what do you do when listening to music?

My music has officially become the soundtrack to my life (literally), I feel like something is missing when music is not playing, no matter what I am doing. Reading, writing, working, replying to a thread (Led Zeppelin on right now :music:), cooking (singing along), cleaning, driving, everything.
 
All of the above plus homework, studying, cad and tonight has a little drafting. Oh I also work on gear while listening!

Just plain listening is something I enjoy immensely, but those times are few and far between. I'm pretty busy during school. At the mo, I am one stereo down too. That makes things really(!) hard.
 
I'll make the same distinction that some others have made:

Sometimes I'll "listen" to music while doing other things like surfing the web or taking a shower. For me, that is background music I play because the main activity isn't occupying my whole mind; the music makes the activity go faster and seem more pleasant. Usually that means a CD or computer-sourced music.

But sometimes I just LISTEN to music. Then I do nothing else but listen, often with my eyes closed. Usually that music is coming off a spinning LP, or sometimes tape.

The former type can be anything remotely suitable, sometimes what is chosen by a deejay. The latter is always carefully chosen to suit my mood.


Oh, and anyone who thinks multitasking is a talent is either very ignorant, really deluding themselves, or making a joke (Of course, I think it was the latter, in this thread). Multitasking is the easy way out, produces (usually) worse results in each task, and requires less intelligence. It may even be a sign of a mental disorder such as ADHD. If the multitasking involves three challenging tasks, like riding a unicycle while balancing a kitchen pot by the handle on your nose while also juggling slippery live fish, then it might be a good form of training and a real accomplishment. But if the three tasks are no more challenging than watching a computer screen, it's nothing to be proud of!

As you usually do, Arkay, you've crystalized my thoughts. Thank you :yes:

Not to be snobbish, or elite, but rather to help and guide others here on Ak it is suggested that when listening to music the sense of hearing is compromised when combined with any other sense. One cannot truly listen with their eyes open, reading, watching teevee, talking, surfing the web, driving a car, etc. In such cases the music is 'background'. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you've never turned the lights off, got comfortable, lit a candle, and had a nice drink in hand while your favorite music is playing.....well, you just don't know what you're missing.

Try it sometime. If you can't do it you'll need to train yourself in order to enjoy the ultimate sensation music provides.

As Arkay says, multitasking is the easy way out.
 
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Listening is not only done with the ears. It's easy to forget, but our skin picks up a lot of sound. And it is, after all, out largest sense organ.


(...don't even go there)


As you usually do, Arkay, you've crystalized my thoughts. Thank you :yes:

Not to be snobbish, or elite, but rather to help and guide others here on Ak it is suggested that when listening to music the sense of hearing is compromised when combined with any other sense. One cannot truly listen with their eyes open, reading, watching teevee, talking, surfing the web, driving a car, etc. In such cases the music is 'background'. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you've never turned the lights off, got comfortable, lit a candle, and had a nice drink in hand while your favorite music is playing.....well, you just don't know what you're missing.

Try it sometime. If you can't do it you'll need to train yourself in order to enjoy the ultimate sensation music provides.

As Arkay says, multitasking is the easy way out.

This reminds me of a couple polls I started a few years back inquiring about the primary listening habits of two groups "vintage" gear people and "modern" gear people (not everyone fits neatly in one or the other, but many do).

I've let them lie dormant b/c of concerns with further dividing us into "vintage" and "modern" groups. But I think there is a difference. And it can sometimes be illuminating inasmuch as we're n9ot all here with the same priories.

Vintage owners:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202876

Modern owners:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202877

Not everybody is into focused listening; some folks just like to have good sounding music on the room and aren't interested in things like detail or soundstage. Although I don't put myself in that camp, I can appreciate that they can be pleased for much less money. :D
 
Well - for me this will be an experiment.
I don't usually just listen. Heck I usually don't just watch a movie. I'm always doing something else and the music or movie is just...on...as if it were a mildly interesting TV show running in the background.

But now I'm setting up a listening room. trying to do as many of the right things as I can to achieve sound stage ...imaging...and all that. I hope to achieve a good result. If I do I may well just listen, as the experience will be so novel.

It's hard to imagine, though, that I'd go off to a separate room where my dogs don't go (it's up stairs and they don't do stairs) where my wife isn't - she likes to work on jewelry or surf with the TV on - and sit there by myself listening to music for an hour or two.

But maybe I'll surprise myself.
 
Not to be snobbish, or elite, but rather to help and guide others here on Ak it is suggested that when listening to music the sense of hearing is compromised when combined with any other sense. One cannot truly listen with their eyes open, reading, watching teevee, talking, surfing the web, driving a car, etc. In such cases the music is 'background'. Not that it's a bad thing, but if you've never turned the lights off, got comfortable, lit a candle, and had a nice drink in hand while your favorite music is playing.....well, you just don't know what you're missing.
Yes, that's true but if it was the complete truth they'd be selling blindfolds everywhere from the opera to rock concerts. :scratch2::D
 
Yes, that's true but if it was the complete truth they'd be selling blindfolds everywhere from the opera to rock concerts. :scratch2::D

Oh, man. I truly enjoy a good live concert, too! Nothing wrong getting totally into music being played by musicians on a stage right there in front of you. Often the experience is better than what you get at home. What I'm trying to say here is you'll be missing some of the music if you're distracted in your listening room.

And if we go to a nice club to see a great band it drives my wife crazy that I'd rather watch the band than dance :music:! (She's used to it now).
If the band is simply 'good' I'll dance to the beat.

Everyone, just enjoy music the way you like to! My word is not the difinitive method of enjoying it. They're guidelines which will help you get the most from it. I used to smoke a joint and listen back in the day. It's like adding $10,000 to your stereo gear. But I'm not saying to do that, either :smoke:
 
I know everyone means well but I find it amusing that anyone would give out listening tips on an audio forum. Really, can't we all figure this out for ourselves? I'm nearly 60 and I had this listening business mastered, oh, about 50 years ago.

cubdog
 
I know everyone means well but I find it amusing that anyone would give out listening tips on an audio forum. Really, can't we all figure this out for ourselves? I'm nearly 60 and I had this listening business mastered, oh, about 50 years ago.

cubdog

Lots of AKers need tips on numerous things. We all don't know everything. And some things we know can be improved. Speaker wire, antenna placement, which caps to use, soldering, speaker placement and on and on. It's one of the facets of AK that keep it rolling.
 
It's enjoyable to have the music on while reading on the internet or.... playing video game :D

It depends really, sometimes I do housework when listening to music :D
 
Lots of AKers need tips on numerous things. We all don't know everything. And some things we know can be improved. Speaker wire, antenna placement, which caps to use, soldering, speaker placement and on and on. It's one of the facets of AK that keep it rolling.

I'll have no further comment.

cubdog

unless I can't help myself:D
 
Am I the only one who sprawls on the couch and surfs AK (and many other audio sites) on the iPad while listening?

Like peanut butter and chocolate....

Jblnut
 
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