Listening to music

Today, after too long without even a marginally decent stereo system, I bought a Bose surround sound system because it was on sale at Costco. After making my civil engineer daughter set it up, I pulled out my iPod and started listening to my collection of rock, old and new.

After repeated pleas from my wife to turn it down, I realized several things:

1. I hate background music. It drives me crazy when we go to someone's house and they play music at a "conversational level." Rock should be played either loud enough to make your ears bleed, or not at all.

2. Today's kids, raised listening to iPods with those horrible ear bud headphones, don't realize the crucial role that bass, both as an instrument and as a part of the music spectrum, plays in music. My own daughter, a genius in non-musical ways, asked me what the low rumbling was at the beginning of one song she knows well. She thought there was something wrong with the system. I said, "That's bass."

The exception is dorks in clapped out Hondas, who are so proud of their stereos that they crank them all the way up, long after the subs have been blown out. That's not bass. It's static, and simply a great way to demonstrate their wretched taste to all in the vicinity.

3. When I listen to music, I want people around me to be quiet. Same with when my son and I play. When friends come to my house and ask us to play, they need to shut the hell up.

4. Even a modest system like the one I bought makes a huge difference. Drawing through an iPod, which is a poor source medium, still sounds way better than those putrid systems built into a lot of new houses where the little round speakers are mounted in the ceilings. The wonderful weirdness of Tom Petty's voice is far more apparent. Drums sound like drums, not dinky little computerized machines. Reverb is reverbier. Multiple new dimensions are added.

5. The compression on most modern CD recordings is horrible. Way too much, I guess so it sounds better at low volumes. I wish new albums were offered both with and without it.

I'm not even an audiophile, though I did spend five years in front of Ampeg and Marshall stacks, chasing rock stardom that never happened.

[VINMAN]

Nothing like listening to vinyl, with all its imperfections. Glad i still have all my old albums.

[stuartj]

I dunno about this. First, those little Bose systems with tiny little speakers and sub woofers do a great job, theyre small and sylish and not everyone wants proper speakers- but they dont sound natural to me. Musical bass doesnt really sound like that. Good for movie FX.

If your listening to files off an ipod youre listening to a compressed file format which is missing lots of music.

Surround sound sucks for music. Two ear, two channels.

Im not an audiophile either. Just IMHO.

[Schrup]

I bet the stereo in my Honda sounds better than your Bose. This dork doesn't drink the Bose koolaid & my car needs a good stereo to drown out the road noise. Too bad you paid too much for your music.

[dennis in se pa]

You would be surprised at the bass that come from a good set of ear buds.

[911dean]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Nothing like listening to vinyl, with all its imperfections. Glad i still have all my old albums.

Vinyl just sounds "right" especially to us that started out with it.

I made the mistake of throwing most of mine away, including some turntables.

About a year ago I bought a turntable, I was immediately hooked. I know own more than 50 alblums and counting.

Dean

[Chocaholic]

Your daughter may have a better ear than you think. That low rumbling she asked about is, well, low rumbling. Have you never taken her to a live venue? Or...take her to a high end audio shop (if you can find one), and sit her in front of a well set up 2 channel system in a room with proper acoustics. She will experience imaging, texture and dynamics that have never eminated from anything wearing a Bose badge.

I bet the stereo in my Honda sounds better than your Bose. This dork doesn't drink the Bose koolaid & my car needs a good stereo to drown out the road noise. Too bad you paid too much for your music.

Hey, no intent to beat up on Hondas or their owners. I just picked a generic kind of car where I see this. I doubt you're the kind of guy
I'm talking about, unless you blast 110 decibels through blown speakers.

Like I said, the Bose is nothing special. I was buying to a price point.
Terry

[911dean]

NO need to beat up the Bose. It's alot better than what people previously have owned. It can then lead you down the path to a better system.

Dean

[Baz]

I use a turntable as well Vinny......and a pair of these.....



Talk all you want while my music plays.....it's like the proverbial tree falling in a forest.....

The Bose is indeed the beginning of a starter slope. But I have to be stealthy--my wife has NO ear for music, so buying anything is tricky. She doesn't understand why I need seven guitars either.

Your daughter may have a better ear than you think. That low rumbling she asked about is, well, low rumbling. Have you never taken her to a live venue? Or...take her to a high end audio shop (if you can find one), and sit her in front of a well set up 2 channel system in a room with proper acoustics. She will experience imaging, texture and dynamics that have never eminated from anything wearing a Bose badge.

That would be like taking her to look at Corgi pups. We'd come home with one.

I take your point. BTDT myself.

[VaSteve]

Without stepping into the Bose vs. the Rest of the World or Vinyl vs. the Rest of the World debate, I think it was Nostatic Todd that posted a youtube video years back how music is remixed differently today than it was in the past. I wonder if a part of that is due to the ways we listen now.

(I do have to laugh at those Bose ads with the lady in the city park trying to "noise cancel" the park sounds with her headset. )

Originally Posted by VaSteve

Without stepping into the Bose vs. the Rest of the World or Vinyl vs. the Rest of the World debate, I think it was Nostatic Todd that posted a youtube video years back how music is remixed differently today than it was in the past. I wonder if a part of that is due to the ways we listen now.

(I do have to laugh at those Bose ads with the lady in the city park trying to "noise cancel" the park sounds with her headset. )

Hey Steve--you bought an S2? Awesome for you, man! As you may recall, I'm a fan.

Hope you are well and still driving.

OP content: I have always disliked Bose because of their shrill high end. But my new system seems to be better balanced.

Terry

Originally Posted by Baz

I use a turntable as well Vinny......and a pair of these.....



Talk all you want while my music plays.....it's like the proverbial tree falling in a forest.....

Nice! Is that a Klipsch?

My daughter's S.O. is a big vinyl lover. Has a huge collection.

Terry

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by 911dean

Vinyl just sounds "right" especially to us that started out with it.

I made the mistake of throwing most of mine away, including some turntables.

About a year ago I bought a turntable, I was immediately hooked. I know own more than 50 alblums and counting.

Dean

Welcome back...

[Baz]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

Nice! Is that a Klipsch?

My daughter's S.O. is a big vinyl lover. Has a huge collection.

Terry

Thanks Terry - they're Legacy Classic's!

Audio Consultants - Used Equipment Details



I listen to my MP3 players too now - especially considering I work outside and always have music going - I use a couple portable players including a Kilpsch igroove and a Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere.





I also have some Creative Nano's and Stones





But the latest is my SanDisk Sansa



It's important to have options in life!

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

how music is remixed differently today than it was in the past. I wonder if a part of that is due to the ways we listen now.

Most is mixed digitally using Protools or similar now although real studios still use analogue outboard equipment. The 'in-the-box' mixers use emulator plug-ins that recreate the sound & effects of the outboard gear digitally. The so-called 'loudness wars' are a direct consequence of the iPod (and radio for that matter). The music companies want their songs to play 'louder' because that's what always wins the shuffle. To accomplish this, the mixer & masterer compress the dynamics to maximize the perceived volume. Nickelback's "Gotta Be Somebody" is a good example of this. Record companies are the guilty parties in this crime & it IS a crime.

Ian

[VaSteve]

Ian, yeah that was it. I was trying to find the video nostatic posted. If it was he that posted it. I could not find it.

OK, help out with this question, which, I realize, will expose the true depth of my ignorance of matters audio. I have heard passing reference from audiophiles that iPods are lousy source devices for music. Why? Isn't digital digital?

My favorite source of true sound is my guitar, but alas, not everyone agrees.