[zerogun]

As I've steeped more into chasing better sound, I've lately found that my music habits have started changing to more vocal and and instrumental music. I still enjoy the music I listen to prior to the chase, but I'm starting to feel like as the gear improves, my ears (and brain) have a stronger desire to listen to music that has a distinction in separation of sound i.e. vocals from instruments, or from instrument to instrument.

Has your taste in music changed?

 

[Spareribs]

No. In recent years, I started listening to Japanese pop music but that had nothing to do with audio gear. It was really from YouTube

 

[Devodonaldson]

Absolute change. Before getting into audio gear I was 80% hip hop, 20% modern r&b. As I developed taste for good headphones, DACS, DAPs, iems, I now listen to hip hop, modern r&b, classic soul, some country, modern jazz, classic jazz, blues, some classical piano, some pop. Audio fidelity has thoroughly expanded my musical tastes.

 

[gerelmx1986]

Not at all, but I changed from MP3 192kbps and AAC 256kbps to FLAC CD, FLAC 24-bit & DSD.

Changing the format or as you call the fidelity. I've also swapped bad recordings for better, recent ones

 

[Spareribs]

There’s lots of great music out there in the world of jazz, classical, older rock, etc...Most people are not aware of it.

Even I’m clueless. Every time I go out and listen to someone singing along to their favorite pop song, I have no idea who that pop singer is. I have no idea who is popular today. I need to learn more about music.

 

[zerogun]

Absolute change. Before getting into audio gear I was 80% hip hop, 20% modern r&b. As I developed taste for good headphones, DACS, DAPs, iems, I now listen to hip hop, modern r&b, classic soul, some country, modern jazz, classic jazz, blues, some classical piano, some pop. Audio fidelity has thoroughly expanded my musical tastes.

and

There’s lots of great music out there in the world of jazz, classical, older rock, etc...Most people are not aware of it.

Even I’m clueless. Every time I go out and listen to someone singing along to their favorite pop song, I have no idea who that pop singer is. I have no idea who is popular today. I need to learn more about music.

I completely echo your sentiments! I'm a predominantly EDM and lo-fi hip hop listener, and really made an effort to stay away from songs with lyrics / vocals. I just didn't appreciate it, but once I got more into improving the quality of my gear, the EDM and lo-fi hip hop didn't really improve more than what I enjoyed already. This essentially took me out of my comfort zone of listening and now I regularly listen to classical, and instrumental pieces. I haven't yet put tracks with my vocals yet, but I'm sure that is just a matter of time!

The best word I can muster to describe the listening experience of more traditional music (classical, jazz, vocals etc.) is that it's more natural sounding to my ears. I'm not sure if that's a fair assessment, but my guess is that also audio engineers building for these companies are really building products that are tested against the more traditional genres since they're trying to replicate the spacial presence of sound resonating from instruments or people.

 

[KutuzovGambit]

It hasn't led me to finding new music yet, but unfortunately it has made me painfully aware that some of the music I had previously enjoyed was mastered atrociously.

The Epicureans were on to something for sure...

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I think it's a great and interesting question. For me the answer is a bit, yes. I listen to mostly jazz and have since I can remember. I also like some classic rock. But since I have better equipment I now enjoy classical sometimes. I haven't gone over to the other side and I won't but at least now I can appreciate it somewhat.

 

[Spareribs]

On the opposite end, I’m now planning on listening to low fidelity recordings more often because there’s lots of bootleg audience live recordings that are excellent performances.

In some ways they are better than the official live album releases because you can hear the hall acoustics better in many cases and can be less sterile sounding despite the flawed amateur fidelity.

I grew up listening to bootlegs in high school so the lo fi sounds does not bother me.

 

[SilverEars]

Kinda, but I went back to what I enjoy after awhile. I got tired of old audiopharts musiks. You know, the chimes, and the distinct drums and strums of guitar? It's boring.

What is really obvious is how flat older music from the 90's I used to enjoy sounds with better gear. Yeah, the mastering was horrid.

What I want is, the music I like to sound better with gear instead. Old audiopharts music will generally sound good.

 

[szore]

mmm With greater fidelity, I find myself listening to new stuff, AND enjoying how I hear things I never heard before in all my old stuff too. Win-Win.

 

[szore]

Kinda, but I went back to what I enjoy after awhile. I got tired of old audiopharts musiks. You know, the chimes, and the distinct drums and strums of guitar? It's boring.

What is really obvious is how flat older music from the 90's I used to enjoy sounds with better gear. Yeah, the mastering was horrid.

What I want is, the music I like to sound better with gear instead. Old audiopharts music will generally sound good.

Get good recordings of your favorites. Preferable HIRES.

 

[SilverEars]

Get good recordings of your favorites. Preferable HIRES.

I've noticed the better sounding ones were remastered, and they added some depth to the music. 90's music sounds flat and compressed. There's probably no gain on the tracks either.

 

[SilverEars]

No. In recent years, I started listening to Japanese pop music but that had nothing to do with audio gear. It was really from YouTube

For some reason, I'm into 90's Jpop, but the mastering back then was bad. So, I like the content, not the presentation quality. I like everything about 90's Japan really.