Music vs. Components

@Mrtennis - I'm not sure I fully understand your qualification of music being 'neutral to your health' as opposed to the other things you mention. I don't see how music is any less salutary than reading, for example.

You mention 'many variables' that music may depend on to make it neutral or not neutral to your health. What are some of those? How is your state of health in this situation affected if not by listening to music? The answers to "What happens after you listen to music", or "why you listen to music", can only be answered by actually listening to the music!

First I listen to my system, say "it sounds good". Then say "it sounds like crap in this way or that" and make mental notes on how I could fix it (usually = $$$). Then I say "Gee, I like this song", and then just listen and have positive mental change Mrtennis talk about. Simple. I am never satisfied, but will tolerate limitations of space, gear, recording and unrealistic expectations for good music... and actually like it.

hi tholt:

listening to music may or may not alter one's health, as is true of other activities.

the reason for saying this is that the poster of the thread posed the issue of music vs components and i wanted to add the affect that music may or may not have on the listener.

you are correct in that reading and other activities affect one's health.

some of the variables that will determine whether music affects your health include physiological states, such as metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, mood and others. cleasrly, e.g., if one has a very low resting heart rate, listening to music may have no affect.

one is not always able to measure bolld pressure, or notice a change in mood after listening to music. there probably are other indicators of mental and physical states that one is unaware of that can not be determined after listening to music.

for example, after listening to music one may not "feel" any different, although there may be internal factors which are changing, biut are uanabled to measured by you, the listener.

this is the best i can do unless you ask me other specifc questions.

my original purpose was to suggest that some people do not listen to music because they like the music or want to "hear" the components, but rather to change the way they feel, so the musical content may be unimportant. as an esample, the sound pressure may be more important than the type of music.

@ Mrtennis - I believe I understand the point(s) you're trying to make. However, my interpretation of the OP's question is that it was narrower than your broadened scope that includes physiological/mental changes based on the act of listening.

My questions to to you were posed in this context. Mainly, that the outcomes you describe are influenced by the act of listening, not that music would change, or not change, how one felt during and afterward. I think it can be reasonably assumed that people listen to music as a form of pleasure, be it for relaxation, inspiration or whatever.

I truly believe that the majority of audiophiles listen to components. People that are only in it for the music don't need hi end equipment to enjoy the listening experience.

I'm not saying that audiophiles don't enjoy listening to music, but that's just one layer in the equation.