Listening generally I have either the radio stream or random play from the nas while doing sometihng else. I do stop and actively listen occasionally either because something I haven’t heard for a while comes on, or something suddenly strikes me in the sound. (That happens more frequently now, since my recent system changes). Mrs Bruss has got used to me just stopping and staring into space :-).
Listening session, usually of an evening is different. I’ll have the ipad by me but rarely pick it up and I sit, relax and let the music and words take over, almost ‘zoning out’. It’s an active and immersive experience for me. As said above, more like attending an event.
If I’ve got all day by myself with the potential of many hours of listening, I tend to start off more relaxed with it. Which no pressure to get into “The Zone” I find is more better when I do eventually get there. Letting the system play to itself, warming up and stretching its legs whilst I’m pottering about cleaning or sorting something out. Gives me time to get my ears in to what I’m in the mood for.
You don’t, and my reply didn’t mean you did, I was simply acknowledging your response and indicating I understood. Please read it as if I had said “I understand’!
I tried to say that I don’t think it was necessary from you to comment my first post . People share their habits in listening to music, that’s all. My 1 hour sessions are just my way of listening. Your interpretations on that are pointless. Sorry to say.
If I’m streaming I often read at the same time. When it’s vinyl, twenty minutes is the limit of my concentration, and no book is necessary.
The dog is not a great fan of music, but I will scratch his head if he’s in the mood for close company.
Since returning to vinyl after some 30 years I tend to turn the lights down low, light a fire and put my feet up. It’s just like the old days.
Hmm, if I recall your post to which I responded had specifically referred to an earlier post of mine, opening the matter… But it is closed now - happy listening however you like it!
Often surf the web on my laptop, other times do some yoga or practice karate (brown belt working towards my black). As far as yoga goes, I’m one of the weird ones that gets down on the floor when auditioning speakers at my dealer. No ‘sweet spot’ only for me!
I have never said others have ‘suggested’ their way is right and others wrong, I said others ‘think’ their way is the right way. People can read this thread and make their own minds up if any of the contributors are inferring their way is the right way and others are wrong.
The title of this thread seems to invite an honest look at how we all listen to music. But some of the contributions have a whif of a ‘how can you possibly do anything else but solely listen to the music, without any other distractions, if you are a true music lover’ inference.
Before you get all defensive, I am not saying anyone has said this, but the inference is there IMV, together with a lack of acceptance that there are other quite legitimate ways of consuming music, other than sat in a dimly lit room with total concentration on music at the exclusion of all else.
Thread diversion but yes dealers used to think I was slightly mad as I walked around a demo room and sat on the floor in various places, or asked them to walk around in front of me when I was sitting.
There’s no right or wrong way to listen - tho I used to be faintly appalled on Head Fi by people who had their headphones/ IEMs on all day…devalues music IMHO.
I used to just listen to a whole album at a time, but 6 months into getting my ND5 XS2 last year, and adding Spotify, I now feel like a child locked in a sweet shop overnight. Typically I used to hear a new artists when they would be starting out, then buy their first couple of albums as they got older.
Thanks to this Spotify and this Forum I haver found over a dozen new artists that I like, but they all have 5-20 albums, and so I find myself jumping around all over the place. I hope it will settle down so that I can listen to one more intently, and this Topic has helped me to focus a little more, and last night I stayed with one album which was great.
I tend to listen to an album all the way through, possibly skipping the odd track that fails to please. Occasionally I will break this habit when an album pops into my mind, or if I see something on a Music Room thread on here (I know, I am one of those weirdos who occasionally reads while listening to music), and jump to another album. The advent of subscription streaming does facilitate this ‘flitting’ behaviour and it can be quite fun on occasion, but I prefer to listen to albums in their entirety.
I don’t make playlists of favourite tracks, or any other playlists for that matter, unless I am trying out a new bit of kit and want familiar material to assess it. I dread doing this BTW. I will also reach a natural point where I want to end a listening session, it might be an hour, it might be longer. If it is an hour, I can assure you it will have nothing to do with listening fatigue due to some kind of failing with my system.
The most important thing is you listen to music in ways that give you personally the most enjoyment. And there is no standard or norms for that.
For me, one of the best ways of assessing either a prospective upgrade or just how my system is sounding generally is to try to read while I have a record on. If the music is sufficiently engaging that it’s impossible to focus on my book, then (assuming there are no obvious issues) all is well.
