Let's face it: as much as we all know and love about music, everyone has at least some blind spots. In our new series, "How To Be Smarter About…" Soundcheck aims to help you become a more impressive conversation partner at cocktail parties and around the water cooler.
If you've ever tuned into WNYC earlier than Soundcheck, you'll know that we work in the same building with one of the smartest-sounding guys in the city, morning show host Brian Lehrer. Well, here's a not-so-well-kept secret: Brian's every bit as smart as he seems on air. We just assume he knows everything.
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Which is why we were delighted when he responded to our How To Be Smarter About... call-out with a request of his own. Brian wrote in from his office alllll the way across the 9th floor at 160 Varick to ask "What's the deal with speakers and headphones?"
He says that, back in his college days, speakers were supposed to be big, and they were supposed to have impeccable sound. In the age of streaming audio and crummy laptop sound, Brian wonders, is there a place for speaker systems any more? And if so, do they still need to be large to show you're serious?Soundcheck turned to Gregory Schmidt, contributor to The New York Times' blog Gadgetwise, to help sort out Brian's questions and give listeners some insight about the state of home audio speakers -- and headphones -- today.
How have speakers changed?
"When I was in college, the best speakers were the biggest speakers, or at least we thought so," explains Brian Lehrer. "I went from real speakers, to a boombox that I could carry around my apartment, to desktop speakers, to now just listening out of my iPad. But I see that there are good speakers today that are small, so one of my technical questions is, 'Does size matter any more, and did it really ever, to speaker quality?'"
"These days, not really, Gregory Schmidt replies. "I have a really nice one in my living room that's about the size of a burrito. For the average music listener, small speakers are fine, especially if you live in New York in a small apartment."
EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATION: Klipsch Gig. Schmidt says it produces "marvelous" sound.
How good are Bluetooth speakers?
"Bluetooth speakers are better [now]," says Schmidt. "The range is typically about 30 feet. I can stream music all over my apartment to one speaker, but degradation starts to show the further away my device gets from the speaker. If you're a true fan of music, I recommend wired speakers."
What about those headphones that turn inside-out to be used as speakers?
"It's a gimmick," Schmidt says. "But it taps into what younger listeners like, which is to share their music. They don't have to pass their headphones around -- everyone can listen."
Doesn't compressed digital music make the question moot?
"If you're a true lover of music," says Schmidt, "you would have a turntable and listen to vinyl which does produce a fuller, deeper sound, and you would have speakers. These portable Bluetooth speakers are really intended for people who have music on their mobile devices or laptops."
Is there such a thing as a good earbud?
"They're great for people on the go," says Schmidt, "and they have a high utility if you need to make or take a phone call. If you're at home or in a relaxed area, you'd want something over the ear. I've tested a lot of in-ear headphones, and I keep going back to these $30 Apple headphones. The sound is remarkable for $30, and the fit is really nice too."