How do you listen to music ?

[ambient]

Assuming that you do, I know a lot of people don't, which I find odd if you're a musician, but anyway .

I grew up listening on my parents hifi. Now, if I'm home then I tend to sit and listen off my macbook via my monitors.

If I'm out then it's through headphones.

I saw this picture on Facebook a day or two ago, which made me smile.

[attachment=213982:10400113_10156629528145707_5481991627852461294_n.png]

I know back in the 60s music, especially Motown, was mixed so it would sound 'good' on a transistor radio's speaker.

In the 80s it was mixed so it would sound good on the little headphones that accompanied Walkmen.

People nowadays seem to listen via the pin-head sized speakers on their iPads. This I find totally baffling.

[Cato]

These days mostly mp3s on my phone through headphones while I'm out walking, all though I must confess I listen to a fair bit through my Kindle Fire speakers in the evening as well.

There's quite a lot of excellent 'free' music available on Amazon Prime, the caveat being that you can only listen to it through certain Amazon connected devices so you can't just download the free stuff onto your mp3 player. There is an Amazon music app, but its not compatible with my phone, so rubbish Kindle speakers it is.

[Coilte]

Being the old dinosaur that I am, I started to listen to music at a very early age on my parents "wireless". Later I started buying LP's and later still.. CD's. I have not really kept up with technology since that.

I was never really into listening to music on the go. I love to chill out by listening on my hi-fi separates (told you I was a dinosaur.. ). IMO you cant beat listening through "proper" speakers.

[RhysP]

I don't really listen to any music these days, ever since I've been unable to have my hi fi set up in the house.
If I do listen to anything it's on my iPod or on my laptop, which is such a miserable experience that I tend not to bother.

[ambient]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1457196727' post='2996284']
Being the old dinosaur that I am, I started to listen to music at a very early age on my parents "wireless". Later I started buying LP's and later still.. CD's. I have not really kept up with technology since that.

I was never really into listening to music on the go. I love to chill out by listening on my hi-fi separates (told you I was a dinosaur.. ). IMO you cant beat listening through "proper" speakers.
[/quote]

That's me. I don't see how you can listen, as opposed to hear music unless it's through headphones or speakers. A phone is better, but even then.

[Mykesbass]

I love listening to vinyl via separates and speakers but don't get enough chance to do so. My son has recently bought some rather superior (AKG) headphones, and I was seriously impressed with the sound, so may be investing in the near future.

[spyder]

Come on guys.... we ( musicians ) spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on great gear and you listening to their creative output on cr*p.

Get a real hifi system, sit back and enjoy.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='spyder' timestamp='1457197545' post='2996296']
Come on guys.... we ( musicians ) spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on great gear and you listening to their creative output on cr*p.

Get a real hifi system, sit back and enjoy.


[/quote]

^ This, very much this!

[colgraff]

I generally listen in my car (Lexus) or through my headphones (Monster). Both have pretty good sound definition.

[grayn]

In my teens and 20s I'd sit and listen for hours to my HiFi speakers or headphones.

Now I mainly listen in the car or through my M-Audio speakers, connected to my laptop.

Love cruisin' forums and youtube for new bands.

[ambient]

I like the fact that my 16 year old niece recently bought some blue tooth speakers that she connects her device to. It sounds surprisingly good.

Edited March 5, 2016 by ambient

[ezbass]

It depends where I am: ear buds with iPod on the bike; in built speakers in the computer (they're rather good); hi-fi in the lounge if listening to a cd. However, most of the music I listen to is on the radio and then it's mainly on the DAB or in the car. My band recently recorded 4 tracks in the studio and the mixes sound different dependent on what I use to listen, the best (to my ears) is on the hi-if.

[FinnDave]

When I was a lad....I used to listen to my albums on me dad's B&O radiogram. Then as a student, I had some stereo or other, then a sony system with CD...in fact two...and then a long time of not really listening to much except what was in my head. I recently bought a macbook pro, and am like a 16 year old again, listening to all sorts of music on iTunes via the built in speakers. I will try my bluetooth speakers again one of these days too.

[Roland Rock]

MP3, CD, Spotify or Soundcloud on the car system, Bluetooth headphones or some big dusty active speakers at work.

The separates system needs to get used more TBH.

Never on phone, tablet or laptop speakers, unless it's just a snippit.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Roland Rock

[Bilbo]

Ipod through Skullcandy earbuds. AKG headphones at home. Speakers got ruined in a house move but never got replaced but, if I am honest, music time at home is 99% practice, study and composition not listening.

[4stringslow]

There seems to be a lot of 'casual' listening to music these days, probably as a result of most phones, laptops, tablets, PCs and all the other ubiquitous tech that seems to be essential to own these days being able to play it in some form.

I grew up when music seemed to be a bit more, er, 'special'. Buying a new album was something of an event, usually requiring serious consideration before spending a significant sum and the investment of time to visit a record shop. When the new album was home, 'proper' listening involved a decent hi-fi system - which generally meant a 'separates' system. Yes, those days are long gone and, actually, I'm not too bothered because accessing music today IS so much easier, so I'm not simply pining for some mythical 'good old days'.

BUT. There's always a but. And in this case the 'but' is something we used to call muzak. That infernal musical drivel that emanated from crappy speakers in supermarkets, shopping centres, lifts and all manner of public places. it sometimes felt you couldn't get away from the bloody stuff! I DON'T WANT wall-to-wall (should that be ear-to-ear?) music running through my every waking hour and I certainly don't want to hear other people's musical choices when I'm out and about. I like to hear the silence of a quiet day or the rustling of the trees or birdsong or the wind or the sea - quite a lot actually and so much so that I only occasionally 'really' listen to music rather than simply let it wash over me as part of the background noise to whatever else I'm doing at the time. But when I do 'really' listen it's usually on a separates hi-fi system (when it's not my DAW+monitors).

Still, horses for courses eh?

[jezzaboy]

Mostly listen to You tube on the laptop these days as I have a bloomin fast Virgin Media broadband. Sensible volume levels through the small JCV speakers or as loud as the Yamaha micro system will go through the headphones.

All my cd`s are on a hard drive as mp3`s. I used to be a lover of high end hi fi for years but I ended up concentrating more on the quality than the song.

[Cameronj279]

If I'm at home I'll listen through my speakers (Acoustic Energy floorstanders) or if I'm out I'll listen through my earphones (Ultimate ears UE900). Or if I'm at my dads I'll listen through his ridiculously good hifi setup which is pretty much all custom made. Sounds incredible.

It amazes me the amount of musicians who don't really seem to either listen to music or want to hear it on anything other than laptop speakers/crappy earphones.

[ambient]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1457222417' post='2996572']

It amazes me the amount of musicians who don't really seem to either listen to music or want to hear it on anything other than laptop speakers/crappy earphones.
[/quote]

That's what amazes me. To a degree, it's almost disrespectful to the producers of the music.

[BrunoBass]

I listen to music in the car (I do a lot of miles for work) and on my iPad or Mac using Spotify or iTunes. What makes me sad is that I rarely sit down and 'listen' to music like I used to. If I'm at home music tends to be something to fill the gaps whilst I'm doing something else. I wish I had more time to put on some headphones and lose myself in an album, like I did from my teenage years until a few years ago.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1457223327' post='2996579']
That's what amazes me. To a degree, it's almost disrespectful to the producers of the music.
[/quote]

Almost, but not quite.

My domestic situation has no scope for any decent quality hi-fi, and it's no longer the priority it was, decades ago (I used to work for Cambridge Audio; that spoilt it for me listening through lesser stuff...) I now listen through headphones, decent enough for me, as, being progressively more and more hard of hearing (it's an age thing; most of you will suffer a similar fate...), there's no point in investing in super-duper ones. Superlux are fine. I have, very recently, acquired an excellent pair of monitor speakers, but have yet to really listen through them seriously; it would disturb the rest of the household. All is played through my audio interface, a very nice Tascam unit. I've never listened to 'background music' of any sort (intentionally...), and listen to far more classical works than pop or rock, with some exceptions, such as Joni Mitchell or Grateful Dead when the mood takes me.
Music is like most arts, I find; mostly to do with one's personal situation at any one time. Sometimes the effect is bold, at other times not so, or not at all. I've been moved to tears by Tchaikovsky, but listening to the same piece some years later, was moved not at all. Not all music is sacred, anyway; the first Schubert symphonies are a far cry from the 8th or 9th. I shan't be listening to them again any time soon. I have, however, great respect for those later works. 'Snot his fault; everyone has to learn, haven't they..?

Edited March 6, 2016 by Dad3353

[timmo]

I bought a jukebox, so a I listen to my CD's on that.

[neepheid]

I ditched my separates for one of these:



I don't understand the witchcraft employed in making something this small sound as good as it does, and I'm OK with that

[ambient]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1457228686' post='2996599']
I ditched my separates for one of these:



I don't understand the witchcraft employed in making something this small sound as good as it does, and I'm OK with that
[/quote]

That's like my niece has, very good, and incredible for the size. She stays with a couple of nights each week and just carries it in her bag.

[ambient]

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1457228411' post='2996598']
I bought a jukebox, so a I listen to my CD's on that.
[/quote]

A real one ?

I knew someone who had one in his music room. The first thing you saw when you went into his flat was pinball machine in the entrance hall, it looked very cool.