[Codifus]

When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

I think critical listenig is definitely dying with high end audio.
Why? Because most consumers don't appreciate it. But also, and I think
this plays alot into the societale psychie, because critical listening
is a loner sport. "Oh my God, Bill just sits there listening to music
and doing nothing else!! Could he be a terrorsit? LOL!

CD

[Eeyore]

codifus wrote:

When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

I think critical listenig is definitely dying with high end audio.
Why? Because most consumers don't appreciate it. But also, and I think
this plays alot into the societale psychie, because critical listening
is a loner sport. "Oh my God, Bill just sits there listening to music
and doing nothing else!! Could he be a terrorsit? LOL!

I've certainly done critical listening with others present so I wouldn't call it
a loner's sport.

Graham

[bob]

On Jun 24, 11:10 am, codifus wrote:
When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

I think critical listenig is definitely dying with high end audio.
Why? Because most consumers don't appreciate it. But also, and I think
this plays alot into the societale psychie, because critical listening
is a loner sport. "Oh my God, Bill just sits there listening to music
and doing nothing else!! Could he be a terrorsit? LOL!

I know very few people who "just listen to music." But then, I have
never known many people who did this. So I'm not sure how much of a
trend there really is here.

If high end is dying (and I'm not ready to make that claim), it
probably has more to do with the fact that there are much cooler toys
to play with today. When I was a lad, the most high-tech thing you
could own was a stereo. That more than anything else accounts for my
generation's interest in audio, I think. Today, the kids have moved
on.

As for the decline in pure listening, that probably has more to do
with the decline in music education, combined with, again, a broader
range of available entertainments.

So my nephew's obsession with video games (also mostly a loner sport)
probably explains his lack of interest in both audio and music. But
other than that, I don't think the two trends have much to do with
each other.

bob

[[email protected]]

codifus wrote:

When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

I think your idea may contain somewhat of a misconception. It is not always
necessary to listen "without distractions" in order to listen critically,
and in order to observe new things. For instance, the other day I was at
the PC in my bedroom casually playing with a few Bash shell commands while,
at the same time, listening to Mahler's number 8. I noticed during the
finale a couple of phrases "lifted" from Parsifal--must have been a nod to
the master; phrases that I'd never "heard" before. I even got up and
played the section over a couple of times to make sure. What an
interesting surprise.

So, the moral: new perceptions can take place without having to be
meditating on whatever it is you are doing. And you don't need to
have "high-end" gear learn these things. I was using a Technics 1200 and
inexpensive Denon cartridge playing a Phillips BSO/Ozawa Lp over a set of
smallish Infinity speakers driven by a Yamaha integrated amplifier. Pretty
mundane stuff, I guess.

mp

[Skeeter]

Hello CD:

Who are "they" that are saying that high end audio is dying? This is
news to me.

On Jun 24, 11:10 am, codifus wrote:
When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

Yes, it is best to listen comfortably, without distractions, in a very
quiet room, without bright lights.

I think critical listenig is definitely dying with high end audio.

Au contraire mon ami. Critical listeners who enjoy high fidelity
audio will continue to pursue better gear and source material.

Why? Because most consumers don't appreciate it.

Most consumers, and most people in general are not critical
listeners. Therefore they do not appreciate high end audio except as
perhaps a hobby or status symbol.

But also, and I think
this plays alot into the societale psychie, because critical listening
is a loner sport. "Oh my God, Bill just sits there listening to music
and doing nothing else!! Could he be a terrorsit? LOL!

Critical listening is only a solo activity if you do it alone. My
wife has an excellent ear for quality audio reproduction and has
joined me for many hours of listening enjoyment for over 32 years,
along with comparing our perspectives on the experiences as well. I
have accumulated a small cadre of high fidelity enthusiasts that I
have also shared many listening experiences with over the years as
well. To be sure, it is a very small minority of people who listen
critically, carefully, regularly... but I think it has been this way
as long as I can remember. Very much a niche passion, or obsession
perhaps.

Cheers,
Skeeter

[Norman M. Schwartz]

"Skeeter" wrote in message
...

To be sure, it is a very small minority of people who listen
critically, carefully, regularly... but I think it has been this way
as long as I can remember. Very much a niche passion, or obsession
perhaps.


The halls still sell out all the best (and most expensive!) seats by
subscription where I come from, and they seem to pass on these seats to
their descendants. Although I can't be around to know the answer, I hope the
same will be true for audio equipment and its program material (for their
sake).

[Codifus]

On Jun 25, 6:19 pm, "
wrote:
codifus wrote:
When I say critical listening, I mean listening to just the music. No
distractions.

I think your idea may contain somewhat of a misconception. It is not always
necessary to listen "without distractions" in order to listen critically,
and in order to observe new things. For instance, the other day I was at
the PC in my bedroom casually playing with a few Bash shell commands while,
at the same time, listening to Mahler's number 8. I noticed during the
finale a couple of phrases "lifted" from Parsifal--must have been a nod to
the master; phrases that I'd never "heard" before. I even got up and
played the section over a couple of times to make sure. What an
interesting surprise.

So, the moral: new perceptions can take place without having to be
meditating on whatever it is you are doing. And you don't need to
have "high-end" gear learn these things. I was using a Technics 1200 and
inexpensive Denon cartridge playing a Phillips BSO/Ozawa Lp over a set of
smallish Infinity speakers driven by a Yamaha integrated amplifier. Pretty
mundane stuff, I guess.

mp

You and I have very different perceptions of critical listening. Your
description is what I would describe as casual listening. I do the
same thing when washing dishes, but when I'm critically listening,
really listening, the doors are closed, it's usually at night, and the
TV's off. Even my PC is powered down because it's fan noise becomes
very apparent on quiet passages of music. It's so quiet when I'm
listening to the music that any distant chriping birds outside my
window ay inadvertantly become part of my listening experience Yes,
the window should be closed as well, which it is in winter time.
During the summer, it's open a bit. The ambient noise outside provides
a pleasant background.

CD

[[email protected]]

codifus wrote:

You and I have very different perceptions of critical listening. Your
description is what I would describe as casual listening. I do the
same thing when washing dishes, but when I'm critically listening,
really listening, the doors are closed, it's usually at night, and the
TV's off. Even my PC is powered down because it's fan noise becomes
very apparent on quiet passages of music. It's so quiet when I'm
listening to the music that any distant chriping birds outside my
window ay inadvertantly become part of my listening experience Yes,
the window should be closed as well, which it is in winter time.
During the summer, it's open a bit. The ambient noise outside provides
a pleasant background.

I understand. What you need is a good pair of Sennheisers. That way the
sound is injected directly into your ears and background noise is missing
completely. Obviously the experience with headphones is different--but, on
the other hand, you do not have to worry about external influences. As far
as your PC noise goes, you can always submerge the thing in mineral oil
(and overclock your cpu, too), but then you've got a mess on your hands and
it's not very convenient. :-)

mp