"Audiophile" listening vs. "fun" listening (from the "Beats" thread)

[rjp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dookiex There's two broad and general views to music enjoyment in my honest opinion (which can be broken down further, but let's not get into too much granularity). They are as follows: 1) Audiophile/recording purpose/critical listening - You want the detail, you want the resolving power, you WANT to analyze the music to every last detail. You are gaining enjoyment from analyzing every component of the music or to be honest, sound. (This I have a personal problem with, audiophile style listening sometimes take the music out of the music and breaks it down very scientifically, is this TRULY what a artist or producer really meant for us to hear? I really doubt it). 2) Fun listening - This would be listening to the music for the music. Much like going to a concert. Is what you hear at a rock concert the best acoustics ever? Not really (this is coming from a rock, punk, and indie perspective, never been to any other live concerts other than maybe a few hip hop shows here and there). What do we get from a live show? Energy and atmosphere. Do people go to a Green Day concert and analyze every bit of the sound they are hearing? No, if one was to do that, they would miss the majority of the show. Listening to music with fun and musical enjoyment in mind, in it's purest sense, we would really be missing a lot of details that we would have otherwise picked up via critical listening.

Why can't it be both? My own listening really falls into both categories at once. I love listening to the music, and I find it far more enjoyable with good headphones (or speakers, even) than with poor ones. I love to hear the detail, even if I'm not trying to be overly critical. On the other hand, I'm not about to spend $thousands on ultra-fancy equipment, when I can get great results from $hundreds or even $tens in the case of the SR60s. Yes, I might get upgradeitis at some point (SR325i is a strong possibility, since I love the Grado sound), but I'm not so sure I could justify the price of an RS-1 (famous last words).

FWIW, I come from a musical background, singing in choral groups and playing in a bell choir, so there's a bit of "critic" in me whenever I'm listening. I'm also both blessed and cursed with perfect pitch.

 

[Than]

I agree completely. There's no reason why it shouldn't be both at the same time. If you're breaking it down to the point that you don't recognize the music anymore, you've missed the point in my opinion. I think most people on here utilize both at once.

 

[scytheavatar]

I prefer headphones that are in the middle, not boomy like a Bose, not bassless like the ER6i.

 

[JayG30]

I don't agree with the analysis of the two types at all really. The whole reason I go to a concert is because I want to see the best guitar (or whatever) players live. Thats what I find "fun" about it. If they stink than the music is ruined for me and regardless of the "atmosphere" or whatever that other people go to a concert for (get drunk and act stupid? Try to hit on girls? Pick fights? Do drugs? I don't know), I find it boring and "not so fun". To me the fun in music is hearing the small details. Hearing the small details and little quirks in the music doesn't mean I'm not enjoying it, just the opposite. A headphone that produces the music as in the most neutral, "as the artist recorded it" way is how I want to hear it and what I find "fun". When music becomes colored or I can't hear all that is suppose to be there, than I lose some interest.

But that is just me.

Also, comparing sitting at home listening to headphones to going to a concert seems a bit strange to me. It almost seems like I can't have fun by those terms listening to headphones at all. If I want to have fun I must listen to the music in an "atmosphere" and it must have flaws. I guess I just don't get what those statements mean, or I just don't agree. Eh, whatever.

 

[DocHamm]

By your definitions, I'd have to jump into option one, but I also do not completely agree with your assessment.

I have not attended a concert in years. I do enjoy live music, but despise ultra loud sound. It is one thing that stopped me from club hopping in my younger years. These days I much prefer more intimate performances, especially acoustic. I think our preferences change as we get older, not because we get older but rather we experience more and find more to enjoy and gravitate towards.

I studied and played classical piano for many years since childhood but yearned for a guitar (they are easier to carry!) and blues music, much to the dismay of my teacher. Today I am getting back into some classical, partly because I appreciate the details differently now.

In all parts, I find I can both listen critically and enjoy the music, especially if the headphones are pretty well situated in that middle ground. I find the Grado SR60s w/bowls terrific for that very reason. Clear, clean, and allow me to toe tap with coffee and yet stop and say, "hey! I never noticed that before!", and what could be better? Well, except for more coffee and music??

 

[eruditass]

disagree, i am inbetween - i go for entertainment based on how realistic instruments sound. the timbre of instruments is what makes me like music, makes me feel like i am in the room.

i guess this applies more to non-rock concerts. however, i do go to rock/metal concerts but actually like a lot of it due to the catchiness - not just from energy, but rhythms, drums, hi-hats, etc. which I want to be produced clearly in my headphones.

i dont feel like i am scientific at all, i just like the energy from the instruments sounding like they are really there and hearing everything, not for resolving sake, but because the music i like most i listen to every instrument and how they add to the overall sound or the sound of the vocals, with the songs that have really great singing.

i could care less about minature details, pages turning, etc

 

[panda]

i don't think the first view counts in the 'enjoyment of music' as what it's describing is the enjoyment of sound. sound and music are not hand in hand, sound is just the platform that music is created on, but sound itself is not music.

i care about the notes/lyrics and the performance of a given song, the quality of the reproduction of a recording is just a bonus but far from being a factor in my overall musical enjoyment.

in other words, the music itself is the cake and the audiophilia crap is just icing. i usually don't eat cake but when i do, it's without the frosting although i do enjoy a clean subtle vanilla topping once in a while.

 

[Nocturnal310]

I enjoy the Songs upto HD595...from their everything becomes Audiophile rather than enjoyable....no doubt its great but truth is always bitter

 

[hatethatgiraffe]

it can be fun listening to music through analytical headphones noticing subtle changes that bring a smile to your face!
Is that not part of what brought us here?
Does that not help define the audiophile mentality?
How many threads have you read about eargasms or the first time you noticed that extra cello/ cymbal/ twang of a guitar string through the track you had listened to a million times before and just had to listen to again straight away?
That is fun to me and I'm sure that it is to others too!
That isn't being overly analytical but it can't be done on the majority of phones!

 

[QQQ]

There's no "fun" and "analytical" sound for me. Either gear sound true which is fun or false, which is no fun.

 

[matt_wants]

I personally go through both stages at first. Whilst they're new, then obviously what you listen to is critical, but once you're used to them and they're burnt in to some extent, listening for the sake of the music itself and not its technical ability is the norm. I'm at the fun stage with the Senns and Philips, still at the critical stage with the Pannys and Koss 75s.

Having said that, I don't think it ever goes away and if something sounds a bit duff, your ear will still train on it for a couple of songs to check all is well.

 

[thedauntlessone]

I think this is a pretty stupid question. Whether the person wants reference grade headphones to analyze tracks or better headphones to listen to music, they are both doing something "fun" for the individual.

For myself, I buy headphones because I find it more enjoyable with better audio gear.

 

[donunus]

I myself want a clear detailed sound that makes all the music come through in all its glory yet be fun enough not to distract the music when the recording is bad or for whatever other reasons. Only the hd600s have given me that ability to do both among all the headphones Ive heard so far. Well, I might go to the US a couple of years from now and attend all the meets I can go to in order to find the holy grail of cans

 

[funkadelic]

There are time when I want to really listen to the detail in something when it is important that the headphones are as good a quality as possible. I tend to do this at home with my 'full size' kit. This is option 1 above.

There is also a quality level I would describe as 'Good enough not to get in the way of the music' which is a lower target and applies more when I am out and about, or, like now, sat at my desk with my PX100's on. This is option 2

They are not mutually exclusive, but I am doing one or the other most of the time so I think the initial point is valid. Worryingly the 'good enough not to get in the way of the music' threshold is rising as time goes by!

Simon

 

[silverrain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedauntlessone /img/forum/go_quote.gif For myself, I buy headphones because I find it more enjoyable with better audio gear.

X2 here -- it's the "bottom line", after all else is said and done.

The fun of Head-Fi, is the fact that the quest for the best stuff is never done, since interesting new stuff keeps coming out.