How do you listen to your music ?

[Fantastic]

How do you listen to your music on your stereo system or AV system. The focus here is on music without video .

I like to listen to it best late evenings when it is already getting dark and with the lights very low (not off!), only warm lighting...no blue lights like white LED's or small fluorescent lamps.
I also like to have company which likes the kind of music being played and if possible maybe something 'nice' to drink ! Sometimes it is nice even without anyone when one can really 'dig' into the music without any distractions. Like for example playing Moody Blues "Threshold of a Dream" or Pink Floyd "Dark side of the Moon" etc. it pays to concentrate totally to the music and have no external interference. You become part of what's happening ! The end of the room with the music system should be 'dark'. The gadgets should not attract my attention . If the power lamps (LED's) or displays are too bright I cover them.

With some music, I like to listen to it with my eyes closed , but not for all types of music. In my case I never use my AVR for playing stereo music for these special occasions . Nowadays this doesn't happen too often and not as loud as I used to play them. But it's still enjoyable. Good company is always an asset ! However, no conversation while the tracks are playing !

How about you guys ?

 

[reubensm]

I usually do critical listening at night when all are asleep. Most part of the first floor of my home is a largish hall where is sit on my easy chair listening to music playing at low volumes. Usually have a cup of hot chocolate in hand. My usual listening times are between 12 midnight and 2:30am (when in India). The levels are usually low to moderate and I get closer to the speakers. During the day time, I usually play my music loud as the entire house-hold listens. My listening staple is usually vinyl during the nights. I like to listen and doze off only to be woken up by silence (record side finishes). Generally, two of these waking up instances signify that its time to hit the bed and get some sleep. If I am working on a restoration or a DIY project, I can go the entire night without sleep with music playing in the background.

 

[koushik]

Very seldom I listen music casually, doing other jobs. I always hear it dedicatedly. Sitting alone.
Late evening, a darkroom, quiet surroundings, Doors and Windows closed, eyes closed - Let the music play. For me, closing the eyes gives me better sense of imaging and 3D Sound stage.

The drum rolling, the cymbal ringing can only be enjoyed in quietude.

 

[sound_cycle]

Wait for the Monk and mentalist to finish on Star World, help the wife to finish off the kitchen chores (entirely enlightened self interest), grit teeth and will the infernal thumping of someone playing football (?) above to (hopefully) stop ...

(all part of the joys of listening in the living room, no probs I am hardly home during the day anyway)

Close all doors and windows

The only noise thing that remains after that is the whirring of the fan from the house below.

Select the album, switch off the telly, and listen.

I rarely have the volume above 7 or 8 and I don't think anyone apart from me hears anything

If its a sat then maybe with some whisky ....

ciao
gr

 

[ghatgepatil]

@ Fantastic

You have, kind of provided a virtual replica of the scenario at my side too, with only a few exceptions, maybe. Me is for strictly 2-channel audio.

Late evening hours with a drink in hand, with maximum 2 heads as company, if present, otherwise alone. Yes, I also end up stretching my legs atop a mid-size low-table in front of my sofa-set. Lighting necessarily has to be dim & warm (yellow).

It is a largish room exclusively used as 'my music room'. Eyes are closed for Indian classical - vocals & Western classical and many a times have dozed off in the sitting position with the slumber-peace suddenly shattered with a nudge from my bitter half insisting to join the family for dinner.

Don't like to play loud, though amp-speaker capable of ear-splitting levels without breaking a sweat. Once a while do so anyway, if company requests.

Amp lights don't bother me. Though, am a CD person and have stuck to this version of music-listening since a long time, see no point in NOT admitting that vinyl route would have been far superior. For me, convenience rules over absolute realism, SO, I ain't an audiophile, just a music lover.

 

[reubensm]

bitter half

Hope she ain't reading this post :lol:

 

[Vivek Rao]

Thanks for this post. Its been on my mind to share and also get the experiences of fellow forum members on this topic....

I guess all of us spend such a lot of time surfing our Forum and other sites too and then investing in a nice setup. After the initial euphoria has died down it then seems very interesting to discuss on our music "listening" experiences.
For me (and am sure for many others) the challenge has been to toggle between work related stress, working on tasks at home, wife and kid factors and avoiding distractions of home wifi (ipad, mobiles and what have you..).

The best time seems to be morning where I get about 45 minutes to listen to classical (Hindustani mostly) music on my system. Many times I have tried to multi task trying to also peek at newspaper or surf the news due to paucity of time. I readily acknowledge that it does not work and music can only enjoyed if we get into a "meditative mood" while listening. The times I enjoy listening is when I can focus only on music and nothing else. Such mornings are few in number.

I hate to say this, but I am so tired in the evenings on weekdays, that many a time listening sessions become too relaxing leading to drowsiness. So this does not work for me.

Weekends are perfect - Saturday morning and evenings with extended sessions is what I look forward to. Depending on the music I also try to follow the lyrics from websites...

 

[Fantastic]

........ just a music lover............

Actually that's what this is all about !

Those who stray too far , get lost in the woods !
I have not played a single disc other than stereo discs through my AVR for the last 5 years ! Even videos are switched to 2 channel mode !
But then, the regular stereo amp is used most of the time.

 

[Tanoj]

After reading this thread i felt thrust to listen to music now .. feel like to rush home and have a nice listening session

i completly turn off the lights, cover the amp with cloth, pull the speakers little more further into the room

a beer or wine does the magic of setting up the mood, play some slow songs etc

Regards

Tanoj

 

[hydra]

I mostly listen to music at night too. I usually watch an episode or so of some some mini-series first, starting at 9PM. Since the audio output is common (my 2-ch setup), that gives the electronics a 40-50 minute warm up, and my mind a 40-50 minute window of detachment from the rest of the day (the latter being just a side advantage, not a deliberately intended thing pre-music).

After this, I switch to the Music PC and start playing what I feel in the mood to listen to. I too keep my room fairly dark while I listen (and also when I read). I leave on just a floorstanding lamp with a "warm" CFL bulb in it, in the rear LHS corner of the room, giving out a warm glow. I prefer to listen to music from my listening seat and from nowhere else. And I also do nothing while listening (no browsing/reading etc). I generally keep the phone away as soon as I get home anyway.

Since I'm single, and I stay by myself, I'm fortunate to have a dedicated room (um, house too) where I can listen to music for as long as I want, at whatever volumes I like. But then I rarely listen to music very loudly, or beyond 12AM these days: I value my sleep and make sure I get 7 to 8 hours everyday. But there are those occasional days when I'm really in the zone and one with the music, and the session stretches to 2AM or so, because of the 'just-one-more-track' syndrome.

I mostly prefer to listen to music by myself. Listening to music with friends does happen once in a while, but that's a different sort of enjoyment.

The lights on the amp and from the electronics in the rack used to bother me before, but they don't do that any more.