Listening to music is a very subjective thing - but according to Google, there are a few things we can all do to improve our listening experience.
The search giant developed its own ‘music school’ for engineers working on its smart speaker to help them learn how to listen like an expert.
In fact, Google’s experts say, listening to a good song has a lot in common with drinking a good wine.
“You don’t have to be an audiophile to appreciate good sound, everyone has the ability and potential to understand what good sound is through practice,” Chris Chan, a smart speaker product manager at Google explained.
The key to Google’s sound school is teaching people to listen using a ‘sound wheel’ rather like the wheel often used by wine buffs to describe their favorite tipple.
“When I first started at Google we all took these classes that were the equivalent of wine tasting for sound, with experts training our palate and developing our vocabulary,” Chan said.
“There are high level categories like flavor, appearance, aroma and texture, then subcategories, so within aroma, wine that can be leathery, or tobacco within flavor.
“It turns out the same world exists for audio - there are high level categories like timbre, artefacts or spatial components, and lower levels for each.
“For example in dynamics you have attack or punch.”
The 'sound wheel' Google uses to teach its engineers how to listen to music
Don’t be fooled by loudness
One of the first lessons Google teaches its staff is that loudness is a good cheat - and not to be fooled by it when you’re listening.
“People will always be attracted to the louder speaker,” Chan said.
“It’s really important to match loudness when comparing speakers, otherwise you just choose the louder one. It helps you fill a room, and immerse yourself. You need loudness so that you can connect with what you’re listening to.”
All about that bass
Bass is another important factor Google emphasizes, and the latest google Nest Audio has 50% more than Google home.
“Bass anchors the fidelity, it anchors the music and adds a layer of depth and emotion. Within bass there are negative attributes like boxy and boomy, and positive ones like bass strength and depth.”
Google testing its Nest Audio speaker
The perfect smart speaker: Clean, clear and natural
Google said it found that while we all have different preferences for music, there are universally liked attributes that are the key to creating the perfect audio experience.
If your speaker, and the music you’re listening to, has them - then congratulations, you’ve reached audio nirvana.
The secret, Google says, is, “Sound that is full, clear and natural.”
“Full means there is a balance between the lows, mids and highs,” said Chan.
“Clear means there is no distortion, and natural means we’ve kept the sound as the musician intended.”
