What is the primary way you listen to music at home?

[LPDlx1970]

I listen to music via an Xbox 360 Elite. The 360 is fed from my PC's My Music folder, not its hard drive. The 360 is on my network and plugged into an A/V receiver and a 5.1 speaker system. It's the best sound system in the house (I spent the extra $ for the Elite for its HDMI capability).

Disclaimer: I'm not schilling for Microsoft re: the 360 or Windows Media Player. It's just that the 360 was the best set top box option for me. WMP was a necessary part of the equation to share the contents of My Music with the 360. However, if you go this route, buy the remote because, imho, working the 360's music player with a controller blows.

So, I ripped my CDs using WMP. I used its lossless option because this was an archive project and I wanted the digital files to match the original CD. I did not care about the required space or using an MP3 player. There are other lossless options out there, like Apple's AAC or FLAC, among others that may be "better", but, imagine this, WMP does not support them.

For me, the bottom line was that I hoped to only touch CDs once and then, after I ripped them, never again. And yes, going this route eats up a ton of hard drive space. A little over 20,000 tracks, from my CDs, takes up 458 GBs.

Anyway, that's my story. What's yours?

LPDlx1970

[Virginia]

In the house, it's through the computer. Mostly through iTunes/cds, but some via Pandora or Grooveshark.

[BonzoLikeDrumer]

In the house I have a few Mac computers that I've built for recording audio at some expense, I'm set up with MOTU gear on those machines. I do have a nice (but old) PC that I do most of my web and gaming on, it was a very good computer about 5 or 6 years ago. The PCI sound card burnt up last year so I'm having to use the motherboard's built in driver's for sound on it now. It's still an OK system but not as good as it once was, I'll build a new one as soon as I can afford to, or this one die's for good.

I even still have a tape deck that I can use for audio if I want but, I mostly use a new Tascam DR-2d (SD flash card's) for mobile sound. I have a bunch of CD's ripped onto ITune's and Media Player and some odd stuff from the web in both those programs too. I don't have a mobile CD player or IPod or anything like that, I just got the DR-d2 a week ago so I'm still a newbie with high resolution mobile sound.

Edited April 27, 2010 by BonzoLikeDrumer

[Wolfman]

ipod or cable tv (they have 30 channels of music)

[Janet]

Computer - only way to listen to FLAC files!

[ledzep45]

Mainly through i-tunes but if I'm feeling retro I'll head to the turntable

[Swede]

I use my comp for other stuff than listening to music.

Here's my turntable and I use an old 70's NAD receiver with a great sound:

[SickTangerine]

I usually just use iTunes, though occasionally I'll pop in a CD in my stereo, or flip on the TV since they have a lot of good music channells with good variety.

[LPDlx1970]

Very cool. There was always something satisfying about the act of flipping an album over to listen to the 2nd side... ;-)

[LPDlx1970]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I hoped I'd get a variety of answers and I did. Feel free to ask any of your friends here to post their answer. I love that everyone skins this particular cat a bit differently. Please, no PETA scoldings. ;-)

[TypeO]

intravenously.

[Black Dawg]

I hook my phone up to the stereo.

[chef free]

Out in the garage are a pair of '70's ESS Heil AMT3 "Rock Monitor" speakers with twin 10" woofers driven by 200 watts of McIntosh power. The only way to listen to live Zeppelin is concert volume LOUD!!! Sources include CD, DVD, tape and ipod. Those xbox and psp's do sound great as CD players! I started a thread about this same subject and was very suprised by how many fans do not use traditional stereos, ipods and computers seem to be the way to go these days. Computers can convert files "on the fly" now so no need to decode and burn to media, just download and play! I love the modern world!

[LPDlx1970]

Man alive, you aren't messing around, are you?! :-)

[Swede]

I love the modern world, but it's stunning that so many settle for shitty mp3 and wav files these days. From the 1920's to 1990's one was struggling to improve sound and suddenly it all stopped. It's understandable when it comes to portable equipment, but at home?! I am not saying that you can't get a great sound out of your computer, but too many seems to not care.. It's a pity.

[Deborah J]

At home- On the Stereo...CRANKED!!!, Yamaha Receiver, Bose surround sound. I listen/watch CD's and DVD's, same thing with albums this way. I also have a lot of music channels thru satellite/cable.

Traveling, my laptop. In My Car, CD's...never listen to radio anyomore.

Edit: Headphones are a must from time to time:-)

Edited April 29, 2010 by Deborah J

[ringoffire]

Put me in the line of folks that is dismayed by audio quality heading in a reverse direction. I think music should be listened to loud, on big speakers, with the highest fidelity possible.

I have a Denon 3808 7.1 receiver with Infinity Beta 30's in the front, the Beta 360 in the center, and Infinity R5 full size surrounds. The receiver allows me to bi-amp the front channels for 5.1 set up, and it really makes a difference.

I bought everything I like that is available on SACD or DVD-A and jam the shit out of it. 2nd choice are CD's, with the iPod for the family music that I don't so much care about (or songs I've downloaded from iTunes). If the SACD player ever breaks I may in fact go back to albums, but I haven't made that leap.

My Zeppelin music is almost entirely on CD, with the exception of HTWWW, and the Blu-Ray of TSRTS.

The best sounding stuff I have are the SACD's of "Dark Side of the Moon," Steely Dan "Gaucho," (Hey Nineteen is a revelation), and Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" (even "Money for Nothing" sounds amazing in 5.1).

Edited April 29, 2010 by ringoffire

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

BUMP

At home, I listen to music through a very convenient little programme installed in my laptop called itunes

I find it pretty cool browsing through various songs by various artists from my own collection of albums using the search bar and also turning on an itunes application called "Genius" which matches the bands you like to ones which you've probably not heard of or listened to before (it's pretty cool in my book, because that application has helped me discover some cool stuff) and I can also (out of interest) take an occassional peak at the itunes store to see what's on offer!

Besides, thanks to itunes and my lovely Panasonic earphones, I can actually listen to a song and an entire album in peace without any "outside" distractions!

I also like to use the last.fm scrobbler occassionally

When it comes to listening to music with my dad, he prefers the stereo we have in the living room (where he uses his CDs and cassettes). And he pretty much tends to crank it up!

Edited January 18, 2011 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[Magic Fills the Air]

If I'm moving around cleaning or ironing I usually put on my MP3 player, it takes away the boredom!

I have my main setero in the bedroom. I used to have it downstairs but my guniea pig is scared of music so I had to move it upstairs. I like to listen to my music on that most of the time. It has cassette which I never use, minidisc which is now redundant, and a CD player. I wish I could attach my MP player but it's not modern enough for that. Anyway I do really like to listen on Zep' on it as it has really good bass sound.

I hardly ever listen to music on my laptop because it sounds too 'tinny'.

[dazedcat]

I love the modern world, but it's stunning that so many settle for shitty mp3 and wav files these days. From the 1920's to 1990's one was struggling to improve sound and suddenly it all stopped. It's understandable when it comes to portable equipment, but at home?! I am not saying that you can't get a great sound out of your computer, but too many seems to not care.. It's a pity.

I agree. We're living in a world of digital 8 Track tapes now..........mp3 listening that is. I make my own mp3's for my little portable for work and for other things but at home I still listening via my turntable or my CD player through an NAD receiver and Infinity speakers. I can't listen to mp3 songs burned onto a CDR either, the sound is too thin. You can hear the lossy quality and it makes me insane.

[austrian_zeppelin]

vinyl most of the time (including numerous zep bootlegs) and cd otherwise. via the pc for flac and during parties etc...

[leddy]

I do not listen to alot of music a such now, I either listen to talk radio or its on in the background, then play and practice the guitar now again, listen to something I might be learning, playing through either laptop or mp3 player.

I sometimes go to you tube and I would like to get my vinyl collection going again and get a deck as not to happy with cd,s now, in fact never play em. But its all down to time.

AM on here with the radio on through the internet so LAPTOP is the answer.

[Electrophile]

My computer. I don't listen to the radio, I don't even own one. I don't have a CD player anymore either. It's either Grooveshark/iTunes/iPod or my record player. That's it.

[Electrophile]

I love the modern world, but it's stunning that so many settle for shitty mp3 and wav files these days. From the 1920's to 1990's one was struggling to improve sound and suddenly it all stopped. It's understandable when it comes to portable equipment, but at home?! I am not saying that you can't get a great sound out of your computer, but too many seems to not care.. It's a pity.

Why should I care? I'm not an audiophile. I use my computer to listen to music when I'm messing around on the Internet, typing something up, or adding something to my iPod. If I'm not on the computer, then I listen to music on my turntable. I don't own a stereo console anymore, and even if I wanted one, I can't afford it. Not everyone has the fidicuiary means to trick out their house with an expensive stereo system and speakers. I'd love to, and if I could I probably would. But seeing as I can't, it's a moot point.

[Jahfin]

Strides are being made to improve the quality of mp3s. For instance, digital downloads for the new Gregg Allman record come in a variety of different formats. The Black Crowes and other artists do this as well but it seems to be directed at fans who actually demand high quality audio. Not every artist does this. The danger is, and always has been since mp3s were first introduced, is that some casual music consumers who don't care about quality will cause more and more artists to only offer low quality digital downloads. Since it's the casual consumer that drives the market this could lead to low quality audio becoming the norm. That's the main thing that concerns me because it does indeed make a difference, a very huge difference.

I stayed away from mp3s for years, then I was gifted with an iPod. I was reluctant to even use it at first but once I learned how to use it (and my iTunes), neither of which was all that hard, I liked the convenience of no longer having to lug my CDs around with me everywhere I go. At home I do listen to music through my computer a lot but I'm also not seeking high quality (unless I can get it) at the moment because I really don't have a super nice sound system on my computer to justify it. Otherwise, I plan on upgrading my home stereo in the near future to include a brand new receiver, speakers, turntable, etc. The main reason is because I still buy vinyl (both new and used) and I also still purchase compact discs. Oftentimes, if a new record is available on vinyl and comes with a download card, that's the route I go. I'd much rather have a high grade vinyl album than a CD and the download card makes it easy to listen to on either my computer or my iPod. I'm no audiophile either but I do want the highest quality possible because the last thing I want is for mp3s (no matter the quality) to become the only way we can get music. It's a compressed digital file format and none of us want that, or more accurately, I don't. Strangely enough, vinyl sales continue to increase. They'll probably never surpass CD or digital download sales but it goes to show that those that are serious about their music listening are demanding something more than an intangible digital file.