You who have several sound systems, what do you listen to the most?

[DanielT]

Regarding music, not home cinema.

I see this in front of me. A system consisting of a vintage amp, maybe vintage speakers and turntables VS modern with well performing class D amp, modern speakers and lossless streaming. If you have these two solutions, what do you listen to the most?

Of course, it doesn't have to be exactly that combination, the question applies generally. It may even be that you mostly listen to the car stereo (you may be out on the road a lot in connection with your job therefore car stereo), or with headphones paired with your mobile phone, or...and so on.

I have a friend who listens mostly to his crappy "HiFi" solution he has in the basement because it's his free time when he's tinkering with his projects. Otherwise, he spends most of his time with his family and then there is not much listening to music. So there are of course different variations on how to listen to music.

Edit:
Here for example.

I see a tape recorder in the picture, but I'm almost 100% sure that that person also uses some lossless streaming provider (Qobuz if I remember correctly).
Clue about whose HiFi solution it is: That person usually tests and measures a lot of HiFi related stuff :

 

[Andretti60]

Well, it depends.
I have been working at home since the Covid pandemic, me desk is now full of gear from my job so I had to retire my desktop speakers, I listen mostly from streaming using my personal iMac but it is just background music, no serious listening, still a lot of hours per day (if a hear something I like, I bookmark it for listening it later).
In the kitchen I use an internet radio (Bose SoundTouch 20), when I cook (at least one hour per day). Sometimes I stream my music, sometimes I listen to Pandora Radio, depending on the mood (and what I am cooking)
That leaves out my main system, Dali + Yamaha in the living room, that doubles also as sound system for the tv, but most of the time in the evening we are too tired to watch tv, therefore I use it during the weekend during my “down time”, I stream my music and I am always amazed on how good it sounds compared to the other systems.
Not sure if this answer your question.

 

[sarumbear]

Almost always Spotify due to its search facilities, suggested tracks & playlists. If I’m listening jazz or classical albums then Apple Music lossless.

As soon as Spotify offers lossless I will cancel the Apple Music subscription. It has awful UI. Unlike the accepted belief Apple doesn’t care about UX.

 

[symphara]

Sadly, at home I mostly listen to music on my computer, on my ancient Logitech Z-5500 system, while I work.

 

[BostonJack]

Sadly, at home I mostly listen to music on my computer, on my ancient Logitech Z-5500 system, while I work.

I'm pretty low brow: mostly Spotify or surfing youtube, listening on a Topping D10 -> JDS Labs Atom -> Drop HD6xx (HD650 rebrand), all driven by my Windows (ugh) work machine.

I have a DXT-Mon speaker build in progress, which is maybe my last speakers? Considering getting Dan Clark Expanse headphones as end-game for me. Realistically, headphone listening is my preference. DXT-Mons should be adequate for (rare) impromptu dance parties.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I have good systems in my study, bedroom and music room. We also have a simpler system in the piano room ostensibly for my wife to use but basically it is almost never switched on.
Despite having a system in my study I never listen when using the computer, so it may as well not be there.
In the music room I have a pair of 25 year old Goldmund Epilogue 1&2 driven by a Devialet amp which I like best, mainly CDs with a transport digital input to the Devialet. I have a Goldmund Reference turntable for the odd LP. I have a pair of Tune Audio Anima horns driven by a Job INTegrated which I like a lot too but having a rotary volume control on the Devialet remote but up/down volume buttons on the Job amp remote means I use the Devialet 90% of the time.

I don’t normally listen to music in the car.

 

[DanielT]

Well, it depends.
I have been working at home since the Covid pandemic, me desk is now full of gear from my job so I had to retire my desktop speakers, I listen mostly from streaming using my personal iMac but it is just background music, no serious listening, still a lot of hours per day (if a hear something I like, I bookmark it for listening it later).
In the kitchen I use an internet radio (Bose SoundTouch 20), when I cook (at least one hour per day). Sometimes I stream my music, sometimes I listen to Pandora Radio, depending on the mood (and what I am cooking)
That leaves out my main system, Dali + Yamaha in the living room, that doubles also as sound system for the tv, but most of the time in the evening we are too tired to watch tv, therefore I use it during the weekend during my “down time”, I stream my music and I am always amazed on how good it sounds compared to the other systems.
Not sure if this answer your question.

I was mostly just curious about what and how people listen to if there are several HiFi/sound systems available. Also what source is used: vinyl, CD or streamed. Your answer is perfectly fine. You can of course do exactly what you want, as long as you are happy and satisfied.

At the moment, I mostly listen to the secondary system (vintage stuff combined with Spotify) in the bedroom because I am fixing the furniture in the living room.

 

[DanielT]

Almost always Spotify due to its search facilities, suggested tracks & playlists. If I’m listening jazz or classical albums then Apple Music lossless.

As soon as Spotify offers lossless I will cancel the Apple Music subscription. It has awful UI. Unlike the accepted belief Apple doesn’t care about UX.

Then you might have to think about whether it's worth paying $19.99 a month, which it is rumored that Spotify lossless will cost. If it ever comes, Spotify lossless that is. Why should you now pay double for Spotify lossless compared to what, I think, Apple lossless costs? In addition, Apple lossless now exists.
.."awful UI".., maybe worth paying extra to avoid?

This is just a survey Spotify did recently, for someone, or some people/users :

https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/y3zz63

Spotify may still drop the needle on long-delayed HiFi plan

A leaked survey suggests that Spotify might soon launch its promised lossless music service, but for a hefty price.

www.techhive.com

 

[Old Listener]

Depends on where I am. Most often to least often:

Desktop system: Mac mini to Dragonfly red DAC to Audioengine HD6 powered speakers or AKG K371 headphones. Since I prefer nearfeld listening, this isn't a hardship.

Library System: Macbook to SDAC balanced to Dynaudio L48 active monitors. Good sound with 9' listening distance.

Living room (TV) system: TCL TV - Toslink cable to Another HD6 pair. Or analog out from TV to wireless headphone controller. Occasional YouTube music video but mostly sound from TV shows and movies.

I don't expect to change the components until something breaks.

 

[symphara]

I was mostly just curious about what and how people listen to if there are several HiFi/sound systems available. Also what source is used: vinyl, CD or streamed. Your answer is perfectly fine. You can of course do exactly what you want, as long as you are happy and satisfied.

At the moment, I mostly listen to the secondary system (vintage stuff combined with Spotify) in the bedroom because I am fixing the furniture in the living room.

I have lots of hifi systems. 3x home cinema systems (home 5.1.4 + apartment 5.1.4 + holiday home 7.1.4).

But in the end it's the computer that get the most use for audio (local CD rips and YouTube).

2nd place is listening to music in the cars. At least I have Burmester systems.

3rd is headphones, in bed.

4th is in the kitchen, on my Naim Muso cube.

I just hardly have the time for the big systems. Sometimes on holidays I squeeze a bit of audition time just for myself. But it's rare. Once evening comes, we watch movies and series on them (depending where we are) but no music, so that doesn't count.

 

[sarumbear]

Then you might have to think about whether it's worth paying $19.99 a month, which it is rumored that Spotify lossless will cost. If it ever comes, Spotify lossless that is. Why should you now pay double for Spotify lossless compared to what, I think, Apple lossless costs? In addition, Apple lossless now exists.
.."awful UI".., maybe worth paying extra to avoid?

Money is never the only choice in life. Besides, I used to buy more than one record a month. Why should I worry now for paying less. Inflation means the reported $19.99 is less than half of what I used to pay for physical media a month. I’m already saving money.

 

[DanielT]

Money is never the only choice in life. Besides, I used to buy more than one record a month. Why should I worry now for paying less. Inflation means the reported $19.99 is less than half of what I used to pay for physical media a month. I’m already saving money.

You have a point there.

 

[symphara]

Then you might have to think about whether it's worth paying $19.99 a month, which it is rumored that Spotify lossless will cost. If it ever comes, Spotify lossless that is. Why should you now pay double for Spotify lossless compared to what, I think, Apple lossless costs? In addition, Apple lossless now exists.

I think the Apple Music UI is fine, the price is decent (even with the recent increase), but I discovered something unpleasant when I cancelled it.

Everything was hunky-dorey while I was using it , I had in my library a mix of my own stuff - CD rips - and streaming their stuff.

Once I quit, it left my library in shambles. Most of my own stuff was greyed out as if it wasn't downloaded.

Of course I deleted and recreated everything, but to this day, this messes up some CarPlay implementations, where I see everything except for "Recently Added" as greyed out in the car interface and I cannot play them. Selecting directly from the phone works but it's hardly ideal.

I really didn't like that and it would seriously keep me from ever subscribing to Apple Music again.

 

[sarumbear]

I think the Apple Music UI is fine, the price is decent (even with the recent increase), but I discovered something unpleasant when I cancelled it.

Everything was hunky-dorey while I was using it , I had in my library a mix of my own stuff - CD rips - and streaming their stuff.

Once I quit, it left my library in shambles. Most of my own stuff was greyed out as if it wasn't downloaded.

Of course I deleted and recreated everything, but to this day, this messes up some CarPlay implementations, where I see everything except for "Recently Added" as greyed out in the car interface and I cannot play them. Selecting directly from the phone works but it's hardly ideal.

I really didn't like that and it would seriously keep me from ever subscribing to Apple Music again.

This happens when you allow Apple to replace your tracks in your library with higher quality versions where exists, which is almost always. It seems in your case not all of the replaced tracks were downloaded. When you cancel your subscription you can no longer download them and they are greyed out. However, if you download all your library before cancelling the tracks will stay playable.

This is what I have observed on a few friends libraries. Please correct me if my explanation is wrong.

Apple is like the Mob: once in you can’t get out without consequences.

 

[symphara]

This happens when you allow Apple to replace your tracks in your library with higher quality versions where exists, which is almost always. It seems in your case not all of the replaced tracks were downloaded. When you cancel your subscription you can no longer download them and they are greyed out. However, if you download all your library before cancelling the tracks will stay playable.

This is what I have observed on a few friends libraries. Please correct me if my explanation is wrong.

Apple is like the Mob: once in you can’t get out without consequences.

Your explanation would make perfect sense except for two things that happened:

(1) I have music that Apple doesn’t, as in not at all and in no version (e.g. studio recordings, small record label stuff etc). This was greyed out too. The excuse that they’d replace it with their superior version doesn‘t work.
(2) After leaving Apple music and re-creating my library from scratch, it still has this niggle with CarPlay, where, as I explained, everything except for Recently Added is still grayed out. Not all cars with CarPlay do this, but some do and it’s never happened before, whether before I used Apple Music at all or while I was using Apple Music. This is something to do with Apple Music.

As you said, like the mob. “Nice library, shame if something were to happen to it”.

 

[Multicore]

The one on my desk in the study. Because I spend s lot of time there for various kinds of work and play. And I spend time there also because my long suffering dislikes most of the music in my collection, what I chose for streaming, and the stuff I make/play myself. Eg I had a spell listening to the Mimaroglu in Amazon, for a review of the album with Freddie Hubbard and the new documentary film. Not fair to drive anyone from the living room for that.

It's Genelec 1029A with MOTU M4. I have been thinking of upgrading to Neuman DSP because the room sounds is a problem for certain work, especially playing, but I worry that I am so familiar with the sound of these boxes in this room that I won't like it.

 

[sarumbear]

Your explanation would make perfect sense except for two things that happened:

(1) I have music that Apple doesn’t, as in not at all and in no version (e.g. studio recordings, small record label stuff etc). This was greyed out too. The excuse that they’d replace it with their superior version doesn‘t work.

If you you were subscribed to iTunes Match even your own stuff will be treated the same. When Apple Music replaced Iz tunes Apple moved your own stuff to their servers as well in order to allow you to stream on all your devices. When the subscription is cancelled you lost access to your stuff too.

(2) After leaving Apple music and re-creating my library from scratch, it still has this niggle with CarPlay, where, as I explained, everything except for Recently Added is still grayed out. Not all cars with CarPlay do this, but some do and it’s never happened before, whether before I used Apple Music at all or while I was using Apple Music. This is something to do with Apple Music.

I don’t use CarPlay, hence cannot comment but it sounds like a bug.

 

[symphara]

If you you were subscribed to iTunes Match even your own stuff will be treated the same. When Apple Music replaced Iz tunes Apple moved your own stuff to their servers as well in order to allow you to stream on all your devices. When the subscription is cancelled you lost access to your stuff too.

Never subscribed to this.

I don’t use CarPlay, hence cannot comment but it sounds like a bug.

For sure.

 

[voodooless]

As soon as Spotify offers lossless

… funny guy …

I will cancel the Apple Music subscription. It has awful UI. Unlike the accepted belief Apple doesn’t care about UX.

It not only horrible, but also terribly slow! They did promise a new much improved version though. Let’s see who’s faster delivering on promises…

Most music listening I do at my desk, use Apple Music (gave up on Spotify) with LS50 OG driven by Loxjie E30 and Dirac desktop. But often times I also use headphones (Bose Bluetooth) because it’s annoying to switch between calls and music otherwise. Obviously I use apropiate EQ settings for it.

The other system is the home cinema in the living room. 5.1 at the moment, hope to upgrade to 5.2.3. Great for music as well via Apple TV, especially the Atmos tracks. Old version of Audyssey XT32 for correction.

 

[anotherhobby]

I have 2 vastly different audio systems:

1. Big open untreated room, Focal Aria towers, dual 12" JL audio subs, expensive.
2. Small well treated room, Revel M105 bookshelfs, small DIY dual 8" subs, lower power, not that expensive

Most of my active listening now takes place with my smaller and less expensive system because it's in a treated room that makes it sound better. It's amazing how much the quality of "the room" dominates the experience, enough so that my office system with $1k worth of room treatments wins over my 4x as expensive living room system with no room treatmets.