A Music Lovers First Thread and Question

[Ryan Parmelee]

Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself to this awesome forum. I've been interested in music for many years starting when I learned how to play guitar almost 5 years ago. I still play everyday, while also enjoying the pleasures that come with listening to music. My first headphones were Audio Technica m50x's, but after awhile I acquired a pair of Sennheiser HD 598's. They are usually what I use now a days. I plan to eventually upgrade to an even higher level, but currently don't want to pay the extra expenses. I plan to be a very active member on here and hopefully make some friends in the process. I live in BC Canada for anyone that may live here too.
 
So my question has to do with the type of music I listen to. I have a library consisting of about 80% pop (Taylor Swift, Adele, Selena Gomez). I do listen to some rock, jazz, and blues but mostly newer pop. Is that looked down on in this community? And is it a waste having audiophile grade headphones with the type of music I listen too? Any answers would be helpful thanks!

 

[serman005]

  Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself to this awesome forum. I've been interested in music for many years starting when I learned how to play guitar almost 5 years ago. I still play everyday, while also enjoying the pleasures that come with listening to music. My first headphones were Audio Technica m50x's, but after awhile I acquired a pair of Sennheiser HD 598's. They are usually what I use now a days. I plan to eventually upgrade to an even higher level, but currently don't want to pay the extra expenses. I plan to be a very active member on here and hopefully make some friends in the process. I live in BC Canada for anyone that may live here too.
 
So my question has to do with the type of music I listen to. I have a library consisting of about 80% pop (Taylor Swift, Adele, Selena Gomez). I do listen to some rock, jazz, and blues but mostly newer pop. Is that looked down on in this community? And is it a waste having audiophile grade headphones with the type of music I listen too? Any answers would be helpful thanks!

Welcome, Ryan! I have an M50X and a 598 as well--I like them a lot. As far as people looking down on your music preferences, I don't know anyone who has ever done that here. People are for the most part quite respectful here on head-fi. J-pop, K-pop, and every other kind of pop is quite popular here on head-fi. Don't belittle your music interests--they are legitimate and worthy. As far as having audiophile grade headphones (whatever that is) for use with pop, there are scores of people on head-fi who listen to pop. I would venture to say it is one of the most popular genres (pardon the pun). Go for it!

 

[Music Alchemist]

Yep, better headphones will give you a very different experience with all types of music, including pop.

 

[Ryan Parmelee]

Welcome, Ryan! I have an M50X and a 598 as well--I like them a lot. As far as people looking down on your music preferences, I don't know anyone who has ever done that here. People are for the most part quite respectful here on head-fi. J-pop, K-pop, and every other kind of pop is quite popular here on head-fi. Don't belittle your music interests--they are legitimate and worthy. As far as having audiophile grade headphones (whatever that is) for use with pop, there are scores of people on head-fi who listen to pop. I would venture to say it is one of the most popular genres (pardon the pun). Go for it!

Thanks! Good to know.

 

[obobskivich]

I'd agree wholeheartedly with serman005's first reply - I don't think I've ever seen anyone belittle someone's music choices before. That said, there are some genres that I just don't see mentioned all that often (not that they're disliked, I just think they tend to be less popular in this community) like most genres of country, for example (and to give you an example of "people don't belittle others' music interests" - a few years ago I actually once posted a thread (which if I could find, I'd link) asking if anyone did listen to country, and what kinds of cans they find are best, and the general consensus seemed to be "hmmm, that's an interesting question!" but I don't recall anyone casing aspersions towards the genre). At most what you might face is folks who are unfamiliar with your musical taste asking for examples of songs/albums so they can better understand what you're after in recommendation threads (I've actually discovered new genres this way).

To your question about "is it worth it to have nicer headphones for pop?" Absolutely! Some pop albums have very high production values (thanks to their huge production budgets - being "mass market" isn't always a bad thing), and there's plenty of good music out there. That having been said, "garbage in, garbage out" still applies - low quality/low resolution rips or encodes of *any* genre/music/etc will not do your high end headphones any favors, nor will badly produced/recorded stuff. But that, on its own, doesn't preclude having nicer headphones/speakers, its just something to keep in the back of your head.

Welcome to Head-Fi.

 

[Monsterzero]

As others have said a good pair of headphones will make any type of music sound better,even pop.Depending upon what you end up getting it might even get you to explore other genres down the line.

Dont feel bad about what type of music you like...Alchemist and I like metal.Obobskivich is into bluegrass punk, and Serman has the largest klezmer collection in the pacific northwest.

 

 

[obobskivich]

As others have said a good pair of headphones will make any type of music sound better,even pop.Depending upon what you end up getting it might even get you to explore other genres down the line.


Dont feel bad about what type of music you like...Alchemist and I like metal.Obobskivich is into bluegrass punk, and Serman has the largest klezmer collection in the pacific northwest.:wink_face:

 

Serious question: what is "bluegrass punk"?

Kidding aside, I have pretty varied musical tastes, and this seemed apropos -
https://youtu.be/CP-wEhEZewA?t=59

EDIT

Went and looked on YouTube for "bluegrass punk" - its apparently a genre. I'm not sure how to feel about what I'm hearing, but I'm not disliking it...

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
So my question has to do with the type of music I listen to. I have a library consisting of about 80% pop (Taylor Swift, Adele, Selena Gomez). I do listen to some rock, jazz, and blues but mostly newer pop. Is that looked down on in this community?

 

I'll put it this way: normally, this is what I normally listen to...

 

...And then at some point my friends discovered what I have in my Spotify when they needed one phone to play through the BT speakers in the patio.

 

At least I was able to explain it with, "guys...LEGS." An explanation I couldn't use when I visited my folks and watched them on the large plasma, and my mom was wondering what the hell happened to her son.

 

In any case, this forum isn't like a speaker audio forum full of old people listening to Sinatra and Beethoven, so don't be surprised if somebody listening to Mahler and Zimmer would be listening to a song delivered to sound like a singsong reading of the diary of a giddy 16 year old.
 

 
And is it a waste having audiophile grade headphones with the type of music I listen too? Any answers would be helpful thanks!

 

I'd worry more about the recording quality of most modern albums and current copies of older albums than the type of music. In both examples above, both are set too loud (yes, even the CD copy of the second one), and that second screenshot has some crackling noise right where my favorite (that would be the tall one to the left)

is singing with nothing else playing. Which is a shame since she is just sooooo cute.

 

If anything, while some are recorded with more acceptable gain levels, one thing that's consistent is that imaging isn't exactly a priority for such recordings. It's not like a recording of an opera or musical where sometimes you can tell where each character is standing on stage (there's one track in the original copy of Phantom of the Opera where you can hear the Phantom and Cristine walking towards each other).

 

That said, playing pop music through a system with minimal noise (over what the crap recording quality causes) and distortion (none from the amp/source, and a smooth response curve on the headphone/speaker), everything will generally sound better. It would be a really, really, really bad recording for a good system to render it really unfit for listening, even for casual listening, or to really show a flaw as to be annoying (like one metal album I have that had the bass drum sounding like hitting a phone book with chopsticks).

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Dont feel bad about what type of music you like...Alchemist and I like metal.Obobskivich is into bluegrass punk, and Serman has the largest klezmer collection in the pacific northwest.

 
For the record, I listen to just about all types of music...except most country.

 

[Monsterzero]

   
For the record, I listen to just about all types of music...except most country.

Same,though I do like dark country(look it up),i just cant do modern pop or hiphop...or breakbeat...or death metal....or drone. 

 

[obobskivich]

Same,though I do like dark country(look it up),i just cant do modern pop or hiphop...or breakbeat...or death metal....or drone. 

What is "drone"?


Ryan Parmelee Told you we discover new genres in threads like this.

 

[Music Alchemist]

What is "drone"?

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_music
 
I adore the sample track! Since this is also ambient music, I'll drop a link to my favorite ambient artist:
 
http://steveroach.com/discography

 

[EricDH]

As others have said a good pair of headphones will make any type of music sound better,even pop.Depending upon what you end up getting it might even get you to explore other genres down the line.

Dont feel bad about what type of music you like...Alchemist and I like metal.Obobskivich is into bluegrass punk, and Serman has the largest klezmer collection in the pacific northwest.

 

Then I think I have to connect with Serman

 

[buke9]

I'll put it this way: normally, this is what I normally listen to...

...And then at some point my friends discovered what I have in my Spotify when they needed one phone to play through the BT speakers in the patio.

At least I was able to explain it with, "guys...LEGS." An explanation I couldn't use when I visited my folks and watched them on the large plasma, and my mom was wondering what the hell happened to her son.

In any case, this forum isn't like a speaker audio forum full of old people listening to Sinatra and Beethoven, so don't be surprised if somebody listening to Mahler and Zimmer would be listening to a song delivered to sound like a singsong reading of the diary of a giddy 16 year old.

I'd worry more about the recording quality of most modern albums and current copies of older albums than the type of music. In both examples above, both are set too loud (yes, even the CD copy of the second one), and that second screenshot has some crackling noise right where my favorite (that would be the tall one to the left)

is singing with nothing else playing. Which is a shame since she is just sooooo cute.

If anything, while some are recorded with more acceptable gain levels, one thing that's consistent is that imaging isn't exactly a priority for such recordings. It's not like a recording of an opera or musical where sometimes you can tell where each character is standing on stage (there's one track in the original copy of Phantom of the Opera where you can hear the Phantom and Cristine walking towards each other).

That said, playing pop music through a system with minimal noise (over what the crap recording quality causes) and distortion (none from the amp/source, and a smooth response curve on the headphone/speaker), everything will generally sound better. It would be a really, really, really bad recording for a good system to render it really unfit for listening, even for casual listening, or to really show a flaw as to be annoying (like one metal album I have that had the bass drum sounding like hitting a phone book with chopsticks).

About half way thru I didn't mind the Nightwish but it is a bit much for me. To each their own. The next song was a rockin song nice guitar work but I'll leave you with them not my cup of tea not horrible by no means. I only found one album on Tidal of AOA and that song wasn't on it. My guilty pleasures are "Big in Japan" Martin Solveig and DNCE "Cake by the Ocean".

 

[ProtegeManiac]

About half way thru I didn't mind the Nightwish but it is a bit much for me. To each their own. The next song was a rockin song nice guitar work but I'll leave you with them not my cup of tea not horrible by no means.

Totally not for everyone. Too soft for people who headbang, too loud for those who listen to Hans Zimmern without electric guitars.

What this music is for is for people who listen to Iron Maiden or Doro and Hans Zimmern, and want to listen to both in one go.

I only found one album on Tidal of AOA and that song wasn't on it. My guilty pleasures are "Big in Japan" Martin Solveig and DNCE "Cake by the Ocean".

All their albums are up on Spotify except for one single from 2013, but it's in one Japanese release, so the version on Spotify isn't Korean.

Here's that song I posted on YouTube. Actual music recorded over the rehearsal video (other vids just have the mic picking up what they had on the speakers). 1080p/60fps on this vid so it's not dizzying to watch them dance.