Why is there a preset for mono audio in the EQ section of all iPods?

I have now been a proud owner of a pair of Sony XB-500s since October, and they have served me diligently. However, within recent months, I have been shifting my focus towards discerning the differences in sound given out by different media players over the same pair of cans. Tonight, I tested...

So I purchased a Yamaha, mid-range MIDI keyboard about five weeks ago. I'm very happy with it. I don't know if this question seems off-kilter here or not, but I thought I'd go ahead and ask it.   The "Tuning" option on the keyboard lists how high or low the instrument is tuned in Hz. My...

I have been looking at many analysis of the loudness war, and so far my biggest question has been as so: Are most new recordings going to keep getting louder and ****ter? And if that is the case, what will be the point of investing in good equipment? Doesn't the quality of recordings themselves...

If a device intended for computers uses a USB input rather than the machine's headphone jack (analog), is there truly  a difference in quality? I have a Logitech Z313 (a soundbar), and when I use it with a netbook my parents own, I am able to get a much louder signal out of it than if I were to...

When ripping CDs on Windows Media Player, one of the options is to rip the music in WMA Lossless format. What is truly superior out of the lossless formats Windows Media Player supports: WAV and WMA Lossless?

For whatever purpose? I buy songbooks from my favorite bands primarily with the air of an enthusiast who just likes to collect them, but also me being a singer and somewhat of a pianist, I like to see how songs are transcribed into sheet music form. 

I find myself asking this question a lot: am I the only person out there who adores a group such as Celtic Woman, a singer like Julie Andrews, loads of different classically oriented stuff such as opera, Disney songs, plenty of more feminine music, yet refuses to listen to someone like Frank...

So I've been wondering: what kind of source file do official music videos use for their audio, especially Hi-Def ones posted on Youtube? Is it the master copy of the song? 

Do you primarily listen on speakers or headphones, or a combination of both? For me, the very latter has always been the case. Typically, with prolonged listening to any headphone, my ears become fatigued (which I am certain is the case with everyone), and thus I will have the desire to switch...

So, I'd like to settle this debate once and for all: are CDs truly superior in sound quality to MP3s? How do CDs compare to lossless formats like FLAC, etc.? Personally, I find that CDs do not sound as good when played back on a portable CD player (such as a Sony CD Walkman), and sound superior...

What would you guys say, based on experience, is the best 2.1 speaker set for a computer?  Currently I'm using a Logitech Z313 set, and although they suffice for me, I know by all means they are not any way near high end. 

Back around October 2010, I decided to invest in a Creative Zen X-Fi 8 gig model for around $80.00 from Amazon. I was truly expecting good bass from the provided earphones, which I believe were Creative EP-830s, and I wasn't let down at first. The bass was  almost overwhelming initially...

I was once considering to purchase a pair of Skullcandy Skullcrushers, but after reading myriads of reviews, I have come to the conclusion that the so-called "subwoofers" that the cans are built with aren't even actual ones at all. Is that true? Are there any headphones that truly do have...

Hello everyone.   So, I am a very beginner audiophile, and one question that has been intriguing me is this: are there different types of bass frequencies that headphones and speakers pick up on? What's the difference between bass produced on a subwoofer and bass one can hear from speakers...