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I Hardly Listen to Music Anymore

I've been a frequent observer to Audiogon, but this is the first thread I've started.

I find that I rarely listen to music anymore. (Once every couple of weeks). Let me explain.

I've been into audio for about 35 years. When I first got started listening to music and got involved in audio, in the late 60's, music was not a background pastime. When the new Dylan, Band, Allman, James Taylor, Santana, etc., album came out I'd listen to it in a dark room, in the sweet spot, eyes closed, alone or with friends, for hours on end, to great satisfaction. Since then, that's how I've always listend to music and I still enjoy listening like that for hours on end when I can.

As I grew older, I was never able to listen to music as background, because I can't concentrate on work or anything else when music plays. Consequently, as time goes on, and I have less and less time for serious listening sessions, I find I listen to music less and less. I don't play music at work and do not put the big rig on when I'm just hanging around at home in another room.

Other friends/coworkers constantly have jam boxes, walkmen, ipods etc playing as filler. So the people who care about music less listen to it more and people who care about music more listen less. I also am not as exposed to new music as people who constantly listen as background.

One of life's little ironies, I guess. Anyone else have this experience?

PS- It's not that my stereo is fatiguing. When I have time to listen for an hour or two I fall in love with my system(Wadia 21, ML-335, Wilson Sophia, Transparent cable) all over again. I've finally gotten it to the point where it is detailed yet smooth, and effortless at all volumes. So its not listner fatigue.
mitchell
chams_uk
158 posts
 
Hmmm, thoughtfull stuff. I think there are many reasons for what's happening, most of not all spelled out:

- Changing priorities
- Intensity of listening and inability to do it long
- Dissatisfaction with sub-par systems
- Age? :-)

For me, I am lucky (I think) to be able to switch "modes" often. I can listen intensely and critically at home on my main system. I can also listen in private through headphones at home or work (Marakanetz, I envy you! I wish I could bring one of my headphone amps to work; I use Ety 4P's out of my laptop). And I listen a lot in my car.

I say I'm lucky, because I still enjoy it at all levels of quality, and still get the time to do it. I don't listen to my speaker-based system as MUCH, but I still do. Not out of lack of desire, but due to family/child situation - time spent with them, and desire ny them for reduced noise levels.

Now the live music thought; there's another good one. A lot of my music is simpler folk and acoustic. While I've seen a lot of live shows, this to me sounds almost as good ina recorded setting. I rarely listen to classical anymore, and definitely think that is a wondeful live experience. But some other music (electronic especially) can be even better recorded than live, due solely to the tricks available in the studio that are more limited live (or just go through tape loops or the like, meaning very little difference from the studio recording).

My 10 cents....
snofun3
599 posts
 
So the people who care about music less listen to it more and people who care about music more listen less.

Careful, careful.
Because you're part of a crowd that obsesses about equipment doesn't mean you care more about music. I always find it funny when one of the audio mags does a story with a renowned musician and find out he has a $300 Circuit City rig as his system. Know what - he has the best refernce in the world that he can pull out of his closet -any of your co workers or associates have that instead? Maybe they like music better than equipment.
I have a stupid-$ system which my wife can't (or won't) turn on, but she's always finding new music, and is happy playing it back in a portable CD player in our beater '96 Tauras wagon.
On a more positive note, I suggest some of the good new-age jazz (oxymoron?). Brian Bromberg, Jeff Golub et al. Fine music that works wonders for background listening.
Good Luck.
siliab
356 posts
 
I know exactly what you are saying and I have a potential remedy. Buy a Henry Kloss Model 1 radio from Tivoli Audio and tune it to your favorite stations. I have a great system that I only have about 30 minutes to an hour a day to listen to. Enter the Kloss. Unbelievably musical for $100, and extremely gratifying. There is no better value in audio by my reckoning.
aceto
273 posts
 
I keep the radio on while I work. But I have fallen into the not listening dump. I think for me it is because I do not have friends who like music the way I did when I lived in NYC. Music listening was both serious and social. I do hear new things on the radio, which I buy and play on my big rig.
mitchell OP
10 posts
 
I am the original poster. I only expected a couple of responses and I am quite grateful for all the insight and suggstions that were posted.

I still cannot listen to music at work. I am very focused at work, and background music simply won't work for me. And in the car I enjoy my peace and quiet. But, beginning this past week end, I played the stereo at home as background as I went about other activities. I enjoyed it. I'm also going to buy a CD a week (new K. D. Lang this week end) and will start to listen to the big system more on a daily basis, even if only fifteen minutes at a time.

Finally, I do listen to a lot of live music- Dylan at least six times a year amd live jazz at least once a month (last week end I heard Ellis and Branford Marsallis (sp?)).

Again thanks for all the thoughtful suggestions.
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