How do people listen to music at home?
October 15, 2017 1:02 AM Subscribe
Home music setups? How does that work?
Hopefully moving to a new flat soon and have decided with Mrs. Conifer to have some music that's not just coming out of the computer speakers and youtube. How do people do this nowadays? I'm genuinely puzzled...I used to have tons of CDs (and albums before that). The CDs were in daisy chained Sony 200 CD changers and hooked up to an amp. Then it was all MP3s. But now it seems like it's all streaming, how do people do it? Do people still use amps? Home stereo systems? Or is it all just through your PC (or phone?) Speakers are wired or bluetooth or wifi or what? How about for different rooms?
Hopefully moving to a new flat soon and have decided with Mrs. Conifer to have some music that's not just coming out of the computer speakers and youtube. How do people do this nowadays? I'm genuinely puzzled...I used to have tons of CDs (and albums before that). The CDs were in daisy chained Sony 200 CD changers and hooked up to an amp. Then it was all MP3s. But now it seems like it's all streaming, how do people do it? Do people still use amps? Home stereo systems? Or is it all just through your PC (or phone?) Speakers are wired or bluetooth or wifi or what? How about for different rooms?
The answer to all your questions is "yes". People do a variety of combinations of what you describe.
What media do you primarily use? CDs? MP3s? Streaming services? Bluetooth/WiFi streaming? What sort of sound are you looking for? Pro-grade HiFi? Home theater? A nice pair of speakers that fill the room? A portable speaker that you can take with you somewhere? Don't even care as long as it sounds okay? What sort of budget do you have to work with? Figuring out what media you want to play is probably the biggest step towards figuring out what to play it on, as that will naturally lead towards a smaller set of options.
I'd say dedicated home stereos are generally falling out of popularity, but they still have their place if you still rely on physical media. For MP3s or streaming services, I'd look more towards docks, bluetooth speakers or connected speakers, which generally include a built-in amp. Of course, if you have a home stereo system, there are ways to pipe MP3s/streaming services through that as well, if you'd like.
If you're looking at getting a connected speaker or something for streaming services specifically, be aware that the vast majority of options there still rely on a phone or tablet with software to control the source of the stream that plays through the connected speaker, even if the phone itself isn't the source of the stream.
posted by Aleyn at 1:41 AM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
What media do you primarily use? CDs? MP3s? Streaming services? Bluetooth/WiFi streaming? What sort of sound are you looking for? Pro-grade HiFi? Home theater? A nice pair of speakers that fill the room? A portable speaker that you can take with you somewhere? Don't even care as long as it sounds okay? What sort of budget do you have to work with? Figuring out what media you want to play is probably the biggest step towards figuring out what to play it on, as that will naturally lead towards a smaller set of options.
I'd say dedicated home stereos are generally falling out of popularity, but they still have their place if you still rely on physical media. For MP3s or streaming services, I'd look more towards docks, bluetooth speakers or connected speakers, which generally include a built-in amp. Of course, if you have a home stereo system, there are ways to pipe MP3s/streaming services through that as well, if you'd like.
If you're looking at getting a connected speaker or something for streaming services specifically, be aware that the vast majority of options there still rely on a phone or tablet with software to control the source of the stream that plays through the connected speaker, even if the phone itself isn't the source of the stream.
posted by Aleyn at 1:41 AM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: A single data point from my 300 square foot Hong Kong microflat: this bluetooth Xiaomi speaker. (My flat is small enough that I only need one!)
It's portable, it charges with a micro USB cable which you probably already have, it wasn't super-expensive (around 50 USD), it was plenty loud to be heard while people were chatting during a house party I had, and I think it sounds pretty good!
posted by mdonley at 1:48 AM on October 15, 2017
It's portable, it charges with a micro USB cable which you probably already have, it wasn't super-expensive (around 50 USD), it was plenty loud to be heard while people were chatting during a house party I had, and I think it sounds pretty good!
posted by mdonley at 1:48 AM on October 15, 2017
I have a second hand pair of Mission speakers which I picked up from Freecycle. Those are plugged in to a used amplifier which was maybe £20 and I have a Raspberry Pi running RuneAudio which streams audio from my phone, mostly Spotify.
The Pi isn’t a great quality source, but its convenient and is a lot better sound than my laptop / phone speakers. The whole thing cost maybe £50 so you don’t have to break the bank.
posted by jonrob at 1:49 AM on October 15, 2017
The Pi isn’t a great quality source, but its convenient and is a lot better sound than my laptop / phone speakers. The whole thing cost maybe £50 so you don’t have to break the bank.
posted by jonrob at 1:49 AM on October 15, 2017
Oh gosh, this makes feel so old.
I have about a thousand CDs which I used to play a lot on a Rotel amplifier + CD player and (wires to) four stereo speakers at the four corners of the living room.
But then YouTube was born and today I just hook up YouTube to the amplifier since it’s so much more convenient for selecting what I want to listen to. And my CD collection sits mostly idly.
The answer to your question depends largely on your budget, the size of your house and the quality you want. But I’d say at a minimum to get a serious amplifier and wireless speakers.
posted by Kwadeng at 2:16 AM on October 15, 2017
I have about a thousand CDs which I used to play a lot on a Rotel amplifier + CD player and (wires to) four stereo speakers at the four corners of the living room.
But then YouTube was born and today I just hook up YouTube to the amplifier since it’s so much more convenient for selecting what I want to listen to. And my CD collection sits mostly idly.
The answer to your question depends largely on your budget, the size of your house and the quality you want. But I’d say at a minimum to get a serious amplifier and wireless speakers.
posted by Kwadeng at 2:16 AM on October 15, 2017
I have been using Sonos since it launched in 2002. The original 15 year old box is still functioning perfectly, and not only that: unlike many companies, Sonos continues to update the software on the 15 year old box just as much as on the newer devices. I couldn't recommend a product more highly than Sonos. It gets better and better (the new Sonos One will have voice control / Alexa.) I've tried a lot of multi room audio setups and Sonos is my favourite. Sounds fantastic, and certain Sonos units let you connect your old devices too (so you can plug your CD changer in and broadcast it over wifi!)
posted by skylar at 2:47 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by skylar at 2:47 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
Our setup is a Samsung Soundbar hooked up to a TV with a Chromecast plugged in; this lets us easily stream Spotify or YouTube (by casting to the Chromecast). I really like the Soundbar because it's not huge and the sound is quite nice.
posted by neushoorn at 2:48 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by neushoorn at 2:48 AM on October 15, 2017
I use an Apple TV as my primary streaming device. The new system allows for app downloads if you use something like YouTube.
I personally use iTunes so it all syncs between my phone, computer, and Apple TV. So I just stream through my TV soundbar.
IF it's through something that isn't on my Apple TV (Amazon Music) then I use my phone which I can connect through bluetooth to my Vizio soundbar (or airplay to my Apple TV). Same for my computer.
I'm in a small apartment so the living room soundbar does a pretty good job. If I'm in other rooms I just use my phone (if I'm around the house doing stuff) or my computer or little external computer speakers in the office.
I know my dad loves his Amazon Echo and other bluetooth speakers throughout the house.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:48 AM on October 15, 2017
I personally use iTunes so it all syncs between my phone, computer, and Apple TV. So I just stream through my TV soundbar.
IF it's through something that isn't on my Apple TV (Amazon Music) then I use my phone which I can connect through bluetooth to my Vizio soundbar (or airplay to my Apple TV). Same for my computer.
I'm in a small apartment so the living room soundbar does a pretty good job. If I'm in other rooms I just use my phone (if I'm around the house doing stuff) or my computer or little external computer speakers in the office.
I know my dad loves his Amazon Echo and other bluetooth speakers throughout the house.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:48 AM on October 15, 2017
But I’d say at a minimum to get a serious amplifier and wireless speakers.
Umm, the seriousness of the amplifier won't have much affect on wireless speakers. 😁
My set up is also very simple. I have a basic Rega Brio amp with Monitor Audio speakers connected through an Apple TV and a large screen. My previous setup was a dedicated surround sound set up with limited streaming. It had more buttons and complications than I ever used. When I updated to my current setup, I wanted to simplify everything as much as possible, thus the move back to a stereo configuration with a streaming device, a good amp and nice speakers.
posted by michswiss at 3:21 AM on October 15, 2017
Umm, the seriousness of the amplifier won't have much affect on wireless speakers. 😁
My set up is also very simple. I have a basic Rega Brio amp with Monitor Audio speakers connected through an Apple TV and a large screen. My previous setup was a dedicated surround sound set up with limited streaming. It had more buttons and complications than I ever used. When I updated to my current setup, I wanted to simplify everything as much as possible, thus the move back to a stereo configuration with a streaming device, a good amp and nice speakers.
posted by michswiss at 3:21 AM on October 15, 2017
Best answer: I'm using a Chromecast Audio connected to powered bookshelf speakers I bought off of Amazon. My music library is in Plex, and I then use the Plex Android app to control the Chromecast. Works like a charm. Apparently you can sync your music in multiple rooms with multiple Chromecasts but I have no need for that.
The Chromecast audio streams at a higher audio quality than Bluetooth and it also doesn't drain battery since the actual streaming is happening between your computer and the Chromecast. That said, you do have to have an always on computer or other source.
posted by selfnoise at 4:27 AM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
The Chromecast audio streams at a higher audio quality than Bluetooth and it also doesn't drain battery since the actual streaming is happening between your computer and the Chromecast. That said, you do have to have an always on computer or other source.
posted by selfnoise at 4:27 AM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
I have approx 3000 CDs that I listen to via NAD integrated amp and Sony headphones. I also have about 100 GB of MP3 files that I select from when I load up a Sony MP3 Walkman for my daily walk. I never stream music. I still steadily buy used CDs from thrift shops.
posted by davebush at 5:15 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by davebush at 5:15 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
Our music lives in Spotify. We listen to it through a strange menagerie of Echo devices acquired through work hackathons (a Dot in the bedroom and a Tap in the living room*) and wireless bluetooth speakers (the UE Boom, which we've had for years and love). Our apartment is tiny and this arrangement works for us.
I've used Sonos in many workplaces, and while the hardware is fine their UX makes me want to peel my eyelids off. I'd much rather stream directly to a device via my phone, or, even better, shout at Alexa to play ArtistName from Spotify and let her take care of the rest.
* the Tap has recently stopped responding, so if I can't get it to work I'll probably replace it with the new second generation Echo, which is nicer looking and is clearly gunning for Sonos, as you can buy them in multipacks and put 'em in different rooms. That said, there's nothing to say you have to go with Amazon devices. The soon-to-be-released Google Home Max is really good looking and probably just as good as the Amazon products, and the l'il Home Mini is adorable. If I had my time again, I'd probably buy three or four smart speakers and let the CIA listen to me whenever they want.
posted by nerdfish at 5:30 AM on October 15, 2017
I've used Sonos in many workplaces, and while the hardware is fine their UX makes me want to peel my eyelids off. I'd much rather stream directly to a device via my phone, or, even better, shout at Alexa to play ArtistName from Spotify and let her take care of the rest.
* the Tap has recently stopped responding, so if I can't get it to work I'll probably replace it with the new second generation Echo, which is nicer looking and is clearly gunning for Sonos, as you can buy them in multipacks and put 'em in different rooms. That said, there's nothing to say you have to go with Amazon devices. The soon-to-be-released Google Home Max is really good looking and probably just as good as the Amazon products, and the l'il Home Mini is adorable. If I had my time again, I'd probably buy three or four smart speakers and let the CIA listen to me whenever they want.
posted by nerdfish at 5:30 AM on October 15, 2017
Everyone I know just docks their iPhone into a speaker.
posted by xyzzy at 5:57 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by xyzzy at 5:57 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Many people now buying a "proper hifi" with amplifier, speakers etc will start with a 'Network Player' or 'music streamer', these can have a wire that plugs into your computer or connect using wifi allowing you to play music on the computer and have it magically transport over to the full hifi.
A good entry point to this is the Apple Airport Express ($99), and there are lots of increasingly more expensive systems, Rega, Musical Fidelity, NAIM leading up to top end players like the Linn Klimax DSM
Something to be aware of is that a higher quality system will start to reveal the harshness of any low quality mp3's, e.g. 128 kbps.
If you have a lot of music tracks, then you might want to move up to a UPnP NAS Server effectively a giant hard drive separate from your computer. Synology and QNAP sell affordable NAS servers with and without disk drives, most of these will now host video as well as music. A Network Player can then pick up content directly from the UPnP server.
posted by Lanark at 6:08 AM on October 15, 2017
A good entry point to this is the Apple Airport Express ($99), and there are lots of increasingly more expensive systems, Rega, Musical Fidelity, NAIM leading up to top end players like the Linn Klimax DSM
Something to be aware of is that a higher quality system will start to reveal the harshness of any low quality mp3's, e.g. 128 kbps.
If you have a lot of music tracks, then you might want to move up to a UPnP NAS Server effectively a giant hard drive separate from your computer. Synology and QNAP sell affordable NAS servers with and without disk drives, most of these will now host video as well as music. A Network Player can then pick up content directly from the UPnP server.
posted by Lanark at 6:08 AM on October 15, 2017
We use an Echo in the kitchen for streaming while we cook, an actual amp and speakers to listen to actual vinyl in the living room, a Tap that my husband carries around while he's working, and an ipod in my son's room. Oh and we also have a little portable bluetooth speaker to stream music from our phones if we need to.
If the echo family ever gets spotify to work across multiple devices that's what I'd like to switch to, though we all have our own spotify accounts so I don't know how that would work?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:16 AM on October 15, 2017
If the echo family ever gets spotify to work across multiple devices that's what I'd like to switch to, though we all have our own spotify accounts so I don't know how that would work?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:16 AM on October 15, 2017
RE: CDs vs MP3s vs streaming, I grew up with vinyl/cassettes/CDs and every fiber of my being rages against the concept of paying for music that I don't actually own a physical or un-DRM'd digital copy of. (Also: services like Spotify are notoriously crappy in terms of the revenue artists receive.) The idea of deleting the thousands of MP3s that I've either purchased or ripped from my own CDs over the years never made sense to me, so these days I share my 14-year-old iTunes library over my home network. I also used Plex for a while.
Thanks to hand-me downs from a sibling I have an old-school component stereo with wired bookshelf speakers in my home office. In addition to a turntable and 5-CD changer, I have a 1/8" to RCA adapter and long RCA cable connected to the receiver's "VCR 1" input (Hey, I said it was old-school) so I can play audio from my desktop computer, whether that's iTunes or YouTube or whatever. Works great since that computer never moves.
But the rest of the house was lacking for decent audio... so earlier this year I bought an Oontz Angle 3 portable bluetooth speaker and it's been surprisingly great; the sound quality of that particular speaker is never going to rival a larger/more expensive system but it's very good for its size, one battery charge lasts a good long time, and it's small and super-portable. It's really nice to be able to just grab the speaker and take it to another room, or down to the basement while I'm puttering, or outside while I'm doing yardwork, etc. It always reconnects to the last device it paired with, so it's a bit of a pain to switch and connect to another one, but that's a pretty minor quibble. It's also got a 3.5 mm input and comes with a cable, so you can plug an audio source in directly. I'd definitely recommend a portable bluetooth speaks as a fast/cheap way to upgrade your audio situation without investing in a bunch of hardware or a particular streaming platform.
posted by Funeral march of an old jawbone at 6:33 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
Thanks to hand-me downs from a sibling I have an old-school component stereo with wired bookshelf speakers in my home office. In addition to a turntable and 5-CD changer, I have a 1/8" to RCA adapter and long RCA cable connected to the receiver's "VCR 1" input (Hey, I said it was old-school) so I can play audio from my desktop computer, whether that's iTunes or YouTube or whatever. Works great since that computer never moves.
But the rest of the house was lacking for decent audio... so earlier this year I bought an Oontz Angle 3 portable bluetooth speaker and it's been surprisingly great; the sound quality of that particular speaker is never going to rival a larger/more expensive system but it's very good for its size, one battery charge lasts a good long time, and it's small and super-portable. It's really nice to be able to just grab the speaker and take it to another room, or down to the basement while I'm puttering, or outside while I'm doing yardwork, etc. It always reconnects to the last device it paired with, so it's a bit of a pain to switch and connect to another one, but that's a pretty minor quibble. It's also got a 3.5 mm input and comes with a cable, so you can plug an audio source in directly. I'd definitely recommend a portable bluetooth speaks as a fast/cheap way to upgrade your audio situation without investing in a bunch of hardware or a particular streaming platform.
posted by Funeral march of an old jawbone at 6:33 AM on October 15, 2017 [3 favorites]
At home, I listen to CDs via a 5 disc changer, receiver, and speakers that are almost 40 year old. That's set up in the living room. I rip the CDs so I can listen to MP3s at work or sometimes in other rooms of the house, but I haven't seen any need to change my main listening environment yet.
posted by maurice at 7:03 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by maurice at 7:03 AM on October 15, 2017
We have a Bose set and Spotify. Love it. Kids love it. Id stopped listening to music much and this has brought it back. I also have an UrbanBeats Bluetooth that we can move around the house.
Honestly it's Spotify that made the difference rather than the speakers.
posted by Ftsqg at 7:19 AM on October 15, 2017
Honestly it's Spotify that made the difference rather than the speakers.
posted by Ftsqg at 7:19 AM on October 15, 2017
I stream Spotify and a select few other services through Sonos speakers in the main areas of my house. In the bedrooms and office i have cheap-ish wireless bluetooth speakers that are mainly used for podcast listening but also do a decent enough job for music as well. I would have put Sonos in the bedrooms as well but they don’t do podcasts well.
posted by cgg at 7:28 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by cgg at 7:28 AM on October 15, 2017
Receiver + smallish speakers fed by either a physical CD in the Bluray player or (more commonly) AirPlay from the laptop (the receiver recognizes AirPlay). I'm not one of those self-deluding audiophiles, but I don't find the modern standalone options very satisfying.
posted by praemunire at 8:39 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by praemunire at 8:39 AM on October 15, 2017
I too use Sonos to play from a variety of services. I disagree with nerdfish that their UX is bad, but obviously YMMV. The Sonos app is actually one of my favorite things about it, because it nicely combines all of my music services in one place, and I can make combined playlists across them.
I also have some nice speakers attached to my iMac, that I use for listening when I'm working at my desk.
posted by primethyme at 8:43 AM on October 15, 2017
I also have some nice speakers attached to my iMac, that I use for listening when I'm working at my desk.
posted by primethyme at 8:43 AM on October 15, 2017
I bought a Very Good™ (~$1200) sound bar for my big TV in the living room. I play music through it. I used to have a much more robust sound system, but IMHO, if you don't have it positioned well in a room set up for good/great sound, it's a waste of money, time and space nowadays to have even audiophile-lite equipment. Also, I use Apple Music these days. For 10 bucks a month, they have nearly everything (even some pretty obscure stuff) and it's way less than what I used to spend per month on CDs, on average. And all my old CDs are ripped and in iCloud.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:00 AM on October 15, 2017
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:00 AM on October 15, 2017
My 15 year old stereo bit the dust last winter.
I have a Roku box hooked up to my TV and a Pandora app and YouTube app on it. At holiday time, we play a holiday mix on Pandora through the TV speakers (not awesome, but sufficient and easy). I pay for the Pandora subscription so it doesn't have the same business card ad play every five minutes. And the Roku box can stream YouTube from our phones if we have specific songs or videos we want to listen to or watch.
I took our old receiver and hooked up my turntable and CD burner to it along with two speakers for the occasional desire to listen to a CD or record or the radio (but my 4yo kid tends to not like ambient noise). I tried iTunes many years ago when I had an iPhone 3G but it was such a memory hog on my Windows laptop, I have little desire to go back to that. I did trim my CD library recently, but still buy some CDs or vinyl at shows.
My 9 year old car still has a CD player but the new vehicle we bought does not, and my spouse decided to load up a thumb drive with ripped MP3s to plug in, but it gets fiddly when the vehicle is started up, so he does Bluetooth connection with a YouTube playlist on his phone.
posted by jillithd at 9:19 AM on October 15, 2017
I have a Roku box hooked up to my TV and a Pandora app and YouTube app on it. At holiday time, we play a holiday mix on Pandora through the TV speakers (not awesome, but sufficient and easy). I pay for the Pandora subscription so it doesn't have the same business card ad play every five minutes. And the Roku box can stream YouTube from our phones if we have specific songs or videos we want to listen to or watch.
I took our old receiver and hooked up my turntable and CD burner to it along with two speakers for the occasional desire to listen to a CD or record or the radio (but my 4yo kid tends to not like ambient noise). I tried iTunes many years ago when I had an iPhone 3G but it was such a memory hog on my Windows laptop, I have little desire to go back to that. I did trim my CD library recently, but still buy some CDs or vinyl at shows.
My 9 year old car still has a CD player but the new vehicle we bought does not, and my spouse decided to load up a thumb drive with ripped MP3s to plug in, but it gets fiddly when the vehicle is started up, so he does Bluetooth connection with a YouTube playlist on his phone.
posted by jillithd at 9:19 AM on October 15, 2017
We used to have a full 7.1 surround system but Hulu and Netflix has totally changed the way we watch TV so we recently changed over to a streamlined audio system: 2 b&w floor speakers, a Pioneer dvd/cd player, & a Pro-Ject turntable attached to a Rotel amp. The amp has 2 USB inputs, one of which can be used with a Bluetooth dongle to connect to pretty much anything. There's no radio tuner attached yet so we just use a phone or tablet for that right now.
The other room has a super-old Pioneer bookshelf system that I will mourn forever should it die because the sound is amazing. It's connected to an iMac.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:52 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
The other room has a super-old Pioneer bookshelf system that I will mourn forever should it die because the sound is amazing. It's connected to an iMac.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:52 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
My main setup is that I have a (currently Plex) media server with movies and music I've ripped from physical media, which I can stream throughout my house, mostly to my Roku that's hooked up to my TV, which is in turn hooked up to my vintage stereo system. (Right this very minute, I am having a small issue with my 40 year old receiver, so I'm temporarily using a newer sound system hooked up to the TV, but it's temporary and parenthetical.)
I buy most of my music on CD and rip it to lossless formats.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:57 AM on October 15, 2017
I buy most of my music on CD and rip it to lossless formats.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:57 AM on October 15, 2017
For vinyl, I have a Technics turntable going into an NAD amp via an NAD preamp. Separately, I have my computer going into the amp's AUX line. A portable LG drive for CDs via a USB connection to the computer.
I use Spotify a lot, particularly when I'm just sampling things I read about. But I would caution against considering all sound sources equivalent in quality. Even to my somewhat-battered ears, music that I ripped years ago to iTunes at 128 "to save space" are not in the same game as native CD (even given what is likely not the fanciest DAC) or vinyl (or FLAC/ALAC). And even Spotify's 320 kbit/s "premium" streaming quality can sound weak on certain things compared to CD/vinyl.
Good luck!
posted by the sobsister at 10:06 AM on October 15, 2017
I use Spotify a lot, particularly when I'm just sampling things I read about. But I would caution against considering all sound sources equivalent in quality. Even to my somewhat-battered ears, music that I ripped years ago to iTunes at 128 "to save space" are not in the same game as native CD (even given what is likely not the fanciest DAC) or vinyl (or FLAC/ALAC). And even Spotify's 320 kbit/s "premium" streaming quality can sound weak on certain things compared to CD/vinyl.
Good luck!
posted by the sobsister at 10:06 AM on October 15, 2017
I love listening to music. My main day-to-day setup is a Vinyl/CD/Radio/Cassette Retro-looking Crosley that was less than $200, but I get compliments on it every time I have company.
It's in my living area of my condo which is wide open, so I can enjoy music at the kitchen counter, at the kitchen table, dancing round the living room, in my living room, flopped on the couch, flopped on the floor - these are all common ways....
I like the look of it and the ritual of playing music. I like that my most-played at the moment are always right next to it. I like that I can't skip around from song to song: I listen to albums from beginning to end. I like flipping records.
I still convert all my CDs to digital and store on an ipod, but my most frequent listening is to the material products. Ipod is more for travelling.
Like, right now I'm typing this while on my couch, listening to Sza's album for the 100th time, just like I would have with a favorite album 25 years ago.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 10:20 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's in my living area of my condo which is wide open, so I can enjoy music at the kitchen counter, at the kitchen table, dancing round the living room, in my living room, flopped on the couch, flopped on the floor - these are all common ways....
I like the look of it and the ritual of playing music. I like that my most-played at the moment are always right next to it. I like that I can't skip around from song to song: I listen to albums from beginning to end. I like flipping records.
I still convert all my CDs to digital and store on an ipod, but my most frequent listening is to the material products. Ipod is more for travelling.
Like, right now I'm typing this while on my couch, listening to Sza's album for the 100th time, just like I would have with a favorite album 25 years ago.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 10:20 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's pretty generational in my experience. Older people are often still using the stereo systems they bought a decade or two ago with CDs, the generation that came of age with mp3s have a mixture of them and some streaming on a mixture of speaker types, younger people are using headphones/earbuds or Bluetooth speakers with streaming (including YouTube). People that are big into home theatre setups for movies and have speaker setups for that purpose will usually use it for music as well. That can range from everything from soundbars to large speakers.
I'm over the top and have a large stereo setup in my living room with record player, high quality single disc CD player, Chromecast Audio, Bluetooth, and an aux input and then bookshelf speakers scattered throughout the house that I can use with an aux input for plugging in a tablet for streaming, and a bunch of portable Bluetooth speakers.
Various systems like Sonos, Chromecasts, and (now) the Amazon Echos will let you do synchronized sound in different rooms.
For most people, a streaming solution is enough. The Google one lets you upload and stream something like 20,000 tracks at no charge.
posted by Candleman at 10:20 AM on October 15, 2017
I'm over the top and have a large stereo setup in my living room with record player, high quality single disc CD player, Chromecast Audio, Bluetooth, and an aux input and then bookshelf speakers scattered throughout the house that I can use with an aux input for plugging in a tablet for streaming, and a bunch of portable Bluetooth speakers.
Various systems like Sonos, Chromecasts, and (now) the Amazon Echos will let you do synchronized sound in different rooms.
For most people, a streaming solution is enough. The Google one lets you upload and stream something like 20,000 tracks at no charge.
posted by Candleman at 10:20 AM on October 15, 2017
We use Spotify with several Bluetooth speakers (Bose, a couple of iHomes that sync together, etc) that we can carry to different parts of the house as needed. I tend to keep the Bose speaker in the kitchen to use while I'm cooking.
The iHome speakers live on my computer desk but I use one to play music in the bathroom when I shower. My husband has a Sony Bluetooth speaker that he uses for shower music, and when he's going to sleep.
We also have a vinyl turntable that we use with a set of larger Bluetooth-capable speakers for listening to records, but we usually connect them with a cable instead.
posted by cp311 at 11:09 AM on October 15, 2017
The iHome speakers live on my computer desk but I use one to play music in the bathroom when I shower. My husband has a Sony Bluetooth speaker that he uses for shower music, and when he's going to sleep.
We also have a vinyl turntable that we use with a set of larger Bluetooth-capable speakers for listening to records, but we usually connect them with a cable instead.
posted by cp311 at 11:09 AM on October 15, 2017
Most people I know have some sort of Sonos or other wireless speaker system, that they use with a phone or laptop.
Personally, I have a shitload of vinyl AND digital music, so I have a massively overpowered wall of audio equipment, complete with tube amp and pre-amp, which I use for records as well as listening to my digital stuff via an AUX input.
posted by rachaelfaith at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2017
Personally, I have a shitload of vinyl AND digital music, so I have a massively overpowered wall of audio equipment, complete with tube amp and pre-amp, which I use for records as well as listening to my digital stuff via an AUX input.
posted by rachaelfaith at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2017
I use a bit of everything, mine is slightly complicated but I like it. I listen to streaming services, my FLAC/MP3 collection on all my devices + streaming, and vinyl on 'real' stereo speakers.
For Spotify or radio/podcasts I just use the voice control on an Amazon Echo. Also doubles as a bluetooth speaker if someone comes over and wants to stream from a phone or whatever. Good enough for 'radio', voice control is great for controlling music.
My 'stereo' is a tiny bluetooth receiver that outputs to traditional analog stereo speakers. It also has a line in, which I run turntable->preamp->BT line in. The device (Vamp) I got off a Kickstarter, but I'm sure it's not the only product like it out there.
I also keep a FLAC/MP3 collection, which gets synced to phones via Plex. I also use Plex Cloud to stream that collection anywhere. I also have a Raspberry Pi plugged into the extra line in on the preamp, running Volumio which streams FLAC over my network (also let's you stream to it as an AirTunes/Spotify Connect speaker).
I used to have a fancy receiver and stuff, but the Vamp BT+Preamp+Pi setup plays out of my nice speakers every source I want it to and it's much, much lower power. Plus the streaming/syncing features of Plex...
posted by bradbane at 12:52 PM on October 15, 2017
For Spotify or radio/podcasts I just use the voice control on an Amazon Echo. Also doubles as a bluetooth speaker if someone comes over and wants to stream from a phone or whatever. Good enough for 'radio', voice control is great for controlling music.
My 'stereo' is a tiny bluetooth receiver that outputs to traditional analog stereo speakers. It also has a line in, which I run turntable->preamp->BT line in. The device (Vamp) I got off a Kickstarter, but I'm sure it's not the only product like it out there.
I also keep a FLAC/MP3 collection, which gets synced to phones via Plex. I also use Plex Cloud to stream that collection anywhere. I also have a Raspberry Pi plugged into the extra line in on the preamp, running Volumio which streams FLAC over my network (also let's you stream to it as an AirTunes/Spotify Connect speaker).
I used to have a fancy receiver and stuff, but the Vamp BT+Preamp+Pi setup plays out of my nice speakers every source I want it to and it's much, much lower power. Plus the streaming/syncing features of Plex...
posted by bradbane at 12:52 PM on October 15, 2017
Line out of the back of desktop computer to an old boombox. iTunes.
If I want to hear in another part of the house I turn it up louder.
It doesn't lose the connection, it just works.
I have Bluetooth speakers, Plex set up, have had various network and streaming options at one time, I never use any of them. None of it ever works like I want it to and I end up troubleshooting and configuring instead of listening to music.
I buy all my music, MP3 or CD and rip to iTunes.
I have more music than I'll ever listen to already.
posted by bongo_x at 1:32 PM on October 15, 2017
If I want to hear in another part of the house I turn it up louder.
It doesn't lose the connection, it just works.
I have Bluetooth speakers, Plex set up, have had various network and streaming options at one time, I never use any of them. None of it ever works like I want it to and I end up troubleshooting and configuring instead of listening to music.
I buy all my music, MP3 or CD and rip to iTunes.
I have more music than I'll ever listen to already.
posted by bongo_x at 1:32 PM on October 15, 2017
We have some very nice stereo speakers, a CD player, and an amp/radio. (All of these were secondhand finds at Goodwill, where you can obtain really nice audio equipment for cheap, so long as you check to make sure it works properly.) Our setup looks something like this.
We mostly play CDs and FM radio; occasionally I'll plug in my phone using the 3.5mm jack to play a song off Youtube or whatever.
I'm very happy with our system, especially the audio quality, though some people might call this kind of setup old-fashioned. It depends on what you want, but don't feel compelled to change what you have if it's working for you.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:50 PM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
We mostly play CDs and FM radio; occasionally I'll plug in my phone using the 3.5mm jack to play a song off Youtube or whatever.
I'm very happy with our system, especially the audio quality, though some people might call this kind of setup old-fashioned. It depends on what you want, but don't feel compelled to change what you have if it's working for you.
posted by splitpeasoup at 1:50 PM on October 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
In my living room, I have a nice, beefy Kenwood amp, a Carver pre-amp, and a large pair of very nice, vintage JBL speakers. That setup is for CD playing.
In my studio, I have a vintage Pioneer receiver driving a pair of Polk bookshelf speakers. My Technics turntable is hooked-up to the Pioneer. I also have an Apple Airport connected to the Pioneer and Airtunes music over from my iMac.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:18 PM on October 15, 2017
In my studio, I have a vintage Pioneer receiver driving a pair of Polk bookshelf speakers. My Technics turntable is hooked-up to the Pioneer. I also have an Apple Airport connected to the Pioneer and Airtunes music over from my iMac.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:18 PM on October 15, 2017
I have a Bose Revolve, which was a few hundred NZ$, and play music through my phone - it sounds really impressive. We also have a cheap soundbar with subwoofer. Before that I had a cheapie Bluetooth thing that still had quite decent sound. It's a great time to be listening to music - I'd recommend going down to an electronics store with a Bluetooth phone and having a listen to the display units.
posted by Sebmojo at 4:58 PM on October 15, 2017
posted by Sebmojo at 4:58 PM on October 15, 2017
Are you more often an active listener or passive listener?
For my active listening sessions--when my attention is 100% on the music--I listen on equipment that reasonably reproduces nuances on the studio or live recording. When listening to digital files or streaming audio on my computer, I use a set of Sony MDR series headphones connected to a portable DAC. This bypasses the internal soundcard and adds punch and clarity to the audio. When I want to get fully bathed in sonic goodness, I listen on my home theater--a Denon multichannel receiver, set of SVS Audio bookshelf speakers + subwoofer for 2.1 channel listening (90% of listening), with center and rear surround speakers activated for multichannel audio--albums mastered in 5.1 surround and released on BluRay Audio or DVD-Audio. My set-up was a modest investment compared to the rabbit hole many audiophiles fall into, but it's good enough for my ears, and most upgrades would result in diminishing returns.
For passive, background listening I typically fire up an album or playlist on Spotify on my Amazon Echo, or cast Spotify to one of several Bluetooth speakers in the home from my phone. Quick, convenient audio that fills a room or two with sound.
posted by prinado at 9:32 AM on October 16, 2017
For my active listening sessions--when my attention is 100% on the music--I listen on equipment that reasonably reproduces nuances on the studio or live recording. When listening to digital files or streaming audio on my computer, I use a set of Sony MDR series headphones connected to a portable DAC. This bypasses the internal soundcard and adds punch and clarity to the audio. When I want to get fully bathed in sonic goodness, I listen on my home theater--a Denon multichannel receiver, set of SVS Audio bookshelf speakers + subwoofer for 2.1 channel listening (90% of listening), with center and rear surround speakers activated for multichannel audio--albums mastered in 5.1 surround and released on BluRay Audio or DVD-Audio. My set-up was a modest investment compared to the rabbit hole many audiophiles fall into, but it's good enough for my ears, and most upgrades would result in diminishing returns.
For passive, background listening I typically fire up an album or playlist on Spotify on my Amazon Echo, or cast Spotify to one of several Bluetooth speakers in the home from my phone. Quick, convenient audio that fills a room or two with sound.
posted by prinado at 9:32 AM on October 16, 2017
I used to have a nice stereo setup. Then it was a bunch of speaker docks where I could plug in my iPod - and then my iPhone - as I slowly ripped my CDs and my girlfriend's CDs and married her and organized our music in neat folders on the computer.
Now we have a home theater wired up with a very nice surround sound system, but it barely gets used for music. For music, I've been quite happy Sonos. I started off with a pair of Play:One units, and have slowly added more. The integration with a bunch of music services is a plus, because I can mix and match across Amazon Music and iTunes and our ripped CDs. And the ripped music now lives on a Synology box. (This is overkill - it would have been sufficient to plug a USB disk into our router for the music - but we use the Synology as a media server for video.)
These days the music I buy is all digital - or at least comes with digital copies. I'm not sure I could even play a CD anywhere except for our old iMac.
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:25 PM on October 16, 2017
Now we have a home theater wired up with a very nice surround sound system, but it barely gets used for music. For music, I've been quite happy Sonos. I started off with a pair of Play:One units, and have slowly added more. The integration with a bunch of music services is a plus, because I can mix and match across Amazon Music and iTunes and our ripped CDs. And the ripped music now lives on a Synology box. (This is overkill - it would have been sufficient to plug a USB disk into our router for the music - but we use the Synology as a media server for video.)
These days the music I buy is all digital - or at least comes with digital copies. I'm not sure I could even play a CD anywhere except for our old iMac.
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:25 PM on October 16, 2017
We have two systems, in the living room a McIntosh 1900 receiver, Wharfedale Denton speakers, Sony SACD player, Technics SL-QD33 turntable and a Sonos Connect. In the basement a Harmon Kardon Award 300 tube integrated amp, Dynaco A25 speakers, Harmon Kardon DVD-48 used as an SACD player, Technics SL-1200M3D turntable, and another Sonos Connect. The Connect is a device that allows Sonos streaming to feed a stereo system. Only the Sonos Connects and the Dentons were bought new.
posted by rfs at 9:24 AM on October 17, 2017
posted by rfs at 9:24 AM on October 17, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
Bluetooth speakers are really popular and easy to use with no wires and little setup. These range from like $20 to hundreds. Something like a Sonos system is a really advanced, high quality version. They sell expandable systems that cover different rooms.
posted by tremspeed at 1:23 AM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]