How do you listen to music?

[introclaus]

Since we often tend to derail talks about specific albums to the value of production, and inevitably ends up discussing how people listen to music, let's just for the fun of it, create a separate thread for that (and I apologize if there's already one like this and I forgot/missed it)...

To me, sound isn't that big a deal. Sure, I want an album to be listenable, and I want to be able to hear the various instruments, including vocals, clearly. But I'm far from being an audiophile perfectionist, and I don't need it to sound like a million bucks.

My listening methods are 4-fold;

* Every morning on my runs (so the first hour from ~4:30 - 5:30am) I listen on my headphones ... and those aren't in-ears - they are the Shokz Openrun Pro (https://shokz.com/products/openrunpro) ones, that sit on the jawbone and conducts soundwaves. I realize it's not the best way to listen to music, but it works, and by using these specific headphones I keep my ears free to listen for potential traffic or other people out in the dark.

* While at work, I listen through either the speaker on my Macbook Pro (https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/) or through my Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones (https://www.sony.com/ug/electronics/hea ... wh-1000xm3). Again, I realize this isn't optimal listening, but it gives me a great idea of whether an album matches my demands for "sound".

* While driving ... I spend a good deal of time in car, driving back and forth between my sons school and my home, or home to office, or home to hockey, etc. and I always listen to music. My cars sound system isn't anything special - it's a Bose System (https://automotive.bose.com/vehicles/mazda/mazda-cx-5) and it sounds fine for a drive. Again, it does the trick.

* At home, while not working, I listen through my Sonos system; I have Sonos speakers of various kinds in each room (https://www.sonos.com/) and I enjoy the way they sound, and more importantly, I love how convenient they integrate with everything, from Amazon to my phone, my ipad, my computers, my CD player and my turntable ... all of it integrates neatly. They also look stylish in my opinion. For me this is plenty enough - I don't need some super fancy, super expensive stereo with hi-end speakers.

How about you?

[Random Axe]

I'm not nearly smart enough to be an audiophile. I'm sure there's a lot I don't hear or pick up on. I'm okay with that. I get enough in my ears and brain from my sources.

Driving - My new Bronco doesn't have a CD player. Just traded in a car that did. So I load a thumb drive in and will have between 400-800 songs depending on what I've loaded that month. I opted for the premium sound system, but honestly can't tell the difference.

Walkman- I got one probably four years ago and have loved it. I've got 5200 songs on it. Some nights while trying to fall asleep I'll have the headphones on and just hit shuffle. Out of all those albums I get some shit songs sometimes, but the sound quality is pretty great.

Workroom - I've been making custom toys for almost two decades. I've got a toyroom and workroom where I build stuff. I've got a late 90s boombox on my station. It's old enough to have the infamous bass-boost button. Oddly enough it works well. I'll take a few CDs downstairs and crank it. I also have a portable DVD player where I play some concerts.

[Alberto]

Not much of an audiophile either. My ears are just not good enough . To me, it must just sound "good enough".

The first few listens to a new album (up to the buy/dismiss decision) will always be through my home PC on my Sony over-ear headphones. Every album will get at least one fully focused listen (not on the first pass in most cases). Usually I will research about the band, follow lyrics, or read reviews while listening.

Subsequent listens might be through my main home system: FLAC files converted by a 30 EUR Chromecast audio to my 30-years old Marantz amplifier and JBL speakers.

I never listen to music while working (I used to when I coded, but now it just wouldn't be possible), and I don't drive much. More often than not, I will listen to something while getting back from work in the subway (30 min commute door-to-door, 2 or 3 days per week as the rest is home-working since after covid): in that case, it's mp3s from my phone to my JBL over-ear bluetooth headphones.

[Sir Exar Kun]

Good topic!!! I have two kids in their middle teens, so most of my music time is now in the car shuttling my daughter to dance, or driving into my warehouse 3-4 days per week.

Commuting - Typically 6-8 hours per week, more if driving out of town. I have a 10 speaker premium Bose system in my Tahoe, and most things sound GREAT on it. I keep all my music digitally on my phone, with customized playlists mixing up brand new music with older material..... Anything new will get listened to in the car 2-3 times before gravitating into the general collection, so I can focus on the music.

Work - Insignia (?) plug in speakers on my PC in my office. Being a shared area, can't have the stuff TOO loud when at the warehouse, so only play older stuff here that I already know and love. If working from home, I'll just throw the entire collection onto one large shuffle on the home PC speakers in my home office.

Home - Honestly, far and away the place I listen to music the least, as we're always busy with something else (hockey on TV, video games, etc). I do have some outdoor Bluetooth speakers mounted over my deck, so when grilling or relaxing on the deck I'll throw random stuff up, but again rarely IF EVER try listening to new things there as I just won't focus on it. I also have Bluetooth speakers in my finished basement, so during the winter if riding an indoor bike I can kick something on. I also do a fair amount of riding the bike around town, but just haven't been super comfortable riding with headphones on (and I hate earbuds!) so if I do play something its usually just coming out of the phone speaker and low volume.

Funny to think that, aside from a couple of older boom box type devices, I don't even own a dedicated CD player at the house anymore. Everything I do there is digital off the phone or computer! On the very rare occasion I listen to anything in the main area of the house (family is gone or something) I run it through the LG soundbar / system from my TV which more than serves, but even then I am far more likely to just toss in a live DVD instead.

[Mardoch]

I used to listen in my car a lot more than I do now but I'm fully remote now (and my car has a blown speaker on the drivers front, whomp) so that's much less common. Far and away the most common listening for me is the 2.1 Logitech speakers on my computer desk while I work. It's good enough for the amount of hearing damage I have (lots of motorcycles, guns, and loud music without proper protection from my youth). I have a pair of Monoprice active noise canceling headphones for when I'm doing headphones that are actually really good sounding, too. We've got a Yamaha soundbar with a nice subwoofer on the TV in the living room that I'll hijack when I'm alone in the house sometimes, which is pretty sweet. Virtually all of my playback is digital. I buy CDs but rip them and play through Winamp (like a proper digital luddite) on my PC or via my phone elsewhere.

[introclaus]

I also do a fair amount of riding the bike around town, but just haven't been super comfortable riding with headphones on (and I hate earbuds!) so if I do play something its usually just coming out of the phone speaker and low volume.

You should try the ones I mentioned above - the Shokz - I use them that exact reason, not feeling comfortable being in traffic w headphones or earbuds. With these on I can even have a conversation with my running partners and still listen to music lol

[LarryD]

Call me a dinosaur, but I want the "experience" of the music I listen to ..... I watch / listen to music in so many ways / formats I won't go too much into detail here ....but I am barely digital here except for samples and experiment listening ......the rest are the bodies of the music - CD, Vinyl, DVD, Bluray, and lastly, USB stick.

I intertwine 2 systems, an audio system and a home theater system but I use them in different ways.....
If the music sounds well recorded, I'll run it through my main system unprocessed... CD / Vinyl directly through phono pre-amps and pre-amps and then amps ....
If the music is not well recorded I'll run it through my home theater receiver, which feeds into an equalizer so I can at least get "some" decent sound out of the body. So I have two choices when it comes to how I want to play my music ....

The receiver also acts as the heart of the theater system, in which my TV, bluray player, and PAL bluray player run through. I use the bluray player for USA shows, and the PAL player for European shows.

I use a USB stick for hi-res files that I plug into my bluray player and play it from there ...... if I download some music, I put it on the USB stick and also play it from my bluray player, or directly into my receiver.

My CD player goes coax into my receiver, and analog directly into my pre-amp. It depends on what the disc is. If it is Loreena McKennitt, IQ, Eva Cassidy, or anything like jazz, New Age, etc .... it will go through my "better" system .... if it's metal, usually what we listen to, or something of less recorded quality it goes through an equalizer and then onto my receiver.

It all sounds complicated - but when I'm listening to music, I'm sitting in front of my main system, precisely in the "sweet spot" and the band is either in the studio or on stage right in front of me and I can pinpoint the players and instruments. I want the music experience, not just to listen to it, although this does not include background listening....background music is usually streamed from Amazon Alexa fed into my receiver. Serious listening from CD or vinyl is usually from my good system. I need to hear where all the instruments are, on stage or studio, and I also want to hear Neil Peart's rolling drum riffs panning from left to right so my mind thinks he is right in the room with me. These are some of the enjoyments of listening to music this way, you become part of the band or the actual show. Bluray shows are just as important here as studio CDs. So I have a different set up for each format. It sounds crazy - but it all happens at the push of a few buttons really.

In my truck, I stream Amazon Music from my phone using Bluetooth - this and the USB stick are about the only digital methods I use. The rest are physical formats.

[Psychotic Symphony]

99% of the time is during a commute or otherwise out of home activity (shopping, waiting in line, etc).
Sometimes if I have a bit of weed I'll sit in a comfy chair and just absorb it, but that is also heavily mood dependent. Also, all my music listening is via streaming.

[Rycher]

I went digital in 2017 and haven't looked back. I ran out of space in my prior home to display CD's on racks, so I packed them up and they just sat in a bin in the basement. I started ripping them to a computer starting in 2010 and never played the actual cd on a stereo or in the car (I would make a CDR to avoid theft). There was no point in ever buying another cd.

For mobile listening, I have a 256gb micro SD in my phone and can carry my entire music collection with me. I'll use that at home or on the go with bluetooth speakers or earbuds. In the car, I just use CD's and rip albums or make mix cd's.

I do still buy concert dvd's and watch them.

[Mardoch]

Call me a dinosaur, but I want the "experience" of the music I listen to ..... I watch / listen to music in so many ways / formats I won't go too much into detail here ....but I am barely digital here except for samples and experiment listening ......the rest are the bodies of the music - CD, Vinyl, DVD, Bluray, and lastly, USB stick.

I intertwine 2 systems, an audio system and a home theater system but I use them in different ways.....
If the music sounds well recorded, I'll run it through my main system unprocessed... CD / Vinyl directly through phono pre-amps and pre-amps and then amps ....
If the music is not well recorded I'll run it through my home theater receiver, which feeds into an equalizer so I can at least get "some" decent sound out of the body. So I have two choices when it comes to how I want to play my music ....

The receiver also acts as the heart of the theater system, in which my TV, bluray player, and PAL bluray player run through. I use the bluray player for USA shows, and the PAL player for European shows.

I use a USB stick for hi-res files that I plug into my bluray player and play it from there ...... if I download some music, I put it on the USB stick and also play it from my bluray player, or directly into my receiver.

My CD player goes coax into my receiver, and analog directly into my pre-amp. It depends on what the disc is. If it is Loreena McKennitt, IQ, Eva Cassidy, or anything like jazz, New Age, etc .... it will go through my "better" system .... if it's metal, usually what we listen to, or something of less recorded quality it goes through an equalizer and then onto my receiver.

It all sounds complicated - but when I'm listening to music, I'm sitting in front of my main system, precisely in the "sweet spot" and the band is either in the studio or on stage right in front of me and I can pinpoint the players and instruments. I want the music experience, not just to listen to it, although this does not include background listening....background music is usually streamed from Amazon Alexa fed into my receiver. Serious listening from CD or vinyl is usually from my good system. I need to hear where all the instruments are, on stage or studio, and I also want to hear Neil Peart's rolling drum riffs panning from left to right so my mind thinks he is right in the room with me. These are some of the enjoyments of listening to music this way, you become part of the band or the actual show. Bluray shows are just as important here as studio CDs. So I have a different set up for each format. It sounds crazy - but it all happens at the push of a few buttons really.

In my truck, I stream Amazon Music from my phone using Bluetooth - this and the USB stick are about the only digital methods I use. The rest are physical formats.

Genuinely envious of this kind of system. Maybe in a future house I will be able to make such a beast, but my current house is...woefully unsuited to such a dedicated space.

[LarryD]

Call me a dinosaur, but I want the "experience" of the music I listen to ..... I watch / listen to music in so many ways / formats I won't go too much into detail here ....but I am barely digital here except for samples and experiment listening ......the rest are the bodies of the music - CD, Vinyl, DVD, Bluray, and lastly, USB stick.

I intertwine 2 systems, an audio system and a home theater system but I use them in different ways.....
If the music sounds well recorded, I'll run it through my main system unprocessed... CD / Vinyl directly through phono pre-amps and pre-amps and then amps ....
If the music is not well recorded I'll run it through my home theater receiver, which feeds into an equalizer so I can at least get "some" decent sound out of the body. So I have two choices when it comes to how I want to play my music ....

The receiver also acts as the heart of the theater system, in which my TV, bluray player, and PAL bluray player run through. I use the bluray player for USA shows, and the PAL player for European shows.

I use a USB stick for hi-res files that I plug into my bluray player and play it from there ...... if I download some music, I put it on the USB stick and also play it from my bluray player, or directly into my receiver.

My CD player goes coax into my receiver, and analog directly into my pre-amp. It depends on what the disc is. If it is Loreena McKennitt, IQ, Eva Cassidy, or anything like jazz, New Age, etc .... it will go through my "better" system .... if it's metal, usually what we listen to, or something of less recorded quality it goes through an equalizer and then onto my receiver.

It all sounds complicated - but when I'm listening to music, I'm sitting in front of my main system, precisely in the "sweet spot" and the band is either in the studio or on stage right in front of me and I can pinpoint the players and instruments. I want the music experience, not just to listen to it, although this does not include background listening....background music is usually streamed from Amazon Alexa fed into my receiver. Serious listening from CD or vinyl is usually from my good system. I need to hear where all the instruments are, on stage or studio, and I also want to hear Neil Peart's rolling drum riffs panning from left to right so my mind thinks he is right in the room with me. These are some of the enjoyments of listening to music this way, you become part of the band or the actual show. Bluray shows are just as important here as studio CDs. So I have a different set up for each format. It sounds crazy - but it all happens at the push of a few buttons really.

In my truck, I stream Amazon Music from my phone using Bluetooth - this and the USB stick are about the only digital methods I use. The rest are physical formats.

Genuinely envious of this kind of system. Maybe in a future house I will be able to make such a beast, but my current house is...woefully unsuited to such a dedicated space.

****Doug don't feel like that .... I've actually down sized my system since moving South .... I lost my man-cave back in Rhode Island, and was forced to set up a system in my living room, that A) Is wife approved for looks and B) Can still give me the quality and imagery that I need when listening to music. It is not a big system, it all fits on one rack, it's the components that count. I never dreamed I would have to listen to my music in the main living room, but life puts you in that spot and you make due...
luckily the wife likes the music I listen to, so there is no problem .... she offered to have a bonus room put on above the garage for me, but the $$$$ on that quickly put the squash on that thought..... so the main living room it is. Luckily there are no kids around to knock anything over, or I would have had to gone with another plan....... it's not about the size, it's about the quality .......

[introclaus]

Call me a dinosaur, but I want the "experience" of the music I listen to ..... I watch / listen to music in so many ways / formats I won't go too much into detail here ....but I am barely digital here except for samples and experiment listening ......the rest are the bodies of the music - CD, Vinyl, DVD, Bluray, and lastly, USB stick.

I intertwine 2 systems, an audio system and a home theater system but I use them in different ways.....
If the music sounds well recorded, I'll run it through my main system unprocessed... CD / Vinyl directly through phono pre-amps and pre-amps and then amps ....
If the music is not well recorded I'll run it through my home theater receiver, which feeds into an equalizer so I can at least get "some" decent sound out of the body. So I have two choices when it comes to how I want to play my music ....

The receiver also acts as the heart of the theater system, in which my TV, bluray player, and PAL bluray player run through. I use the bluray player for USA shows, and the PAL player for European shows.

I use a USB stick for hi-res files that I plug into my bluray player and play it from there ...... if I download some music, I put it on the USB stick and also play it from my bluray player, or directly into my receiver.

My CD player goes coax into my receiver, and analog directly into my pre-amp. It depends on what the disc is. If it is Loreena McKennitt, IQ, Eva Cassidy, or anything like jazz, New Age, etc .... it will go through my "better" system .... if it's metal, usually what we listen to, or something of less recorded quality it goes through an equalizer and then onto my receiver.

It all sounds complicated - but when I'm listening to music, I'm sitting in front of my main system, precisely in the "sweet spot" and the band is either in the studio or on stage right in front of me and I can pinpoint the players and instruments. I want the music experience, not just to listen to it, although this does not include background listening....background music is usually streamed from Amazon Alexa fed into my receiver. Serious listening from CD or vinyl is usually from my good system. I need to hear where all the instruments are, on stage or studio, and I also want to hear Neil Peart's rolling drum riffs panning from left to right so my mind thinks he is right in the room with me. These are some of the enjoyments of listening to music this way, you become part of the band or the actual show. Bluray shows are just as important here as studio CDs. So I have a different set up for each format. It sounds crazy - but it all happens at the push of a few buttons really.

In my truck, I stream Amazon Music from my phone using Bluetooth - this and the USB stick are about the only digital methods I use. The rest are physical formats.

I'm proud of you sticking to your guns and staying with the physical media this much. It's impressive, and obviously your set-up is nice. I'd be interested in seeing what specific equipment you and others who are of the similar mindset are using. Not that I'm in any position to begin spec'ing out a set-up like that any time soon with me just purchasing a new house, but down the road it would be cool to set up a dedicated listening room with awesome hi-end gear.

[LarryD]

I'm proud of you sticking to your guns and staying with the physical media this much. It's impressive, and obviously your set-up is nice. I'd be interested in seeing what specific equipment you and others who are of the similar mindset are using. Not that I'm in any position to begin spec'ing out a set-up like that any time soon with me just purchasing a new house, but down the road it would be cool to set up a dedicated listening room with awesome hi-end gear.

***Well like I said, it's the quality not the quantity ...... when you get settled and you want to upgrade, let me know and I'll send some suggestions your way .......If I were to do it again, I would do it a bit different, but we can talk about that down the road .......

In the meantime -- some of the gear I use:

Marantz
Parasound
PSB speakers
Music Hall
Musical Fidelity
Schiit
Sony

[Scott B]

Alrighty then. I've been working from home full time for 15 years, so the audio setup has gone through quite a bit of evolution. Most of my at home listening is done over my desk top speakers, which are Emotiva bookshelf speakers, plus a Polk Audio powered sub. My receiver is an Onkyo TX-RZ610. The audio source I use the most is my Technics SL5300 turntable. I've bought quite a few "modern" tables, but this little gem from 1978 slays everything else I've bought new. If I want to chill in the office I also have a small surround system set up with the L-R channels being Definitive SM45s, which are bookshelf-sized but have the audio palette of tower speakers. My backup turntable which is set up on a witch is a Fluance 81. I don't use that one much. No CD playing device at all.

In the family room a I have a Denon DP300F turntable and some Emotiva tower speakers. The receiver there is another TX-RZ610. I still have a bluray player there if I want to spin a disk.

In the car, it's Spotify over the stock audio system, which I believe is maybe Bose based. Whatever Mercedes is using these days.

In the gym, in-ear Bose streaming Spotify.

[LarryD]

Alrighty then. I've been working from home full time for 15 years, so the audio setup has gone through quite a bit of evolution. Most of my at home listening is done over my desk top speakers, which are Emotiva bookshelf speakers, plus a Polk Audio powered sub. My receiver is an Onkyo TX-RZ610. The audio source I use the most is my Technics SL5300 turntable. I've bought quite a few "modern" tables, but this little gem from 1978 slays everything else I've bought new. If I want to chill in the office I also have a small surround system set up with the L-R channels being Definitive SM45s, which are bookshelf-sized but have the audio palette of tower speakers. My backup turntable which is set up on a witch is a Fluance 81. I don't use that one much. No CD playing device at all.

In the family room a I have a Denon DP300F turntable and some Emotiva tower speakers. The receiver there is another TX-RZ610. I still have a bluray player there if I want to spin a disk.

In the car, it's Spotify over the stock audio system, which I believe is maybe Bose based. Whatever Mercedes is using these days.

In the gym, in-ear Bose streaming Spotify.

*****Excellent set up ..... that Technics turntable is indeed bad ass ..... don't let go of it as you know ......
Back in my old life, I used Emotiva gear and I loved it ....... I'm currently on the fence about pulling the plug on an Emotiva pre-amp, but I'm a bonafide Parasound fan now but their pre-amp ( the one I want ) is almost 3x the price of the Emotiva .......

Love the Def-Techs as well ...... nice set up .......

[Scott B]

*****Excellent set up ..... that Technics turntable is indeed bad ass ..... don't let go of it as you know ......
Back in my old life, I used Emotiva gear and I loved it ....... I'm currently on the fence about pulling the plug on an Emotiva pre-amp, but I'm a bonafide Parasound fan now but their pre-amp ( the one I want ) is almost 3x the price of the Emotiva .......

Love the Def-Techs as well ...... nice set up .......

After trying so many modern tables and being disappointed, I've come to the conclusion that the vintage tables are better because when they were made, they were the bread and butter of the company. Now, I feel like the average consumer models are just slapped out there to have a product. I have a local guy that services all the vintage goodies so it will be in action as long as I am!

[LASERCD]

Speakers: Rockport Aquila
Phono Preamp: Boulder 2008
Preamp: Boulder 2010
Amp: Boulder 2060
Cables: Transparent Audio Reference XL
Power: Transparent Audio Reference XL/Nordost Quantum QBase8
Phono: TW Acustic AC Anniversary, TW Acustic Raven 10.5 arm, Lyra Atlas, Graham 2.2 arm, Miyajima Zero Mono
Digital: Bricasti M1 Special Edition - Network version
Racks: SRA Scuttle3 rack + various SRA/Symposium stands

In an acoustically treated dedicated room built for listening.

[introclaus]

Speakers: Rockport Aquila
Phono Preamp: Boulder 2008
Preamp: Boulder 2010
Amp: Boulder 2060
Cables: Transparent Audio Reference XL
Power: Transparent Audio Reference XL/Nordost Quantum QBase8
Phono: TW Acustic AC Anniversary, TW Acustic Raven 10.5 arm, Lyra Atlas, Graham 2.2 arm, Miyajima Zero Mono
Digital: Bricasti M1 Special Edition - Network version
Racks: SRA Scuttle3 rack + various SRA/Symposium stands

In an acoustically treated dedicated room built for listening.

That's just impressive.
Your speakers alone are ~$50k!!!!
I'm sure you've spent like half a million on your listening set-up.

Considering how many times you and I have had to hag and hassle over a few pennies, and then you throw around money like this ... You're my hero!

LOL

[LASERCD]

Thank you

[introclaus]

Thank you

All jokes aside, it’s just an impressive set up and I wish I could justify spending the money on something like that. However, I am in no position to do so and it probably would be wasted on my either way as I seem to be perfectly okay with the way I currently listen to music.

[LASERCD]

Do what works for you. You seem to be happy with your set up.

Frankly (no insult intended) a system like mine would be wasted on the music you predominantly listen to. Production on metal albums is so poor, so crushed, that there is no real benefit. Earbuds or a computer are good enough.

[LarryD]

Do what works for you. You seem to be happy with your set up.

Frankly (no insult intended) a system like mine would be wasted on the music you predominantly listen to. Production on metal albums is so poor, so crushed, that there is no real benefit. Earbuds or a computer are good enough.

^^^^ And this is precisely what I've been talking about with productions ...... If one can't tell how good or bad a recording is, one only has to listen to it on a good system...... it will generally sound good thru earbuds or computer with headphones ... but put it on a decent system, especially one like Ken has, and it is unlistenable...... meaning, the enjoyment level goes down immensely.

Thus - I stand by my original thoughts that the Arena disc does indeed sound like ass ...... at least on my system it does, on Ken's it would sound like an AM radio.

[introclaus]

Do what works for you. You seem to be happy with your set up.

Frankly (no insult intended) a system like mine would be wasted on the music you predominantly listen to. Production on metal albums is so poor, so crushed, that there is no real benefit. Earbuds or a computer are good enough.

^^^^ And this is precisely what I've been talking about with productions ...... If one can't tell how good or bad a recording is, one only has to listen to it on a good system...... it will generally sound good thru earbuds or computer with headphones ... but put it on a decent system, especially one like Ken has, and it is unlistenable...... meaning, the enjoyment level goes down immensely.

Thus - I stand by my original thoughts that the Arena disc does indeed sound like ass ...... at least on my system it does, on Ken's it would sound like an AM radio.

Well … to me it’s the other way around: if it sounds GREAT to me on my systems, why would I ever put myself through the torture of buying equipment on which is sounds horrible? Especially if that equipment is more expensive than what I have. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.

Each to their own and all, but you’re telling me that you recognize that something sounds great if heard on the equipment I have, then just a few months ago you were telling me something was wrong with my ears if I could not hear it sounded bad. That’s so confusing Larry … lol

Your system might be fancy and expensive, but if it makes something that otherwise sounds great sound like shit, then I’d say that your system is not very good.(obviously meant as a joke but you get the point…).

[prog_powermetal99]

Do what works for you. You seem to be happy with your set up.

Frankly (no insult intended) a system like mine would be wasted on the music you predominantly listen to. Production on metal albums is so poor, so crushed, that there is no real benefit. Earbuds or a computer are good enough.

^^^^ And this is precisely what I've been talking about with productions ...... If one can't tell how good or bad a recording is, one only has to listen to it on a good system...... it will generally sound good thru earbuds or computer with headphones ... but put it on a decent system, especially one like Ken has, and it is unlistenable...... meaning, the enjoyment level goes down immensely.

Thus - I stand by my original thoughts that the Arena disc does indeed sound like ass ...... at least on my system it does, on Ken's it would sound like an AM radio.

Well … to me it’s the other way around: if it sounds GREAT to me on my systems, why would I ever put myself through the torture of buying equipment on which is sounds horrible? Especially if that equipment is more expensive than what I have. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.

Each to their own and all, but you’re telling me that you recognize that something sounds great if heard on the equipment I have, then just a few months ago you were telling me something was wrong with my ears if I could not hear it sounded bad. That’s so confusing Larry … lol

Your system might be fancy and expensive, but if it makes something that otherwise sounds great sound like shit, then I’d say that your system is not very good.(obviously meant as a joke but you get the point…).

I listen when I work out, work and any other times I can find!.... I now work as a personal trainer at my local gym and have turned a couple of folks I'm training onto metal as well.... It's very healing. My car doesn't have a working cd player though, so I'm not able to listen while driving unfortunately.

Dusty

[LarryD]

Well … to me it’s the other way around: if it sounds GREAT to me on my systems, why would I ever put myself through the torture of buying equipment on which is sounds horrible? Especially if that equipment is more expensive than what I have. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.

Each to their own and all, but you’re telling me that you recognize that something sounds great if heard on the equipment I have, then just a few months ago you were telling me something was wrong with my ears if I could not hear it sounded bad. That’s so confusing Larry … lol

Your system might be fancy and expensive, but if it makes something that otherwise sounds great sound like shit, then I’d say that your system is not very good.(obviously meant as a joke but you get the point…).

***I don't want to keep this post going, so I'll end my thoughts here ....... what we are talking about here, is how we listen to music. To me, there are two ways to approach music.

1) You LISTEN to music. You slap some earbuds on, you plug into your phone, computer, walkman - whatever .... and you fire it up to Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and you play music.

2) You EXPERIENCE music. You grab some vinyl, a CD, a DVD, some USB files, a Bluray and put the BODY into something and experience what the artist sounded like during the recording process, and in your mind, the artist / band is in the room with you. This can only be done on a system. It doesn't have to be big bucks. It just has to be quality. This is where you sit on the couch, and you tell Diana Krall to start singing for you, and she appears.


Where #2 comes in, is if you listen to multiple genres that include Jazz, New Age, Fusion, Vinyl, Broadway, Country, etc etc ..... your system will make these genres shine as they are generally recorded with quality. Unfortunately, if you listen to metal MOSTLY, you would be disappointed with the sound quality as most artists don't have the money to make a great recording. So you go option #1.

To answer the question as to why would someone invest in a system that makes music sounds like shit ? Because of Option # 2 where you want to experience the music...... some metal sound Great, some sounds good, some sounds like shit. Your system will decide which. And you don't listen to metal all the time and don't mind having to "lower the experience" to hear some good metal bands you like.
This is the reason I always invest in and tout re-masters because it brings the quality a bit closer to the experience rather than having to tolerate a less than average recording.

And - lastly, if I really love a band, and the recording sounds way off, I can always throw some headphones on enjoy it that way. I normally do this with King Diamond's THEM - which is one of my favorite metal discs, but the recording sounds like shit .... with headphones, I can hear grandma more clearly, all the creaking doors, and I don't have to hear how bad the drums sound ........

[introclaus]

***I don't want to keep this post going, so I'll end my thoughts here .......

Well, that's sad ... that you don't want to keep the post going. I think there's a lot to be said about finding out how people digest information (visual clues, news, books, music, etc.) and I enjoy hearing everyone's side on this, even if I don't agree with everything said.

1) You LISTEN to music. You slap some earbuds on, you plug into your phone, computer, walkman - whatever .... and you fire it up to Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and you play music.

2) You EXPERIENCE music. You grab some vinyl, a CD, a DVD, some USB files, a Bluray and put the BODY into something and experience what the artist sounded like during the recording process, and in your mind, the artist / band is in the room with you. This can only be done on a system. It doesn't have to be big bucks. It just has to be quality. This is where you sit on the couch, and you tell Diana Krall to start singing for you, and she appears.

100% agreed with this. There's the idea of listening "on the go", which is how I consume 90% of my music. Then there's the idea of sitting down and really immersing yourself in the music, which is how you and Ken do it. The difference being that while you're retired, and Ken never did an honest day's work in his life (jk), I don't have the luxury to sit down and just "experience" that way - I am running around from work to my son's hockey, to school pick-ups, etc. Too many things going on all the time to allow me to practice music-listening the way you do. It doesn't mean I'm not enjoying music - it just means I'm enjoying it on a different way than you do, and I think that's why I'm perfectly happy with the cheaper option of a music listening device. This might change when my son can drive himself, and I find more time in life in general, but for now, this is what I'm dealing with and it's perfectly fine for me.

To answer the question as to why would someone invest in a system that makes music sounds like shit ? Because of Option # 2 where you want to experience the music...... some metal sound Great, some sounds good, some sounds like shit. Your system will decide which. And you don't listen to metal all the time and don't mind having to "lower the experience" to hear some good metal bands you like.
This is the reason I always invest in and tout re-masters because it brings the quality a bit closer to the experience rather than having to tolerate a less than average recording.

I think, based on all that you've said in this thread we need to "adjust" our perception of some things we've discussed in the past. Let's use ARENA's last disc as an example.

You said "It sounds like shit - production is horrible"
I said "It sounds like gold - production is amazing"

You should have said "This isn't produced well for my expensive system that I use to experience my music on"
I should have said "This is produced perfectly for my cheap-ass music listening devices"

LOL