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

Absolutely! Enjoy '80s pop on the system all the time.

I don't see the point of having a hi-fi system without fun music!!!

 

The vast majority of my listening is with non-audiophile recordings. I will always be a 'music first' audiophile.

However, audiophile recordings have their place in my collection.

First of all, there is some overlap with the music I enjoy, with some audiophile recordings. So, when I listen to them, I am enjoying the music as well as the recording quality.

Also, audiophile recordings are good tools, even if they are of music that I do not care for. If I am making a change to my system, or evaluating a new piece of gear, I want to eliminate as many unknowns as possible. So audiophile recordings are great for that, since they have minimal studio effects done to them, so one is hearing something much closer to the actual musical event, than commercial rock, pop, hip hop, country recordings.

They are good for getting a performance baseline. I mean, everyone knows what an acoustic violin sounds like. If a system is reproducing it accurately, we know it. But, despite knowing that Clapton plays a Strat, we have no real idea what effects he was using on any given recording, and we also don't have any idea what the studio engineer was using for effects. So, how can we possibly know if we are hearing an accurate reproduction of what was recorded in the studio?

 

Let me also add, along with listening to a lot of music recorded in a typical way, I listen to quite a bit of contemporary and avant-garde classical music, which by default, is recorded substantially better than any commercial rock or pop recording. So, even a run of the mill classical recording is better (audiophile?) than the vast majority of all my prog collection. At least better with regards to: dynamics, soundstage size and accuracy, image specificity within that soundstage, and the ambience of the acoustic space the musicians are recording in.

 

Yes, I do. If I didn’t, I should think I lost something of great value along the way.

 

I'm not really sure. I love to listen to my system, and I have fun at the same time.

To be up front, I have recently attempted to expand my musical horizons. I used to be a Rock guy only with a bit of classical. But, recently I have been listening to the old crooners from approximately the 1930s and on; such as Dean Martin, Glen Campbell, Mario Lanzo, Bing Crosby, etc. Not only listening, but I find I'm appreciating the music. That's been great fun, but I have to admit part of that joy, is that my system provides great sound.

Now, I haven't progressed to what you have proposed. But who knows.

 

Some masterings are so poor that I won't listen to them. The most recent album I might never play again was AC/DC PWR UP. RKS even cut the vinyl and it was so terrible my ears had gone dull after 3 songs and I didn't listen to side 2. I suppose the audiophile in me forces me to filter out some otherwise good music. It's mostly mastering that will ruin the experience for me. For example I'm happy to listen to the Stooges low-fi glory because it doesn't hurt my ears. God I sound old. But yeah I won't listen to terrible masterings. Part of the reason I read the music forum is to find out the best mastering. An sometimes I put on music because I like the music AND because it sounds wonderful.

 

For a truly fun cover of Cher's "Believe" (per the OP's initiating song list), check out Robbie Fulks' effort here:

Believe (Live) - YouTube

Tend to doubt it would qualify as an "audiophile" recording and qualifies as a fun one to my mind.

 

The reason I have the gear I do and chose that gear is because it has that magical combination of both forgiving enough to allow me to enjoy harsh or poor music while also being resolving enough for me to get critical about audiophile recordings and hear differences between CD and high-res.

I bought a Sunn O))) album last night. I'm listening to it now on headphones. At a rather loud but safe listening level. Loud enough that I'd get evicted if I played it this loud on speakers. The album has a DR2. I like it. I'm enjoying this experience.

Sunn O))) (caution audiophiles, it is a DR2): Metta, Benevolence BBC 6Music : Live on the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbs, by SUNN O)))

I listen to a wide range of music with a wide range of sound quality. From Sunn O))) to audiophile foo-foo minimally mic'ed Tibetan music.

 

If I ever limit what I listen too because of its 'quality', I'm packing this pastime in.

 

Always. SQ does not factor significantly into my enjoyment of the music I love, in terms of the music itself. If there is a better-sounding version of a favorite album, I'll probably add it to my list of items to be on the hunt for, but otherwise... no. I have a bunch of crappy 2000s-mastered CDs that contain on them music I put in my personal best of all time.

 

I like how everyone in this thread has suddenly become ignorant as to what audiophile music is, as if it isn't a thing. Hell you seem downright offended at the very notion of it. That's cool though I'm happy to name off a few albums of "audiophile music"

Cowboy Junkies-The Trinity Sessions
Nils Lofgren-Nils Lofgren Band Live
Arne Domnerus-Jazz at the Pawnshop
Muddy Waters-Folk Singer
Steely Dan-Aja
Amber Rubarth-Sessions from the 17th Ward
Aaron Davis-Take One
Beck-Morning Phase
Daft Punk-Random Access Memories
Fleetwood Mac-Rumors
Frederic Alarie-Mega Bass

When I want to listen to music, I listen to Radiohead, Tool, Gojira, Taylor Swift (although her re-releases are very well recorded as well), System Of A Down, The Avett Brothers etc.

When I want to listen to my gear, I listen to one of the albums I listed up top and many more I didn't list.

There's a reason we don't throw on Metallica's Death Magnetic when we want to show off our stereo to a friend, even if you like the album as music/art, it's a **** recoding.

Now all that said, I would never say that owning a high-end stereo has narrowed my musical tastes. Quite the opposite, it's definitely expanded my musical tastes. Owning highly resolving gear has led me to seek out well recorded music that I never paid attention to before: you know, Audiophile Music.

 

of course...my system is not biased.

 

Oh lord, don't get me started on the audiophile chestnuts.

Notable exceptions are out there, don't get me wrong. Suzanne Vega, Jonatha Brooke, Joni Mitchell, Bebel Gilberto, Norah Jones etc. are all wonderful. And good mastering always makes a huge difference. But by and large, if I hear another overwrought modern torch singer, I'm going to pull out what's left of my stringy blue hair.

Current non-audiophile lineup: Angel City's Face To Face (US), AC/DC's Powerage, Soundgarden's Superunknown and Social Distortion's Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell.

 

Powerage cut by George Piros is audiophile to me. Sounds great. UK and US versions.

 

Absolutely, I'm a music lover first. I love listening to edm/rock/metal etc on my system.

 

Thanks for the tip. Killer album - my favorite of theirs.

 

Powerage UK is George Peckham.

 

Ironically, a lot of those tracks you listed in the OP are actually very well recorded and can be found on well-mastered releases (CD for sure, and I assume vinyl versions too).

Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Toto, Hall & Oates, Alan Parsons for sure.

 

Of course! I play way more recent "fun" releases than audiophile pressings. Unavoidable when you move away from classical, jazz, and 60s/70s classics, really.

Because of that I spend more time rolling dice on the pressing lottery than actually caring about mastering. Most artist/groups could care less about mixing/mastering, and it'll always be that way... sadly.

 

Still waiting for a MoFi reissue of MmmmBop on vinyl

 

What is technically an audiophile recording? I have lots of “audiophile pressings” of music from the 50s and 60s, I get them to have the best possible version of a recording even though they often simply can’t compare to the fidelity of a more modern “non-audiophile” recording.

 

I don't care how good it sounds, if I don't enjoy it, I don't play it.
And if I don't enjoy it won't be long before I no longer own it.

 

Yes how else can I listen to my vi to copy of The Beatles at the Star Club?

Did anyone mention The Beatles yet in this thread?

 

There is also the "audiophile" female Jazz singer version -

 

I have a couple records that would be termed 'audiophile music' in that they were recordings specifically made or compiled as an audiophile product. They hardy ever get played. Anything else is normal recordings and I include reissues by labels such as AP and MFSL in that as these are just great pressings of normal music that I like. Any high end system that didn't reproduce all sorts of music well is pretty much a waste of money. Surely if music isn't fun to listen to why would you play it?