Do you still play fun (NOT audiophile) music on your high end stereo?

I have some music that I like just because it is fun, not because of any sound quality reasons. (I attached a screen shot of a playlist with some of the songs)

Do you still play music just for the fun factor? Does your hi end setup ever cause you to limit your music choices?

Couldn't decide between hardware and music forum. Feel free to relocate this if required

 

No!
If it did it would not be fit for purpose.

 

Of course! I’ve recently downloaded 24/96 remixed/reissued/extras versions of Let It Be, a bunch of Yes stuff, Alan Parsons, the list goes on and on. Sure there’s audiophile approved stuff too, but I see it as “all good”.

Of course a lot of this stuff is considered top tier recording quality etc. but the music isn’t limited.

Most recent is several “Lost Recordings” of various artists from the 50s-60s … OK those are audiophile but fun too!

I do play Jimmy Buffett, CCR, etc. too … maybe those are more what you’re describing as fun. Yep they are!

 

I don't listen to "audiophile music" whatever that may be I listen to whatever I want. Some of that is well recorded some isn't.

 

I might as well hope so !
I only play music for fun (and double the fun if it sounds good).

 

I'm not entirely sure what "audiophile music" is, like jonwoody said, I just listen to what I want / like. That way it's all "fun", at least to me.

 

Yeah, I tend to limit my choices to listening to music.

Although every once in a while I confess to indulging in “test tone” sessions. What do you listen to?

 

Glad to hear these responses. sometimes I wonder when making the mistake of listening to YouTube clips

 

There are wonderful sounding recordings and also greatly presented music out there. It’s a fantastic experience when they both come together.

I’d rather have a bad recording of good music than a good recording of bad music.

 

Agree with the consensus! A hi-end system can accentuate the warts in a recording, but it also accentuates the good things. Only one exception. I was a big bootleg collector for many years (mostly Genesis, but some other prog bands also). As my hi-fi rig got better, I found many of them increasingly unlistenable .... so I just played them in the car. Fortunately as better sources emerged, I was able to play them on the big rig. Most of the really dodgy ones got tossed.

 

Always.

 

Leaving aside the issue of whether my stereo qualifies as "high end," suffice it to say that more often than not my listening is to records that predate the LP. I look on my gear as a way to get the best I can out of my records, not at my records as a way to get the best I can out of my gear.

[/sermon]

 

Huh........ This is where high fidelity cassette recordings comes in. I have bunch of 120 minutes tape selections that are all in high fidelity recorded and I can play it all for fun.... Heck I don't even need to put records or vinyl on a dish washer to get an audiophile sound quality..

 

Heck yes! I play everything.

 

All the time. I like to play the soundtrack to the G.I. JOE cartoon series sometimes; It is actually a well mastered recording. There are times I will listen to a haunted house/scary sounds record too.

 

What on earth is "audiophile" music? I listen to good music, audiophile or not. This might be the weirdest question I've seen posed on this forum.

 

I listen to whatever music I am in the mood for. I will admit to becoming addicted to releases by Analogue Productions, MoFi, Impex, Speakers Corner, Blue Note Tone Poets, BN Classic Reissue Series, Acoustic Sounds Series, Intervention Records, Sam Records etc. One of the "worst" things that ever happened to me is when Fremer posted his 100 Recommended All-Analog LP Reissues Worth Owning. Now Mike at the 'In Grove' has done his take on that subject as of this week. When I have the opportunity to upgrade an LP I like to a better sounding release, I do. I buy releases I am interested in on regular pressings too. I originally returned to LPs four years ago after a 30 hiatus. One of the reason was there is a lot of music that was never released to CD's or streaming. But I play the music I want to hear regardless of the source: LP's, CD's or Streaming. I pick the source I feel s the best for that album. Sure I'm guilty of occasionally dragging out some of my best sounding records for the pure enjoyment of my sound system. But these are LPs I like anyway or I wouldn't have bought them in the first place.

Audio Gear is the means to an end and that is playing my music.

 

Early Beatles before Revolver? Nope.

 

I thought audiophiles only cared for the gear?

 

Quality tunes > Quality sound

 

Definitely! I encourage my kids to use my hifi and the stuff they play is often pretty fun and funny. Sound quality wise, not so much but we still have dance parties and laugh our heads off.
About your other question, does a hi end setup ever limit my music choices, yes, I’ve run into that as well but it mostly happens when I’m in critical listening mode. Recently, a friend came over and played some genres I don’t often listen to (metal, punk, etc) and I ended up hearing gaps in my system. I then went back through my music catalog and realized my choices had been unintentionally influenced by those system gaps. It’s interesting, this audiophile journey.

 

My set is tuned to be forgiving enough that whatever I play my focus remains on having fun---NOT on being a critic.

I can tune it tighter than that if I wanted to listen "analytically."
But I prefer a bigger sweeter tone that fits a wider chunk of what is actually out there on recordings.

As long as DIFFERENCES between recordings are clearly obvious and I stay flat enough to be getting a correct picture of the signal---it's all good.

 

Was gonna respond...but you have it covered

 

The terms audiophile, high end and fun are all subjective, but yes, I play "fun" music on my "high end" system. Some of that "fun" music is even pressed on an "audiophile" label (The B-52's and KC and the Sunshine Band on the MoFi Silver Series". Those two always make me want to get up and dance.

A couple other non-audiophile pressings that also make me want to get up and dance are 1st US pressings of KC and the Sunshine Band - Part 3 and Devo - Freedom of Choice.

I see no reason that music can't be fun AND sound great, too.