What are we listening to...for...with?

I've been listening to sound and music since I was a kid (still am and still do). Since it's principally about taste, both aspects play a role in listening to recorded music. I listen, nearly exclusively, to Bach and 20th/21st century 'classical' music. My system is a laid back tube approach that presents this material suitably to my taste. I turn to particular works and particular performances when my focus is on the music. I have five sets of the Bach cello suites, for example. I can easily list them in order of preference and describe what I like and dislike about each. I also listen to all of them over time but play some more than others. I've always assumed that others do a theme and variation of the same, but it's interesting to run into professionals who have never gotten into the sound part of the music.

Having worked professionally in studios and sound reinforcement venues, I have worked on recordings and live sound systems where I didn't care at all about the music.

You're talking about two different hobbies here: high-end audio, and music appreciation. One can pursue either, or both. I'm always amazed at audiophiles who insist that they needed some gold-plated component to fully realize the emotional impact of the music. Geez, Mahler's emotionalism would come through on a tin whistle!

My answer to your question is yes.
I knew of an "audiophile" who only listened to recordings of gun shots.(weird eh?) Don't ask me where he got these. I knew another guy who viewed his system as a serious science project and didn't really like listening to music per say. I must say that his system sounded amazing. Hopefuly you can strike a balance and do both(sound and music). I listen to things that sound bad on my system because I love the music(an example would be,Keith Jarret "The Melody At Night With You" CD,I love this disc but there are some nasty problems with some of the tracks where the thing just breaks up, some sort of mic overload I assume). I just try not to pay attention to the sound, maybe read while it's playing. Then there are things that sound great, and I love the music. I find that I can get more envolved in the experience of just listening with this sort of material. Then there are some things I have that just sound good, they don't get any real play time at all. More of a novelty than anything else.
I think some people may go a direction away from musicality in there systems and lean perhaps too far to what they might think is "accuracy" that unfortunatly may them to frustration. Sure to some my CD player may be "Dark" sounding, my turntable light in the bottom, and my speakers might be "rolled off" and my cables just plain "suck",.....well, you get the picture but I can still enjoy a wider range of what's out there and be happy doing it than with a system that may be slightly more forgiving in some areas of it's performance. I never claim it's "State of the Art" but it just sounds so damn good. I have had some of the most fun listening recently to an old Dynaco PAS2 and a ST70 combo I had in the basement, sure it was a bit soft on both ends and not real specific as far as placement of images, but man it was lush and rich and depth from here to the next county and it made it hard to find anything to put on that sounded bad. Listening to it again was wonderful and put a smile om my face. Try to be careful about what you put together as a system and you just might be able to have it both ways.

Bishopwill: I confess some of us listen more to the sound than to the music.

Maybe some of your conductor friends are in the middle of the real thing every day and, therefore, any system is going to sound well.. puny. In addition, they have plenty of time to hear truly great sound. How much do you need to hear every day? They are listening for a different reason as you note and it is understandable.

I agree that a lot of "audiophiles" get completely caught up in equipment and sound. The music you put on is the most important thing about a system if you ask me.

I think your observations are right on.

By the way, I have a little experience with some of the old Scott and Dynaco equipment and everytime I listen to it, it reminds me how far the industry has not come. Not much advertising hype for 40 year old stuff and it does not look impressive on the shelf, but them lil electrons don't seem to care to much.

PS: Have you found those bottleneck ferrites yet? I have a few extra and I'm willing to share.

Sincerely. I remain

Bishop, I have found the same thing with a friend of mine who owns a recording studio. He's been in the music business for over 25 years, has all the best in the studio, gold records on the wall, has had alot of the big stars cut tracks there and is very picky about what he produces. When the day is done however, he listens to a $150. sony mini system at home. I always thought he was just to busy and has enough sound at work ( he's not home much). He knows good sound, however he does enjoy his little sony . To each his own.........