Listening to music I don’t particularly like

I know. Quality content this high, they're not paying me anywhere near enough. Thanks!

Listening to music you hate because it sounds good = listening to your system. Listen to music instead.

I’ve found that if a change in my systems gets me listening to, and enjoying, music I’m less fond of, or don’t usually listen to, that’s a good sign.

Have you you ever found yourself being drawn into and enjoying live music, when it’s a type or style that you’re not normally into? Shouldn’t a really good system be able to do that, as well?

At a Dead show many moons ago I saw Mickey Hart play some pieces of what MC is speaking to.  And agree that at first it is amelodic and then (given the always incredible sound system) it begins to grow on you and ends up quite fascinating.

The flip side is I saw Steely Dan this past weekend in Boston and they are the best I've heard them play in a few years.  Flat out kickin' butt.

Life is too fleeting to listen to music you find distasteful. Although I would never tell anyone what they should listen to.  Your system, your ears, your time.

Regards, barts

I think it’s more like a microscope. The telescope is your brain.

Most audiophiles are a mixture of love of music and of great sound. So, for most, the better the sound the wider the horizon of music accessible to be appreciated. I have known a couple of music lovers that would gain the same satisfaction from a horribly reproduced tune from small transistor radio or a high end system. And conversely some audiophiles that seem to completely lost any appreciation for music through the relentless pursuit of more detail and slam, constantly swapping equipment and quickly becoming bored with what they have.

So, like in all pursuits there are all kinds of people with different interests, motivations, and tastes.

My first reaction to a person having a system that makes music they would not ordinarily listen to compelling is to offer them congradulations on putting together an outstanding system. The true mark of success in building a great system is not being able to drag yourself away from it.

How does something like Lady Writer by Dire Straits sound? Maybe you need some Super Tweeters to lift your listening experience.

...and on occasion it's cathartic to endure something one really is disgusted by, so you can appreciate better what you like.

Not my thing. I love a good system, but love good music more. Rather listen to music I love on a substandard system than music I don't care for on a great system.

That said, not too much music I can't stand

I’ve been in the hobby for about 3-4 years now, and I’ve finally kicked the "chase the dragon" element of this hobby.

Went through the typical listen to random music that sounds good phase. Chased detail etc. But I’m really a big prog rock and metal guy (poor to okay recordings), as well as some blues and jazz sprinkled in.

Now I know what I like and don’t like. I know I like the scale offered by big speakers, and a well delineated sound stage / imaging. I don’t really care about micro detail anymore, I like dynamics and warmth. I’ve sold silver cables to go back to copper etc.

Long story short - I think we all go through that phase, especially when you are deep in the thralls of the obsession. But once the hobby takes a step back in your priorities, I find you can re-approach it with a clearer head and even save some money !

If I don’t like it, I won’t buy it. If I have it and no longer enjoy it, I don’t play it no matter how good it sounds. Thankfully, that only has happened on about 5% of my records. I sometimes wonder what the hell I was thinking when I bought it. If it sounds really good and I play it, I enjoy it more than an inferior sounding one from the same artist or another one, but I still listen to it.

If I ever go to a store to listen to some new equipment, I am sure to bring my own records with me.

If you are trying to hear your equipment, get the best sounding records you can find, if you are trying to hear the music you like, try to get an excellent pressing of any new records you buy. That’s why guys like Acoustic Sounds can get $35-60 for new pressings. There are still plenty of excellent sounding ones in the low $20’s. There are also records made for demoing equipment like Session Ii that was made by Yamaha to  play so they could sell their equipment. I still have it back from when they gave it to me when I bought my first real stereo stacked with Yamaha gear. I never play it…..

Whatever floats your boat….It’s like watching critically acclaimed movies you don’t like- some people have to see it, not me.

I'm sure we've all been guilty at times of listening to the equipment rather than the music, especially with new gear. That's a big part of this "hobby." I am skeptical, though, when someone equates a love of equipment with a love of music. I sometimes wonder if there's *any* relationship between the two. One can love music wholeheartedly and not care a fig about putting together a top-notch system. I know many people who are just as crazy about music as anyone out here and most have modest systems at best. I have known many professional musicians (including members of premier orchestras and quartets) and few have spent much time worrying about the difference between currents and watts, or about room treatment and cables. Maybe their ears can hear what our ears can't. 

Funny one guy said I would rather have root canal without a drug...lol...I had a dentist who said ,oh you don't need anything the root is dead....he started drilling and I jumped out of the chair...I was screwed up for a week...But I will listen to almost anything, well not rap a crapa until theres sexy girls dancing to it,but that's eye candy not ear ....lol....I'm 69 a rock and roller ,but I like  Classical, Progressive, Rythm and Blues ,Soul.I like playing movie sound tracks,the music.Play what you enjoy ,you sent plenty on your systems, enjoy them....but playing what I don't like to hear ? My grandfather used to tell me why buy a album ,when you can just turn the radio on...Grandpa died in 1982 he was 87...Fought in WW1 and WW2 in Navy,then joined the National guard and was sent to Germany when I was born in 1952...3 wars served.so I guess he like his music on the radio.lol..RIP Grandpa...11/11/1895

I listen to different things all the time. You can only watch the same TV show some many times. The same goes for music. Come Together, Whole Lotta Love, etc, just gets boring. I hated Sinatra as a child, and now I like his work, but I have gotten bored with it too, so I keep listening to things like the Koda Drums. If you enjoy it listen, don't worry about whether your feet tap or not if you find it interesting, and enjoy it.

...and sometimes I just stumble into things that impress me as to what a large group can make happen....
...and wish we could do something like that....

Take a couple of those Decware Pills mentioned elsewhere and all music will be cool.

I don’t think that anyone here doesn’t take into account the sound of his system when making a selection of what to play. And no matter what the musical content, the sound is important.   Having said that, if you make that selection solely on the basis of SQ, it’s certainly not going to be as fulfilling as with music you like.

‘Indeed, You appreciate your system and it’s qualities MORE with something you like.

You enjoy listening.  Nothing wrong with that, not at all.

I don't listen to music i like which is not well recorded or i liste to such music in my car. I was and still remain a rock fun but no more listen to most of the rock. There are though exceptions. Blues,bin general, is better recorded, there are recordings of quite acceptable quality of Jimi Hendrix, Erick Clapton, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, etc. Emerson Lake and Palmer and King Crimson albums have tolerable SQ unlike Genesis and Jethro Tull. 

But the majority of artists i listen regularly are jazz and classical musicians. There are 1950s jazz recording which sound better than almost any rock and many temporary jazz albums. In classics, for me, ADD CD s sound better than DDD ones. 

I don’t think that anyone here doesn’t take into account the sound of his system when making a selection of what to play. And no matter what the musical content, the sound is important. Having said that, if you make that selection solely on the basis of SQ, it’s certainly not going to be as fulfilling as with music you like.

Alot goes into putting together a hifi system that pleases the owner. One element is being honest about what sorts of music, from what sources, and then making the sure the system plays that in a really pleasing way consistently.

Just listening to Mickey Hart Dafos. Yes, MC… interesting collection of sounds. Well recorded… about once every ten years or so sounds about right.

Lately, I don’t dry music at all, I want
I really like listening to podcasts, they inspire me to new actions, since podcasting has become very important now, I began to design a series of my podcasts made using podcast cover art maker.
Definitely, I will not make podcasts myself, but my friends will help with this.
What will happen from a series about the life of great artists of all our time, I am sure that it will be very interesting, as well as informative.

I used to, sort of.

A few decades back I used to try and get the recordings the reviewers used and raved about in doing the reviews of equipment.  I then realized their musical tastes and mine were on different planets.

I only listen to music I like.  Luckily, the genre I prefer (Jazz - mostly modern co temporary) is pretty well recorded.

My job involves music I don’t like. Not listening to more at home.