How To Enjoy Great-Sounding Music

Music is a passion and hobby of mine. I’ve always loved it ever since I was a kid, and have continued to enjoy listening to it as an adult. During the pandemic, I was introduced to Hi-Fi music. I didn’t know what it was, but I was intrigued. Hi-Fi means high fidelity. It's a term that has been around for a long time. Essentially, it's stereo equipment that produces sound of exceptional quality, with a wealth of detail and dynamics. At the time, I was listening to music through a Bose Bluetooth speaker, which I thought was pretty good. Long story short, I’ve upgraded to a significantly better Hi-Fi stereo experience and learned a ton in the process. I've shared my knowledge of this topic with my friends and family to help them with their music needs. Now, I want to share some of that knowledge with you.

 

My mission is to help people discover ways to enjoy their music with great-sounding equipment. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to do this. You can buy two Apple HomePod Minis, stream with Apple Music, and get a nice stereo experience for $200 (I own a pair). Another notable feature of the HomePod Mini is its ability to connect to an Apple TV, providing a simple home theater setup. 

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Many people today play music through a Bluetooth speaker or a smart speaker like I did. Most Bluetooth speakers are like listening in mono because they combine all the audio into a single speaker. Today, everything is recorded in stereo because that's how our ears work. If you’re listening on a Bluetooth speaker, you're missing out on the way music was meant to be heard, as you don't have speaker separation. Buying two HomePod Minis or investing in a stereo with external speakers is the solution.

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If you're interested in exploring the world of building a Hi-Fi stereo, here are a few YouTube channels, websites, and stores to get you started.  I didn’t spend thousands on my stereo, but it's fun to hear a crazy $100,000 stereo in a Hi-Fi store. It’s also fun to learn about the more affordable options that still sound awesome. There are also some fantastic Hi-Fi stores worth checking out, which I'll share. Listening at this level is a truly immersive experience, and I highly recommend visiting a store to try it out. Some stores do offer more affordable options that are still excellent. Either way, dive in — your ears will thank you.​​