System vs. Material

[heeman]

This is not meant to be a trick and/or a Smart-A$$ question.

How often do you find yourself listening to your System vs. the Material?

I am trying to break myself out of the System Listening Mode and back into the Material Listening Mode.

Since the new additions to my audio system, I have been System Listening vs. Material listening.

Do you guys get what I am saying?

:text-imnewhere: :text-imnewhere:

 

[Zing]

Oh I get what you're saying.

Sometimes I sit down with the intention of listening to the system. Within the span of a few songs, I realize that I'm now just listening to the music. Other times, I start out with the intent of listening to the music but find I'm listening to the system. Either way, there seems to be an automatic and involuntary transition to music listening. I suppose there are worse things.

 

[heeman]

Zing thanks for responding, you too have some new speakers and I was curious if you listen to the material or the system.

I am in way to deep with finding or trying to find fault with the system/calibration/room and need to get back into just sitting back and enjoying.............

I still need to fabricate the stand for my center C1.......... :angry-tappingfoot: :angry-tappingfoot: :angry-tappingfoot:

 

[PaulyT]

Sometimes I sit down with the intention of listening to the system. Within the span of a few songs, I realize that I'm now just listening to the music. Other times, I start out with the intent of listening to the music but find I'm listening to the system. Either way, there seems to be an automatic and involuntary transition to music listening. I suppose there are worse things.

:text-yeahthat: Pretty much the same for me; sometimes I'll go in wanting to listen to the music, and find myself auditioning and maybe even tweaking the system. Sometimes the opposite. I think it just has to do with one's frame of mind, how much time you've been thinking about this stuff - and when you have new gear, of course your brain naturally gravitates towards the analytical. Nothing wrong with that. I think once you've convinced yourself that your setup is optimized, you'll be more easily able to relax into the music. At least it's that way for me.

 

[Deacon]

I agree its a frame of mind thing. I think it has more to do with your initial purpose. When you get something new or change something you want to be able to qualify that so you listen to the system to pick up on any changes from what you remember etc. Or if you are trying to justify a change you listen to the system to identify flaws or reasons why change is necessary. Or if you hear another system you really like you listen to your system to compare and contrast what you remember from the other system.

Once you get your system in what you feel is an optimal performing situation you listen to the material with complete trust in your system.

 

[Flint]

For me, it is almost always about the material. The only time I focus on the system is when that is the entire point of that session - such as when I am critically analyzing a speaker, room, whole-system, etc. For the most part, since most systems are less than stellar, I try to avoid the dangerous trap of listening to the system as it will lead to disappointment.

 

[Deleted member 133]

Unlike some of you who seem to change systems more often than you do underwear, I have the "luxury" of "stability" and therefore of being able to simple sit down and listen to whatever is playing.

The only time I hear the "system" is when something has gone wrong.

I had a midrange fail in my front left Koss stack a few years ago and I got but part way through the first track on a CD before I knew something had changed. It's one of four mids in the stack but it was enough. Luckily I stock spares (it was my first and only Koss driver failure) and a half hour later, with the help of a screwdriver and a soldering iron I was back in business, listening to the music.

Unless I have someone over and am playing demo material, it's basically just sit back and listen to the content.

Such is the benefit of stability.

Jeff

ps. For the year or so when Gen "permitted" me to set up a stereo set of Koss speakers in the living room a few years ago, I did spend time listening to the system. It was new. It had been a long time since I had listened to a single pair of CM/1030s in such an environment. I spent time tweaking - choosing music to show off the system's pluses and minuses.

I think there's a "response curve" to something new that has time on the x axis and "shit I'm all excited by this new fangled toy" on the y axis, which decays in a non-linear fashion. Not quite as steep a decay as y=1/x2 (squared) - but you get my drift.

 

[Barney]

I remember a high end equipment reviewer that forgot how to enjoy music. He quit the reviews and it still took awhile before he could enjoy his own music again.

 

[Botch]

I listen to the system in two situations: a new component, or a new home.
My first system, built in 1979, was Advent stereo speakers, Yammie electronics, several source components and headphones. Every time I got a new component, or new dorm/apartment/house, I spent a lot of time listening to the system, tweaking speaker positions, etc, but after a few weeks it was all about the music. I'm not much of a system tweaker.
My second/current system, built in 2010, was Monitor Audio 5.1 speakers, Yammie electronics, and an Oppo disk player. I've fiddled with the speaker position a bit, got to where I couldn't be satisfied with the sub's location, then ran Yamaha's "YMAO" eq program, was totally happy and haven't touched anything since (did upgrade the Oppo I guess). An OLED would be nice, a more powerful receiver, even ATMOS; but right now my biggest thrill is to find a new 5.1 music disk, either a classic I already own or a new recording; it's about the music, and probably will be for the next 30 years. :mrgreen:
Good question, Keith! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[heeman]

I appreciate the response's............

Going through the typical self torment when I have something totally beyond expectations.

I will not go into other details and examples that I have had in life, however this is a personality trait that I have been working on improving FOREVER!!

:music-rockout: :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Rope]

I "system" listen when I have changed or added something. When I'm confident I have everything in check, then comes the gradification (material listening).

Rope

 

[TitaniumTroy]

I system listen, when I try to judge my system against some other speakers. I have heard recently and try to figure out what pluses's and minus's my Magnepan 3.6's have vs what other speaker I am comparing them too.

I also do this if I feel something is off, and it's bugging to figure out what is out of whack. Currently I want to put some QRD diffusors on my ceiling to diffuse the rear wave bouncing off the front wall diffusors. Then hitting the low end of my sloping ceiling. Also I need some absorption behind directly behind my TV and on the center of ceiling to stop some reflections off a window on the front wall.

Despite my known system flaws, I am still amazed at how good I think these planers sound. That to me says you have a really good system. And I say this even when comparing it against much more expensive systems. To me Maggies do much more right than they do wrong.

I do wish I had a bigger house with more rooms, then I would probably have a pair of YG Acoustics (funding permiting) or maybe a pair of Vapor Audio speaker's. That RAAL ribbon tweeter, sounds better than my Maggie True Ribbon Tweeter. Just to have the bass/mid bass impact of a conventional speaker instead of dipoles.

 

[Haywood]

I've had my current gear for so long that it stopped being about the system years ago.

 

[yromj]

I agree with Jeff and Haywood. The one advantage to a static system, IMHO, is that it becomes the "standard" and the thing that changes is the material. I know how the system sounds, so I just listen to material. If the material sounds really bad; it's probably the material.

John

 

[TitaniumTroy]

Well when I do my system listening, with my speakers or others. I try to keep it fun, no taking notes, no rigid list of demo tracks, etc... I do try to mix up the music, with a movie soundtrack CD/SACD from Telarc, some vocals, some rock and roll, or sometimes jazz.

Also I am all about out the speakers and the room their in, all the electronics, cables, power conditioners, and so on. Do not really concern me as long as their of decent quality, the exception can be amplifiers, as I prefer planer speakers which need a good amount of power. Plus the shiny amplifiers do look pretty, Pass Labs being my favorite. Currently my NAD218 THX, is decent on power but lacking in bling.

 

[malsackj]

With the move into the new home and settling in. I have the great room up and running 4.1
Small sub in big room.

The music room in the basement is moving slowly with setup because of schedule. With the Rain this week I might find time to wire speakers and interconnects this weekend. That will give me the 5.1 system to work with.

Still needing to setup and figure out why the testing system is not working at the moment. True Audio RTA and REW. M-Audio and test mic on the laptop.

Finishing the Windows 10 setup on Flints old laptop tonight.

 

[Botch]

Heh, I thought this thread got bumped because of my new signature line. :angelic-green:

EDIT: I'm changing my sig line now (10-4), so for posterior, er, posterity, here it is:

"An audiophile doesn't use his equipment to listen to your music, an audiophile uses your music to listen to his equipment." - Alan Parsons

 

[TitaniumTroy]

Well Heeman, since you've made some upgrades to your system I can see why you are system listening. I would be too, once you make the adjustment to the upgrades you should be shifting back to material mode.

 

[heeman]

The Best It Has Ever Been................Just Sayin'

Really, I Really mean it this time.............with the C1's and Halo 21 and all..............Really, I mean it................

Everything, I mean everything sounds better............

Those running Dynaudio Speakers, should have adequate amplification driving them, without, is like, well, not getting your $$ WORTH.............REALLY!!

Yea, I'm Drunk.....................

But SERIOUSLY.........................

:music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Flint]

Having just installed a new rig in my new apartment, you'd think I'd say "system" while I am dialing it in.

I won't say that, because I am not expecting perfection. This is a temporary home for me, so I just want to relax and enjoy my life and stressing about placement and tuning isn't half as relaxing as listening to my music collection. So, I followed the proven rules for a good start on setting things up then hit play on the source component and just enjoy the music.

So, for me it is hard to just listen to the system most of the time if the music is good. If the music sucks, that's a different story.