Am I Weird?

[StevieC]

Anybody else out there feel some sort of great satisfaction in taking a solid, physical object off the shelf and putting it in (or on) a suitable player? Then sitting back and listening to the album all the way through while reading sleeve notes, booklets, etc.

Doesn't matter whether your chosen medium is CD, vinyl, minidisc or even a cassette I still find this whole experience special. Having an endless list of MP3's on a PC just doesn't hack it.

I do have an MP3 player, I use it on my bus journey to work and back (approx 25 mins each way) and that is all. I would never consider bothering with it any other time. And as a reflection on it's sound quality I've nicknamed it “the gutless wonder”.

Anyway, I've discussed all of this with a few work colleagues and they all think I'm a bit strange. One of them claimed they “hadn't got time for all that messing about” but I know for a fact that same person spends 2 or 3 hours per night on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Draw your own conclusions.

So am I part of an ever decreasing minority, slowly heading in the same direction as the dinosaurs? Thoughts and comments welcomed.

Thanks

 

[matt49]

I don't read sleeve notes etc while listening, as I find it a distraction from the music.

:cheers:

Matt

 

[cheeseboy]

your not weird, you just have a different opinion and likes to other people. Welcome to world

 

[Al ears]

You are weird. I'd have bought a better MP3 player....

I'm with Matt on the cover notes, but hey, we're all different.

 

[nopiano]

We are surely a dying breed, Stevie, but I am with you on that. I see it as being akin to dressing up and going to concert, rather than just putting on the radio while making supper. The effort you put in is returned in your enjoyment.

That may also explain the polarised views on cables, because of the trouble in choosing, buying and installing, which I see is correctly called expectation bias.

 

[matt49]

We are surely a dying breed, Stevie, but I am with you on that. I see it as being akin to dressing up and going to concert, rather than just putting on the radio while making supper. The effort you put in is returned in your enjoyment.

That may also explain the polarised views on cables, because of the trouble in choosing, buying and installing, which I see is correctly called expectation bias.

There's a lot of truth in this.

Earlier this week I set up a new network to stream to my DAC/amp wirelessly instead of over ethernet. It took me a couple of hours. Playing the system afterwards, it really did seem to sound better. I don't think it actually was better but, boy, did it make me smile at the time.

Matt

 

[cheeseboy]

We are surely a dying breed, Stevie, but I am with you on that.

possibly, but then again there will probably be a cd resurgence in about 30 years when the kids want to get oldschool like they are with vinyl at the moment. Consumer habits are changing all the time. Wasn't that long ago there were these people who actually delivered milk to your doorstep Things change, but it doesn't meant that there isn't room for a bit of what you fancy. Doesn't also meant that change is a bad thing, I mean who would like to still have an outside loo for example?

That may also explain the polarised views on cables, because of the trouble in choosing, buying and installing, which I see is correctly called expectation bias.

There was an interesting study with a write up here http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/mariakonnikova/2014/05/why-do-people-persist-in-believing-things-that-just-arent-true.html?utm_source=www&utm_medium=tw&utm_campaign=20140519

it's talking about the pro and anti vaccine thing, but it's the same psychology. The interesting part is the following:

"The theory, pioneered by Claude Steele, suggests that, when people feel their sense of self threatened by the outside world, they are strongly motivated to correct the misperception, be it by reasoning away the inconsistency or by modifying their behavior. For example, when women are asked to state their gender before taking a math or science test, they end up performing worse than if no such statement appears, conforming their behavior to societal beliefs about female math-and-science ability. To address this so-called stereotype threat, Steele proposes an exercise in self-affirmation: either write down or say aloud positive moments from your past that reaffirm your sense of self and are related to the threat in question. Steele’s research suggests that affirmation makes people far more resilient and high performing, be it on an S.A.T., an I.Q. test, or at a book-club meeting.

Normally, self-affirmation is reserved for instances in which identity is threatened in direct ways: race, gender, age, weight, and the like. Here, Nyhan decided to apply it in an unrelated context: Could recalling a time when you felt good about yourself make you more broad-minded about highly politicized issues, like the Iraq surge or global warming? As it turns out, it would. On all issues, attitudes became more accurate with self-affirmation, and remained just as inaccurate without. That effect held even when no additional information was presented—that is, when people were simply asked the same questions twice, before and after the self-affirmation."

Therefore you could argue that those that are obsessed with cables have built this so firmly in to their sense of self, that any suggestion otherwise is not taken objectively about the cables, but subjectively on their sense of self. (basically like attacking somebodies religion) Hence the reluctance to take on board anything that may prove otherwise (as has been proven on here when people have said that even if they were shown there were no difference, they would still choose not to believe it).

It's interesting stuff imho.

 

[chebby]

Anybody else out there feel some sort of great satisfaction in taking a solid, physical object off the shelf and putting it in (or on) a suitable player? Then sitting back and listening to the album all the way through while reading sleeve notes, booklets, etc.

It's only weird if you think everyone should do the same.

 

[byakuya83]

No, you're not weird. It's perfectly normal behaviour. I stream music from my iPad, and browse the net at the same time - often reading up on the band/album.

Cheeseboy, interesting article. Similar traits can be found in the world of martial arts, now traditional styles have often been exposed as fairly useless.

Attacking the art/cable isn't what hurts someone but attacking their sense of self, attacking their beliefs.

 

[cheeseboy]

Similar traits can be found in the world of martial arts, now traditional styles have often been exposed as fairly useless.

ooo, that's intersting, didn't know about that, I shall have to read up, cheers

I remember reading an article once with a load of bouncers asking what they thought was the most effective martial art/self defence, given they are are a good group of people to ask. They reckoned that you couldn't go wrong with good old fashioned boxing (or thai boxing), as it trained you to take a hit, and was also effective for close quarters, which is what a lot of fights end up as. They all said they had seen quite a few people try to pull off drunken kung fu moves on the street only to end up tripping over and getting a good kicking :O

 

[sublime]

Interesting - the kung fu metaphor. There is quite a lot about the various forms of kung fu that science hasn't yet explained, how are they possible?, Qi Gong for example, watch the video and you'll see that it should be physically impossible to do what these practicioners do - yet they do them. Many will write it off as 'foo' much like cables, dacs, amps etc - but most do hear a difference between products despite the 'science'. Anyway... I digress

I also prefer CD's over computer files. Turntable sales are up which tells me that many music lovers everywhere still prefer physical media.

 

[Gazzip]

I don't think you are wierd.

A few years ago I moved away from CD, (record player went many years before that), to streaming all of my music via a Squeezebox Touch. Initially this was great, all my music at my fingertips without having to move out of my seat, but after a while I relaised I was no longer listening to full albums. Sometimes I wouldn't even listen to full songs!

I have always listened to my CD's on the CDP before ripping them to FLAC and have found that I listen to the whole album when doing this. So noticable is this trend that I now use my CD player much more than I do my computer based music for that very reason.

 

[cheeseboy]

Interesting - the kung fu metaphor. There is quite a lot about the various forms of kung fu that science hasn't yet explained, how are they possible?, Qi Gong for example, watch the video and you'll see that it should be physically impossible to do what these practicioners do - yet they do them. Many will write it off as 'foo' much like cables, dacs, amps etc - but most do hear a difference between products despite the 'science'. Anyway... I digress

actually it's the other way round. So yes, you are right, just in reverse. There's also a lot to be said for many many years of training that will allow you to do "amazing" things Anyhoo, the 'science' has proven on many occasions why people may hear a difference when there isn't one. In fact, I would lay down the challenge to find a properly conducted test that has proven otherwise.

As for science explaining the kung fu parts you talk about, there are theories such as the gate theory to do with chi and accupuntuncture. However, in todays society, being able to gain a research grant to discover why things happen is something of a pipe dream, as most research grants are usually awarded for some kind of purpose that will allow the results to prove, or disprove something that has a monetary value attached. Hence whereby there's usually a lot of hoo-ha about research papers that are then used by companies to prove that x is better than y and that's why you should buy x. I have no doubt that if there was some kind of vested monetary interest in proving the how and why's of Qi, then it would happen.

 

[MajorFubar]

You're not weird at all. I created a similar thread a couple weeks ago. Mostly I stream from a NAS but now and again I like the experience putting on a 'real' CD. For me it makes the act of listening more of an event or occasion. I like it. But just to be clear, there's no SQ disadvantages inherrently associated with a computerised/streaming solution, it's just all about a different 'look and feel' and experience.

 

[Gazzip]

You're not weird at all. I created a similar thread a couple weeks ago. Mostly I stream from a NAS but now and again I like the experience putting on a 'real' CD. For me it makes the act of listening more of an event or occasion. I like it. But just to be clear, there's no SQ disadvantages inherrently associated with a computerised/streaming solution, it's just all about a different 'look and feel' and experience.

+1

Couldn't agree more.

 

[MrReaper182]

Its hardly time consuming the 10 secounds of so it takes me to turn on my hi-fi separates system and put an album in it. No your not weird, it just means your a true music fan. If you give todays tech to the average person in the 70's they would probally not buy full albums and only the songs they like from itunes as the majority of people are not true music fans and only ever put music on for backround noise. Sounds like you need to buy a new MP3 player and some new headphones or earphones. I enjoy listening to music though my MP3 plyer when I 'm out and about. I only put full albums on my MP3 palyer and only listen to full ablums on it. The mp3 player I use is a sandisk sansa 2gb (I have a 32 gb SD card in the player so I can put full albums on it in 320 kbps) It cost me 40 quid and for the price it sounds very nice. It has a custom EQ (which makes it sound great as the EQ pre programed on it sound rubbish). The earphones I use are Sony XBA-2ip which cost me 150 quid and they souned very nice and detailed. It is a shame that Sandisk have stopped making that model of MP3 player as it was the best sounding MP3 player they ever made and much better sounding than the Apple MP3 playes which cost 3 times as much.

 

[MrReaper182]

It is hardly time consuming the 10 seconds or so it takes me to turn on my hi-fi separates system and put an album in it. No your not weird, it just means your a true music fan. If you give today's tech to the average person in the 70's they would probably not buy full albums and only the songs they like from itunes as the majority of people are not true music fans and only ever put music on for backround noise. Sounds like you need to buy a new MP3 player and some new headphones or earphones. I enjoy listening to music though my MP3 plyer when I'm out and about. I only put full albums on my MP3 player and only listen to full albums on it. The mp3 player I use is a Sandisk Sansa 2gb (I have a 32 gb SD card in the player so I can put full albums on it in 320 kbps) It cost me 40 quid and for the price it sounds very nice. It has a custom EQ (which makes it sound great as the EQ that come pre programmed on it sound rubbish). The earphones I use are Sony XBA-2ip which cost me 150 quid and they sounded very nice and detailed. It is a shame that Sandisk have stopped making that model of MP3 player as it was the best sounding MP3 player they ever made and much better sounding than the Apple MP3 players which cost 3 times as much.

 

[cheeseboy]

Its hardly time consuming the 10 secounds of so it takes me to turn on my hi-fi separates system and put an album in it. No your not weird, it just means your a true music fan. If you give todays tech to the average person in the 70's they would probally not buy full albums and only the songs they like from itunes as the majority of people are not true music fans and only ever put music on for backround noise.

sorry, that's just sanctamonious crap. A music fan is somebody is somebody who enjoys music end of. There's no definition in that you *must* listen to a whole ablum or whatever. I know people who own very few albums yet are at gigs a couple of times every week, are they suddenly not a true music fan because they don't listen to a full album on vinyl or cd? :rockout:

 

[MajorFubar]

. No your not weird, it just means your a true music fan. If you give todays tech to the average person in the 70's they would probally not buy full albums and only the songs they like from itunes as the majority of people are not true music fans and only ever put music on for backround noise.

How come I'm not a 'not a true music fan' just because I don't mainly listen on CDs. How can one's choice of medium dictate whether or not one is a true music fan or not. How silly.

 

[Happy_Listner]

Yes, you are weird.........and so am I.

 

[pauln]

It is hardly time consuming the 10 seconds or so it takes me to turn on my hi-fi separates system and put an album in it. No your not weird, it just means your a true music fan. If you give today's tech to the average person in the 70's they would probably not buy full albums and only the songs they like from itunes as the majority of people are not true music fans and only ever put music on for backround noise. Sounds like you need to buy a new MP3 player and some new headphones or earphones. I enjoy listening to music though my MP3 plyer when I'm out and about. I only put full albums on my MP3 player and only listen to full albums on it. The mp3 player I use is a Sandisk Sansa 2gb (I have a 32 gb SD card in the player so I can put full albums on it in 320 kbps) It cost me 40 quid and for the price it sounds very nice. It has a custom EQ (which makes it sound great as the EQ that come pre programmed on it sound rubbish). The earphones I use are Sony XBA-2ip which cost me 150 quid and they sounded very nice and detailed. It is a shame that Sandisk have stopped making that model of MP3 player as it was the best sounding MP3 player they ever made and much better sounding than the Apple MP3 players which cost 3 times as much.

All hail the true music fan.

What ********.

 

[spiny norman]

Of course you're weird: after all, you're posting on a hi-fi forum

 

[Electro]

I am most definitely weird and in so many different ways :shifty: but I am very comfortable with it

My friends and family seem to find my weirdness strangely endearing , so I am told

Oh and I also prefer playing Cd's !

 

[Jota180]

I take greater satisfaction in not having to get up and change a bit of physical media for another one after spending 10 minutes trawling through a physical media collection looking for the physical media I'm wanting to listen to!

Streaming for the win! The whole collection is one click away.

Playlists. Easy! The whole collection set to play random? Easy! I spend less time faffing around looking through a CD collection and more time playing the tracks I want to play.

I wouldn't go back to playing individual CD's if you paid me.

 

[CJSF]

Turntable, vinyl, old speakers on old stands, valve amps, copper speaker wire, weird . . . not me, I simply like it that way.

The same as I drive a practical 'modern' car . . . effectively a van with windows. Given the chance I might like to go back to my old Riley 4/72 Farina body, a couple of cow hides to sit on, half a walnut tree to look at and an old reliable twin carb long stroke engine purring away under the bonnet that I use to take great pleasure in 'tweaking' and cleaning.

I accept I am in the minority but I'm happy, I do listen to CD's and streamed music for the practicality. My 'old system' is put together with retro in mind but modern reliability at its base as far as possible.

Weird we are not, happy we are, you dont see us asking to many; 'help, what is the best or how to' . . . type questions . . . we understand and love our systems . . .