The common problem with Computer Audio.

[leeperry]

they call it natural selection, the good stuff plays until the end(even loops sometimes)....the average stuff gets skipped!

 

[Sam-Fi]

Sorry for digging this old thread out of the ground and scraping some mold off but this is precisely the problem I have with computer audio playback. There is a whole set of distractions and complications when using computers for audio. I find myself skipping more often and fussing with things instead of listening. To me this is bad Mojo. I would think that a dedicated server or something of the sort could help alleviate this problem some. 
 
Also that glaring screen you have to deal with in your dark cozy listening space. The whole thing is just a bit of a turn-off.
 
Thanks,
Sam-fi

 

[sonci]

In the era of iTunes downloads, this problem seems ridiculous, but it happens to me everytime I try to listen to smth new on PC,
just get bored to the same vocal or sound and change often,
before pc, I used to listen  from star to end, even to the most boring album,
 
Fortunately, only a few albums these days deserve to be listen entirely...

 

 

[ROBSCIX]

Never heard of abundance of choice being a bad point.  If you want to tlisten to an entire album, listen to it. You control what you listen to...

 

[Ham Sandwich]

It takes some self control to stay in the album listening mode when doing computer as source.  It's easy to start playing favorite tracks instead of favorite albums.  Configuring your music player software to browse by albums instead of by tracks (or album detail views that allow you to easily choose a track from the album) will help.  I'm still very album listening oriented even though I've gone to computer as source.
 
A big advantage to computer as source is the ease of searching for what I want to play.  Want to know how many versions of "Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor" that I have on pipe organ?  A quick and easy search on the computer.  Back in the days of physical CDs I'd never know.  I'd have to physically look through all of my pipe organ CDs looking at each one to see if it had the passacaglia hidden on there.
 
There are ways of setting things up so the computer is behaving like a server.  Then use some sort of remote device to control it.  The remote device could be an iPod Touch, iPad, netbook, or similar device.  You can still search the music library and see the album art.  Less of a distraction in the listening room than having a full computer right there.

 

[FasterThanEver]

Quote:

before pc, I used to listen  from star to end, even to the most boring album,
 

 
And that was a good thing?
 

 

[earthpeople]

I currently use my computer as my main source of music. I do understand this "issue", and it's something I've noticed I do myself. I now also have my computer/foobar set up to act like a server and stream to my PS3 if I so wish (this way I can listen to .flac and .alac files, as the PS3 only supports WMA). Even though it seems like it wouldn't be much different from using a computer, I find myself listening to the music/albums more thoroughly. I also think the background visualizations are pretty nice.

 

[Zurg]

Quote:

... I now also have my computer/foobar set up to act like a server and stream to my PS3 if I so wish (this way I can listen to .flac and .alac files, as the PS3 only supports WMA). ...

The PS3 supports MP3, MP4(AAC), wave(linear PCM), Memory Stick Audio (ATRAC), and WMA.
 
As far as the OP issue, I almost always have EAC create playlists, and use them to queue up my music for playback.  I often queue several albums at a time.
I listen to "albums" all the time and really don't experience the problem you are talking about.
 
Of course, I am usually doing other things while I listen to music so I am not really interested in actively jockying my music while it plays.
 
I suspect that this is related to the "channel surfing" effect that many people experience while watching TV.
The main problem is that it is a passive activity and your mind is wanting to engage and make it a more active experience.
 
My suggestion is to try 1 or more of the following while listening to music:
 
1. Dance around wildly in your underwear to the music.
2. Get some drumsticks and beat the living heck out of all the inanimate objects in your room.
3. Practice your air guitar.
4. Concentrate intently on every nuance of the music until your sense of self fades and you become one with the universe.
5. Find some other activity to do while listening to music.
 
Good luck with your "problem" 
 
-Z