Listening Environment

[holy ghost]

After reading a lot of talk here about the most appealing formats and discussion on tape vs LP vs CD I’m curious to hear what people are playing their horrible sounds through. I’ve personally never gotten aboard the “serious audiophile” train myself but have invested some time and money building a reasonably decent sounding system.

I have some friends that are hyper serious audiophiles (to me, they all consider themselves “mid level” audiophiles) who talk about “reference records” and “spatial arrangement” and don’t balk at spending 3k for a pair of speakers. I have been to sample the goods at their houses and I don’t know if I hear that much of a difference? It’s very possible my ears are just fucking shot. I can’t hear what my wife is saying when she’s in the kitchen and I’m 20 feet away….

Anyway, I’m running a Pro-Ject Carbon with an Ortofon Blue cartridge into an NAD preamp into an NAD 720 receiver. Speakers are PSB (Canadian made) floor speakers. I don’t bother with a sub and the tone bypass is always on. I recently upgraded the speakers from bookshelf and felt that made a huge difference in quality. I bought the receiver about 15 years ago and never considered upgrading until a friend offered to loan me a spare Marantz he has and he swears it will change my life. I’m almost skeptical because I don’t want to develop yet another dumb niche interest that costs all my money….

CD player is an NAD as well - and my tape deck is a TEAC that used to record patient interviews at a psychiatric hospital I used to work on (no joke!) that I found in a storage room. It's been in for repairs a few times and still kicking. Personally I think it sounds great. I’ve done a ton of dubs for my old bands and no one ever complained about the sound….

Tell me your tales of audiophile woe….

[Helvitis]

I have an okay set up in my house to play records but I rarely play anything noise related on that since I have a family and limited time in the house without them. Most of my noise-related listening happens on headphones these days and in large part digital. I have a portable cd and cassette player that I´ll used sometimes but most of the time it's digital. I keep buying cassettes/cds/vinyl of noise stuff and hopefully in the future I´ll have more opportunities to blast it on a proper stereo but as it is a headphone and digital files is the main way I listen to it.

[sarinDK]

For everyday listening I am using a Bose Acoustimass 5 series II 2.1 stereo setup which I inherited a few years ago. Else I would probably still use my thrifted no name standing speaker system.
Tape player is a thrifted Onkyo Integra I got for a few Euros almost 15 years ago, still running smoothly without major maintenance. Just recently grabbed a backup modern TEAC just in case it finally dies. (and I got it for dirt cheap)
Record player is a no name DJ Turntable. CD player as part of the receiver has stopped working so I rip every CD to flac and play from my PC/Phone.
This is far from any audiophile setup, but it sounds amazing to me, very organic no matter the volume. For quiet/late night listening I bought some decent Beyerdynamic Headphones last year, would not want to miss them anymore (used to listen to music on my gaming headset heh).

I don't understand audiophile obsession at all. Besides a lot of it being snake oil level of salesmanship, I do not believe there is a 'proper' way to listen to music anyway. Sound and timbre differs in so many ways, from the mastering to the room setting to background noise, audio format, how could you ever tell which one is the 'genuine' sound.
I like to just find my own preferred sound, especially for heavy electronics or noise. If that means turning knobs on the equalizer or just cranking up the volume or god forbid listening to the bandcamp code instead of the vinyl because the pressing is shit so be it.

[holy ghost]

)I don't understand audiophile obsession at all.

I don’t either (to a certain degree) and this thread was not intended to be a dick waggling contest at all - however I can truly appreciate the value of a good setup, particularly after I go from listening to the little goofy speaker I have in the kitchen to play Apple Music out of to my stereo where I can really feel that shit.

I know a guy who is like, your classic audiophile who's stereo clocks in around 20k and told me he doesn’t even really listen to anything beyond the 30-40 titles he grew up with. He was very self aware of this and said there were “two types of guys - stereo guys and music guys” and he was just not that interested in music but loved the hi-fi experience.

It’s hard to be an audiophile when a good portion of your music sounds like a guy throwing a bunch of pots and pans down the stairs and the rest sounds like a human body being fed into a wood chipper.

Also I haven’t replaced my speaker cables in 20 years. I was starting to think about upgrading and “maybe it’ll sound better” and then a friend told me he spent like $200 on cables. Man fuck that….

[xIncorruptibleCorpse777x]

Too much money, too much work. I can tell the difference, but I just don't care.

[exobrain]

Mostly listening noise via headphones from tapes and CDs (and digital at work), but other music is played on vintage equipment. The design of older, as in 70s and early 80s, hi-fi is really pleasing to my eyes. My current setup consist of a Harman/Kardon 430 amplifier/receiver, a pair of Sonab OA-14 speakers (really cool design, check it out!), a early 80's Sony tape deck, which weights like 10kg, an early 90s Sony CD player and a pair of Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntables. A funny detail is, that one of the SL-1200's is from the late 70's and the other's from the mid-90's and they look exactly identical.

[holy ghost]

Also I haven’t replaced my speaker cables in 20 years. I was starting to think about upgrading and “maybe it’ll sound better” and then a friend told me he spent like $200 on cables. Man fuck that….

I finally did it! Swapped out my 20 year old speaker wire (pretty sure they threw it in for free when I bought my NAD receiver - shit that was before I was married) with 14g sealed wire with banana plugs and I don't want to tell tales here fellas but I DO HEAR A DIFFERENCE. Everything sounds real "crispy" and "sharp" like you're eatin' a real old cheddar or something. I've been trying to test out different formats and genres, I think the noise CD is the clear winner here. Been throwing on a bunch of Merzbow CDs and I can feel everything just a little more "real" than before. Maybe I'm nuts. It was only about a $50 upgrade but I'm out there saying it sounds better. Shit, I was driving around in my car today going "man I bet this shit would be BUMPIN' on my home stereo".

[-NRRRRK-]

...and a pair of Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntables. A funny detail is, that one of the SL-1200's is from the late 70's and the other's from the mid-90's and they look exactly identical.

The SL-1200 turned 50 this year. From Mk1 to Mk2 they changed the design a little (the pitch-fader got introduced with Mk2), but otherwise the looks haven't changed that much.
Loving that machine. Has been and still is my dream turntable. Got me an 1210Mk5 a couple of years ago.

Stereo system in my house is a Marantz 1550 from the 70ies with a pair of Yamaha NS625. Loving the vintage looks and it sounds really good. Got the mentioned SL1210 Mk5 and a Thorens TD124 II, which I got in really poor condition and restored it myself. There is one capacitor and one resistor in it, everything else is mechanical. It is a great machine. Built in the mid/late 60ies, still running flawlessly. CD-player is a pretty new Yamaha one. When it comes to noise I listen to a lot of CDs, but the player itself I am not so passionate about. They pretty much all do the trick. I built a nice woodcase with matching veneer to that of the Marantz, so they look pretty neat standing side by side. Also got an Akai 4000DS reel-to-reel, not in working condition and again restored it myself. Made some dubs from HD-Youtube videos of livesets by bands I like. Tape sounds awesome, there is no doubt about it. Especially drums.

I am really happy with the setup, not audiophile in any way, but really good sounding. Doing some audio-engineering and with some of the basic knowledge one gets through miking and mixing instruments a big chunk of the usual audiophile-talk becomes obsolete.

[-NRRRRK-]

I finally did it! Swapped out my 20 year old speaker wire (pretty sure they threw it in for free when I bought my NAD receiver - shit that was before I was married) with 14g sealed wire with banana plugs and I don't want to tell tales here fellas but I DO HEAR A DIFFERENCE.

From my experience there is a threshold when it comes to buying equipment, where there is a perceptible difference. After that it is much more placebo than physics.
Faulty components are a thing too. I got my an external phono-pre a couple of years ago, put on "Kind Of Blue" and for the first time I heard the ride-cymbal of the drums.

[holy ghost]

From my experience there is a threshold when it comes to buying equipment, where there is a perceptible difference. After that it is much more placebo than physics.

Totally agree! I can't say I have any interest in becoming "that guy", constantly chasing that next level of audio enlightenment - quite frankly I have to many gosh darned albums on my want list to even consider it. But I will say having a nice setup really does add that extra "something" to your listening. For me splurging on a nice set of tower speakers really made the difference. I was also able to really sense a difference when I upgraded cartridge to an Ortofon Blue for sure. But how much am I going to notice really upping the quality level of my receiver? My friend Chris who lives a few blocks away says I should borrow his backup Marantz and I'll "get it". I don't know if I will! Maybe one day I'll try.

[holy ghost]

Okay so I don't want to sound "crazy" here but I have been home today spinning records on my day off and I got sucked into an Ornette Coleman wormhole. I have very beautiful vintage pressings of The Sound of Jazz To Come and Ornette! that I picked up before the vinyl boom really exploded so I didn't pay a lot for them, they look NM/M but have always played with enough crackle that I found intrusive enough to buy cheapo reissues. Doing a little light inventory and throw on Ornette! and low and behold it plays nice and quiet, like a goddamned dream (or at least 9/10). Same with TSOJTC!

I have upgraded the speaker cable, cartridge, speakers and preamp since last spinning these copies a few years ago and have always had them on she shelves, staring at them a little disdainfully.

Now I'm wondering if maybe I wasn't perhaps a little too anal retentive a few years ago or a better setup really makes a difference. Will I ever know? My wife doesn't care.

[-NRRRRK-]

The cartridge can have a HUGE impact on playback and sound. A sharper cut stylus (like Shibata or LineContact) is not only able to better track information (or track more information) but at the same time is not as sensitive to dirt. I am not saying that a sharper cut is always better than eliptical (as there are some good elipitical styli as well), but chances are it will improve playback and sound.

[Fire of the Mind]

All I really need is a nice pair of headphones and for whatever equipment I'm using, whether engaging with an analogue or digital format, to not completely and utterly suck ass. That aside, I'm really not too picky? I'm too poor to be picky.

[holy ghost]

The cartridge can have a HUGE impact on playback and sound. A sharper cut stylus (like Shibata or LineContact) is not only able to better track information (or track more information) but at the same time is not as sensitive to dirt. I am not saying that a sharper cut is always better than eliptical (as there are some good elipitical styli as well), but chances are it will improve playback and sound.

Somehow I always had it in my head (I think I was told this by an audiophile friend) that a higher end cartridge might reveal more of the imperfections of an LP in regards to pops and clicks - I can deal with the occasional pop but an endless background crackle or clicks - ESPECIALLY incessant clicking drive me nuts. I'm not a huge classical expert but I love the more modern/12 tone/dissonant stuff and was playing a few albums last night and same results, I know I've had a lot of issues in the past especially with quiet passages and extremely long cuts (Berg's Lyric Suite is 30 minutes jammed on to one side of an LP) and it played much better than I remember.

[-NRRRRK-]

Somehow I always had it in my head (I think I was told this by an audiophile friend) that a higher end cartridge might reveal more of the imperfections of an LP in regards to pops and clicks...

I think a "better" cartridge will reveal more imperfections in a sense of poor mixing or sound quality. From what I can tell the pops and clicks usually decrease the sharper the cut of the diamond gets.

And listening to classical or modern classical music on vinyl can be a tough one. Dynamic range is nuts, quiet parts can be so quiet that surface noise becomes an issue.
I think for classical music cd might be the better medium.

[bobMarinelli]

The last few things I did and sent off to friends, I felt the need to actually Say "it's in stereo, don't bother listening to this on your computer or from an iPhone on your desk". When I listen to noise, it's by default through headphones - whether it's out in the shop while working, or in a chill space in the house.

If I'm grilling, I'll put a bluetooth speaker in a corner and listen to commercial music. but for noise, it's pretty much always through headphones - and I kind of expect that I'm in the majority on this one. But, I thought I'd put this up here and see if that's actually the case.

[shrouded.in.antiquity]

Depends on what time of day it is. I keep my CD/Tape player in my kitchen since it's the most centrally located room in my house so if I've got the place to myself I really do try to listen to noise pushing air through some speakers. If it's later in the evening I'll listen in headphones. I don't necessarily have a "preference" between one or the other, I like to see how listening experiences differ from speakers to headphones and vice versa. It's also interesting to hear how listening through speakers reveals nuances in the audio such as when I have to walk to another room for something and my perception of the sound changes. Sometimes this reveals details I didn't hear at first and can't be replicated (in my experience) with listening in headphones.

[Residual / RT]

Prefer headphones simply because I rarely get the chance to blast noise from my stereo as loud as I'd want, so headphones are the best way to achieve the optimal volume level. I do have Genelecs tho, and blasting harsh noise loud from them is a totally different experience.

[Joie de la Blumpy]

I do have Genelecs tho, and blasting harsh noise loud from them is a totally different experience.

I know what you mean. I once auditioned Incaps Quietus through the Genelecs and the shit did not once blast, was not at all harsh, nor even perceptibly loud, and barely qualified as noise.

Did kick ass, mind you.

[_TS_]

Preferably on speakers in my living room. For some reason, noise-listening is primarily a sedentary activity for me. Can't get in the same zone if I'm walking. Plus the dog seems to like it.

[holy ghost]

Any "serious" or "detailed" listening is done on my home stereo. there's a thread on hi-fi thread floating around, I want to be enveloped in sound, I don't want to listen through headphones. I want to feel that bass bumpin' - I don't have that audiophile spending tendencies because when I throw on a Yes LP or whatever I think "how could this sound any better?"

Car/kitchen is for streaming through apple music, usually classic rock/prog/metal/punk, I can't listen to noise in the car or while cooking, sorry that's time for Judas Priest or Bob Seger or some shit like that.

[Scream & Writhe]

there's a thread on hi-fi floating around

And, like that, two become one.

[holy ghost]

I think for classical music cd might be the better medium.

Totally agree with this, but will I be able to resist yet another Shonberg LP with our boy Arnold, arms crossed in a really crisp suit looking stern and yet somehow kind and warm?

[Joie de la Blumpy]

Car/kitchen is for streaming through apple music, usually classic rock/prog/metal/punk, I can't listen to noise in the car or while cooking, sorry that's time for Judas Priest or Bob Seger or some shit like that.

Car for sure noise all the way, totally worth souping up the system for it, but cooking or whatever I hear ya. I need something reeeeal stooooopid in the earhole for that. Anything to amplify the absurdity of the absurdity so to speak. Oddly enough, noise don't do that.

Noise is some serious shit.

[Capers]

When I'm cooking I listen to either radio or Possessed - Beyond The Gates through the kitchen stereo.

The only time I stream music is when I really need to hear a song immediately which I either don't have access to physically or which doesn't exist on record. For example a live take of a Merle Haggard song from tv which someone taped and uploaded. Or that wonderful particular live version of Fleetwood Mac's "Riannon". Etc.