so what do you do when listening?


Do you just zone out and tune in, reading, on the laptop? It seems like every time i sit down to listen something happens! maybe I have add!
glowplug
I'm on the computer (usually the 'Net). I would guess, however that most in here just simply Listen.
I just sit and listen. Otherwise, its off. Listening is the only thing that gets me to sit still for more than a few minutes, usually for a few hours. Most of the time my wife listens with me. Nothing better than sharing an immersive listening experience with someone you love and who shares your appreciation for music.
music is a background to another endeavor, like writing, reading, working on the computer, or , watching television.

the only time i listen and tune out other stimuli is during evaluation of components or assessing some aspect of performance of my stereo system.

as i reviewer, my attention is often directed at analyzing.

my goal is to create a stereo system which pleases me. once i have done that, i will listen less and multi-task more. the journey is more important than the goal that me be achieved at the end of the journey.
I listen intently. I don't drink, eat, read, compute, etc. I paid all of that money to listen to music that sounds awesome, and that's what I do. If I have something else to do, I'll put the XM radio on at a low volume.
I meditate and do yoga. Immersing yourself in the sound, concentrating your racing turbulent mind on the pure nature of sound is meditation in itself
I just sit and listen. Otherwise, its off. Listening is the only thing that gets me to sit still for more than a few minutes, usually for a few hours. Most of the time my wife listens with me. Nothing better than sharing an immersive listening experience with someone you love and who shares your appreciation for music.

Same here, exactly.

The purpose of a quality audio system is to replicate the sound of a live concert as closely as possible. What else would one do at a live concert other than to listen attentively?

Regards,
-- Al
Good music is so distrating for me that I find it impossible to do anything else that requires some concentration and have music playing at the same time. Its either turn the music off or stop the other activity and listen to the music! I don't know how anyone can listen and do something else at the same time.
Salut, Bob P.
Sometimes I'm using the laptop, sometimes reading and sometimes it's pure listening. When reading or surfing the web there will always come a point when the music draws me in and the book get's put down for a song or two. Listening for evaluation is probably the least attractive to me.
All kinds of stuff. Listen intently in awe, drink and party, play with the dog, work, doze, read hifi magazines, recall past musical endeavors, look for something else to play, whatever-any or all of the above. Plus double Advents in the garage-clean bikes or change tires, rub the car, do projects. I almost despise the saying but it's all good.
I listen. That's all.

I will play music while doing other things and tune in periodically, but if I am doing something else, like reading, then I may be hearing the music at the same time but I would not say I was listening because my attention is elsewhere.
Well right now I am eating spaghetti with my special blend sauce. Late I will be going over some things that have to do with a board meeting I have on friday.
Get my girlfriend to blow......ahh.....err......the leaves off the driveway......with the leaf-blower! Yeah.....that's what she blows while I'm listening!

".... when listening?"

Enjoy... mostly. right off I'll listen for errors or out of whack stuff (if any) going on with the gear itself... Once I've done that brief audible inspection, it's just digging whatever I'm in the mood for...

I'll keep roaming from one genre to another as the mood prevails... the variety and choices being made for the session keep my attention.

I'm only critical when something has been changed, and then only to the point where I've noted the difference (s). Then it's back to plain old enjoying what I'm hearing.

I'm mindful then only of the different quality levels of the recordings.

Recently, I won't even begin a session until late evening 10p +

... and yeah... I'll fall asleep too just before dawn usually.
Fall asleep was probably meant to be funny (and it is) but I think something more is going on. I do just listen and preferably with my eyes closed. I think my best listening sessions feel almost like sleep, but I know I am still listening. Maybe it should be called a kind of meditation. I think this is what great music and a great system achieves for me. If there is something irritating about the sound, I don't get there. It took me a long time to achieve this with digital media, whereas analog almost always got me there.