When I had lesser systems we listened to a lot of rock , but now Jazz is number one . Did the quality of your HiFi start you on a trend of music that highlights the systems qualities ?
Bigby... your speakers 32hz frequency extension is likely part of the reason classical music sounds more real . Room treatments are also worth there weight in gold . Nice system link , nice pictures . Tim
I have always loved classical music, but could never get it to sound good in my system. I added a lot of room treatment (absorption and diffusion). Now, classical music sounds like it is live.
Add some room treatments and go to classical music!
It has only served to expand my horizons. Did nothing to alter what I listen to, however, I don't listen to the same things I may listen to in the car.
No. It did cause me to listen to some odd-ball stuff for a while, like SF test CDs etc, but I mostly listen to the same music. The only reason I got into high end was to make what I like sound better.
I would say that overall no, my musical tastes haven't really changed, expanded maybe as I always loved rock, jazz and classical of all types, just being brought up around music I suppose had something to do with those tastes. Interestingly enough as Elizabeth notes what has expanded my interest in jazz in particular was that series by Ken Burns. It did indeed deepen my appreciation for its development over the last century. When I visited Brazil for the first time in 1988 I really fell in love with the music of that country, really blows me away, great stuff!
My venture into the high end came about quite accidently as I was looking for a a better system than I currently had so classical would sound more natural. When I discovered all these companies I never heard of before, Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Threshold, Vandersteen, Martin Logan, Magnapan etc. a whole new world opened up to the possibilities. So what really happened is my musical tastes lead me into better audio, "high end".
03-23-11: Kbarkamian "I don't see the point of a stereo dictating the music people listen to. I'd love to fill my hard drive and LP rack with 'audiophile recordings.' Too bad I can't stand 99% of the titles. When my stereo dictates what I listen to, I'll sell it off and bring in a ghetto-blaster."
kbark - you assume the people whose tastes have changed can't stand the music they listen to on their systems. I don't believe that's the case.
Many people on this thread make very valid points. My tastes have definitely broadened. As a younger man, I listened to, like the majority of us...... Rock. The older I got, I ventured into blues, and some jazz, now in my fifties, classical has taken a front row seat in music collection. As my equipment got better, my appreciation for different music seemed to diversify. Quite a strange occurrence, considering a few short years ago, I had zero desire to listen to classical music, let alone own approx. 100 albums today. That is not to say that the rest of my collection is now collecting dust. Dire straits, Led Zeppelin, Keb Mo, and Eric Bibb, and a host of other artists are still very regular performers in my little music room oasis. All I'm saying is it's not a bad thing to change and add to your spice of music!
I don't see the point of a stereo dictating the music people listen to. I'd love to fill my hard drive and LP rack with 'audiophile recordings.' Too bad I can't stand 99% of the titles. When my stereo dictates what I listen to, I'll sell it off and bring in a ghetto-blaster.
I genuinely intend no offense to others who don't share my views. Everyone likes what they like, and shouldn't feel the need to justify why they like what they like or do what they do.
I agree that it has changed my tastes. When i started this hobby thirity some years ago,it was all rock...but as the years went by,the equiptment got much better,Classical and Jazz took over as my main type of music. But i think its important to say, i think more than the equiptment,it was the quality of the recordings that helped most to change my tastes..as most rock recordings are not of the high end quality of Jazz and Classical.
I have a few audiofool buddies and we frequent each others' homes (IE stereos!) and in doing so I have listened to a lot of music new to me, as well as styles I had not really payed much attention to before. So my palette has grown as a result of the hobby, but not necessarily because of the quality of my rig.
Timrhu... I was hoping the age thing would be overlooked . Just as I have mellowed so has the music . But it's become more important and reveals more than just notes and cords . Are old favorites still sound great , Just as you still enjoy Jethro Tull , I have rediscovered Dire Strait's , particularly On Every Street and Brothers In Arms . What can we expect next ?
No. For me I think it's more a matter of aging than my system. My taste has expanded over the years. But just the other night I popped in Jethro Tull's Aqualung, turned it up, and enjoyed the hell out of it.
Like several of you, having a revealing system hasn't expanded my taste into new genres as much as it has expanded the number of performers I listen to and appreciate.
What I've noticed is that I can now hear much more clearly what the musician intended, especially when there is substantial subtlety and innovation going on. That broadens the genre, highlighting the best in it.
That has made me learn to love a lot of performers I didn't 'get' before I could really hear what they were up to and distinguish them from less interesting performers in the same genre.
Hi, Tmsorosk, your transition makes sense to me.As you`ve improved the quality of your system you`re hearing what a recording really has to offer. Jazz is beautiful, played by extremely gifted musicians who can convey astonishing emotion thru their instruments and voices. Fortunately most jazz is well recorded(just a few are`nt) and most sound engineers seem to leave well enough alone(unlike the manipulation with much pop and rock). A good system allows you to appreciate the sheer beauty of this acoustic(usally unamplified) music. I`m glad you found jazz music, it`s great stuff. Another good thing is ther`s so much recorded jazz available you can continue to collect and build quite a large personal library. Best Regards,
interesting question!! I also have pretty eclectic tastes in music, but have found over the years that I just love listening to most kinds of jazz (except big band & latin) on my system; conversely, my enjoyment of big classical symphonies (Sibelus is my favorite) has waned a bit -- I suspect that my system just works better with more intimate presentations...
No. The types of music that resonate with me, have not changed. I listen to music on a Logitech Boom while working, and enjoy doing so. When I play music on my stereo, I would describe it more as being engulfed by and feeling the music.....rather than listening to it. But the music remains the same.
In my first effort, I went with gobs of detail and resolution. To the exclusion by oversight, of the musical spirit itself. With that outfit, only a scarce few recordings sounded appealing, or engrossing.
I sold it all offf after stumbling onto this site years ago.
The next few rigs were aimed exactly the other way towards euphonia and romantic & melodic. Screw resolution & details. Id had enough!
Finally with my current rig, I have both ends of the wand. Sufficient resolution and detials. Ambient cues, and hall info . Wen present. As well as, a very musical system.
Most all of my collection is listenable with my main system. Naturally those recordings that are outstanding do indeed sound as such. Those of lesser merit sound as indicated . So the best are enabled to excell, those lesser students remain lesser, but allowed to perform too.
Having such a mix is in fact my aim. I refuse to own a rig that disallows poorer content and reduces my library to mere handfuls of listenable albums. Im quite pleased with what IM GETTING CONSEQUENTLY ILL KEEP DOING WHAT IM DOING
Sooooo in all, experiences with hardware synergy and a desire to adjust my outfit to a more benevolent one keeps me in the loop of musical enjoyment and not scrambling only for those better recordings, I might or might not care for the genre anyhow.
A single caveat here . Quite old, mono, or just flat out not good cuts are easier to take on a lesser revealing system. Duh! So I have that too at my disposal. The curious thing is I seem to be cured from the audio nervosa syndrome as I listen immensely more to my lesser quality systems. Firing up my main one only a day or two out of the month, normally.
Investigating new genres, and their musical heroes therefore is now more stimulating than ever. I'm adding classical for the first time.... world and Latin... even some pop gets in the mix here and there. big bands. Big Band jazz. A variety of colorful newly found products contine to appeal now, where they had not previously.
Oddly enough, I'd never have figured I'd be running a fully file oriented playback system either.
Radiohead- I first heard them when most of my music listening was in a car. Not all that impressed. 18years later, on a high resolution setup, I really enjoy a lot of their stuff.
music and sound are different phenomena. what determines preference for specific music is independent for what type of "sound" one likes.
thus , my musical tastes have changed very little since i was in high school. I have always liked jazz and classical, but occasionally listen to "new age", especially electronic-based music and some blues and bluegrass. my expension into other musical genres had nothing to do with sound quality.
In general no. But, I do listen to something different once in a while that they did a great job recording it, capturing it the way I'd like to see my preferred music recorded. Some jazz will sound good on a mid-fi system because of the way they captured it. I'm guessing less mikes and gear needed/used in comparison to classical is part of the reason. Some of the older rock music sounds like they had the mikes mounted right up against the instruments, with the VU meters banging at the top of the red scale.
Yes. The better my equipment got the better the recordings I was looking for to justify my systems ability. By doing so, I've matured in my musical palate. I still listen to Rock, but I'm more selective in the recording quality of the music. Started out with smooth jazz and then started trying more improvisational jazz. I've also got some classical and blues. I little bit of everything. Had my system not been as revealing as it is, I may not have tryed all the other genre's and would have missed out on some beautiful music.
Since getting into vinyl and higher fi i would say i have developed a big taste for classical. It's partly due to the number of mint classical albums have have found for $.50-1.00 and they way they sound
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