[Poll] How do you listen to music?

[SIY]

What % of the time are you hiking?

About half of my listening time.

 

[Soniclife]

Car audio should be banned.

Why?

Listening to music on long drives on good or empty roads is a wonderful combination.

 

[Daverz]

I've been a night owl recently, but I'm limited to 'phones at night (Topping DX3Pro LDAC version and Senn HD350s), so recently it's been about 50/50 'phones/speakers. I love the sound of the Senns -- wish I could get that tone and clarity with speakers -- but I don't like wearing the 'phones.

 

[bluefuzz]

Why?

Since driving, for me, is a rare occurrence I usually want to talk to the person driving. If it's radio with a dj or people talking then that's just annoying anyway. After many years of study I have come to the conclusion that people with cars have s-h-i-t-t-y (censorship!) music taste. And actually I rather like the sounds that cars/traffic make. I'd rather listen to that. Cronenberg's *Crash* is one of my favourite films.

It also makes me car sick ...

 

[Hugo9000]

The thread title and the poll question aren't quite a match haha! Preference versus actual practice. Although the answer may be the same for many people, happily for them since they will have extra satisfaction.

How do you listen to music? Speakers and headphones

What is your preferred means to listen to music? Live, at the premiere with the composer conducting/supervising/approving/attending, and with the original chosen soloists and orchestra unless it was music performed by my absolute favorite artists, in which case my preference would be to attend their greatest live performances of a work.

Since I can't travel back in time and all over the world, I have to settle for listening to recordings haha! I used to listen exclusively to speakers, but since I got Sennheiser HD 660S headphones, I use those for almost half of my listening, depending on the music. For certain compositions and recordings, I prefer the visceral impact of speakers.

I actually don't have a problem with the 'music inside the skull' effect of most headphone listening (none of my music recordings are binaural), since it gives a different insight into the music for me. Taking the envelopment effects out of the way, headphone listening allows me to easily notice details in the composition or orchestration and sound palette that I don't hear the same way with loudspeakers. Complex counterpoint and instrument/voice layering are very easy to follow with my Sennheisers (assuming adequate quality of the recording, of course). With speaker listening, I tend to follow the composition as a whole sound world. So the two types of listening are complementary for me, and each affords its own joys.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I checked "Other" because I listen only to speakers, not mostly.

 

[carlob]

I listen only to speakers where I am home (I really can't stand headphones) and of course car audio when I'm driving, so I would have checked both but you can only check one option...

 

[Robin L]

50 years ago it was speakers and headphones. I really don't "listen to music" as much these days as play music. There's a Roland Microcube that my Martin DRS2 is plugged into. Sustain, chorus, reverb. "Classic Stack" setting. I've still got nice speakers, I've still got nice headphones, I've still got a backlog of recordings I've yet to audition. But all this free time goes to playing the guitar. Something happening in the here and now sounds better to these ears. The car stereo has Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto and Second Symphony on rotate. Have heard the former since I was a child, paying attention to the latter only recently.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I listen only to speakers where I am home (I really can't stand headphones) and of course car audio when I'm driving, so I would have checked both but you can only check one option...

I only needed one.

 

[mansr]

I only needed one.

I thought you needed at least 6.

 

[restorer-john]

I mostly listen with speakers at night, mostly.

 

[Sukie]

I discovered the joy of headphones when I got married 18 years ago and adopted my (then) 7 year old daughter. All of a sudden I couldn't play music late at night through speakers!

To be honest I've never looked back. I love the detail that I get. I always make sure that I buy phones that are comfortable (Sennheiser's fit the bill) as well as good audio quality.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I thought you needed at least 6.

One option, of course but thanks for the insight.

 

[spacevector]

@Kal Rubinson Pls be a good sport and select mostly speakers.

 

[Robin L]

@Kal Rubinson Pls be a good sport and select mostly speakers.

NO!
Let Your Freak flag fly!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

@Kal Rubinson Pls be a good sport and select mostly speakers.

NO!
Let Your Freak flag fly!

I am going to let it stand.

 

[DuxServit]

The poll should’ve added a question about the voter’s age bracket

 

[Zog]

flying into a thunderstorm, is an intense experience I haven't been able to replicate at home.

Just tell your wife your bit on the side is better.

 

[MattHooper]

For music, speakers only. I used to listen to both quite a lot growing up. But I'm far more enthusiastic about a system using speakers these days.
Also, another reason I avoid headphones these days is I have a tricky bit of issues to navigate - pretty bad Tinittus and hyperacusis that can flair up if I'm not careful. Headphones always exacerbate the issue for me, and it can be tougher to find a safe volume level with headphones, especially if we are talking about also taking them outside.

 

[Chrispy]

Don't use headphones unless forced to (which hasn't happened for years). I do listen when I drive but via speakers, just as I do at home in various systems....