Has your system changed the music you listen to?

Yes It has. The more we evolve our systems, exposing the textures, colors and nuances of the instruments the greater the possibility of enjoying the performance.

Not to say that music cannot be satisfying when pouring from a bedside radio. I doubt though anyone would deny better quality is an asset, even if not a priority for them. Most of us are content listening to a solo piano played live, yet we can be put to sleep by an entire orchestra when played on a mediocre sound system.

The more I perfect my system, the more interesting all kinds of music becomes. My library has evolved so much that I can find music to please almost any visitor as well as myself.

A typical session with visitors finds us listening to everything from 1960's RCA shaded dogs to antique Blue Note Jazz. Then switch to The Doors, cuts from one of Neil Young's masterpieces, some Bob Dylan or Elvis Costello. Favorite "newer" artist are Rickie Lee Jones, Janice Ian and Kate Bush. Sessions with my 16 year old son gets LPs by Radio Head, Dirty Vegas, Eiffel 65 and Everlast.

You have added another dimension to your life with the deeper appreciation of Jazz. I consider it one of the most varied formats in my collection. Some is near classical, some mainstream and some is more like abstract rock and roll.

I have perhaps two thousand jazz LP's and resist returning to EBAY to shop, as I am running out of space.

Congratulations on your new found pleasure.

Pardales, good observation! When I first heard a great system (not my own), Tomita and other similar music sounded great and changed my tastes. Later, when I got my first good (and perhaps best to date -- that's another story) car audio system, Rick Wakeman really grew on me -- yes I'm busted Mwilson. Still later, when I got my first very nice home audio system, it was jazz, jazz, jazz. Right now, everything finds it's way onto the turntable or CD player. I agree with Albert that good systems open up the possibilities of all kinds of music. Good post!

Absolutely. I used to own a Klipsch based system in college and for a few years after. I listened to mostly rock. I then got into Martin Logans after hearing them at a friends house. The vocals were so amazing that I went searching for every great vocal I could find. Then I got into jazz and more jazz--but then needed to get the woofer to work properly for great jazz recordings. Now I listen to mostly jazz, vocals and classical--in that order. Very seldom do I listen to rock. Was it the system change--or did I change (reminds of a light bulb joke--nevermind)

Not really. Over the past 20 years my taste in music has expanded and evolved, but I don't think it's related to my audiophile tendencies. I would think that over time everybody's musical taste changes, but I would be suspicious if it's driven by changes in your system. That's not to say that a good system won't help you appreciate different types of music, because it will, but a good system should definitely help you enjoy the music you already like.

I have had the same experience. I have always been a blues fan, but not until I got the audio bug did I really start listening to jazz. I believe, for me at least, that a lot of it has to do with the simplicity of the recordingss. My taste in jazz is almost exclusively acoustic "traditional" jazz(50s - early 60s). You had piano, drums, and bass with a trumpet and/or sax lead. The recordings were very pure and simple, just the musicians, their instruments, and the music, no overdubs, processing, or extreme editing.