How do you listen?

Alcohol helps.

CBD with a touch of THC. Although I agree with arch2 also. Selling your kids helps, but might be illegal depending where you live.
Seriously, I spend 80% moving around, only 20% is sit down, focused listening.

Get old that'll help.. You will love to have a great remote, and in my case the dog AND the rabbit.. KIDs?

My kids are grown and I have one grandchild.. He's a bigger terrier than my Jack Russel.. :-)

Regards

It depends, but I usually sit in the sweet spot with my laptop and multi task.  If the music beckons, I stop and listen.  

It was recommended to me that I wear one of those special white buckled Audiophile Listening jackets, the type that bind one's arms in the back. Also padded rubber full wall acquostic treatment.

oldhvymec, it take’s a special person to handle Jack Russels (and they say I'M crazy!) 😄👍

I read while I listen, otherwise, I would fall asleep. When I get tired of reading, I listen to a few more songs and go to bed.

Critical sessions are from Midnight to 0600.
Happy Listening!

Is there a trick to achieving the serene stillness that I think many of you were divinely gifted?

Listen carefully. This is no joke. There is nothing you can do to attain serenity.
https://youtu.be/tgY9VH0LL6E?t=39
Look within.  

Serene stillness by the way, you can never calm water by trying to smooth it out. Relax. Water smoothes itself out.

Yes I am that good.

I use my 2nd system in basement, almost as good.
I ignore the wife yelling my name, the floorboards what sounds like a 400 pound guy stomping upstairs.

Few more notches on the volume, use backstairs to garage fridge for a refill, repeat.

Ignore it.
until the boss slams downstairs..”didn’t you hear me!!!?”

Calmly say, I’m sorry hun, I didn’t.


weekends r better, after 11, house all mine,  plus, stereos sound better after hours, 12-4 am, the sound is amazing!

after 11, house all mine,  plus, stereos sound better after hours, 12-4 am, the sound is amazing!

Truth.

I thought everyone here sat to attention in the sweet spot—the only exercise all evening getting up to change the record. 

YouTube won’t do diddly.
Try earplugs like Larry.

Is there a trick to achieving the serene stillness that I think many of you were divinely gifted?

There is no trick. Simply ensure that your choice of music and the quality of your system are excellent. Both of these attributes will compel you to calm down.

Is there a trick to achieving the serene stillness that I think many of you were divinely gifted?

in no particular order:

have the mental discipline to calm and clear your mind in order to enjoy
love music for its beauty and excitement
have a great system to pleases and lets the music through without distraction

zen is where you find it

I multitask as well, but not always. It just depends on my mood and what I put on. It is a very purposeful thing.

@jjss49   

   Yup, clear mind, 
listen to that opening riff of critical mass by nuclear assault, and let the music take you away!

 No matter the music, if it puts you in a special place, damn, enjoy, as most of us do.

  Bathory, venom, napalm death, hellhammer, onslaught, decide, Kreator, testament………Beatles, classical, folk, vocal, whatever your poison, sit back, relax, and let everything around you melt away.
wish I had an automatic TT!
woke up many times, of the stylus static, and that last groove clicking. If my SL-1200’s weren’t so good, I would switch. I use an old pioneer once in a while, if I get the effort to swap, so I have auto return.

  Let the room be silent, and soak up the music!”

 This Friday, I’m playing the new Sodom cd, and others!

enjoy.

I mostly just sit there and listen. Sometimes I'll get up and dance. Sometimes a good book or magazine. Or fiddling with that damned invention I'm using to write to you Joes right now.

The vast majority of my listening is in what you refer to as "proper audiophilism", but that has as much to do with the types of music I listen to, as much as wanting to hear it from the best position.

Pretty much the types of music I listen to, revolve around music that is decidedly NOT conducive to multitasking. To get the most out of, It requires concentration, and sometimes, even a bit of work.

I listen to music* that tends to be complex, offers a broad range of emotional content, has a very high level of musicianship, changes: tempo, dynamics, rhythm, time signatures, chord progressions, over an extended period of time.

And much of what occurs later in the music, is specifically based on what occurred earlier. 

So, if I was multitasking, I would most likely miss subtleties, and not so subtleties, in the complete piece of music. If there is some musical resolution, and I missed the portion of music that is being resolved, it would come off as emotionally flat, for example.

So yeah, I make an effort to have a specific time period to sit down, and do nothing but actively listen. It is always worth the effort.

*progressive and avant-garde forms of jazz, contemporary, and older forms. Fusion, avant-garde, post bop, chamber jazz.

*contemporary, avant-garde classical music. Usually pretty thorny sounding stuff.

*classic and contemporary prog, avant-prog, Zeuhl, Canterbury, prog-metal. 

I admit to sometimes following librettos when I listen to opera or lieder. Liner notes are often enlightening (and, ahem, fun), too. Petting the cat. Reading stereo magazines & high-end mail order catalogues to fuel my profligate tendencies and to chuckle at the hype. Ignoring the television blaring in the other room.  Ignoring phone calls. Doing hardnosed, hard-eared critiques of what I'm listening to. The tutties are too fruity! Is that original instrument ensemble purposely trying to sound sour? Why doesn't the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields get more respect? Sweeter string tone has never existed! Fist pumping. Dancing. Air-guitaring along with the Ramones. Gazing at the sunset through my window.

I guess I'm guilty of being proper audiophile. Total involvement with music is my only mode, performers in room sound quality and my music  choices just naturally invoke this frame of mind, no work required.

I leave multi tasking for music listening at work and car. And I don't have problem enjoying music with lesser sound quality, just lack the total involvement I get with main system. Late night sessions in totally blacked out dedicated room and a bit of bourbon also don't hurt!

OP, the question I think worth asking is: do you think music is worth your attention? and Do you want to leave this earth having never given yourself over to one of the deepest experiences one can have?

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Seriously. Don't waste time with distraction. You never know. Live deeply, now.

Sevastan, if your system does not totally involve you in the music then you have work to do. It should not be an effort to be only involved in the music. Do you go to concerts? It should be like going to a concert except better. You don't have far to do to get to the bathroom:-)

Things that can make listening even more amazing are; closing ones eyes, turning out the lights, putting the kids in front of a Disney movie in another room and THC in moderate amounts. Vaping is more controllable.

Had a blind cat named "Noodles" and her hearing was so extreme I saw her whack a fly out of the air with one swipe....she also had the admirable ability to sit at peace in one position for hours. Perhaps I need to tap into my inner felinity.

I've a few different listening modes that include outside with a favorite cigar and an adult beverage,  either beer or bourbon, my secondary system rolling the blues, toasty warm in front of the fire pit, clear starry nights.  At a minimum its a 1.5 hour committment once I light up.  Backyard is heavily treed on 3 sides, somewhat amphitheater-ish, quite serene.  The occasional barking dog, gunshot (coons or coyotes) here or there, chainsaws long gone silent.

Inside it's a full on music refuge, 18 x 31 with an 8 foot ceiling, primary system complimentary adult beverage, zero distractions.  Amazing listening experiences, will have to wipe away the tears some nights it's that emotional...

Tertiary system for the indoor spa, fourth for workshop and garages.  Gotta have tunes whilst fiddling with the toys.

Everyday`s a Saturday when you retire!!!! Good stuff indeed.

OP, may I recommend that you work on having some diversity in life.  If you don't have a hobby or activity that you can divide your time with, I highly recommend you seek that out.  Of course, everyone is different, but I can say that for me having several activities pays dividends for when it is time to relax.  I enjoy mountain hiking.  I enjoy skiing.  I enjoy offshore fishing.  And there is always something to repair or upgrade in & around the house.  Listening to music is another "activity" (if one can really call it that) and can be enjoyed almost daily.  I find that by spending my time enjoying all of these other activities I am better able to sit in the sweet spot and fully engage with the music.  The sound quality plays a role here, too.  It is amazing to experience the sense of depth, imaging, and tonal balance.  But it's the music that takes you on the journey.
Anyway, I can only offer my views and yours may differ.  But I do believe that having several activities allows one to relax and enjoy other time spent in life.  In this case it is music and high fidelity that I am referring to.
Life is too short so just relax, and enjoy the music.

On a related note, I just don’t play my guitar or fiddle as well when the TV is on. Luckily, the piano is in a spot that is far, far away from all media sources.

great advice from @mammothguy54 !!

We have an accepted illness here.  Cat on Lap Disease.
The illness desires no cure, but one is loath to recover. ;)

A great excuse, now and zen...*s*

Ohh no listening is a personal thing. If you are happy with your listening routine keep it that way. What i like to do while listening in my swiveling Poag chair is relaxed roaming the internet regarding informatie what i listening at that moment. It enrich my listening experience.

I can not listen if I’m not focusing on the music. But it’s easier for me in my computer set-up. But I don’t listen to as much I would like too. heh. My brother’s set up is when most of the family gathers and my brother plays music and everyone sings along and at times start dancing. lol.

I really like listening in the car as well because you are driving and can just really listen to the music more focused, at least for me. You don’t have to sit there and stare into nothing or get too distracted by other things, you know. But my radio in the car is broken.

I guess i’m in sorta the same boat as you... lol

joeyga is my kinda peeps