly affected by bit depth, and by adding those extra 8-bits of data our ability to maintain the dynamics of a musical passage is greatly enhanced. If you listen to music that is not very dynamic you’ll have a hard time hearing the difference between 16- and 24-bit.
The 1's and 0's at the right of the illustration represent the digital record of the sampled amplitude. The sample is taken at a specific time, and the amplitude of the signal at that time is stored in the data word. D represents a small word of four bits in length. You can see that with only four bits of data we are not able to capture a lot of amplitude data, irrespective of the amount of times we take a sample. With four bits we are only able to capture 16 different data points.
The numbers in column E represent a 6-bit word. With 6 bits we are able to capture 64 data points, so by simply adding two more bits we are able to capture four times the information. The larger our word, the more detailed our sample storage; the higher our sample rate, the more audio signal we can capture. In the real world, a 16-bit word is able to capture 65,536 separate data points, but by simply adding 8 more bits, our 24-bit word can now sample 16,777,216 data points – or 256 times that data captured with 16-bits!
The trade-off is file size. When we increase the resolution of the file 16- to 24-bits, we also increase the size of the file by a factor of thirty-two! When storage was expensive and limited, lower resolution was necessary in order to store any usable amount of music. But with the exception of your phone, storage has gotten inexpensive and quite expansive which allows us to store more decent sounding music than ever before. As the technology improves the days are numbered for 16-bit audio.
That’s where digital compression comes into play. To fit as much music in as small a space as possible we learned how to compress the digital file – basically by removing data that is not absolutely necessary to the coherence of the song. The basic notes and sounds will still be there, but the life and dynamics are removed. Through ear buds or cheap computer speakers you’ll probably not notice the missing stuff, but when you listen on a better quality system you will definitely notice the missing bits.
All of this has absolutely nothing to do with bit rate, which is the speed with which we digitally transmit information. Bit-rate is the capacity of a digital transmission system to transmit data: The higher the bit-rate the more cohesive your music or video will be when you are streaming. That digital transmission system might be the software you use to rip your CDs, the speed of your local network when you stream music, or any of the several digital transmissions that take place in the digital music stream.
For example, Spotify bitrates for Android, iOS, desktop devices and the webpage app or listed at 320kbps for Premium users. For Chromecast users the bitrate dips to 256kbps. Is there a difference in quality? Yes. Is that difference (~70kbps) noticeable? Maybe.
Bluetooth APTx has a potential bitrate of 325kbps (depending on source). Apple Airplay bitrates under the AAC format they use are capped at 250kbps. On a high-quality system the difference will be noticeable and quite annoying to listen to, but as you approach mid-level systems and lower, that difference becomes harder to discern. But there are still several other factors to consider when we talk about digital music quality.
To sum all of this up, let’s look at it this way: The higher the number the better the listening experience. A 96kHz sample rate is better than a 48.1kHz sample rate but not as good as 192kHz. A word-length of 24-bits is far superior to a word length of 16-bits, (it’s an exponential increase in quality – literally). A bit-rate of 250kbps is generally not as good as a bit-rate of 320kbps.
This all boils down to one thing – it if sounds good to you then great, but never limit yourself to what you’re used to or comfortable with. Science has given us the incredible gift of amazing sounding music at quite literally the click of a mouse button – it’s all there for the taking, whether you get the science behind the science or not!
-
The Foley Artist - Making Movie Sound Come Alive Jan 6, 2021
-
Where Is Music City? Dec 10, 2020
-
Some Facts About Speaker Break-In Dec 8, 2020
-
MQA Basics Dec 3, 2020
-
Top 25 Best Sounding Albums of the Pop Era Nov 30, 2020
- Uni-Core
- Force Canceling Technology
- Movie Soundtracks
- Sound Effects
- Foley Artist
- Country Music
- Nashville
- Music History
- Speaker Break-In
- Speaker Run-In
- MQA
- LS50 Wireless II
- Audiophile Recordings
- Best Sounding Albums
- High Resolution Audio
- Streaming
- Digital Audio
- Pono
- Audio Streaming
- Digital Music
- FLAC
- WAV
- Vinyl
- Turntables
- Phono Stage
- Phone Pre-Amp
- Phono Cartridges
- KEF History
- Fourier Analysis
- Computer Design
- Model 105
- Speaker Design
- Subwoofer Integration
- Crossover
- Phase
- Subwoofer setup
- Rear-Ported Speakers
- Tuned-Ports
- Speaker Placement
- LS50
- LS50 Meta
- Acoustics
- Room Acoustics
- W2 Streaming Platform
- music streaming
- LS50 Collection
- MAT
- metamaterial
- S2 Stand
- metamaterial absorption technology
- Top 15 Music Documentaries
- Metamaterial
- Sound Absorption
- AMG
- Subwoofer postioning
- Phase Cancellations
- Bass Frequencies
- KW1 Wireless Subwoofer Kit
- Purity of Sound
- ADC
- DAC
- How We Digitize Music
- Digital Storage
- Subwoofer
- Wireless Subwoofer
- Kube 8b
- Kube 10b
- Kube 12b
- KF92
- KW1
- Home Theater Design
- Absorption
- Mirror Test
- First Reflections
- The Power to Miss Nothing Part 2
- Chris Cornell
- stereo
- hi-fi
- Pink Floyd
- technology
- Stereo
- Hi-Fi
- Audiophile
- Bluetooth
- The Power To Miss Nothing Part One
- Audio Snake Oil
- Audio Science
- Crossover Frequency
- two-way crossover
- three-way crossover
- 2.5-way crossover
- Madonna
- Thomas Dolby
- Keith Richards
- Marilyn Manson
- Alice Cooper
- AC/DC
- John Denver
- Van Halen
- Phil Collins
- Puff the Magic Dragon
- Meatloaf
- Impedance
- Z
- Ohm
- Live Music
- Touring
- COVID-19
- Daniel Donato
- Cosmic Country
- The Dryes
- Take You Dancin'
- Micah Hulscher
- Margo Price
- Too Young For Jazz
- That's How Rumors Get Started
- Maximum Output
- SPL
- dBA
- Recommended Amplifier Power
- How Much Power Can My Speakers Handle?
- Under-Powering Speakers
- Over-Excursion
- Hard Clipping
- 60-110 Rule of Thumb
- Qobuz
- Spotify
- TIDAL
- Pandora
- high resolution streaming
- streaming bitrates
- digital download
- DSD
- AIFF
- mp3
- THD
- Total Harmonic Distortion
- even-order harmonics
- odd-order harmonics
- Signal Loading
- Typical In-Room Bass Response
- Low Frequency Extension
- Frequency Range
- Frequency Response
- FRC
- Frequency Response Curve
- Sensitivity
- Sensitivity Rating
- Volume
- Efficiency
- Distortion
- Noise
- IM
- Intermodulation Distortion
- Transient Distortion
- TD
- TID
- Transient Intermodulation Distortion
- Diffraction
- Shadow Flare
- Curved Baffle
- R Series
- Reference
- LSX LS50 Wireless
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Tinnitus
- Uni-Q
- sweet-spot
- Origin of music
- origin of the lullaby
- Does your clock actually go tick-tock?
- Reference 1
- B-Stock
- Recertified Product
- The price of music
- What is the value of music
- Music Industry revenue
- vinyl and CD revenue vs. streaming and download
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Muscle Shoals
- Al Kooper
- Merry Clayton
- Ed King
- Ronnie Van Zant
- Billy Powell
- Neil Young
- Southern Man Sweet Home Alabama
- Music
- Dinner Vs. Supper
- enjoying music
- David Bowie
- The Jean Genie
- Alladin Sane
- Damping Factor
- Audio Specifications
- Output Impedance
- System Impedance
- Calculating Damping Factor
- Bass Response
- Solid-State Amps
- Negative Feedback
- Vacuum Tube Amps
- The importance of music
- music formats
- music genres
- psychology of music
- vinyl
- CD
- streaming
- digital music
- PDA
- cymatics
- visualizing sound
- standing waves
- mandala
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Rose Window York
- Cat's Eye Nebula
- Nigel Standford
- Led Zeppelin
- Black Country Woman
- Houses of the Holy
- Physical Graffiti
- Jimmy Page
- Robert Plant
- Mick Jagger
- Stargroves
- Apollo Masters
- Apollo Masters fire
- lacquer masters
- vinyl LP
- vinyl pressing
- vinyl production
- vinyl revival
- vinyl sales
- Earworm
- Earworm Project
- Involuntary Musical Imagery
- INMI
- What Causes an Earworm
- How to Cure an Earworm
- Did You Hear That?
- Kingsmen
- Louie Louie
- FBI investigation
- banned
- Palma Violets
- R3
- R400b
- 2-channel stereo
- audio awakening
- hearing music how it should be heard
- The Who
- Eminence Front
- It's Hard
- Roger Daltry
- Pete Townshend
- Science behind music
- why you think today's music sucks
- music and culture
- music and neurochemistry
- How Loud Is Too Loud?
- Preventing Hearing Loss
- Hearing Damage
- Loudest Concerts
- Rocky Mountain High
- Studio Recording
- Analog Tape
- digital music storage
- data compression
- high-resolution music
- Suzanne Vega
- Tom's Diner
- Bell Labs
- Expanded Finished
- 2020 Finishes
- Silver Satin
- Kent Foundry Editions
- Dolby Atmos
- Home Theater
- Custom Installation
- Architectural Speakers
- Ci
- R8a
- Q50a
- Dolby Labs
- The Police
- Roxanne
- Outlandos d'Amour
- music history
- music ethnology
- musical archaeology
- Vince Guaraldi
- Peanuts
- Charlie Brown
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Linus & Lucy
- Snoopy
- lo-fi
- mid-fi
- ex-fi
- Definition of Hi-Fi
- What is hi fi?
- Thomas Edison
- RCA Victor
- KEF Nissen hut
- history of home audio
- audiophile
- The history of the audiophile
- Lo-Fi
- The history of lo-fi
- Lo-fi as a genre
- The history of Hi-Fi
- Mid-Fi
- Napster
- cassettes
- 8-track tapes
- point source
- What is a point source
- the world's first single apparent source loudspeaker
- Blade
- setting the crossover
- speaker settings
- subwoofers
- AV receivers
- KF92 Subwoofer
- Subwoofers
- 11 Hertz
- Force-Canceling
- Class D Amplification
- SmartConnect
- Music Integrity Engine
- Intelligent Bass Extension
- iBX
- LFE
- KUBE
- The Beatles
- Hey Jude
- Trident Studios
- Geoff Emerick
- Ken Scott
- Paul McCartney
- John Lennon
- Blade Two
- Concept Blade
- Muon
- KHT 3005
- Mark Dodd
- Jack Oclee-Brown
- Victor Lo
- Wish You Were Here
- Directed Listening
- Listen CAREfully
- Abbey Road Studios
- IKM 2019
- Raymond Cooke
- Maidstone
- #SongsThatMakeMeFeel
- Tokyo
- KEF Music Gallery
- Happy Birthday!
- Lou Adler
- John Phillips
- Denny Doherty
- Mamas & Papas
- I Saw Her Again
- Analog Recording
- Rival Sons
- Feral Roots
- Scott Holiday
- Jay Buchanan
- Dave Cobb
- War
- Why Can't We Be Friends
- Sensurround
- Movies
- Earthquake
- Dolby
- DTS
- The Decemberists
- Once In My Life
- I'll Be Your Girl
- Colin Meloy
- John Congleton
- recording
- mixing
- What's the best position for my speakers?
- How to position your speakers and television.
- How far from the wall should me speakers be?
- How far away should I sit from my speakers?
- Speaker positioning
- home theater design
- listening room design
- How High Should I Mount My Flat Screen Television
- Calculating the Proper Height for Your Television
- THX
- Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers
- Viewing Angle
- Rolling Stones
- Let It Bleed
- Gimme Shelter
- Jack Nitzsche
- Olympia Studios
- Hi-Fi Amps
- Solid State Amps
- Are solid state amps better then vacuum tube amps?
- What are the differences between a solid state amp and a vacuum tube amp?
- harmonics
- distortion
- amplifier power
- STAX
- Memphis
- STAX/Volt
- Soul Music
- Isaac Hayes
- Otis Redding
- Did Your Hear That?
- Christina Aguilera
- Beautiful
- Playlists
- Jazz
- New Orleans
- Louis Armstrong
- Storyville
- Birth of Jazz
- Songs To Test Speakers With
- Audio System Workout
- TIDAL Playlist
- What Songs Are Best For Testing Speakers?
- Q Series
- Walnut
- Q Series Finishes
- Q Series Announcement
- Rick Hall
- FAME Studio
- The Swampers
- Duane Allman
- Aretha Franklin
- James Blunt
- You're Beautiful
- What Is the Song Really About?
- The Error They Left In
- LSX
- LSX stands
- floor stands
- desk stand
- wall mount
- LSX Accessories
- Jonathan Miller
- Jay Leno's Garage
- Discovery Channel
- Flip That House
- LS50 Wireless
- KUBE 10
- Studio Monitors
- Near-Field Monitors
- Blues
- Country
- Rock & Roll
- Americana Music Triangle
- Summer Songs
- Happy Summer!
- Masters of Sound
- Rickie Lee Reynolds
- Black Oak Arkansas
- Memphis Sound
- WDIA
- WLS
- Tom Dowd
- Atlantic Records
- Chuck Macak
- engineering
- mastering
- Queensryche
- White Lion
- Max-A-Million
- 20 Fingers
- Equalizers
- EQ
- Room Treatments
- Reflections
- Reflection
- subwoofer
- audio chain
- Crossovers
- Crossover Order
- Linkwitz-Riley filter
- Butterworth filter
- Chebyshev filter
- what does a crossover do?
- what is crossover order
- active crossovers
- passive crossovers
- Apple AirPlay2
- Apple
- Absolute Pitch
- Perfect Pitch
- What is Absolute Pitch?
- vented tweeter
- high frequency clarity
- how KEF produces the most articulate high frequencies possible
- Audio Equipment
- How To Buy Audio Equipment
- Receivers
- Amp
- Pre-Amps
- 2.0
- 2.1
- 5.1
- 7.1
- television audio
- comb filter
- bookshelf speakers
- speaker stands
- Failure
- Ken Andrews
- In the Future
- mixing and mastering
- grunge
- Automated Room Correction
- Audyssey
- YPAO
- Anthem PDK
- Why is my ARC reporting my speakers are out of phase?
- polarity
- crossover phase shift
- ARC
- Anthem
- crossovers
- time-smearing
- phase
- Sunfire
- MCACC
- Instrument Design
- timbre
- Rock Clouser
- Kerry King
- Slayer
- Slash
- guitar design
- Buckley Miller
- Grammy Award
- soundstage design
- pitch
- timbre matching
- how important is timbre to music?
- KEF 1989 to 2019
- Ron Locke
- HDMi audio delay
- analog latency
- HDMI latency
- AV
- Brand Ambassador Johan Coorg
- Hi-Fi Journey
- Diffusion
- What Does Diffusion Do?
- Scattering
- Acoustic Design
- George Martin
- AIR Studios
- AIR Montserrat
- Valentine's Day
- Audiophile Guide to Romance
- Audiophile Do's Don'ts
- Audiophile Romance Tips
- Sound Treatments
- Acoustic Treatments
- Reverb
- LEDE
- Glossary of Audio Terms
- Listening Triangle
- The Best way To Place My Speakers
- How To Place Your Speakers
- absorption
- diffusion
- reflection
- listening position
- Speaker Phase
- Stereo Phase
- How To Connect A Stereo
- Connecting Stereo Speakers
- Diagnosing Speaker Phase Problems
- What Does An Out Of Phase Speaker Sound Like?
- How To Connect A Subwoofer
- subwoofer output
- speaker level input
- lo-pass filters
- KEF SmartConnect
- audio cables
- speaker cables
- understanding audio cable specs
- skin effect
- current bunching
- propagation delays
- wire gauge
- which cable is best for my audio gear
- cable terminations
- Dynamic Compression
- Loudness Wars
- DNR
- Dynamic Range Compression
- DRC
- Spotify Connect
- Roon
- Tidal
- Get Six Months of Tidal For Free
- Dynamic Range
- R128
- Crest Factor
- dB
- cassette
- 16-bit audio
- 24-bit audio
- What is Dynamic Range
- Subwoofer Setup
- How To Setup A Subwoofer In An Apartment
- Tips For Getting the Most our of Your Subwoofer
- LSX Quick Facts
- LSX Wireless Speakers
- KEF LSX HiFi Music System
- Press Release LSX Wireless Music System
- Wireless Speaker
- LSX Active Music System
- Rediscover Stereo
- Technology
- Craft Beer
- Avocado Toast
- Music Is Our Common Language
- mono
- rediscover stereo
- What is Impedance
- How to match amplifier and speaker impedance
- Bi-Wiring
- CEMF
- Speaker Cables
- Speaker Cable Best Practices
- Reactance
- Hard Drive
- Disk Drives
- Computer Storage
- NAS Servers
- Model 104
- Reference Series
- The History of the Reference Series
- bi-amping
- horizontal bi-amp
- vertical bi-amp
- Raymond C Cooke
- OBE
- K1
- Jason Isbell
- The Nashville Sound
- Hi-Res Treasure
- HDTracks
- 20% Download Discount
- 96kHz/24-bit
- Q
- iQ
- XQ
- KHT
- PSW
- C Series
- KEF Automotive
- Custom Install
- KEF Museum
- 1990s
- IKM 2018
- Cadenze
- Chorale
- Coda
- Cantor
- Corelli
- Calinda
- Cantata
- Concord III
- Celeste III
- Cresta MkII
- Caprice
- C40
- C65
- Model 101
- Model 103
- 303
- 304
- 1960s
- Cresta
- Concerto
- LS3/5a
- Duette
- LS5/1A
- KEF KIT
- Concord
- Carlton
- Home Theater Technologies KEF Elite Dealer
- cabinet diffraction
- baffle
- loudspeaker cabinet design
- 12th Generation Uni-Q
- channel gap
- tweeter
- mid-range
- 10 facts about vinyl
- why is a record 33 1/3 RPM
- the history of vinyl albums
- LP
- bass ports
- rear ports
- bass response
- organ pipe resonances
- chuffing
- 3-way speaker
- rear-port
- closed-box
- LS
- floorstanding speakers
- tower speakers
- home theater
- center channel
- surround speakers
- passive speakers
- lossy formats
- lossless formats
- digital downloads
- CDs
- SNR
- maximum power out
- continuous power
- speaker efficiency
- how to match speakers and amps
- what amp is best for my speakers
- amplifiers
- audio
- clipping
- power ratings
- RMS
- PMPO
- which amp is best for my speakers
- matching amplifiers and speakers
- even order
- odd order
- Duke Ellington
- Afro Bossa
- high resolution audio
- digital audio
- 192kHz/24bit
- album
- is the album dead?
- what killed the album
- downloads
- what is a standing wave?
- how to fix a standing wave
- thin bass
- why is my bass lacking?
- The Carpenters
- Richard Carpenter
- Karen Carpenter
- Singles 1969-1981
- 96kHz 24 bit
- hi resolution music
- Bruce Springsteen
- Darkness On the Edge of Town
- remaster
- high-resolution audio
- 96kHz 24bit
- crossover
- how to set a crossover
- what volume should a subwoofer be
- subwoofer settings
- how to set up a subwoofer
- KEF
- Co-Axial speaker
- tri-axial speaker
- single-point source
- bit rate
- bit depth
- sample rate
- 16-bit
- 24-bit
- LS50W
- Tangerine Waveguide
- Compression driver
- how a compression driver works
- what is tangerine waveguide?
- Celestion speakers
- Z-Flex surround
- speaker design
- Stiffened dome
- Tweeter
- HF
- The Cars
- Moving In Stereo
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- R&R HOF
- remastered
- high resolution
- 96kHz/24bit
- Ric Ocasek
- 80s music
- punk
- New Wave
- Spotify's record setting April 4 Initial Public Offering is raising the hopes of artists and musicians throughout the music industry.
- Spotify. IPO. Daniel Ek
- Sorted Noise
- DJ Low Freak
- house music
- studio
- Encephalophone
- Dr. Thomas Deuel
- instrument that converts brain waves into music
- EEG
- Bad Music Formats
- wax roll
- victrola
- console stereo
- record player
- 45 RPM single
- cassette tape
- 8-track tape
- mixtape
- jukebox
- flexi-disk
- Bobby Owsinski
- Homepod
- Echo Dot
- hi-resolution music
- surround-sound
- the mix engineers handbook
- music
- Top Ten Most Romantic Songs
- Romantic Songs
- Love Songs
- Valentine's Day songs
- Essential Downloads
- Stevie Wonder
- HTF7003
- HTF8003
- HTC7003
- HTC8003
- HTFc
- soundbars
- passive soundbars
- center channel speakers
- LCR
- fronts
- Happy New year 2017
- LS50 ACtive
- ACtive Music System
- Digital Music System
- optical
- NAS
- analog music
- active monitors
- core processing
- audio control
- zone audio
- whole house music systems
- Cloud
- Cloud architecture
- Active Music System
- Roon labs
- Core computing
- audio streaming
- music player
- streaming technology
- high resolution music
- hi-res streaming
- Spotify Premium
- ALAC
- OGG Vorbis
- concentric driver
- coaxial speaker
- Laurtie Fincham
- neodymium
- KM1
- BBC
- studio monitors
- pro audio
- LS3/5A
- BBC monitors
- bextrene
- rogers
- spendor
- M500
- T-Series
- Museum of Arts and Design
- MAD NYC
- Polyphonic Playground
- Sonic Arcade
- MSHR
- Robert Lowe
- Foo & Skou
- NYC
- Tom Petty
- Marvin Gaye
- Essential Dowloads
- CEDIA
- 2017
- San Diego
- The Andrews Sisters
- jump blues
- swing
- close-harmony
- Frank Sinatra
- Rat Pack
- My Way
- Fly Me to the Moon
- It Was A Very Good Year
- Summer Wind
- That's Life
- I've Got the World On A String
- Tennessee Newsboy
- Newsboy Blues
- Send In the Clowns
- Luck Be A Lady
- Moonlight In Vermont
- Quinc
- Live Aid
- U2 Bad
- Sade
- Your Love Is King
- Eric Clapton
- She's Waiting
- Stairway to Heaven
- Won't Get Fooled Again
- Queen
- Radio Gaga
- Run-DMC
- Kings of Rock
- Holiday
- Black Sabbath
- Paranoid
- The Pretenders
- Bella Magazine
- KEF Blade
- KEF Muo
- Camila Alves
- Sofitel Los Angeles
- LS50 Active
- powered speakers
- wireless speakers
- lossless
- Memorial Day
- military music
- High End Society
- High End Audio
- Munich High End Show 2017
- Mozart Effect
- Rauscher
- KEF Owners Group
- free-standers
- free-standing speakers
- center speakers
- audiophilia
- musc technology
- evolution of music
- Audiophilia
- golden age of hi-fi
- high-end audio
- Wireless Music System
- Co-axial driver
- phase correction
- what is phase shift
- phase coherence
- Apple Music
- iTunes
- Business Insider
- CD sales
- which is more popular streaming or downloading
- decline in download
- streaming growth
- how to connect a subwoofer
- LS50W app
- KEF app
- LS50 app subwoofer
- R400
- DSP
- what is a digital signal processor
- autotune
- active music system
- bluetooth
- what is the LS50
- media servers
- renderer
- bi-amp
- Steve Miller
- Steve Miller band
- The Joker
- Ahmet Ertegun
- pompatus of love
- what does pompatus of love mean
- Ernie Cefalu
- Drew Struzan
- Pacific Eye & Ear
- Alcie Cooper
- Billion Dollar babies
- Big Bambu
- album artwork
- Rock & Soul
- Radian Partners
- digital
- which is better vinyl or cd
- which is better vinyl or spotify
- which is better vinyl or digital
- Red Book CD
- Nyquist-Shannon
- dynamic compression
- RIAA standards
- bandwidth
- noise floor
- Christian Scott aTunde Ajuah
- Christian Scott
- Stretch Music
- harlem Stage
- Stretch Music Festival
- jazz
- trumpet
- Stretch Music app
- Ten Worst Christmas Songs
- Christmas Music
- Mariah Carey
- Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
- Ramones
- Merry Christmas I Don't Want To Fight
- The Waitresses
- Christmas Wrapping
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
- The Ronettes
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- Band A
- The Art of Listening
- Michael Coleman
- Emanuel Moran
- Jack Douglas
- Gaby Moreno
- music production
- luthier
- synthesizer
- prophet-5
- recording technology
- Crossfire Hurricane
- whispering gallery
- grand central station
- st pauls cathedral
- us capitol
- what is a whispering gallery
- Chicago Cubs
- World Series
- Chicago music
- Chicago bands
- Top bands from Chicago
- Music & Memory project
- alzheimers disease
- dementia
- music therapy
- ipod project
- alive inside
- the hum
- world hum map
- NASA
- Voyager
- Symphony of the Planets
- Is their sound in outer space
- what does space sound like
- Sonicraft
- A2DX
- Steve Puntolillo
- What is baking a tape
- preserving reel-to-reel tapes
- transferring tape to digital
- analog to digital
- Reference 105
- Berloiz
- Te Deum
- Requiem
- Edinburgh Festival
- Edinburgh 1980
- Usher Hall
- St Mary's Cathedral
- Allman Brothers Band
- Gregg Allman
- Dickie Betts
- Berry Oakley
- Butch Trucks
- Jaimoe
- Chuck Leavell
- Lamar Williams
- Eat A Peach
- Brothers and Sisters
- Enlightened Rogues
- 48th street
- New York City
- Music Row
- Manny's Music
- Brill Building
- Colony Records
- monogenre
- popular music
- bro-country
- SOAP
- Jersey Shore music
- corporate rock
- Allman Brothers Band Museum
- Big House
- Big Museum
- Macon GA
- Richard Brent
- allman brothers band
- the big house museum
- big house allman brothers
- big house macon ga
- gergg allman
- duane allman
- eat a peach
- madison square garden
- beacon theater
- berry oakley
- richard brent
- the big House
- why do i hate the sound of my own voice
- what do i sound like to other people
- auditory evolution
- Michael Oehler
- Christoph Rueter
- why do fingernails on a chalkboard bother us
- Deep Purple
- Machine Head
- Smoke on the water
- the story of smoke on the water
- grand hotel
- montreux switzerland
- frank zappa
- rolling stones mobile studio
- Paul Simon
- Graceland
- You Can Call Me Al
- Glen Burtnik
- Bobby Hebb
- Sunny
- Fabrizio Sotti
- 40
- jazz guitar
- producing
- Tupca
- J-Lo
- Whitney Houston
- Night At the Opera
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- how was bohemian rhapsody recorded
- presidential campaign songs
- Favorite back to school songs
- the top back to school songs
- back to school songs
- Beatles
- George Harrison
- Los Angeles music scene
- Nashville music scene
- Master of Sound
- live music
- yelling free bird
- why do people yell free bird at concerts
- attanding concerts
- concert etiquette
- songs that changed the world
- disruptive music
- music that changed the world
- vinyl revolution
- vinyl resurgence
- digital vs vinyl
- why is vinyl popular
- Which Music Format Is Best
- Is Vinyl as good as CD
- What are the differences between formats
- Austin Lucas
- Between the Moon and the Midwest
- Open Chord Knoxville
- Leo Moran
- Saw Doctors
- Listening Room
- Listening Room Podcast
- loudpseaker design
- acoustic design
- audio design
- Beatlemania
- ELO
- Jeff Lynne
- Don Henley
- Patty Smyth
- Styx
- The Weeklings
- Abbey Road
- Thunder
- Ben Matthews
- Wonder Days
- Rockfield Studios
- surviving cancer
- noise polltuion
- pokemon
- Snapchat
- natural sound
- light pollution
- Remember Jones
- Asbury Park
- Ladies and Gentlemen Remember Jones
- Norman Smith
- Hunky Dory
- Ziggy Stardust
- Mahavishnu Orchestra
- Billy Cobham
- Stanley Clarke
- Frank Zappa
- Supertramp
- Crime of the Century
- Missing Persons
- produ
- Henry Jackman
- Captain America
- Captain America: Civil Wars
- Birth of A Nation
- Music for Film
- Music for Cinema
- Captain Phillips
- Wreck It Raplh
- Pixels
- composition
- KEF Speaker Technology
- Custom Install Speakers
- Architectural Spealers
- Beach Boys
- Brian Wilson
- Pet Sounds
- AV system
- SBIR
- bass traps
- reverb
- 38% rule
- Home theater
- AV Design
- system implementation
- audio system design
- T301
- CI160TR
- Ci160TS
- 5.1 audio
- Rave Publications
- Johnny Mota
- The Listening Room
- KEF podcast
- piano
- Count Basie
- Cick Corea
- Professor Longhair
- Ahmad Jamal
- music and memory
- alzheimer's
- Brad Leigh
- Phil Ramone
- Billy Joel
- IFPI
- download
- YouTube
- global music sales
- music revenue
- Stan Getz
- Dave Brubeck
- Miles Davie
- Oscar Peterson
- Nelson Riddle
- Buddy Rich
- podcast
- Johan Coorg
- Hydro Blaster
- Wireless Audio
- RF
- Wifi
- April Fools
- Les Paul Foundation
- Big Sound Experience
- Ci160TR
- Dark Side of the Moon
- Another Brick In the Wall
- The Wall
- UmmaGumma
- Several Species of Small Furry Animals
- Welcome to the Machine
- Learning to Fly
- Momentary Lapse of Reason
- Not Now John
- The Final
- in-ceiling
- architectural speakers
- Soundlight
- kitchen sound
- whole house audio
- recessed lighting
- recessed speaker install
- the rolling stones
- essential downloads
- kef listening room
- I Can't Get No Satisfaction
- Get Off My Cloud
- Sympathy for the Devil
- You Can't Always Get What you Want
- It's Only Rock & Roll
- Shattered
- Beast of Burden
- Mixed Emotions
- As Te
- acoustics
- Strand Theater Lakewood NJ
- Ventura 4
- Ventura 5
- Ventura6
- Ventura Outdoor
- outdoor speakers
- weather-proof speakers
- My Generation
- Baba O'Riley
- Pinball Wizard
- Love Reign O'er Me
- Long Live Rock
- I Can See For Miles
- Overture
- Tommy
- Magic Bus
- She Loves You
- I Feel Fine
- Help!
- Eleanor Rigby
- Strawberry Fields
- A Day In The Life
- Come Together
- Revolution
- Here Comes the Sun
- Let It Be
- Muo
- bluetooth speaker
- wireless speaker
- Chris Stapleton
- Stax Records
- Fillmore East
- Fillmore West
- Bill Graham
- Neil Peart
- Rush
- Joe Perry
- Steven Tyler
- Aerosmith
- Bob Marley
- Elton John
- KEF America
- KEF Muo Muon Bluetooth aptX wireless mono stereo
- Kuuk
- Meridfa
- Mexico
- Yucatan
- Glenfiddich
- British Embassy Mexico
- Rainey Qualley
- Me & Johnny Cash
- Dead & Gone
- R300
- ZMG Music
- Cingle Records
- single apparent source
- SoundStage! Insights KEf Uni-Q Reference Blade Maidstone
- KEF EGG
- apt-X
- wireless
- USB
- Pro-Logic
- Dolby Digital
- surround sound
- history of surround sound
- history of home theater
- music-streaming
- 8-Tracks
- high res music
- Masters of Sound. Rainey Qualley
- Grand Ole Opry
- ZMG Music Group
- Cowboy Jack Clement
- KEF Masters of Sound
- KEF In-Wall
- In Ceiling speakers
- Placement tool. Ci Series
- Movie
- Unbroken
- Atmos
- Refererence
- R50
- Electric Lady Studios
- Mike Mettler
- Atlanta
- David Rawlngs
- Gillian Welch
- British Consulate Atlanta
- Munich High-End
- MSR Studio
- Staying for the Weekend
- MSR Studios
- Child Line Rocks
- Take 5
- KEF Leland Sklar
- Leland Sklar
- KEF Ray Dolby
- KEF Tony Grey M500
- KEF LS50 Mastering