[erikzen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricola_pak Hope my post meant no offense to anyone, that was not my intent.

No offense at all; just some healthy conversation, and I do see your point.

 

[plainsong]

No you don't _have_ to learn music theory.. but I think a lot of people here would get a heck of a lot more enjoyment from the music if they just learned how to pick up an instrument and play. Participate a little in making the music. Learn a little bit about how it's done. Learn about how these things called notes work together as chords, and how these chords work together in progressions. It would really be an eye-opener, and even lead people to listen even more intently, and listen for different things, and just listen to the music in a new and exciting way.

This isn't just for head-fiers but audiophiles in general.

You don't have to, but it's a shame if you never do.

 

[erikzen]

I have a slightly different take on it. When I started playing music and learning more about it, I became much more critical of what musicians were playing. So music that I previously enjoyed, I started becoming overly critical of instead of realizing that even though it might not be technically complicated it still sounded good. (I must say that this was primarily with rock bands and more music knowledge increased my appreciation for other types of music.) I've sort of come full circle at this point but sometimes I have to isolate the part of me that knows something about music from the part of me that enjoys listening to music.

I am not a professional musician and I do not have any formal music education outside of some public school classes and a few years of private lessons. I am just an amatuer musician so take what I say with as many grains of salt as you deem necessary.

 

[plainsong]

I don't have much in the way of professional credits, but being critical of what you hear is just part of what happens when your ears learn. It's all part of it to be able to criticize. That's not a bad thing to begin to have an opinion on how it should have been performed.

The enjoyment of music has many levels, and the ability to know something about it enough to have an opinion on it is just one of those levels.

 

[Joey_V]

I must have almost $3000 worth of speakers and audio related objects in my bedroom... in addition to my modest headphones. I dont get as much slack on my speakers and sub as I do with my headphones. Even though my headphones only cost $150 retail and my LSi9 fronts cost $1100 retail, everyone likes to nitpick on how my headphones cost too much.

Perhaps they relate size to cost?

 

[Born2bwire]

When I bought my Senns and MG Head, I think my dad was thinking, "One of us! One of us!" He was the one that brought me down to the audio shop suggesting that I get a headphone rig for Xmas/birthday my freshman year.

 

[recstar24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainsong I don't have much in the way of professional credits, but being critical of what you hear is just part of what happens when your ears learn. It's all part of it to be able to criticize. That's not a bad thing to begin to have an opinion on how it should have been performed. The enjoyment of music has many levels, and the ability to know something about it enough to have an opinion on it is just one of those levels.

I agree wholeheartedly. My music background and critical listening skills really helped me out with the raptor review, I felt equipped to give the amp as much of an objective, professional, and credible assessment, one where personal bias would not have an influence and that the amp would be able to speak for itself in its own words.

Enjoying music for the mere pleasurable aspect of it is only one level, it is the most basic and what we call "fun." In my experience, it could even enhance the musical experience the more you train your ear to be critical and analytical, and we're not talking too much theory here, just like plainsong said even understanding basic progressions and musical forms could bring about more enjoyment and appreciation for the music we've learn to love.

 

[citywithoutmetal]

hehe, I remember one time I went to the swapmeet with my brothers friend so i could get some sunglasses. He drove there cause he wanted to buy $50 marilyn manson contacts for halloween. He actually was giving me advice on how to save money on the way there, I wanted to call him out so bad but i really wanted sunglasses

A couple of days later him and my bro are in my room talking and i walk on them right before he calls me stupid for buying my er4s. " that's so stuuuuuu"

 

[geardoc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by recstar24 www.musictheory.net Oh, by the way, a perfect 5th interval is the distance between 2 notes and it equals 7 half steps

Hey thats a cool site. I still don't know what a note is or a half step. I'm on lesson one while I listen to jazz on my Senns.

 

[catscratch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by randytsuch To you guys who are still single, buy NOW. It is much harder to buy toys after you are married, especially after a couple of kids. Buy stuff now, that will retain it's value, so you can sell it later for new toys, and no out of pocket money will be required. Randy

Precisely! It is much harder to justify headphone expenses when you have support obligations. Unless you've got a steady high-income job, the time between "out-of-college" and "married" is the only one during which you can make lavish gestures like high-end headphones

And even if you're very well off, well, living expenses tend to scale up with income, and a high-end headphone rig could never be on the "must have" list.

 

[Heidshade]

I have to laugh when I hear of people shocked at others paying £100/$200 for headphones like the Etymotics.

Quite a few years ago now I bought a Koetsu Red Signature. For those who don't know this is a fairly esoteric Japanese wooden-bodied moving-coil pickup cartridge (the bit on the end of the arm on a record player

). We had a Liverpuddlian (OK a Scouser

) in the office at the time and when he heard how much such a small item cost, he shrieked out "you paid £1200 for a neeeeedlle!!!"

/apologies for those on the wrong side of the pond who can't imagine the accent..:lol:

 

[erikzen]

I bet that Scouser practically choked on his butty!

 

[Silfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricola_pak Of course, this is an issue that might be different for everyone. But for example, if I watched a movie and absolutely loved it, I wouldn't mind watching a "How it was made" documentary etc to see what it is that got me liking it etc.

I'd have to agree with erikzen. Analyzing your emotional enjoyment can spoil it.
I don't like to watch the "how it was made" after watching movies. Spoils the movie for me.
I'm not sure if this is the same with music. I suspect not entirely, but still, I like to listen to music the way I do right now. With my heart, not my head.

Quote:

Perhaps they relate size to cost?

Yes they do. I'm pretty sure that 99% of all people thinks that a small piece of (usually) plastic, that doesn't look impressive at all, can't be worth much and you'd be a fool to spend so much money on it.

 

[adamlau]

A "friend" *ahem*ahem* I know spends right under $135.00 US on various XXX site memberships every month. That's nearly an SR 125 a month.

 

[Silfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamlau A "friend" *ahem*ahem* I know spends right under $135.00 US on various XXX site memberships every month. That's nearly an SR 125 a month.