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How Do You Decide What to Listen To?

As with most things audio related what should be simple ends up being somewhat complex (or stupid, depending upon your POV).

I have approximately 2,500 discs (90/10 in favor of vinyl). The CDs are stored in the listening room, but the vinyl is stored in an adjacent room. The records are stored on two separate 4 level racks and are arranged alphabetically by artist.

To listen to music I first have to decide on CD vs. vinyl. If I'm lazy, I'll simply press play and listen to whatever is already in the CD player (a 5 disc changer). Odds are that it will be a number of discs that I really like, but it ignores and eliminates from consideration the vast majority of music that I have available. If I take the time to start searching through either the CD or vinyl collection, then I run into another problem. To physically scan through 2000 records is time consuming. Typically it takes 5 or 10 minutes to pick out a half dozen or so records from which I'll actually listen to 3 or 4. Since I only have a limited amount of quality listening time, I tend to select only those records that I know I already really like. To an extent I'm still ignoring a large part of my music collection. While I'm enjoying what I do select, the problem is there's alot of really good music that I'm not listening to.

I guess my question really is - HOW DO YOU LISTEN TO ALL OF THE GOOD MUSIC YOU HAVE? To select one record means you have not selected another. With only a limited amount of time, do you end up listening to only a fraction of your collection? The same 100 or 200 hundred disc over and over again. I have a good size record collection, but I know from these Forums that others have double or quadruple of what I possess. I would assume that others have this problem and I'm interested in how you have addressed the issue.
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Showing 1 response by marakanetz

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marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Right now I've got close to 1000 records and 150 CDs. With CDs everything is pretty simple but so simple is with vinyls as well.
I've got the LP stand which is divided on equal 12x12x12" cubes. Each cube has either a particular artist or group with same style of music.
For example I certainly have to search Peter Hammill next to Van Der Graaf Generator since he was a lead vocal in that band. Or guess where I have to search for Robert Plant?...
Besides that I know that certain levels of my rack is occupied by rock, certain levels are occupied by jazz and certain levels are occupied by classical/easy-listened/new age stuff. To find among rock is more difficult than among any other levels since rock section occupies full three levels. Having used my vinyls for quite a long time, I certainly stack them onto an appropriate level and next to appropriate artist. I also remember all placements well since I play them quite often. If I want to listen to a number of records I have in my listening room a 12" wood bar screwed onto the floor next to the corner so I can stack a number of planned to listen records.

With CDs a bit simplier since they're not that much but still I have a jazz-tower that contains now close to 100 CDs sorted by groups of related styles.
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