FL is only mode for main system. Don't really listen much to music with other systems available to me, therefore, work system, home theater and car. I'm far too easily distracted by music so work is out, home theater is for video and car I'm usually listening to NPR. Concentrated listening with my main system supplies vast majority of fulfillment I get from music, every session a real treat, sessions last a minimum of four hours. I get withdrawal symptoms when I don't get time for my intense listening sessions, don't get the same connection to music and artists when listening to music via these inferior systems so don't much bother with them.
Audio gear, sonic quality when you listen in less (or non-) focused ways
I'm wondering about how folks listen to their audio, and to what degree the quality of the sound is important, or, perhaps how it differs.
Here are four kinds of listening I can think of. (Did I miss any?)
FL - Focused listening -- sitting at focal point, concentrating on music and/or acoustic qualities.
SFL - Semi-focused listening -- listening is the central but not only activity (sitting in front of audio, listening but also reading, playing games, emailing, etc.)
CL - Casual listening -- listening to music but also involved in equally important tasks (cooking, doing dishes, laundry, etc.)
AL - Accidental listening -- music is on but it is in the background, mostly (music at party, just on for ambience)
For the kinds of listening other than FL, what do hope your audio gear can produce? What kinds of tonalities, soundstage, lows/mids/highs, transient response, dynamics, etc. does it need to produce? Are there other things that this gear needs to do that is different than your main rig? How good does the sound need to be? (In other words, how cheap a solution are you willing to get away with for those other kinds of listening? What do you use?)