[dB Cooper]

Good thread. I want to single out several posts in particular for kudos:

• James Tanner, for using the term "high quality" instead of "high end" (a term I despise);
• Elizabeth, for pretty much her whole post;
• Wind Chaser, for making the distinction between listening and judging. Judging is for when you're shopping, listening is for when you get it home.

I can still remember my reaction to the first good system I ever heard. It was a good 'budget'- not 'high end'- system consisting of a Dual turntable, Shure cart, low poer integrated and a pair of AR4ax speakers. All well down from the top of theirrespective lines, yet... I was completely blown away. I didn't realize music could sound like that. It still can although you need to hunt a lot harder, because the shops are almost all gone and because so many mfr's would prefer to sell 100 megabuck systems than 1000 rationally priced systems. (Less work) And if the only music you've ever listened to came out of Garbage Band or its ilk, you probably can't tell the difference anyway.

[HsvHeelFan]

If you want to get into Classical music, there are plenty of classical recordings on youtube.  With a decent set of headphones, it's accessible.   Browse conductors and compositions.  If you don't like it, move on to another one.

Also check with an Orchestra near you and see what their schedule is.   

Here, on dress rehearsals, if the guest artist is okay with it,  we allow visitors to come in and listen for 5 bucks a head.  You can wear anything.  Now, since it's a dress rehearsal,  we might stop and go back and work on something.  Usually,  we run the concert set straight through and revisit some critical sections at the end.  Rehearsals here are 2 and a half hours long.

Most orchestra's will play works written in the past 300 - 350 years or so.  Beethoven's middle period was from around 1803 to 1814.  I generally don't listen to anything earlier than that.  His 5th and 6th Symphonies are 2 of my favorites.

Check the website of an Orchestra that's located close to you and you might get lucky on seat discounts or special access during rehearsals.   You should also be able to find out what the Program is for those concerts and you can preview those works on youtube if you don't want to spend the money for hard copies of the works.  Most Orchestra's have support organizations that help raise money.  That's another good way to support the arts.

One of the engineers I work with has gotten to his early 50's and is now interested in Classical music, so I've been sending him youtube links of a bunch of different kinds of musical works to figure out where he resides on the Classical music landscape.

As always,  trust your ears and listen to what moves you

HsvHeelFan

[wushuliu]

I was about to push back on Elizabeth's comment about needing to be familiar with classical music as being handy when it comes to really listening. Then I remembered that I love movie soundtracks and before I became any kind of audiophile I spent years listening to movie soundtracks along with other genres. And of course hearing movie scores at the theater is not un like a live classical performance in its own way. So all that makes for an interesting contribution to critical listening​.

[HsvHeelFan]

That's a great point about movie soundtracks.

In my book, the best classical music written in the past 50 years has been for movie soundtracks.  John Williams is probably the most prolific soundtrack composer and he does borrow a lot of themes, but overall his stuff is unique enough that it doesn't bother me.

What I find fascinating is that composers can keep the James Bond theme still fresh after all these years in all of those Bond movies.  It's never exactly the same, but you know it's the James Bond theme when you hear it.

HsvHeelFan

[Wind Chaser]

What I find fascinating is that composers can keep the James Bond theme still fresh after all these years in all of those Bond movies.  It's never exactly the same, but you know it's the James Bond theme when you hear it.

Now that you mention it I have to agree. It's always a different composition with different words, sung by a different person. And whether it's Paul McCartney singing "Live and Let Die", or Sheena Easton singing "For Your Eyes Only", the Bond brand is instantly recognizable in both themes.

[Marius]

All talk of High End Audio (and 16/24 bit, MQA or you name it for that matter) pales when listening to what it's truly all about (for me) ...




Flagstad - Immolation scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYBf8z1TmSA
Flagstad - Du bist der Lenz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIo8IokM1ZE
Flagstad - Mild un Leise (Liebestod) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dfbZ6S6DU4

Stunning and unique performances, but nowhere near Audiophile. I don't care. I'm just really really sorry I wasn't there.



The close your eyes and listen approach is a very recognizable one, but attending, seeing and living a live performance tops it all.
Prove: Waltraud Meier - Liebestod https://youtu.be/oOGs8TtnwoI or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFUYrJEoMQU

(catching breath again)

If anything, High End Audio should be about approaching that as closely as possible. Which quite simply can't be done in ones Home anyway....


Cheers,
Marius

[CanadianMaestro]

Bringing me closer to my music. More emotional nuances, maybe like live perfs (not all live perfs are that great, depending on audience and room dynamics). That's what "hi-end" is about, to me.

[witchdoctor]

Now that you mention it I have to agree. It's always a different composition with different words, sung by a different person. And whether it's Paul McCartney singing "Live and Let Die", or Sheena Easton singing "For Your Eyes Only", the Bond brand is instantly recognizable in both themes.

Did you know Jimmy Page played guitar on the theme song from Goldfinger, sung by Shirley Bassey?

[veloceleste]

Hear (pun intended) ya' go movie and music fans:
http://www.manncenter.org/events/2017-07-22/Jurassic-Park

[CanadianMaestro]

Hear (pun intended) ya' go movie and music fans:
http://www.manncenter.org/events/2017-07-22/Jurassic-Park-Concert
My son has tickets!

Enjoy. It's a great s-track. I have the 96/24 from PSM, and it sounds fantastic on my system.

Now if only they can get the s-t from Gladiator out on hi-res -- the CD redbook is superb already, but.....

[decal]

People make way to big a deal out of listening to music,IMHO. I listen because I enjoy music not for some life altering experience. Don't get me wrong, I really like a great sounding system but, if all I had was a lesser quality rig, I would still get enjoyment out of it because I love music.

[witchdoctor]

People make way to big a deal out of listening to music,IMHO. I listen because I enjoy music not for some life altering experience. Don't get me wrong, I really like a great sounding system but, if all I had was a lesser quality rig, I would still get enjoyment out of it because I love music.

Most musicians say the same thing... not that i agree.

[Wind Chaser]

People make way to big a deal out of listening to music,IMHO. I listen because I enjoy music not for some life altering experience. Don't get me wrong, I really like a great sounding system but, if all I had was a lesser quality rig, I would still get enjoyment out of it because I love music.

That's a different subject. You'll note this thread isn't about how to listen / enjoy music, but how to listen to high end audio. We could start another thread on how to enjoy high end audio, or how to enjoy music, but that's not what this thread is about.

[Krutsch]

Here's a different perspective on "high end" music. I haven't listened to a digital music file for weeks at home.

I posted this on Tapeheads.net this morning:

My daughter is turning 15 this month and guess what she wants for her birthday?

Yeah... a cassette walkman.

Then, she wants to give me a list of songs and wants me to make her tapes on my Nakamichi 582.

Thinking she wanted songs from my extensive vinyl collection... no, none of that old stuff. She has a list if songs in mind.

Last year her gift was a Spotify Premium account. So, I said: why don't you go into Spotify and create the playlist of your dreams (keep it below 45 minutes  - I had to explain why  ).

Then, I will record that onto a tape for you. Make 2 playlists and I will record both sides.

She thought that would be really cool... of course, she also has an iPhone, with the Spotify app... but never mind... she's a music lover that has seen Guardians of the Galaxy and mine is not to wonder why.

[CanadianMaestro]

That's a different subject. You'll note this thread isn't about how to listen / enjoy music, but how to listen to high end audio. We could start another thread on how to enjoy high end audio, or how to enjoy music, but that's not what this thread is about.

Since the only output of hi-end audio (gear) is music, then in essence, it's about listening to music/enjoying music, though hi-end gear.

[wushuliu]

People make way to big a deal out of listening to music,IMHO. I listen because I enjoy music not for some life altering experience. Don't get me wrong, I really like a great sounding system but, if all I had was a lesser quality rig, I would still get enjoyment out of it because I love music.

Replace 'listening to music' with hobby 'X' and the same can be said for any of them.
That's why it's a hobby.

[Wind Chaser]

Since the only output of hi-end audio (gear) is music, then in essence, it's about listening to music/enjoying music, though hi-end gear.

Sure, all these things are related, but a definite distinction can be made between them. Anyone who enjoys music may not necessarily do so when it comes to high end audio, because many of us get caught up into listening to the gear instead of the music. That's audiophiles for you! 

[CanadianMaestro]

Sure, all these things are related, but a definite distinction can be made between them. Anyone who enjoys music may not necessarily do so when it comes to high end audio, because many of us get caught up into listening to the gear instead of the music. That's audiophiles for you! 

That may be true, the obsession with gear (it's called audiophilia nervosa, sometimes incurable). But I dare anyone to explain to my satisfaction how one can "listen to gear" without hearing the music. To any extent.
 

[Wind Chaser]

That may be true, the obsession with gear (it's called audiophilia nervosa, sometimes incurable). But I dare anyone to explain to my satisfaction how one can "listen to gear" without hearing the music. To any extent.
 

Obviously, one can't listen to gear without music. 

[Carl V]

Once upon a time...Train engines, ocean waves, birds chirping, Traffic noise,
or the direction of the subway travel was Listened to, in an attempt to gauge
the fidelity of the system. Just sayin'