Listening to what we Like Instead of what we have to


Trying to find my way back to enjoying/feeling music and moving away from analyzing fine details, critical listening etc...

My pinnacle of enjoyment was probably with inexpensive JM Lab bookshelfs, an old Velodyne ULD-12 Sub, and an Audio Research D-60 amp with CD straight in, no pre amp. Currently I am selling my Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands they never really made me happy. The mids lose it with complicated transitions and they are a touch dry and bright to me. Current amp is an Audio by Van Alstine 60 w SET control amplifier. It runs approximately 90 watts into 4 ohms. Source is a Bluesound Node. Cables are MIT Term. 2 interconnects, and Kimber 8 TC speaker. I listen at low to moderate levels. The room is wider than deep. 12 deep and 18 wide. I can sit about 9 feet away from the fronts of speakers with them about 30 inches out from the walls. I do listen to music a lot when I’m up and about though, I'd like/prefer it to sound good then as well.

I often have to listen to only the most well produced and best recordings of genres I only kind of like, to enjoy the music. I’m really sick of that.

My music of choice is mostly 80s pop/rock/some country and glam rock. With a bit of 70s and 90s mixed in.

I enjoy finding new current music too. Usually pop and rock as well.

Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Eddie Money, Neil Diamond, Kiss, Madonna, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Eric Carmen, 80s Billboard, Johnny Cash, Baltimora, etc...you get the point.

Detail is a good thing, like when you can hear Madonna say God echoing many times at the beginning of the long version of "Like A Prayer" or nice cymbal splash. Not too forward, or bright though. I have a decent REL sub so smaller speakers can work. I like a big soundstage and hearing things in recordings going on up, out and away from the speakers. Overly veiled is not preferable.

I could really use speaker advice or recommendations for under 3k. I’ll move backwards from new speakers through the rest of the system to make improvements if/when needed/ and can be afforded. Does any of this make sense? Thanks.

sirmelvin27

It’s the audiophile’s dilemma. You’re not alone. Most of the music I’m most emotionally invested in sounds terrible. So I’ve developed an appreciation for well recorded jazz/blues. It sucks but it’s hard to listen to bad recordings now and 90% of the music I grew up with and love is really poorly recorded. Luckily most Pink Floyd isn’t too bad. :) The upside is, I’ve come to genuinely like jazz. Some of it I can’t listen to, the crazy, phrenetic Freeform type makes zero sense to me and I won’t listen to it no matter how well it’s recorded. :)

But there’s definitely something appealing about listening to great recordings that are minimally processed, and showcase very pure sounding acoustic instruments. Love hearing the texture, timbre, and realism of the various instruments.

In the $3000 range i’d be looking at Dynaudio special 40, or Q acoustics. Maybe some 705 S3’s or used 805 d3’s.

I no longer waste too much energy analyzing too deeply what my motives are in developing an appreciation of well recorded acoustic jazz or blues, no reason to beat myself up. To thine own self be true. If it makes you happy, to quote Sheryl Crow, it can’t be that bad. 👍🏼

But there’s definitely something appealing about listening to great recordings that are minimally processed, and showcase very pure sounding acoustic instruments.

+1, @megabyte .  

@sirmelvin27 We have similar taste in music. Pat Benatar-Shadows of the Night is a good example of what a bad recording sound like even the remastered version but that is not going to stop me from listening to her music which I like. The Paradigm mini monitors I have made matter worse with music compressed recording. For that kind of music I prefer soft dome tweeters and not metallic material. For Jazz and instrumental that might be fine.

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