Does anyone just listen to music anymore without critiquing their system

[taters]

Yes, I'm guilty of the above. Though on Thanksgiving I actually listened to music for 12 hours straight without one critique. It was my happiest day of listening to music in a long time.

 

[treitz3]

Everyday to answer your question. I experienced bliss today on many an occasion with many an album.

That said, to improve one's system? One must critique. That's how we advance and not stay stagnant.

Tom

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

At the risk of losing my Audiophile cred .. I listen to Spotify and Pandora at work most of the day .. :b ...

 

[amirm]

When I got into the hobby decades back, that is all I did! These days 90% of my listening is just to enjoy the music. I probably criticize the recording more than the system.

 

[treitz3]

I probably criticize the recording more than the system.

Ohhhhhh, ain't that the truth brother.....ain't that the truth.....

Tom

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Hi

At the risk of losing my Audiophile cred .. I listen to Spotify and Pandora at work most of the day .. :b ...

I have no audiophile cred. And I love Pandora.

Tim

 

[Bill Hart]

Does listening to test tones count? Of course I do. There are times when I am in system analysis mode and there are times when I just put my feet up and get sucked into the music.

 

[HedgeHog]

I find that I enjoy listening to music via my lousy PC and in the car. Now that I have a better system I end up playing the same "demo discs" to nitpick the gear and always come away disappointed.

-Hedwig

 

[flez007]

Yes, I'm guilty of the above. Though on Thanksgiving I actually listened to music for 12 hours straight without one critique. It was my happiest day of listening to music in a long time.

Are you kidding??? I even criticize ambience music at restaurants!!!!

 

[GaryProtein]

Are you kidding??? I even criticize ambience music at restaurants!!!!

So do I. I wish their music would be played at ZERO dB.

I don't go to restaurants to hear music. When we were kids, we were taught to speak quietly and not be boisterous at restaurants because we weren't the only people there. Civility is gone from most restaurants, even expensive ones. Having money to go to a nice place does not imply having sophistication or finesse. I go to have good food and enjoy quietly talking with whomever I am with. I don't need their music.

 

[GaryProtein]

My system never disappoints me. Some recordings do.

Unless something comes along that makes me change my mind, my system is done for now.

 

[JackD201]

I'm at a point where I know almost all of my systems idiosyncrasies. Because of that if something is "off" it's dealt with pretty quickly. Leaves me listening to music more than the system which I've tried my best to be tuned to get out of the way in the first place.

 

[opus111]

Mainly to enjoy the music. Then along comes a recording which makes me wonder - is there something wrong with that, or is it my system? Which makes me curious to track down stuff - most recently its transient distortion on particularly dynamic piano notes.

 

[A.wayne]

So do I. I wish their music would be played at ZERO dB.

I don't go to restaurants to hear music. When we were kids, we were taught to speak quietly and not be boisterous at restaurants because we weren't the only people there. Civility is gone from most restaurants, even expensive ones. Having money to go to a nice place does not imply having sophistication or finesse. I go to have good food and enjoy quietly talking with whomever I am with. I don't need their music.

+1kabillion and its the first thing you notice when travelling , the Din in American restaurants is off the chain ... !!!

 

[Shaffer]

About 6 years ago I sold all of my gear, after spending +20 years assembling an audio system. I did that, because I stopped listening to music. Music, as an entity, became fuel for my audiophile obsession. The end was no longer driving the means; it was the other way around. So, I sold the whole lot and spent the following several years playing and enjoying music on my desktop, in the car, anywhere and everywhere other than sitting in a head-locked position in my house.

The system I have now is significantly more modest in its aspirations, but I enjoy it more. No critical listening at all. Just music.

 

[flez007]

So do I. I wish their music would be played at ZERO dB.

I don't go to restaurants to hear music. When we were kids, we were taught to speak quietly and not be boisterous at restaurants because we weren't the only people there. Civility is gone from most restaurants, even expensive ones. Having money to go to a nice place does not imply having sophistication or finesse. I go to have good food and enjoy quietly talking with whomever I am with. I don't need their music.

Some several times I do, actually I was last week with my wife at a nice Italian restaurant with an above-average sound system, great food, service, a view to the Acapulco bay, but playing decaffeinated music from the Beatles! Aaarrggghhhhhhh

 

[Bill Hart]

Some several times I do, actually I was last week with my wife at a nice Italian restaurant with an above-average sound system, great food, service, a view to the Acapulco bay, but playing decaffeinated music from the Beatles! Aaarrggghhhhhhh

You know you are in an old school Italian restaurant when they are playing the standard background loop which usually consists of 'Amore, "Theme from the Godfather," "Volare,", etc.
You know it is time to leave when you've heard the Theme from the Godfather more than 3 times.

 

[JackD201]

You also know it's time to go when you've eaten more slices of Pizza than Dean Martin has sung the words "Pizza Pie".

 

[flez007]

You know you are in an old school Italian restaurant when they are playing the standard background loop which usually consists of 'Amore, "Theme from the Godfather," "Volare,", etc.
You know it is time to leave when you've heard the Theme from the Godfather more than 3 times.

That would be the closest definition of hell!

 

[Soundminded]

Once I have all the controls for a recording set exactly the way I want them, I just sit back and listen. I just listened again to Von Karajan's 1964 recording of the Brahms 1st symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic on a DG CD. Pure pleasure to me. I did leave my smart phone SPL meter running thought. Levels varied from 30 db to 95 db. At the 30 db level there was no noise from the sound system. Any background noise was from mechanical systems in the house or from outside which is pretty quiet. BTW, I highly recommend this disc. It also has Schumann's Overture, Scherzo, and Finale.