FabSwingers.com forum: What do you listen to music on?

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

This is something that really annoys me about tech.

It used to be that you had a stereo and listened to music on that. That's all you needed.

But now...

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer. Which then get transferred onto an old smartphone which now has dodgy battery life.

The speakers are Bluetooth and I can guarantee that if I want to play an album, either the phone will need charging or the speakers will. Or both. And it's really taken the joy out of it because i know I will have to faff about with stuff.

I think I've missed a trick or two here. So what do you use?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"This is something that really annoys me about tech.

It used to be that you had a stereo and listened to music on that. That's all you needed.

But now...

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer. Which then get transferred onto an old smartphone which now has dodgy battery life.

I think I've missed a trick or two here. So what do you use? "

A decent EQ can fix many evils but nothing can fix the horrible compression of digital music.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I just got a turntable to get my old vinyls out again… because o like to think I’m trendy.

But I’ve got a Bose sound system for the radio and streaming music…. You know the stuff I have on CD’s.

I hate hate hate when people play music through a phone.. that speaker is only good enough for making a hands free call at best. It’s not for music.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

A decent EQ can fix many evils but nothing can fix the horrible compression of digital music."

So, let's include what format do you use as well?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"This is something that really annoys me about tech.

It used to be that you had a stereo and listened to music on that. That's all you needed.

But now...

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer. Which then get transferred onto an old smartphone which now has dodgy battery life.

I think I've missed a trick or two here. So what do you use?

A decent EQ can fix many evils but nothing can fix the horrible compression of digital music."

File compression or loudness compression?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I have a retro style record player with tape, CD, and radio on.

I do listen to music on my phone occasionally, I use wired headphones though so I get louder sound

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By *atnip make me purrWoman
over a year ago

Reading

Alexa

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm a vinyl man, I've got 3 turntables (1210's) because I mix and stuff, had a mission mv set up for about 15 years and an old yamaha amp that I run my TV through too, but agree with the compression in sites like u tube, sounds crap but bearable.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Alexa/Spotify

Miss S x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Alexa with amazon music

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By *B69Woman
over a year ago

Wiltshire

Alexa but still have a stereo system for cassettes and cds that I use mostly

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"This is something that really annoys me about tech.

It used to be that you had a stereo and listened to music on that. That's all you needed.

But now...

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer. Which then get transferred onto an old smartphone which now has dodgy battery life.

I think I've missed a trick or two here. So what do you use?

A decent EQ can fix many evils but nothing can fix the horrible compression of digital music.

File compression or loudness compression?"

Both.

Also, bands record so much in isolation that there's no room dynamics either.

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By *elvet RopeMan
over a year ago

by the big field

Mainly via USB while driving, but also have the hifi system thats between 20-30 years old and includes a mini disc unit, DAT player, & studio quality CD/Tape unit which were all free (the amp and speakers i bought in about 1992 and are worth more than i paid for them...result!)

Also have a sound system in the workshop, including a class AA amp that was rescued from a skip and took all of 2 minutes to repair...connected to 2 pairs of speakers which were also saved from the scrap heap with music from an ipod classic- plugged in with a proper cable (or occasionally my phone via bluetooth receiver i acquired a couple of years ago). Considering it cost me bugger all (apart from the ipod which i've had 10 years now), it sounds bloody awesome! old school quality solid state electronics rule

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By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

Stereo

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Old school stereos for the win, it seems

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By *lynJMan
over a year ago

Morden

I still have my hi-fi separates from 1979 which I use occasionally.

When I'm out and about I use an iPod nano gen2 which is about 16 years old and still going strong. I use wired earphones - Sony at the moment because the previous sennheiser ones broke and I couldn't find the equivalent new ones (not that I looked too hard)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I still have my hi-fi separates from 1979 which I use occasionally.

You bought your separates the year I was born

does that make you feel old

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By *otsossieMan
over a year ago

local, but not too local

I have a “big stereo” for in the house, but these days it’s often bluetooth inner ears from the phone, for convenience.

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By *iggingMan
over a year ago

Oldham

Ipad or fone

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By *RANDMRSJAECouple
over a year ago

chester

Alexa for radio and Amazon unlimited then a Bluetooth speaker for anything else

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By *dward_TeagueMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

I stream from my iPad to. a Bose sound bar which suits my needs at home.

In the car I stream from my phone via Apple Car play.

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

I play cds or off my phone through an old school b and o system...I've got a vinyl player too

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By *ampWithABrainWoman
over a year ago

Glasgow

At home Alexa or DAB radio which is in the kitchen/diner, either radio or Amazon music or Spotify

Out and about phone through earphones I have wired and AirPods depends what I’m doing/where I’m going. Same music sources generally but if Spotify/Amazon music will be different artists/tracks depending on mood

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I use Spotify and I have Sonos speakers in every room and a Sonos Roam speaker for outside.

I've also got speakers and a sub connected to my PC.

I use Aftershokz when I'm running and have occasionally had to delay a run whilst I charge them up.

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By *rincess peachWoman
over a year ago

shits creek

Phone n Headphones or Bluetooth speaker depending if I want to hear the sound in my ears or in my chest aswell.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Earphones Bluetooth when at gym Alexa Spotify at home

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By *wingin CatMan
over a year ago

London

95% vinyl, 5% CD. On hi-fi separates.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My phone has access to all my music, 1400 individual artists, almost 40 days of music if played through non stop. It plays it to my headphones, my car, or my Bluetooth speaker(s) at home, and will switch from one to the next as I move around automatically if appropriate. The only thing that might be inconvenient is the phone being flat, but I have chargers all round the house.

There are lots of faffy things to get this more modern way of listening to music working, but there was to the old way also . Not mentioned in the OP was having to run speaker cables, and only being able to listen in one room and all that, having to get up and physically change music, and that you have to already have what you want to listen to physically there in that room...

Analogophiles have always been around, and if they wish to spend more time contemplating the delivery of the music rather than the content, that's their fair shout. Bemoaning digital is a bit silly in my mind though. Yes, vinyl has that “analog warmth,” but CDs don’t crackle and pop, they don’t skip, they have a much wider dynamic range so they can get louder than vinyl and they can get much quieter than vinyl. And CDs are digital, they might not be compressed, but then neither is downloadable digital music if you choose the right format.

Like most people who hold super strong opinions on anything subjective, a great many of them could not back up their own preference in a blind test. But even if they can...who cares. Let them have their vinyl and their gold plated speaker wire and their hisses and pops.

There's never been easier ways too access more music, more quickly and easily than there is now. Comparing analogue to digital is not just about sound quality, it's about access, cost, convenience, and so much more.

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By *etcplCouple
over a year ago

Gapping Fanny

Through my TV mostly, then phone.

I rarely buy albums anymore and just use streaming services.

We have a soundbar that was hooked up to Spotify, but we rarely use that after buying it.

We also have some Google home devices, but again don’t really listen to music on those.

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By *ohn KanakaMan
over a year ago

Not all that North of North London

When I'm working, Spotify on my other laptop ad it I'd just background noise.

Rest if the time it is Spotify from my phone routed to headphones (bone conductors fir running, noise cancelling fir anything else and especially the gym), speakers or car speakers.

Not particularly flash, probably not the best sound, but definitely practical

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

SME model 15 turntable SME series IV magnesium tone arm its a beautiful bit of kit

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By *ealthy_and_HungMan
over a year ago

Princes Risborough, Luasanne, Alderney

a pair of technics 1210's, djm 500 mixer, cambridge audio azure 540A amp with tdl 10 speakers.

also have a set up in the studio which is a garrard 401 on a slate deck, a nad 3020 amp and KLH 5 speakers which i use specifically for listening to vinyl made prior to 1990

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By *illingToHelpMan
over a year ago

Oldham or South Shore

I still have my turntable and amp that I listen to vinyl on (can’t beat that sound), but I have also connected an iPad to my amp and put Deezer on that, too, so I have a digital music centre connected.

I use Deezer to discover new music. If I like it enough, I’ll buy the vinyl.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer.

Seriously, MP3? I guess you aren't actually interested in quality.

If you are going to listen to digital go lossless, flac is the minimum, yes it will use more space but at least you can hear the music, unless you are using piss poor equipment to listen on that is.

At home I have a not very expensive hifi set up, the amp and turntable are 4 years old but the CD player is from the 80s and still going albeit with a new drive belt.

In the room where I have my PC i have a hard drive with ripped and downloaded music in flac, a good soundcard and play through a 30 year old JVC AV amp, which still gives a good sound, into an old pair of wharfedales.

Portable is an astell & kern AK70 [mk1] which is discontinued as mk2 came out so I got it at a discount. Lower end of the A&K range but a fine player. Only issue is that the sony WH1000 MX3s don't like the bluetooth connection so I have to plug in.

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By *lex.and.SexCouple
over a year ago

Bedale

If we're having a proper night of music we tend now to use the living room set up. Which is a 1971 Sony TC-640 reel to reel tape recorder connected through an amp to some similar vintage German Dual brand bookshelf speakers. We have an Alexa connected for convenience.

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By *toC Thats MeWoman
over a year ago

Sheffield

Alexa, phone, car, also have a soundbar for at home

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By *imi_RougeWoman
over a year ago

Portsmouth

Alexa... Can have music in the whole house! It's great. One of the simple pleasures. Free through Spotify/Amazon music.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

YouTube or the radio

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By *W ChapMan
over a year ago

Swindon

Vinyl and cd at home and iphone in car.

Sometimes Amazon music for something I don't own in one format or another.

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By *wingin CatMan
over a year ago

London

[Removed by poster at 02/09/22 15:06:09]

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By *wingin CatMan
over a year ago

London

[Removed by poster at 02/09/22 15:06:38]

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By *wingin CatMan
over a year ago

London

"If we're having a proper night of music we tend now to use the living room set up. Which is a 1971 Sony TC-640 reel to reel tape recorder connected through an amp to some similar vintage German Dual brand bookshelf speakers. We have an Alexa connected for convenience. "

Good to see reel-to-reel tape recorders still being used.

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By *ittlekinks38Woman
over a year ago

outside belfast x

Amazon music or a USB stick if in the car with my cds downloaded onto it...or sometimes just music channel on the TV or radio which is always on in the house...i hate the house in silence creeps me out haha

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By *lynJMan
over a year ago

Morden

"I still have my hi-fi separates from 1979 which I use occasionally.

You bought your separates the year I was born

does that make you feel old

No, because I fully embrace my age.

I bought them when I was 22 at uni, spending the sponsorship I got from the company I'd worked for during the previous summer holidays.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"This is something that really annoys me about tech.

It used to be that you had a stereo and listened to music on that. That's all you needed.

But now...

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer. Which then get transferred onto an old smartphone which now has dodgy battery life.

I think I've missed a trick or two here. So what do you use?

A decent EQ can fix many evils but nothing can fix the horrible compression of digital music.

File compression or loudness compression?

Both.

Also, bands record so much in isolation that there's no room dynamics either.

Well you can always listen to lossless versions to eliminate file compression, not really sure what you mean by digital compression though, compressors have always been used since analogue days. Do you mean loudness maybe?

Also, bands have recorded parts separately for decades and room dynamic can be captured if required but these days impulse responses are indistinguishable anyway.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Spotify through Sonos

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By *ucka39Man
over a year ago

Newcastle

My ears

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I tend to buy music as mp3s, downloaded onto my computer.

Seriously, MP3? I guess you aren't actually interested in quality.

If you are going to listen to digital go lossless, flac is the minimum, yes it will use more space but at least you can hear the music, unless you are using piss poor equipment to listen on that is.

I have piss poor equipment to listen on. Part of the reason for this thread is to get ideas how to improve and update. Ultimately though I think that listening to music of a decent quality is now much more expensive than it used to be unless you're really clued up on tech, which I'm not.

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By *2000ManMan
over a year ago

Worthing

Depends on location. If doing a tech build I listen to radio. If online, I have it through speakers from youtube or online radio.

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By *iltopbearMan
over a year ago

Norfolk

Old set of stereo separates

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

YouTube on my iPhone unlimited data so I use a app that can play YouTube video but you can close it in to the background and it will still keep playing

As for headphones just picked up a pair off

sennheiser momentum true wireless 3

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By *UGGYBEAR2015Man
over a year ago

BRIDPORT

I have a wireless/CD player for those formats.

I have a 1970’s music centre with wireless/ turntable/cassette, it is top spec, even has Dolby

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Separates, amp, cd player, turntable and floor standing speakers. Just added a streamer to it all, but do prefer a hard copy , whether it vinyl or cd.

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By *MisschiefxTV/TS
over a year ago

London

Youtube through my PC.

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