*Critical listening......giving most, if not all of your attention to a recoding...... for your maximum enjoyment.
* Non critical listening ..... listening in a car, when making dinner..... doing other things...... in other words... whenever you can not engage in "critical listening"
The key works here is "critical". You can not be "critical" about a recording/system unlees you give it your undivided attention .
* Non critical listening ..... listening in a car, when making dinner..... doing other things...... in other words... whenever you can not engage in "critical listening"
The key works here is "critical". You can not be "critical" about a recording/system unlees you give it your undivided attention .
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Can you be "critical" and at the same time abandon yourself to the emotional ride on which the music should be designed to transport you?
I generally attempt the latter, and have found over the years that when doing so many technical deficiencies with the recording, and playback system can be overlooked / accepted - it sure as hell makes for a more relaxed temporary escape.
But hey, we all approach this with varied expectations and standards, perhaps different each time?
I generally attempt the latter, and have found over the years that when doing so many technical deficiencies with the recording, and playback system can be overlooked / accepted - it sure as hell makes for a more relaxed temporary escape.
But hey, we all approach this with varied expectations and standards, perhaps different each time?
I hear he's crap on my PC speakers.
Sings like a robot on autotune.
Actually, he's far more talented than that, which is perhaps what pisses me off - with the slick, smaltzy production values that have now become almost "signature" for David Foster protégés, you can almost hear him calibrating his paycheque between each breath. (Michael that is, David has people on staff to count his shekels)
There are of course far more egregious examples in the current " pop" spectrum but I listen to very little of that, and enjoy even less, and that was just the first that came to mind.
I could say they don't make them like they used to, but that's not true either.
This is just a restatement of the old saw that music lovers use a stereo system as a tool to listen to music, while audiophiles (of the stereotypical sort) use music as a sort of test signal to listen to a stereo system. A technically minded music lover (or an audiophile with a soul) could alternate between the two modes of listening but I don't think it is possible to do both simultaneously.
I have worked couple of his tours, both were outdoor concerts, and one tour I worked consecutive nights....same set list, same jokes, same banter blah, blah.
He is talented as an entertainer, engaging the crowd in the crooner way.... extended talking to the crowd between songs, wisecracks etc.
He does have a good voice in the crooner style also.
The downside is the degree of processing of what's coming off his mic, and the general racket of a big-band style backing section.
I would not bother using his recordings to evaluate systems...else while they are ideal as background music for home dinner parties.
Dan.
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Sounds familiar - I certainly know several of the latter.
Most of the self-proclaimed "capital A" audiophiles I've personally met exhibit far more ego than "soul"
Just the speakers? The rest of the system is important too... and speakers can not be evaluated without considering the amp (and cable).
dave
Try listening after 12 midnight with the lights turned off, power lines are cleaner, less ambient noise, one sensory input canceled.
Your system will sound better than listening at 7 pm with the lights turned on.
If you can't hear a difference in these time zones at all, then your not a critical listener and you will save a ton of money in this hobby!
Regards
David
Your system will sound better than listening at 7 pm with the lights turned on.
If you can't hear a difference in these time zones at all, then your not a critical listener and you will save a ton of money in this hobby!
Regards
David
I wouldn't exactly say forgettable - but then, I'm no musicologist - I just know what I'd pay to hear live, and for my taste, just 'meh'
Yes, Luisiana is an attractive woman - "don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful" ....
Can't remember ever hearing her work- it's sax at which she specializes, no?
Yes, Luisiana is an attractive woman - "don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful" ....
Can't remember ever hearing her work- it's sax at which she specializes, no?
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Critical Listening?
Very simple, since I could not tell the difference between CD players, amps and cables 20 years ago--I do it only with speakers. Yes, my hearing has become worse over the years and CD players and amplifiers have become better so...I don't waste time with that.
With speakers, I listen to Dire Straits, Mariah Carey (MTV Unplugged) Telarc classical and modern electronic music. Generally speaking, I get a very good idea if I like the speakers within 30 seconds--then the hearing fatigue test. If I feel tired after an hour or so, there is something wrong.
My last test is most important--the alcohol fatigue test. If I then test the speaker build the next day after having a few drinks--and am OK with them two hours later--I am getting close!
My 3 way line arrays with super tweeters and subs are only 2 shots away from passing the fatigue test! There is a peak in the midrange that bothers me, a bit of PEQ should take that away. Get as close as I can passively, then EQ to taste--getting there.
Since I can't hear the ring of a flyback transformer at 20 feet, my "golden ears" have failed me. Now I can enjoy the music as my old ears allow... Alas, you can't "train your ears" to hear 19KHz no matter how long or hard you try.
Very simple, since I could not tell the difference between CD players, amps and cables 20 years ago--I do it only with speakers. Yes, my hearing has become worse over the years and CD players and amplifiers have become better so...I don't waste time with that.
With speakers, I listen to Dire Straits, Mariah Carey (MTV Unplugged) Telarc classical and modern electronic music. Generally speaking, I get a very good idea if I like the speakers within 30 seconds--then the hearing fatigue test. If I feel tired after an hour or so, there is something wrong.
My last test is most important--the alcohol fatigue test. If I then test the speaker build the next day after having a few drinks--and am OK with them two hours later--I am getting close!
My 3 way line arrays with super tweeters and subs are only 2 shots away from passing the fatigue test!
There is a peak in the midrange that bothers me, a bit of PEQ should take that away. Get as close as I can passively, then EQ to taste--getting there.Since I can't hear the ring of a flyback transformer at 20 feet, my "golden ears" have failed me. Now I can enjoy the music as my old ears allow... Alas, you can't "train your ears" to hear 19KHz no matter how long or hard you try.
Nah, she's nice to look at but I wouldn't want to listen to her (a problem I seem to have with women in general)
Critical listening? For me I'm listening for the musical ideas presented, secondarily the performance. Quality of recording is a low third. I've been doing music shows for the local public/community radio for a few decades now, constantly listening for new stuff.
Any recently finished speaker or amp just goes into the system. Can usually tell pretty quick if something isn't communicating the music well. If it doesn't irritate the tinnitus too much or cause fatigue, I'm good. After burn in (ear/brain burn in is valid too) of some weeks, then go back and reevaluate or tweak. I get bored quickly comparing equipment, it's more a gut feeling. If the music gets your foot tapping, touches your heart, excites (or soothes) your mind, it's all good. Not to say it couldn't get a little better, that's why I'm here.
Can you be "critical" and at the same time abandon yourself to the emotional ride on which the music should be designed to transport you?
I generally attempt the latter, and have found over the years that when doing so many technical deficiencies with the recording, and playback system can be overlooked / accepted - it sure as hell makes for a more relaxed temporary escape.
But hey, we all approach this with varied expectations and standards, perhaps different each time?
It depends on the definition of critical you are applying.
Critical ........expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work of literature, music, or art.
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