Does your speaker obsession mean you do not enjoy some music as you used to?

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Help me out in the comments with music you appreciate more with your upgraded speakers.

Tell me what you can't listen to anymore, too.

I'll go first:

I'm already irked by how well my Monitor 12 reveal a bad mix/recording, but add in the new-to-me Yamaha amp this week? ARGH!!!

Every fake snare and tom on the whole Purple Rain CD makes my ears stand up and say

'No. Nope. That's a synth. Not drums. Don't like it. No, not at all. Have some discomfort, Steve.'

Gardenstater

Yes

I voted yes but if you had the opposite I would've voted yes also. More often I am listening to musical genres that I would never have enjoyed before without a system that sounds this good.

TroyD

No

Good music is good music. Good recordings are good recordings......but they are independent concepts.

I've gone through periods where I listen for good sound rather than good music but I'm much happier listening to good music. I have lots of stellar recordings of **** music. Sheffield Labs put out a lot, Telarc has some.....The Casino Royale soundtrack that Harry Pearson (The Absolute Sound) used to pleasure himself too...

I'd much rather listen to a poorly recorded Pretenders album.....

Hifi should enhance your music appreciation, not define it.

My .02. YMMV

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TroyD wrote: »

I'd much rather listen to a poorly recorded Pretenders album.....

My City was Gone. I listen to that song every week... for years. Sounds great on earbuds. Sounds great on the stereo.

rooftop59

No

Gardenstater wrote: »

I voted yes but if you had the opposite I would've voted yes also. More often I am listening to musical genres that I would never have enjoyed before without a system that sounds this good.

I would agree with this. Better equipment (and a classically trained musician spouse) have led me to explore lots of genres and artists that I otherwise wouldn’t have.

OTOH, There are a handful of indie (actual independent basement type recordings) from the 90s that I loved in college that I now realize are just terrible recordings. I don’t listen to them much at home, but that’s mostly cause I’m mainly in the mood to hear them in the car when I’m driving by myself…and my spouse hates them! 😂

Gardenstater

Yes

I can hardly listen to ELO anymore. So over-compressed, all dynamic range stripped from it. I still appreciate it creatively, just don't care to listen to it on a nice system.

mhardy6647

No

Here.
Try this:



https://youtu.be/z-K1nMbL77Q

and this:



https://youtu.be/rdT58JW1yF8

DaveHo

Yes

Voted yes, which is why I have multiple systems. Sometimes you just want to rock out. That's my shop system. Loud n' proud!

txcoastal1

Yes

It's like driving down the road hearing one of your jams like Journey...decide when you get home or maybe the next weekend to fire it up on the rig....

And the recording s u x.

Back 10 or so years ago, I put together an entire new rig. Usher MD2's, Pass XA35, great DAC and cables. Debuted the system at Lonestar Audiofest. Sounded great with all that audiophile music etc.

Get the rig home, tell the wife how badazz it is, she asks to play at that time one of her favs...Adele,
blah, sounded like shat, and she even noticed. Then here comes the ..."how much did that cost"...lol

Then came the ..."That sounds better on the HT system" (Polk Lsi25)

jbreezy5

No

Have to say “no”. My speaker obsession allows me to appreciate more music, as it gives more flexibility in what can be heard with enjoyment.

Too revealing? Throw in the Wharfedales. Too dull? Switch to the Monitor Audio or KEFs.

Want things to always sound good? Martin Logans; yes, please. There’s something about their transparency that enhances playback, even on poor recordings. Bass is extraordinary; no sub needed.

BlueBirdMusic

No

NO
Music can last for years in our minds; no matter when encountered.
Credit to @audioluvr for saying it best in early March regarding music encountered in the past:

Credit to @mhardy6647 for his posts in this thread regarding music encountered in the "here and now" for two artists that I've never heard; but listened, liked, and wanted to hear more from both artists. (and others throughout this forum)

TennMan

Yes

I voted yes because I have grown so use to my SDAs that I crave songs that are not only good music but also have great SDA sound.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy well recorded music that I have always considered my favorites before I heard SDA speakers. I just tend to drift toward the ones that are well recorded and have the SDA sound I like.

This is an example that comes to mind. It is very open sounding with lots of instruments that can be picked out with precision in different locations around the room with my 2Bs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0U55Io0Z9E&list=OLAK5uy_nY5vTbyJQBHmubrYmo49x0ZNq8zrIh7CM

audioluvr

No

Gardenstater wrote: »

I can hardly listen to ELO anymore. So over-compressed, all dynamic range stripped from it. I still appreciate it creatively, just don't care to listen to it on a nice system.

My daughter and I were just jamming out to ELO last night. I don't know what part of your system is making them sound compressed (your source?) but maybe you should look elsewhere.

I've found some original LP's sound bad compared to their digitally remastered versions of CD or Tidal (My streaming service of choice) and then there are original LP's that makes digital sources sound mediocre.

Speakers alone don't make the music enjoyable but certain ones can enhance some genres.

Gardenstater

Yes

audioluvr wrote: »

Gardenstater wrote: »

I can hardly listen to ELO anymore. So over-compressed, all dynamic range stripped from it. I still appreciate it creatively, just don't care to listen to it on a nice system.

My daughter and I were just jamming out to ELO last night. I don't know what part of your system is making them sound compressed (your source?) but maybe you should look elsewhere.

I've found some original LP's sound bad compared to their digitally remastered versions of CD or Tidal (My streaming service of choice) and then there are original LP's that makes digital sources sound mediocre.

Speakers alone don't make the music enjoyable but certain ones can enhance some genres.

I seem to have hit a nerve. ELO Out of the Blue will always be considered by me to be one of the great creative works. I just tend to choose higher dynamic range types of musical performances these days, the better my audio system gets. Often times they are live, where there wasn't a lot of studio compression applied. So many examples. Here's a few (hi res when available):

Mountain Eruption Live in Europe
Nektar Live at Chipping Norton Studios 1974
Billy Joel Piano Man (the live stuff in the extended album)
Roy Hargrove Earfood
Page & Plant Unledded
Little Feat Electrif Lycanthrope: Live at Ultra-Sonic Studios, 1974
Steely Dan Two Against Nature
Steely Dan Gaucho
Tool Fear Inoculum
Supertramp Crime Of The Century

Nothing wrong with my audio system. Cheers 👌

Tony M

No

TennMan wrote: »

I voted yes because I have grown so use to my SDAs that I crave songs that are not only good music but also have great SDA sound.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy well recorded music that I have always considered my favorites before I heard SDA speakers. I just tend to drift toward the ones that are well recorded and have the SDA sound I like.

This is an example that comes to mind. It is very open sounding with lots of instruments that can be picked out with precision in different locations around the room with my 2Bs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0U55Io0Z9E&list=OLAK5uy_nY5vTbyJQBHmubrYmo49x0ZNq8zrIh7CM

There's music coming out of my printer at times.

Great sound stage.