Do owners of Higher End sytems gravitate to Classical Music?

Shadowfax

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Ever since I got into this hobby, most reviews of equipment in Stereophile and elsewhere is done using 95% Classical music. Many demos and shows use classical or female singers. In reading all the reviews over the last 20 years, I could never get a sense of how good something is/was because almost no reviewer listened to the same music I do.

How does the Bass sound on Marcus Miller's M2?
How clean is the guitar shredding on any disk by Morglbl?

Anyway, just curious as to how many people listen to rock, jazz, fusion on their big systems and how many now listen to only or mostly classical music.

I have never been big on classical tunes that are all over the place and without a melody or something that flows nicely. I have a few disks but always looking for something to float my boat. I do have a cool disk of the Russian Symphony - Afred Shnittke.
 
Ever since I got into this hobby, most reviews of equipment in Stereophile and elsewhere is done using 95% Classical music. Many demos and shows use classical or female singers. In reading all the reviews over the last 20 years, I could never get a sense of how good something is/was because almost no reviewer listened to the same music I do.

How does the Bass sound on Marcus Miller's M2?
How clean is the guitar shredding on any disk by Morglbl?

Anyway, just curious as to how many people listen to rock, jazz, fusion on their big systems and how many now listen to only or mostly classical music.

I have never been big on classical tunes that are all over the place and without a melody or something that flows nicely. I have a few disks but always looking for something to float my boat. I do have a cool disk of the Russian Symphony - Afred Shnittke.

Good question. It certainly seems that way. I have a few classical CD's, SACD's, etc. - but I just can't get into it. People talk about how classical music invokes such strong emotion. Well, not for this guy. I have a Yo Yo Ma solo LP that's good, but again, even it doesn't get a lot of play. I have several Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, etc. CD's. I enjoy them maybe once or twice a year - but I have to be in the mood - and that's rare. I'm a vocal guy for the most part, love a great singer/song writer. That's my hot button - if you wrote it, I want to hear you sing it. I have a huge respect for singer/song writers. James Taylor is one of the best talents on both accounts IMO. Dylan's song writing is unparalleled IMO.

I love Jazz too. I used to be into a lot more classic rock, but most of it sounds like sh!t on high end gear - so I prefer it in the car only now.

My daughter takes piano lessons, and the piano school insists on the driest, most boring classical music. I just don't think you can energize most kids with classical music, and dry depressing sonata's at that. I studied music in school and didn't become energized myself until my music teacher plopped a pile of Jazz records on my lap, with some of the best saxophonists ever (Parker, Coltrane, Sanborn, etc.) I went home, spun the albums and was hooked. I practiced and practiced (Alto, Tenor, Soprano Sax) for years - 4-6 hours a day - I wanted to be good, no, I wanted to be great. I wanted to sound like those guys, with my own spin. In 1988, I worked my way through the regionals, provincials and nationals to win Senior Musician of the Year. I still play a little, but the serious chops are gone.

My point is, that my daughter is "air playing" the piano and really into the music when Diana Krall is on, or Oscar Peterson or even Elton John. Put on a Beethoven Piano Sonata and she runs from the room! I think these music schools just don't get it. Classical music in small doses is fine, maybe to help with some fundamentals (sort of like eating your broccoli). But many of them only teach classical piano - because, well, that's what they've always done (what's the definition of insanity?) My wife won't let me go to my daughters piano school anymore, apparently I argue too much with the uppity, very European, music teachers. Give the kids a little pop music, a little jazz, etc. and just watch how much they want to practice. But...what do I know...?

What was the question again? Oh yeah...not really a fan of classical.

Mike
 
I basically got bored with rock after hearing the same songs for 30-40 years, although I do play it Friday and Saturday nights for a little bit. I have gravitated to classical in regard to string quartet type music, whether from Mozart or newer such as Shostakovich, Gloria Coates, etc. I cannot stand bombastic symphonies with trumpets, other noise makers, and singing. I also like female Jazz such as Diana Krall and the many others in that genre.

One point is these CDs tend to be much better recorded with little, if any, compression. That helps a lot with better systems.
 
Mike, Great response and what you say about the schools is spot on. I am amazed at how many 10-20 year olds are getting into Led Zep, Yes, Jimi and all the other greats of our day.

I did just hear something funny on NPR yesterday. For the Rolling Stones tour, they contacted a high school and requested that the choir assist them for the show. At first the teacher thought it was a joke but it did end up being true. What was funny about it is that they said that all the kids parents were stoked while the kids themselves didn't know who the Stones were.
 
One point is these CDs tend to be much better recorded with little, if any, compression. That helps a lot with better systems.

Agreed for sure, but there are very well recorded jazz-fusion disks.

But that said, take Santana - Supernatural as an example. This disk is so highly compressed that it is hard to listen to at anything but low levels. I got to hear it thru Wilson Grand Slams and all Mark Levinson electronics and found it just as horrid on that system as my own. It's a shame that mainstream music is so compressed to play loudly on the radio.

I love Chesky, Pope, Naxos labels but then GRP and Novus also puts out good sounding recordings too.
 
Mike... Give this a shot. It's the closet I get to Classical music.

album-Esperanza-Spalding-Chamber-Music-Society.jpg
 
Alrighty then, post your favorite guitarist in the other thread, Jeff. Oh and I see your still using that crappy old McIntosh stuff...:)

I have tried to like it, just not there. Things change though until a few years ago I wasn't much of a Jazz fan either. Now I have over 200-300 lp's and cd's of Jazz music.

My wife likes classical but she gets her fix in the car through XM/Sirius.
 
Classical gets some play on my system but I wouldn't miss it if I sold the music. The genre that get little or no play would be Jazz and Rap. If I had to listen to the Patricia Barbers, Diana Kralls and Sade's of the world, I would sell my gear or jump off a bridge.
 
I could probably survive with only 10 or 15 albums the rest I listen to be ause they are recorded well or have one or 2 songs that Interest me. AI'm straight up 60s and 70s rock & folk.
Throw in a little newer music and some jazz and that's my record collection. Classical is not on my lists. Ill buy an album listen to it and never hear it again.
If I found something that interests me I would listen but I haven't yet.
Just put on some Joni . Or steely Dan . And I'm good.
 
I could probably survive with only 10 or 15 albums the rest I listen to be ause they are recorded well or have one or 2 songs that Interest me. AI'm straight up 60s and 70s rock & folk.
Throw in a little newer music and some jazz and that's my record collection. Classical is not on my lists. Ill buy an album listen to it and never hear it again.
If I found something that interests me I would listen but I haven't yet.
Just put on some Joni . Or steely Dan . And I'm good.

Steve, I see you are using a Bravo amp. I auditioned a few of them last year and was impressed. Did you get it from Steve Monte at Quest?
 
Here's my own take based on my own personal experience;

Irregardless of my audio gear (low-end, hi-fi, mid-end, hi-end, or ultra hi-end), in my musical evolution, Classical music is now much more omnipresent in my life than it was when I was twelve years old.

Blues and Jazz music have always play major roles in my living life on Earth, and still are, but Classical music is taking over now, and for the much better part of my brain and soul. ...My heart is with Blues. And my dancing spirit with Jazz.
But true real listening music passion is Classical; Chamber, Operas, Orchestral, Symphonies, Solo Piano, Duos, Trios, Quartets, Quintuplets, Sextets, Organ, Chorales, and everything else related to it (Rock music is mainly influenced by Classical music; ELP, etc.).

High-end gear has nothing to do with the music we love listening to; not for me anyway.
Music is a personal journey, and it is really hard to describe audio components, when each one of us we have our own music listening preferences. ...Audio reviewers, readers, subscribers, sellers, buyers, surfers, music lovers of all types, hard core metal rockers, gentle melody classical solo piano music admirers (Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Handel, etc.), and all.

True "HIGH-END" audiophile music recordings are generally the ones with less instruments, less microphone's positioning complications, most simple and magical accidents of the moment.

The true search in high-end sound is in the quality of the music recordings themselves. ...And Classical music is one big part of it.
...And it has been for hundreds of years. ...More than any other music genres.
 
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I listen to classical, not often, but I do and I enjoy it. I used to think it was more cerebral than emotional or visceral, but I've found some music that move me as much as other music does, too. Tchaikovsky's 4th I actually forgot to breath during one tense movement and my wife cries listening to Barber's Adagio for Strings.

But my Marilyn Manson is right next to my Mozart, too!:D
 
"I used to be into a lot more classic rock, but most of it sounds like sh!t on high end gear - so I prefer it in the car only now."



Wow Mike, I guess I don't have High-end gear either !

:wacko:
 
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I listen to several genres. Classical, some jazz, some broadway, and popular music. No rap, hip-hop or other obnoxious music.

I agree with those who have said that most pop recordings sound like crap which is unfortunate because I do like several genres of popular music.

In the car, I don't recognize how bad most pop music sounds.
 
One other thing. I do think the dynamic range of classical music is a good test of high end systems than say, typical rock, pop, jazz. Stravinsky's Firebird has some of the quietest, most delicate passages only to thunder to explosive drum whacks and blaring horns. Maybe they use the appropriate music to test the appropriate dimension of a system?
 
I listen to some clasical Piano when in the mood, Jazz, and yes some awesome clasical rock. Funny I like pop music too, heck all kinds of music, almost.
Angel
 
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