Does a song sound better every time you hear it if you listen to it three times?

[NYfan2]

Last weekend, I visited a demo for audiophile Ethernet switches (though that's not the focus of this discussion ). Here's what happened:

A song was played twice. The reasoning was that, when you hear a song for the second time, it usually sounds better because your mind already knows the song and starts focusing on other details.
The third time, a different switch was used (again, not the focus of this discussion), and the song sounded different again (though let's not call it "better").

My question is: When you play a song three times, does it almost always sound better because your mind starts focusing on other details?

 

[voodooless]

Maybe not better, but slightly different: yeah, probably. You'll probably pay attention to different things, your mood might have changed, somebody might have told you something about the song, or the environment it's played in. So yeah, your biases will inevitably skew your experience in some way or another.

 

[JSmith]

Yeah, this is basically why people here differences between amps, dac's and power cables etc., when they don't really exist.


JSmith

 

[nerdstrike]

My experience of Taylor Swift does not improve with repeat listening.

 

[Snarfie]

For me, the first impression usually nails it over 95% of the time I know (subjectively) right away if a song is good, nice, average, or just ugh. Sometimes, on rare occasions (like 5%), a track grows on me after a few listens. Often the recording quality ( compression for instance) and (our) acoustics could make all the difference. Take Bob Dylan’s 60s and 70s albums, for example no compression but they can sound a bit harsh or shrill. Same for first Adel albums which are highly compressed. The music itself is fine, but the overall experience sometimes feels just so-so because of how they were recorded and or lack of good acoustics.

 

[Ropeburn]

It's all psychological in the end. Pretty much:

 

[WXfreak]

I have often liked a new album on the first listen, then enjoyed it even more after hearing it a few more times. The sound does not improve, I just grow to like the songs more. The most recent example for me is the Foo Fighters album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.

 

[DVDdoug]

My experience of Taylor Swift does not improve with repeat listening.

It's probably better if you are familiar with the song(s) and that you enjoy the music. If you aren't enjoying what you're listening to, you may not care or listen carefully.

Last weekend, I visited a demo for audiophile Ethernet switches (though that's not the focus of this discussion ).

Why waste your time? Do you expect the digital data to be different through a different device? Do you expect to learn anything from an "casual" uncontrolled listening test?

What is a blind ABX?.
Controlled Audio Blind Listening Tests

Controlled listening tests are repeated more than 3 times and since they are generally randomized it doesn't matter if it sounds best (or seems to sound best) the first or last time. In an ABX test you'll usually switch multiple several times with each trial before identifying X. Any of those differences/biases are randomized-out in the statistical analysis.

 

[Robin L]

Depends on the music. Some music requires multiple exposures in order to be comprehensible, some might never be comprehensible, some is instantly comprehensible. A work by Stockhausen might never be truly understood, Mahler's Ninth Symphony or Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps would require multiple auditions in order to be "Groked", "Louie Louie" doesn't require much exposure to get to the point. As to whether a given piece of music will sound "better" has a lot more to do with the person listening than the music itself. LA radio bombarded the airwaves with the Eagles when their songs first appeared, I've never recovered.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Sometimes better, sometimes worse. Multiple listens, if you concentrate, reveal details you may have missed. Sometimes they're details you wish you hadn't heard.

 

[Rick63]

If I listen to a song, then smoke some cannabis and listen to the same song a second time, it sounds better the second time, everytime.

 

[Peterinvan]

When you listen to a track you have heard before, your mind is able to predict what comes next. I suspect this adds to the enjoyment.
It's a different experience when you hear it for the first time.

This is one reason why I like jazz... the unpredictability of some improvisations is like music with a sense of humour.

 

[Multicore]

Hm. Good question. I'm gonna go with: it depends.

 

[Philbo King]

Repeated listens are good for determining problems with the arrangement. For judging sound quality and mix once is generally enough for me.