Before diving into bitrates and file extensions, one must understand why the audio quality of 2001 matters so much to listeners. Unlike many hip-hop albums of the 1990s that relied heavily on gritty, dusty vinyl samples, Dr. Dre and his audio engineer, Mauricio "Veto" Iragorri, took a different approach. They utilized live instrumentation, re-played samples, and meticulous studio mixing to achieve a cinematic, clean aesthetic.