If you’re new to sounds and audio, terms like hi-fi music and lo-fi music might be confusing for you. You might be wondering what do these terms mean and what do they tell you about music and the sounds produced by this equipment?
Hi-fi is the short version of high-fidelity audio. Hi-fi sound is a recording that is meant to sound similar to the original sound, without any extra noise or distortion. Whereas, lo-fi music isn’t the opposite of that. Lo-fi music is generally recorded from low-quality equipment, but there’s also intentionally lo-fi music.
What type of music is suitable for you and whether you should listen to hi-fi or lo-fi music depends on the results that you want and depends on the quality of your audio equipment.
Keep reading to learn more about the difference between hi-fi music and lo-fi music.
What Is Hi-Fi Music?
Hi-fi means high-fidelity, it refers to the recorded sound of a quality that’s very similar to the original sound. In hi-fi music, noise and distortion are minimized, which makes that soundtrack as if you’re hearing it live.
This is also known as lossless audio, in modern music discussion. This means nothing is less of the recording which was present in the original sound.
The word hi-fi has been around since the 1950s, the main purpose is to create a recording that’s equivalent to a live performance that’s ongoing, even as listening and recording technology develops.
The term hi-fi was first introduced by an at-home audio playback system in the 1950s. It was used by marketing companies to increase the sales of their products and push their products. Many people used it to refer to the general concept instead of recognizing it as a quality marker.
The quality level of hi-fi wasn’t standardized until the 1960s. Before that, it could be used by any company as a marketing strategy, even if the quality of the audio was substandard. A few years later, home-music centers arrived on the market that combined all of the high-standard components of a true audiophile’s playback equipment.
All sorts of information on the hi-fi, a digital recording is established on the file type. Generally, uncompressed files have higher sound quality than compressed files, but they’re at different levels.
The way we record and listen to music has changed now, but the love for good sound quality has stayed constant. There are two things which are important for listening to hi-fi music. First, the quality of recording should be great, and second, the equipment you’re using should be capable of playing the sound back at that same quality.
Wired headphones or wired speakers are the best equipment for clear hi-fi sounds. Although Bluetooth technology has made good progress, still, wired headphones and speakers are the ideal equipment.
If you’re not a huge fan of wired headphones, then wi-fi-connected speakers can also be a good option for hi-fi music. They stream straight from the wi-fi instead of Bluetooth, so the sound quality during the stream remains more intact.
What Is Low-Fi Music?
While hi-fi music is related to live sound quality, lo-fi music is more concerned with a particular listening experience. In lo-fi music, some of the imperfections are added intentionally which is avoided in hi-fi music. In simple words, lo-fi music is low fidelity recorded audio or a recording that includes noise, distortion, or other “mistakes.”
Lo-fi is applicable to any musical genre because it’s more about the quality of the audio rather than musical style. Moreover, it also has a stronger culture compared to hi-fi music. In the 1980s, it was a major part of the DIY music movement and cassette tape.
In DIY and lo-fi music, all the imperfections are added, adding to what’s already present. Additional sounds and common distortion are added, such as the sound of rain hitting the window or environmental sounds like traffic noise.
Sound is usually muffled by musicians and sound engineers to give you the illusion that you’re listening to the song from another room. Some older soundtracks and recordings qualify as lo-fi, not because they were recorded as a piece of modern lo-fi music, but because the equipment used to record that music was lower quality already.
New lo-fi music sometimes takes advantage of these older tracks and uses them as a sample. Despite the time and origin of the sound, lo-fi music always has a tone that’s less clear and clean than a hi-fi recording.
How Does Lo-Fi Music Relate to Focus?
A recent neurological study tells that lo-fi music or beats help people maintain focus on work and help them study. Famous lo-fi youtube channels and streaming service playlists all do essentially the same thing, they provide music to cover that background sound without distracting you from your task or work.
Much lo-fi music, particularly lo-fi hip hop or lo-fi beats has looped rhythm. After a certain number of repetitions, your brain covers up the noise that might be distracting you without becoming a distraction itself.
Plus, the imperfections that differentiate lo-fi, like the sound of a needle on vinyl, the whir of a cassette tape, or fingers hitting instruments, work together with the artificially added imperfections of the genre (rain sounds, muffling, etc.) to give you a sense of familiarity or nostalgia that can help focus on your work.
Hi-Fi vs Lo-Fi Music: Which Is Better?
Hi-fi music and lo-fi music, both have their own place. Which one’s better and more suitable for you depends on your personal preference and the result that you want. If you want to listen to music that gives you an experience of hearing it live then you should go for hi-fi music. However, for lo-fi music, background music or ambiance music is better.
Deciding between listening to your favorite song in hi-fi or lo-fi depends on your personal preference. Your equipment, both the external listening devices you’re using and your ears, will have a significant impact on your preference for hi-fi or lo-fi music.
Generally, an average person isn’t able to find any differences between a hi-fi music quality and a standard quality recording. Wireless headphones or the speakers of your laptop won’t let you identify the difference between hi-fi and lo-fi sound quality.
However, if you use high-quality headphones and speakers, then you’ll be able to distinguish between hi-fi and lo-fi music, and listening to a hi-fi soundtrack will offer you a better listening experience.
Summary
Hi-fi and lo-fi depend on your equipment and depends on how clean a recorded sound is. Whether you want equipment that captures true-to-life sound or headphones that will sound like a live concert, knowing what hi-fi and lo-fi mean can help.
Hi-fi music can only hear on hi-fi audio equipment. Various equipment like sound systems, headphones, or speakers are specially designed to deliver hi-fi music.
Lo-fi music is referred to as a way of recording songs. Soundtracks with distortion and noises are considered a lo-fi sound. It also helps you with your focus and helps your brain to concentrate more.
Whether or not you distinguish between the quality of the sound is personal, knowing what results you want and what type of audio quality you’re aiming for helps you in deciding on more suitable equipment for you.
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