# What is your preferred mode of listening pleasure?



## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Just curious as to how the folks here get their regular music "fix".

I enjoy listening through good quality headphones for detailed, up close and personal aural delectation - though over an extended period of time (e.g. a Bruckner or Mahler symphony) this can fatigue the ears. I _prefer_ Hi End speakers, but the neighbours, unfortunately, are not so appreciative.

While driving is a "no, no" for me as I become too involved in the music and tend to leave the road, and "on the U-Bahn" listening via mp3, seems to be an insult to the recording engineers.

Premium listening pleasure to me is a darkened room with subdued lighting with an excellent sound system with me sitting in the sweet-spot. Of course this can also lead to sex, which distracts one from the delights of the music - but on balance, this is a fair trade-off.

And you...?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

KRoad said:


> [...]
> Premium listening pleasure to me is a darkened room with subdued lighting with an excellent sound system with me sitting in the sweet-spot. Of course this can also lead to sex, which distracts one from the delights of the music - but on balance, this is a fair trade-off.
> 
> And you...?


That's my 'premium place' too - though there is nowhere for it to lead, and so no trade-offs.


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## AlainB (Nov 20, 2011)

The best way to listen to music, to me, would be through headphones. 

I do have a set of good speakers, but I personally don't really prefer these to the headphones. It's always nice to get a feeling of being secluded whilst listening to the best music ever.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I prefer headphones. As to light or dark in the room, I tend to zone out, so I don't pay attention to that; plus, with the lights off and in a semi-trance, minor interruptions make me jump out of my skin. 

Having said that, most of my listening is either through speakers or in my car radio or through iPod earbuds. It's not optimum listening, but when I do finally get the headphones on, everything I've previously heard really jumps out.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Manxfeeder said:


> I prefer headphones. As to light or dark in the room, I tend to zone out, so I don't pay attention to that; plus, with the lights off and in a semi-trance, minor interruptions make me jump out of my skin.
> 
> Having said that, most of my listening is either through speakers or in my car radio or through iPod earbuds. It's not optimum listening, but when I do finally get the headphones on, everything I've previously heard really jumps out.


When you listen through headphones, where is the stage? For me. it is always somewhere behind my head. This is not ideal.


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## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

I think that for the kind of music I listen to most, Earphones are the way I go. I have just a fair set of speakers, and I have found that earphones give me more detail. Right now I am using Thinksound "Rain", but plan to upgrade this fall.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> When you listen through headphones, where is the stage? For me. it is always somewhere behind my head. This is not ideal.


I experience it as the back of my head, but inside my skull.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I don't even think of a stage myself


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

With my PC speakers:


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Sonata said:


> I don't even think of a stage myself


Hah. OK. Where does the music seem to be coming from?

That is a question _very_ important to many audiophiles, of course, but here I'm just asking whether or not you are facing the music.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Live in a concert hall or cathedral.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Hilltroll72 said:


> Hah. OK. Where does the music seem to be coming from?
> 
> That is a question _very_ important to many audiophiles, of course, but here I'm just asking whether or not you are facing the music.


Ahhh, I see. Well I'm no audiophile . As science said, in my head.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Having been involved in much recording over the years I have, by default as it were, become something of an audiophile. There are a lot of variables involved in receiving /hearing Hi Fidelity classical sound. The room in which one listens, how far speakers are from a wall/corner, bass traps, carpets, furniture etc, etc, all impact significantly on fidelity, independent of the quality of the system itself. Headphones seem to me to be a way of circumventing, or at least containing, these audio nuisances to an extent. As I mention above, it comes at the cost of ear fatigue - but given the extreme dynamics of classical music - very soft passages to extremely loud - headphones do offer a solution in less than silent surroundings. The better ones do address on the "stage" question, though this usually translates to wider and more spatial as opposed to the orchestra sitting centre and (more importantly) forward of the listener. However, given the mp3 revolution and the iPod, the time has never been better to find really good headphones. I have three top-notch headphones (well four actually). I choose which ones to use according to the piece I am listening to in order to enhance the sound and/or compensate for deficiencies in the recording itself.

Yes, it is a little obsessive I suppose, but it increases my listening pleasure and listening to and appreciating good music is what it is all about.


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## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

I seem to be able to locate the stage, and as far as Chamber Music goes its easy to form an mental image.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Investing in a great pair of headphones is a goal I have in the near future for myself.....I just need to stop spending that money on more music first!


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## Guest (Jul 4, 2012)

I have electrostatic speakers, so there's no problem with details and they provide an excellent sound stage! Overall, I prefer speakers, but to spare my wife unnecessary torture, I listen to 20th/21st century music with headphones (also electrostatic).


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

In bed, in the dark, eyes closed, headphones. Not listening to music this way every once in a while = loss of quality of life.
But in general just just through some hi-fi speakers.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Live, of course.

Next, speakers in the room, with 'distance' to travel, mix in the air in the room, and the depth and whatever acoustic ambience comes from that.

Headphones, a last-ditch and / or once in a blue moon only, for a 'clinical scan.' I get almost 0 'pleasure' from listening with earphones -- it's 'all business.'


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

This one time I placed two chairs on both sides of my bed with speakers on both chairs perfectly aligned and directed towards my pillow. Then I lay down and listened. It was very nice.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

I fear that all of you who listen through headphones are storing up major hearing loss in later life. I _never _listen through headphones.


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## carlmichaels (May 2, 2012)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I have electrostatic speakers, so there's no problem with details and they provide an excellent sound stage! Overall, I prefer speakers, but to spare my wife unnecessary torture, I listen to 20th/21st century music with headphones (also electrostatic).


I concur with you on the detail (especially vocal) of 'statics. What make, model, may I ask? I'm imagining Stax for the ear speakers.. My gold standard for the speakers are Quad ESL 57s.


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## DABTSAR (Dec 1, 2011)

in my car alone. I dont have a stereo set up at home currently. I can enjoy a concert but prefer solitude. "rock bands" live, no thanks.


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## powerbooks (Jun 30, 2012)

I have many different situations to listen to music: in car, in office (headphone), home (audio systems), and bed (CD boombox). If I am really serious about listening to a piece, I will go with my audio set up, either a Panasonic 1200 turntable, Anthem-1 tube CD + a tube amp push a pair of Klipsch KG4, or an Adcom CD + Yamaha receiver pushing a pair of Quartet. 

I know sometimes headphone may sound better, but it is not convenient to move around with a headphone on, and I enjoy sharing music (if it is allowed!).

Amazingly, I have so many iDevices, and did make some digital purchases and conversions of my CDs, including the "monumental" task of digitizing the complete Bach work (Hanssler version), I never really used my iDevices as main route for music listening!


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

I'm changing all CDs and tapes to MP3. I listen on my computer with an inexpensive (but good) pair of amplified speakers. I haven't touched my stereo in a long time.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I rarely listen to classical music when I'm out and about. I prefer to save it for my listening room when I can devote the full concentration it deserves without extraneous distractions.


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

Headphones. Many years ago I played music in live venues and recorded demos for 'other artists', and when that's coupled with a former hobby the result is my belief that my hearing isn't all it should be. But like they say "_it could always be worse._"
So with my headphones clamped to my tired old head I sit there - preferably alone, and definitely with the phone turned off/door intercom muted - and welcome the experience of lost time.

Also -


KRoad said:


> Of course this can also lead to sex, which distracts one from the delights of the music - but on balance, this is a fair trade-off.
> 
> And you...?


In my experience, it's even better when the sex leads to music.
But in any case, with all that in mind and as the great Stephen W. Desper is so fond of saying: "Good Listening".


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## Serge (Mar 25, 2010)

In a hot bath tub with the lights off. The door cracked a little for better sound.


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