How do you listen to your music?


Curious, other than either doing a random or playlist on an HD based system, do you stack up a pre-selected amount of vinyl/cd before sitting down or do you play as you go, (sometimes clean as you go as well) or, start with the stacks and find one track always leads you to get up and pick another album?
128x128cerrot
I rather play over and over my favorite disc, sit down and enjoy the sound of my theater.
Clean album side, prep pro cd burner, record side one, clean 2nd album side, unpause burner, label disc, spend 10 min picking other album, clean side one, put new cd in pro burner, record, clean side 2 of lp, unpause burner, spend 15-20 min picking next album, clean side 1, record on cd, clean side 2, record on cd, spend 20-30 min picking album out...and so on until the 6-7 album takes me into the wee hours of the morning...where I have fallen asleep, and the turntable stylus has plowed a nice trench into the last groove of side 2. Next day, the saga continues.
I usually have a specific song or CD in mind when I sit down to listen and go from there. I never have a listening session planned with all the titles ready to go.
I'm not suggesting it's a bad idea or that there's something wrong with people who do. In fact it's probably a good idea, but I just never do it.
Mostly off the music server of late. I burn CDs to the server prior to listening usually rather than pop them in the player. Then, I often put selected cuts on random play off the server so I do not know what is coming next. A good way to listen to and re-discover music objectively without pre-conceptions going in.

I also burn records to CD and then transfer those to music server as well when I can, but transferring records to CD is still a time consuming process.
I usually put on one CD at a time to play and then decide what to play next after that album has played through. If I am listening to vinyl, I get a stack ready before I start to play.
For serious listening I go to my audio room. Usually have a mood in mind. 1st go to Lp or SACD if I have it. One tune suggests another. Inevitably I fire up my Fender tube amp, get out my harp mic(yea,that"Green" thang)and my harps then crawl into demz bluz yet once again. By then my wife usually steps in to hear me jam with a tune or two. Lucky man I be. Doesn't require any drug to get high (been there - done that) ... just the music.
I am subjected to music I for the most part don't like (or am tired of hearing) all day at work. It usually takes a while after I get home to even be in the mood to listen to music.

I usually grab one CD or album at a time. Sometimes one will suggest another. I was fortunate to obtain quite a few mint records from my last job (for free!). I pretty much grabbed everything I could carry that I was remotely curious about. I try to give these a listen when I have some time to sit down really pay attention to them.

I also love to listen to music while cooking. This doesn't always work so well with vinyl.
Most of the time in headphones and sometimes after smoking 'green tabacco' and having some wine or beer during listening session... till I go to bed to switch to another day.
Weekend listening may involve speakers untill spl from my wife will be larger than speaker spl.
I randomly go pick out records and play them, both sides, as I do everything in the house, pretty much the entire time I am home.

I watch my wife and crack up. She will listen to digital music, she does use the tube pre-amp instead of just through the reciever, which is good, until a song comes up she really likes.

Then she will go look to see if we have it on vinyl, cue it up, and switch to the vinyl version.

So she gets it.
I sit in the sweet spot and then its eni meni mini mo till I do not want to listen any more.
Level of commitment ?
Low: Pick out a few cd's & an lp. I may be performing other tasks at the same time.
High: Grab an album to warm-up the gear while I shop the crates. Go over to the "donor" table do a quick clean & line up a few to spin, sit & enjoy.
At the moment, a moment which has been going on for about three years now, am working through 800+ albums from some friends. So clean, listen and occassionally as the library gets sorted out go back and listen to specific ones. Usually all the way through, but not always.
Start with a single cd and see where it leads. Almost always play entire album.
I'll clean 3 or 4 albums at a time and listen to all tracks, both sides. Loving every minute of it. By the way Cerrot, that's one heck of a system you have there.
I usually pick 3 or 4 discs for a session and listen to the entire disc. The 3 or 4 usually turns into 5 or more most of the time!! Hi,my name is Tommy,I am a musicholic!!