How do you listen to music?

strider

No, I'm not interested in where you listen and I've heard tales of what some wear when they listen:eek: . I'm interested in how you go about listening to your music when you're evaluating a system. For instance, I've had hearingimpaired's Clamp for about 2 weeks now, and want to give my impressions of it. I know that I enjoy the sound of my system while using it, but I can't articulate what I like better about it.


So, when you sit down and get serious about hearing what's going on, what do you do? Do you listen to the selection, taking mental notes of the soundstage, then follow an instrument listening to its voice only, then so on and so forth 'til you've evaluated all facets of it? Or do you listen to the selection as a whole, and capture everything together? Do you take written notes?

I know when I hear something I like. When I regroup to put down what I feel, I either stop at "sounds good to me" or come up with flowery superlatives that seem more a regurgitation of what I think I should be hearing.

steveinaz

I catch myself listening to the texture of voices. I think voices are a very tough thing to get right in a system, and are a good indicator of system accuracy (or inaccuracy). I also listen for soundstage depth; is there a sense of air around instruments, do cymbals have a "brassy" sound to them. I'll sometimes close my eyes to see if the music overall sounds real; do the performers sound like they are in the room. I think the big 3 elements are: 1) voice; 2) drums; 3) piano. If your system is recreating these relatively accurately with impact, lack of chestiness, and tonal balance; you've got a good system.

Like I said in another thread, I have yet to hear any audio system, at any price, correctly "portray" a live drum set. I doubt I ever will.

BlueMDPicker

steveinaz wrote: »

Like I said in another thread, I have yet to hear any audio system, at any price, correctly "portray" a live drum set. I doubt I ever will.

I hadn't either until a few weeks ago when I heard George's Amazings.

amulford

Here Here. I can vouch for that. But you really need to have the power for them to realize it. No ****...

Early B.

Start by understanding the terminology: http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/

hearingimpared

steveinaz wrote: »

I catch myself listening to the texture of voices. I think voices are a very tough thing to get right in a system, and are a good indicator of system accuracy (or inaccuracy). I also listen for soundstage depth; is there a sense of air around instruments, do cymbals have a "brassy" sound to them. I'll sometimes close my eyes to see if the music overall sounds real; do the performers sound like they are in the room. I think the big 3 elements are: 1) voice; 2) drums; 3) piano. If your system is recreating these relatively accurately with impact, lack of chestiness, and tonal balance; you've got a good system.

Like I said in another thread, I have yet to hear any audio system, at any price, correctly "portray" a live drum set. I doubt I ever will.

Steve, try the Sheffield Drum Record, it is the closest thing I have ever heard to live drums . . . even on a so / so rig.

ben62670

Early B. wrote: »

Start by understanding the terminology: http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/

I am going to be an audio snob in about two weeks:p

George Grand

F*CK the Sheffield Drum Record. There are plenty that do real drums without the fanfare. The selection that I think Mike is referring to that we listened to while he was here was Miles Davis "Seven Steps to Heaven". I'm not real crazy about Miles himself. I don't really care for "Kind of Blue" or any of his other big hits so to speak. But man, the guys he had on the payroll. It's a Columbia recording and the drums sound real. And Tony Williams the drummer, was about 16 years old for that recording.

strider

So, in a nut shell, get comfortable, relax, get into the music and compare it to an actual performance? Hearing it that way makes me feel a lot better. I guess when I read an experienced "audiophile's" perspective I come away feeling as if this stuff's prohibitively complicated. Having a list of the terminology is very helpful, thanks for the link Early. To add to that, I feel like there's an element of elitism that goes along with this hobby. Not so much around here, but when I venture out of the "safe haven" that is Club Polk and into a high end audio store, as an example, I feel like they think I don't belong there. I look for acoustic treatments in their nostrils; their noses are so high in the air, they've gotta affect the reflections in the room. Those attitudes make it difficult for one to learn and develop an informed opinion about these things.

I love music. It's omnipresent throughout pretty much every day of my life, wether it's driving, at work, or closing the door to the basement and cranking that knob just to the sane side of ridiculous and basking in that SDA sound. If it wasn't such a big part of my life, I'd be fine with with a $50 dollar boombox.

wingnut4772

I think my biggest barometer is : does it sound live? Or as close to as if they are in my Ht as possible? The next is noise floor, soundstage and harshness (lack of).

hearingimpared

I think the Sheffield Drum Record accurately portrays a drum kit.

Ben when I am doing critical listening, I keep a copy book and pen in my hand and write down what I am hearing.

MSALLA

Early B. wrote: »

Start by understanding the terminology: http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/

This makes things much easyer for me. It was always hard for me to take what I herd and put it to words. Makes it hard to ask someone how to fix something you don't like about your system when you can't comunicate what you dislike.