What kind of listener are you?

change to Shinkoh resistor if you want and more intimate, emotional sound, change to Audio Note if you what a little more open musical sound just not as emotional. It is not the speakers so much.

Happy Listening.

As a classical piano student, and newly returning to this hobby, I unknowingly started out as an analytical listener.  Trying to catch the intonations, delicacy of touch, etc. as the performer expressed dynamics.

I realized this when a few songs of different kinds of music played for a while.  Wasn't focusing on anything.

Just sitting there listening.  Enjoying.  Not "critical" listening.  Musical listening.
No urges to get up and tweak the toe in, mess with knobs (except volume).

I am not knocking analytical listening which is enjoyable in its own right.
But "musical, feel, thrill" listening, ... when caught in it, everything disappears.  Time, the room, just about everything.

Guess I'm guilty for often overlooking these qualities when caught up analytically listening.

I found that I had to first be an analytic listener; this enabled me to understand the mysterious terms my friends were tossing around.  Such an approach lead to my being able to both discern and appreciate soundstage width, height and depth, along with image placement.  Ever since receiving my first AM transistor radio, I have wanted to hear “everything” within a song.  I just knew that there was more to “Riders on the Storm”, “Cecilia”, and so many other great songs than what my little radio passed on.  My ongoing quest is the attainment of a system that is both revealing and musically involving.  I believe that I am there (at least until the next IC, fuse, or whatever comes along to take me further on this wonderful journey).

Good stuff guys!

mc wrote " Back in those days I was very methodical in using my favored test CDs with tracks selected to help me run down my audiophile checklist, all of which was analytical. It was only when I caught myself lost in the music totally forgetting about the checklist that it dawned on me, this is what its all about."

I have the sneaking suspicion that all these pieces of the puzzle are actually there and occur at different intervals different times and use different areas of the brain.  Wondering if anyone has done a fMRI to see how mood as well as the type of music playing light up different areas.

A new piece of equipment makes me totally analytical, which I don't find as pleasurable.  After tweaking/break-in I fall back to "normal" position of being musical and typically remain there until the next tweak.

Interestingly, but not surprising, my wife can tell my mood simply by the music flowing out of the music room.