Do you play the same records over and over again?


Akin to my last post about record listening: Do you play the same vinyl records over and over again for their SQ, or do you listen to records just to hear the music, no matter what the sound quality is?

rvpiano

I listen to music for the music. I like good SQ - I've got excellent gear for that - but not everything has it, and I don't get bent out of shape if it doesn'. 

No. I’m always mixing up my playback stack / queue. Of course I have long-term favorites but there’s constantly stuff shuffling out and then in. If more than 50% of my 3,000 LP collection didn’t sound GREAT, then vinyl wouldn’t be my main format (probably ~ 70% is great). I generally avoid "audiophile", sampler, or show-off music; it doesn’t "vibe" with me. And rock music is way waaaaay more than just Dire Straits (I listen to them maybe once a year). Brothers in Arms sounds good but there’s plenty of exciting rock that sounds just as good even (sometimes) on the cheap "Club" pressings. 

So why don’t I cull the LPs that don’t sound GREAT? Sheer laziness. Their presence is a constant disappointment. For a while I’ve been meaning to yank them and toss or give away. At least set aside. Some have cool covers, some are valuable (beats the hell out of me as to why). 

OP,

I was responding to when I used to listen to vinyl. You are correct. I don't any more. But following the thought ended up on commenting on my listening today.

I listen to a lot of hours of radio, and mainly listen to music on a few radio station from the same presenters.

I do listen to a lot of Tracks played regularly for the sake of hearing the music.

When it comes to listening to recorded music on the home system, it is a mixed experience, there are times when tracks are selected and times when whole albums are listened to. 

Vinyl as a Interface encourages longer times spent with an Album Side, whereas CD as the Interface allows for a much easier option to skip tracks.

I class my use of the Audio System as intentionally investing time in listening to recorded music, in the most satisfying way I am able to achieve. 

For me, sound quality is necessary condition but not a sufficient one. Conversely, as the sound quality gets better, I find that I enjoy a wider range of music. 

I don’t usually play the same albums over and over again. Yet sometimes, I'll have a period of listening to a series of albums by one particular artist, which may necessitate switching to streaming.

New albums tend to get played two or three times, then set aside to come back to later. 

I have an on going project to clean and listen to all my records in alphabetical order. So far, I’ve only given up on one I didn’t like and one that is in bad condition. The latter I’ve earmarked to be replaced when I find another copy.