An interesting dichotomy occurs when we listen to music. The more we listen, the more we find that we like, or dislike, a particular song or album. Yet, this contrast is unexplainable as there is no guarantee which emotion we will feel. Yes, there are many who wish that Celine Dion’s songs will simply cease going on and on, and some who want to miss everything Aerosmith sings about. Then there is The xx, a band that I had completely ignored until their latest release. Initially, as I sampled the tracks from I See You, I was unsure if I even wanted to listen to the album. I felt as thought there was something missing, but I remained intrigued and kept sampling the tracks to try and figure out what it was.

This previous weekend as our family set off on a road trip, I decided to download I See You in TIDAL Hi-Fi’s offline mode. For those interested, the two other albums I downloaded for the drive were Sepultura’s Machine Messiah and the classical album Cantillation Allegra: Miserere. Yes, dear reader, my music interests are vast and I have no issue whatsoever in changing between these two styles of music. That said, my significant other rolled her eyes elegantly as I made the change. Nevertheless, the time had come for The xx’s I See You to take a virtual spin.

One would think that a 2016-model motor vehicle would have a respectable stereo system, but I am constantly let down by the unit’s internal DAC, so I devised an experiment to see if I could get a better, more accurate, sound reproduction from the stock stereo. Using Oppo’s remarkable HA-2 DAC, I ran the signal directly from my iPhone, via the lighting to USB adapter into the DAC. Then I ran a 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo cable from the HA-2’s Line Output to the Line Input on the car stereo. This process bypasses the car stereo’s inferior DAC and merely requires the car stereo to handle the amplification process; a task it can handle admirably.

Listening to an album in this manner may never be a perfect way to audition and review and music, but the fact remains that through this technique the sound emanating from the car stereo was simply gorgeous. Of course, it was nowhere near the quality I experience with my main stereo system, but it was a significant upgrade to the car’s previous sonic offerings. Even my better half couldn’t believe the stark contrast in quality by simply adding the Oppo HA-2. It is true to say that every element in the audio reproduction chain is important and you should always start with the best source possible and proceed from there.

On that note, I feel it is essential to illustrate that this isn’t merely a one-off occurrence. A number of years ago, my significant other and children gifted me the Bose AE2 headphones. To be completely frank, I couldn’t stand them. They are the most comfortable headphones I have ever had the pleasure of wearing, but their sound was thin and shrill when connected to every single piece of audio-based technology I owned. When I got the Oppo HA-2, I decided to give the AE2 headphones another try and I’m not joking when I say the HA-2 breathed new life into those Bose headphones. It was proof that the DAC/Amplifier element in the process is essential to getting the very best from speakers, headphones, and digital music. Hence, TIDAL Hi-Fi + Oppo HA-2 = Beautiful Sound Reproduction even with modest headphones and audio equipment. I’m sure many of you are saying that the Bose AE2 is now the weakest link in my headphone setup and while I agree, they do tick off the all important Wife Acceptance Factor. The bottom line is that I can listen to this combination for hours without suffering any physical or mental fatigue and the sound is absolutely non-offensive and engaging.

Getting back to listening to music in the car and I couldn’t help but ponder if other albums that I had dismissed in certain surroundings, wouldn’t have appealed more to me in different situations. Yes, another crazy thought from the guy that believes metal and classical music can happily co-exist. The interesting aspect, however, is the human element. There is simply no way to predict the emotion created by the situation and the associated music at a given point in time. It is, therefore, another instance of a dichotomy that one may experience when exploring new music. Even music we know and love can sound different as time passes and our interests change. I notice this occurring more frequently as I age. While there has been plenty written on the subject, the best book I have read thus far is John Powell’s Why We Love Music. It is to the point, not overly complex or presumptuous, and insightful.

Regardless, I See You just felt right in the car and a grin formed from ear to ear that didn’t erode until it was time to exit the vehicle. It was this experience alone that ensured I became a fan of The xx. I’m even tempted to buy the vinyl release, the album is that good, but the real lesson in my never ending ramblings is that there is no perfect way to listen and appreciate music. It is subjective and if it induces an emotional response, then the music and the hardware available to you has done its job.

The album artwork is simplistic but iconic and as I looked through The xx’s catalogue of releases I couldn’t help but see the consistency of the X symbol. While some may complain about the artwork being too similar, the similarity does assist in branding and allowing oneself to be immediately identifiable. To this day I still think of Prince as a symbol. I used to find it humorous to see where music stores would try and place his albums after he undertook the transition and I can’t help but wonder how one would search for his symbol in the modern Internet era.

That makes me wonder, can you search Google for a symbol?

Anyway, that isn’t important and as always I digress, let’s get back to the review in question.

I also appreciate the difference in artwork between the digitally purchased/streaming releases and the Vinyl/CD releases. It gives me, as a collector, another reason to seriously consider adding the physical release of the album to my collection.