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What exactly is critical listening? Who does it?

I'm supposed to listen to every single instrument within a mixture of instruments. And somehow evaluate every aspect of what I'm listening to and somehow all this is critical listening.

This is supposed to bring enjoyment?

I'm just listening for the Quality of what I'm listening to with all the instruments playing and how good they sound hopefully. 

And I'm tired of answering that I'm not a robot all the time. That's being critical.

emergingsoul
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
6,004 posts
 

It's just OCD man, pure and simple. Enjoy what you like and forget the rest. 

Right, and don't think critically about anything else -- diet, medical care, car purchases, choice of friends, or anything being done in society. That's all "OCD," too. Just melt into a puddle of knownothingism and ride the wave of blissful ignorance.

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,709 posts
 
kofibaffour

380 posts

 

I thankfully don't engage in audiophile nonsense such as "critical" listening. that is such BS it is funny. As if we were in the studio when the recording was taking place. the self fellation that occurs in these circles is comical

Yeah, we get it. You are so much better than all the "audiophiles" you have to share the forum with. Being superior, how do you cope with all the minions? Must be pretty tough.

 

 

emergingsoul OP
1,529 posts
 

@baylinor 

You've done amazing work with your room and the diffuser work very interesting. You are very fortunate to live in a very quiet area.

How do you like the Loki?

i Probably need to look into some diffusers.  I rely mostly on the furniture in the room.  

noromance's avatar
noromance
10,474 posts
 

Critical listening is when you listen after you put the distractions away–the phone, the laptop, the book, the Stereophile mag, the rollups, and the whiskey.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,670 posts
 

@emergingsoul 

Thanks for your nice words. I got the Loki more out of curiosity than need. When hooked to my various digital sources, I quickly realized I hardly ever felt the need to use it as each has reached a quality of sound to my ears that really doesn't need equalizing. Except for some old poorly recorded CDs which I simply don't listen to anymore anyway. And for poorly mastered vinyl, I play them on my second TT hooked up to the Parks Audio Waxwing phono pre and the equalizing is plenty sufficient. In the end, I found the perfect use for the Loki, between my TV and blue ray player (all running through the main system), as it's lower sound quality can really benefit from the Loki. Now I can enjoy DVD concerts and you tube concerts without much of a drop in sound quality. And yes, diffusers in my room were badly needed. The ones at first reflection points made a huge leap in clarity and extending the soundstage. 

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