Poll: How do you primarily listen to audio at home?

[Waxx]

I got quiet a few systems, but they are all 2.0 stereo. I don't watch tv, hardly any movies and gaming is also more something of the past. I'm planning to build some subs altough (most speakers are diy at my home). My main system goes down to 30hz, but the others not yet... Source is vinyl or the digital files on my NAS (trough JRiver) or DAB+ radio.

 

[dom_st]

Hi, new to this forum, just registered.
Awesome job you guys are doing here and props to the community! Thank you Amir.

I listen to 2.0 or 2.1 (passive floorspeakers, active sub through my "old" yamaha RX-V3800 receiver) depending on the mood or music style.
Planning to change the AV setup to a 2.1 streamer amplifier solution, in near future. This forum helps alot, but decision making is tough with all the options and restrictions that the market provides

For occasional listening, while working I use simple samsung bluetooth ear buds, as they are kinda convenient to use.

 

[Herbert]

For leisure, 60% stereo on rather old gear, almost 100% of the source is CD, playback from defunct Nakamichi, eighties to nineties Sony, 3A Audio Design Midi Master speakers, formerly from France, now situated in Canada as Reference 3A. So the average age of my gear is more than 30 years. My "Streaming Service" are the DJs of KCRW, Ex-Angelino. The rest of listening is on the go with public transport, with iPhone SE with Bose QC35, all files are wav or Flac, because Bluetooth on an iPhone recompresses the audio data. "Office",which also means editing, mixing and color grading my own movies is done on an 27" Imac from 2017 and a Powerbook from 2012. Both are still capable of 4k, so no need to change a winning team. The "Office" Amp is a cheap SMSL SA-36, Stereo Setup JBL-Comtrol1, the early, better version. I am watching Movies and do sometimes editing on a first gen. 42" Panasonic Plasma. The reason I still have it was the fact to find a TV that truly demands / accepts 50hz from the graphics card as I live in Europe now. Modern TVs do not do this this any more, worldwide they all based on 60Hz. So a pan gives juddery motion or, if it has flaws, they are masked by the motion interpolation of modern TVs.
Besides this detail I think my setup shows clearly that immersion / dealing with High End Gear is not needed when you professionally deal with sound and image.
The JBL Control 1 and SMSL-SA36 are sufficient to reveal flaws in a sound recording, no matter if music is recorded in a controlled studio setup with or an interview on a busy street. So everything is done on the JBL Control 1. The Midi Master in the living room are for checking the lower bass response of the mix, as a final step. I also have regular access to pro gear when being hired as an editor, but the advances are negligible compared to my semi-pro home setup. Many friends are professional musicians. None of them have HiFi gear to talk about. Because they make it. Same with me, as one example I do not use Surround. I do surround mixes on my simple stereo setup by listening to the track groups individually. Besides heavy Blockbuster Cinema, 90% of mixes are just adding ambience about -12dB to -18dB to the surrounds, by reverb or additional ambience from the recordings.

 

[dguillor]

I have an unusual system, a mono distributed mode loudspeaker, ie a 2x4 piece of 9 ply aircraft grade plywood with four exciters attached, driven by a Wiim mini, utilizing its PEQ, and an Audiophonics mono Hypex amp. This speaker is described as a diffuse omnidirectional source. It sounds the same everywhere in the room. It was a fun project.

 

[Vovgan]

Jesus, only 9% of us primarily listen to audio (it’s deliberately called audio not music - right?) on 5.x and larger systems!

I thought this number should be at least 20%. With all the recent Dolby Atmos masters on Apple/Amazon music etc.

 

[mumadadd]

As you said 'audio' rather than just music that really increases the number of devices for me:

Podcasts, radio & audiobooks:
- Phone speaker, multiple Amazon Echo devices, IEMs, Bluetooth speaker

Music:
- Primarily stereo speakers (two systems)
- Bluetooth speaker (garden only)
- Headphones
- IEMs

TV / HT
- Primarily stereo speakers (two systems)
- TV speakers
- Headphones

 

[Liya]

Almost two years ago the wife of over 37 years asked me to start listening to my music via headphones. So, as they say happy wife happy life. I first purchased some open back Sennheiser HD650’s but my wife said she rather listen to my 2-channel set-up because she could hear what I was listening to in the other room. Now I have some closed back Denon AH-D9200’s connected to my Schiit stack (DAC and amps). I still listen to my 2-channel set-up but not as much.View attachment 339713

I'm in a similar situation.
As I type this I am preparing listings to sell my two pair of speakers (one passive with amp and one active).
I'll probably buy some closed back Audeze and use them with my RME.

 

[mash]

Mainly 2.1 in my office (either Roon/Tidal or Turntable) but I also do a lot of whole house listening (most of the rooms are in-wall/ceiling 2.0 setups).

Also, have a dedicated 5.1 theater that I'm looking to upgrade into 7.2.2....just waiting on a decently priced performant AVP that I can replace my 8802 with.....turns out that's like waiting for Godot.

 

[ryanosaur]

Jesus, only 9% of us primarily listen to audio (it’s deliberately called audio not music - right?) on 5.x and larger systems!

I thought this number should be at least 20%. With all the recent Dolby Atmos masters on Apple/Amazon music etc.

Multichannel and subs are still for heathens, heretics and satanic cults!


Like the Ring of Power, I built one system to rule them all.
*maniacal laughter
(And a healthy dose of hyperbole. )

 

[Steve Dallas]

Jesus, only 9% of us primarily listen to audio (it’s deliberately called audio not music - right?) on 5.x and larger systems!

I thought this number should be at least 20%. With all the recent Dolby Atmos masters on Apple/Amazon music etc.

In my circle of acquaintances, I can think of only 2 people who have more than stereo speakers. Most use TV speakers, a soundbar, or some kind of smart speaker(s).

Also, unless you are in the Apple ecosphere, Atmos masters are not very accessible. I have Amazon Music HD, but no way to stream those tracks. It requires an Amazon Echo device, which I will not have in my home. It is not supported on the Amazon Music app on smart TVs, Roku, Heos, etc.

 

[RichB]

500+ votes and not a single Soundbar in the room. Somewhere Amir is doing his “Happy Dance”. He has a special stuffed plush Panther as his dance partner.

I recently purchased an LG 65C3 OLED for a small room that serves as an alternate TV room for $1600.
The speakers are terrible, so I went looking at soundbars at BestBuy since this is not a large space.

A sales tech demoed a number of them ranging from $400 to $900. I'm sorry, these things are awful.
They sound is thin with echo, I suspect a combination of over DSP processing and resonance.
Lots of tiny drivers pointing in all directions is not a winning formula.

Perhaps there are good ones north of $1000 but that is approaching the price of the TV.

I settled for a pair of Apple HomePod2s. They're OK and much better than the soundbar options in their price range.
I bought a third, refurb from Apple, and use it as a mono makeshift center channel.
It would be nice if Apple allowed for 5.1 configuration of speakers, perhaps someday.

- Rich

 

[RenPa]

5.1 excep,t for music: plain old style stereo!

 

[dasdoing]

I'd prefer it would be on my 2.x system, but I answered headphones since I don't get to monopolize the living room as much as I'd like, and the noise disturbs other residents of the house.

give the man a cave

 

[dasdoing]

give a man a wife, and he'll stereo for a day, teach him how to cave and he'll stereo forever

 

[AdamG]

Replies and Voting activity has been fantastic. We are creeping towards a Thousand votes and this is definitely giving us a clearer picture how our Community listens to music. Very impressive response Shipmates. Thank you all for sharing this information with us.

Our Agents will be in contact with you shortly to make sure that you have an opportunity to renew your Automobile Extended Warranty Agreement. We will also be bundling home Audio electronics coverage for a very reasonable rate.

No Seriously, thanks for all the help and support for this poll. Knowing our community is important.

 

[bt3]

Me/
Senior with some hearing losses.
No need or desire for audio setups of past.
All those are long ago sold.
OK w/
- Smartphone with good music app
- Several headphones what have been EQ'd in app
- a small powered speaker to function with above when have need for no-headphone listening.
One thing remains same as in past through now, which is always exploring for new sounds.
*have a Topping DX3pro+ stored in closet, but may sell and use the small proceeds to fund
some more OEM replacement earpads for my cans.

Please everyone protect your precious hearing. Listen at levels lower than you think are optimal.

 

[alekksander]

mainly milk steaks, but sometimes magnets. rarely ghouls.

on more serious note: poll is great, but i'm truly surprised how many people feel need to speak about their system out of the blue. guys, this is a poll, nobody is going to note your audio system descriptions.

 

[Esprit]

Here the houses are too expensive to afford rooms dedicated to listening to music.
So a pair of Adam Audio is enough.

 

[Spkrdctr]

I am one of the guys who voted soundbar. I sold off and gave away my high dollar 5.1 system and got the sound bar. I have a crappy room and the sound bar sounds very good. It is a Visio Elevate sound system. Pricey but it blows away most other high end bars. The only issue for most people is that it is over $1000. I like it as I use it for music and the TV. Very easy to adjust the bar to my likings and it came with a press reviewed "too much sub". That made me buy it and they were right, it will boom if I let it but I have it dialed in for music and TV pretty close. All in all I do understand why most people don't buy cheap sound bars. They sound bad. Like anything else, I guess you have to pay for what you want. Now, I wonder who the other three people are that voted sound bars and what bar they have?

 

[Bruno]

Headphones/IEM all the way. The wife and I do not share the same musical tastes and the house is small so for the sake of not bothering neither ourselves nor the cats we reached a compromise and both of us listen via cans/iems.
Also much cheaper to get good results and no bothering with room conditioning.