How do you listen to music?

[Tobra]

For me, the answer has to be it depends.

Lately, I have been using these very old Harmon Kardon computer speakers playing stuff off the phone. Portable, works well when I am working outside. Not bad sound quality actually, far superior to the off brand walkman and powered speakers I had back in the day, with a cornucopia of bootleg cassettes purchased in the PI. Ex wife stole every one of those cassettes, that *****. Oh well, none of the grandkids can stand her, and I am going to baby sit a couple of them in about 5 minutes. It bugs the crap out of her the way the grandkids feel about her, versus myself and more importantly to the ex, my current wife.

When I was a lad, I had this Sony waterproof cassette player, which paired nicely with the home turntable and cassette player I had. Still have that receiver and speakers out in the garage Waterproof singing suitcase eventually gave up the ghost, due to rough use mostly, it actually was water proof when the seals were all new. Its replacement paled in comparison, water resistant, with far, far fewer features.

So what do you do for tunes?

[dad911]

I say "Hey Google Play ****" where **** is the genre I'm in the mood for.

[Robert Coats]

Like this one? I had one in the early 80s; it was quite robust.



Today, about 70% is via my phone and Bluetooth headphones, and the other 30% using a nice Marshall Bluetooth speaker out in the shop downstairs. Once it gets a fresh coat of paint, the largest room in the basement will be my sound room. All my stereo equipment is staged and on standby. Can't wait to hear some schweet aural goodness.

[mjohnson]

Some kind of sony (555ES?) gifted to us when that early adopter colleague twenty years ago needed more hookups for his AV toys. Seems solid - and I can plug in whatever I need. It's also nearly 30 lbs so I guess it's good.

Now to drag up the definitive subwoofer to offend the parents. Their little speakers are awesome BTW...

[herr_oberst]

I prefer live music, but I went to get tickets to see the Rev. Horton Heat the other day, and the price was 110 bucks. Last I saw them, fall of 2019, Horton Heat tickets were 25 bucks!
I suspect I won't be able to see as much live music if that's the new normal.

My preference at home is vinyl....(or Blu-Ray) when I have time
but I have hundreds of CD's and thousands of MP3 files for convenience.

[Baz]

While in my Silverado, Volvo, or on my bicycles, or working outside or in the garage or at job sites, I use flash drives that are loaded with MP3 files from my folder library on my PC.

The flash drives play on my portable stereos, double din Pioneer (Silverdao & Volvo), or receivers in garage and patios. I have outdoor speakers on 3 of the 4 sides of my house.

Inside, I have a conventional Yamaha receiver, 5 disc CD changer, turntable, and huge Legacy floor speakers.

On my desktop PC I have an Altec Lansing speaker set w/subwoofer.

All of my portable speakers are rechargeable - no batteries.

I change up my flash drives all the time as the mood strikes.

[cantdrv55]

I really only listen to music when I'm in the garage, backyard BBQing or pulling weeds and it's always via Pandora on my iPhone tuned to Classic R&B channel.

[aschen]

Cheapo bluetooth speaker in garage, base model stereo in focus and cayman, 500+ lb fancy stereo in living room. Mostly streaming and youtube music videos on the later

[look 171]

Sadly I really don't listen to music anymore. I do have some music on in the car if I am alone. That usually comes off Amazon music. Thing is, I only hear the first 20 seconds of the music then I tune out most of the time. I sometimes have music on off utube when I am working on my desk usually at night and that when I am here because I am bored of my paper work

[JackDidley]

Youtube, On my laptop or the TV. I dont need great speakers, just great tunes.

[WPOZZZ]

With my ears. Youtube on my TV or cd/radio on the Bose.

[pwd72s]

Usually headphones...

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I prefer live music, but I went to get tickets to see the Rev. Horton Heat the other day, and the price was 110 bucks. Last I saw them, fall of 2019, Horton Heat tickets were 25 bucks!
I suspect I won't be able to see as much live music if that's the new normal.

My preference at home is vinyl....(or Blu-Ray) when I have time
but I have hundreds of CD's and thousands of MP3 files for convenience.

Dayum .... that's redonkulou$. Like buying albums/CDs .... I used to see 2-3 live shows every week.... for decades. I don't anymore for many reasons .... kidz can't afford to do what I did anymore .

I hate MP3s ..... just because

......Now get off my lawn!

[Chocaholic]

I spend far more time in the evening listening to music and almost none watching TV these days (active vs passive listening). We invested in a high end 2 channel set up, sources are a streamer and CD player into the same DAC and of course, a turntable.

Reproducing a live event (or close) in the living room with an endless supply of music and genres has been a great journey. Getting things set up and delivering accurate dynamics and a realistic soundstage (yes, you can tell where each musician is, left to right and front to back) has become an enjoyable hobby as well.

[KFC911]

^^^^ Yer just an old 'phile!

There .... I said it and I ain't takin' it back either!

Nice

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

I spend far more time in the evening listening to music and almost none watching TV these days (active vs passive listening). We invested in a high end 2 channel set up, sources are a streamer and CD player into the same DAC and of course, a turntable.

Reproducing a live event (or close) in the living room with an end endless supply of music and genres has been a great journey. Getting things set up and delivering accurate dynamics and a realistic soundstage (yes, you can tell where each musician is, left to right and front to back) has become an enjoyable hobby as well.

That is a nice set-up.

Myself - I have a desk top computer in my art studio area. I must have over 8000 songs on file: a mix of ripped CDs and downloaded music. I transfer this file onto a card which used in my car. I update this when I add music.

I also have vinyl (which sounds so much better). I have a Mac 1900 receiver mated to a Thorens turntable if I just want to listen. Most of this library is pre 1978.

[masraum]

These days, mostly Pandora on the cell phone to a set of noise cancelling headphones while I'm working or via carplay in the car.

Back in the day, I had a Sony WM-7.


Unfortunately, I don't have any of my old stereo equipment. It all went when we downsized.

[GH85Carrera]

Right this second, as I type this on my computer:

Pandora Subscription service through the Altec Lansing computer speakers and a subwoofer, with a 115 volt power supply. When La Grange is on I occasionally hear from the spouse to "turn that down!" and she is in the living room in the center of the house and I am in the corner office.

When mowing the yard, I listen with noise canceling Bluetooth headphones, and my cell phone as the source of Pandora. Same for working in my garage, only a iPad 2nd generation my wife used when new, hooked to cheaper computer speakers powered by the 115 volt wall socket and the iPad WiFI from my router.

In both cars, I have a 32 GB thumb drive, with all 130 CDs I own ripped to max quality, minimum compression MP3s. In the 911 I have the Blaupunkt Bremen that I love. It has two different USB connection, and a SD card. The SD car I have is one that is really old and only 4 Gig, and has just my favorites, the others have either all the songs, or just special albums.

I have not listened to radio in many long years.

I have used Pandora for a long time, and pay the subscription fee for unlimited listening. I have a "Glen's Favorite" channel and lots of thumbs up and down songs. They are doing a great job of throwing in artists and songs I had never heard. Rob Zombie was one I had never heard and he has some nice "easy listing" music. I have a lot of Southern rock and Pandora throws in an occasional C&W song with some nasal twang, and it gets a quick thumbs down, and we carry on.

[oldE]

If I'm listening to music, usually I am
1/ in a car, going somewhere.
2_/ on the tractor or lawn mower, wearing ear protection with an AM/FM radio built in, or
3/ getting another listen to a song I am adding to my play list.
Never while just sitting around. If I am reading I don't want the distraction.

Best
Les

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Getting things set up and delivering accurate dynamics and a realistic soundstage (yes, you can tell where each musician is, left to right and front to back) has become an enjoyable hobby as well.

That looks like a very nice system, Choc. I prefer tubes also. In our main living room system "soundstage" is nearly frightening. Sounds coming from locations nowhere near the speakers. Stunning detail. 8 WPC. 300B tubes. 103db speakers. Speaker placement is our only tool. This system has no tone controls whatsoever. There is a preamp, for purposes of managing impedance, input selector and volume control.
Removing the tone controls was a sonic victory. YMMV.

Tobra, the living room system uses a DAT with bluetooth capability. The DAT feeds the preamp. Cable Internet feeds the TV, phones and computers, vida modem and router.
They feed the DAT either though bluetooth, coax cable or optical cable. Turntable feeds the preamp directly. Music sources include vinyl and Amazon Music. And...you know....youtube and such.

Garage system (Leak TL/12+ monoblocks using EL-84 output tubes feeding Dahlquist DQ-8 speakers) has no wireless capability. No preamp at all. It is fed by computer or phone using 3.5mm plug cable. Same as my headphones (direct from computer or phone to my ears using headphone). Pretty much everyone who visits my garage comments on the sound system. It's pretty good.