srt101fan

I've always liked having music playing in the background while engaged in my various indoor activities. Seems like I've always had stereo receivers, floor speakers, tape decks, turntables and CD players. With our downsizing, I've disposed of most of that stuff (the last items, including my remaining vinyl records went to Goodwill this morning!) I still have a "boom box" that plays CDs. A little sad to part with the past but it's time to move on.

How do you all listen to music? What do you think of the Alexa-type speakers for providing background music? I'd love to hear about your experiences and suggestions.

Thanks!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

We have an Alexa in the kitchen. I simply ask it (her) to play Sirius channel 6, or whatever, when I'm in the kitchen for a while. Sometimes a local country station. The sound is nice.

All my CDs have been copied to our desktop (good external audio amp) and my laptop.
I still have my turntable (and a ton of LPs) and 200W tuner-amp. Our 5CD deck died years ago.
Many of the old LPs were never re-mastered onto CD.
I can plug the audio out from the laptop into the stereo. The stereo also has a pair of wireless speakers in another room. I also have a boom box with CD & Cassette.

Depends on what I feel like doing.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Music is a big part of my life from considering a career in music early on to some part-time work as a musician, again a long time ago.

I have also downsized all the music playback hardware in the house. I added a good set of Altec Lansing speakers to my computer and ripped my entire library of CDs (over 2,000) to hard drive, indexed in a database -- enough to keep me happy for a long time. The CDs are all boxed and take up too much space along the wall in the guest room upstairs but what do I do with them? I have what once were some pretty valuable CDs but now I think they're worthless. I listen to the music as often as I can.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

I have a variety of ways to play music, be it cuts from various artists/bands that I've compiled, random stuff from a particular genre (classical, head-banger, Gregorian Rap, The World's Most Annoying Bagpipe Solos, etc) on whichever of about a million radio stations I'd chosen at the time [gotta love the InterWebs!], and virtually all of it is archived/played electronically. Sometimes just on/through my computer (which has a relatively compact 5-way speaker system attached, sometimes through a tv/sound system similarly arranged). Outside the house, an MP3 player is plugged into the (stock) sound system in my jeep. As well, I sometimes record/mix/edit live stuff at home or on site with a digital 'tape' recorder, and have software to handle that.) The only thing that sort of frosts me is that I've got some stuff on tape that I'd love to digitize, but haven't been able to. Finding a working tape deck is tougher than it sounds, and I don't feel the urge to spend $$$ to buy one or have some third party digitize the stuff for me. It'd be like buying a serious slide scanner to scan a dozen slides.

I'll grant that none of the above would satisfy even a low-level audiophile, but it works for me. I still have two pairs of --what were, in their day-- relatively pricey speakers, but over the last 10-15 years, they've only been used as furniture.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I've always enjoyed a stereo and CD's. Before that vinyl. When I was in grad school I'd play classical music while I studied, either from my collection or from the local classical station. However, I enjoy a wide range of music. One thing I've enjoyed is connecting my computer to my stereo and pulling up a wide range of music. I especially enjoyed choosing a song by Marty Robbins and then having song after song of his continue to play.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

Used to make good money playing music. Had to sell off of my guitars and equipment due to my osteo-arthritus making guitar playing impossible. Sold my McIntosh Pre-amp and amp. Thorens turntable, Klipsch horns (Huge speakers), cassette player, reel to reel, Phase Linear 1000, and so on. I now use my computer with a very nice Klipsch tweeter/subwoofer set. Loud enough and fits in the office nicely. All CDs and most albums (vinyl) are saved in various locations. I still have seven full milk crates full of vinyl-some rare half-speed masters! Apple Music has a huge selection-I download something different every day or week or whenever I wish to. I have King Crimson on just now. I had the VA put an "audiophile" setting in my hearing aids-makes a big difference in frequency range. I asked for a "flat' response curve and am very happy with the sounds!

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

I rarely play music at home but when I do I use my phone or tablet to send the music to my JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth speakers and in my opinion they sound great.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I was into sound systems in my youth. Had some good quality equipment. When I got older my hearing started to drop off and I couldn't really appreciate the details of the sound systems, so I went to more or less generic sound systems. Now it's the tunes and the performance I enjoy, not the sound.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

The transition is hard. I will never let go of my JBL L100 speakers that I purchased in 1973 as a graduation present to myself.
They still sound wonderful.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

It’s not so much a question of “modern” as a question of size/cost and how critical you are in your listening. I’m not a fan of MP3 music, both for the loss of DR and the top and bottom octave, but for your application something like one of the Bose Soundlink products with a blue tooth link to your music library on your computer or tablet might provide what you want with minimal size.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

The L100s are a great classic 3-way bookshelf speaker. Do you still have the original block foam grills, and if so, what color?

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

The original orange block foam is long gone, leaving the wire grill that is removable, but attached to the front of the speaker. As I say, the speakers still sound wonderful.
There is now a reproduction model available—around $2000 per speaker.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I asked because while researching foam grill cloth (for an old pair of DCM Time Windows), I noticed that they make reproduction JBL foam covers in the original block design in several colors if you ever want to replace them.

srt101fan

I'm enjoying the discussion and appreciate all the inputs. Some of you seem to have some major music systems! I'm far from being an audiophile, probably closer to a "tin ear". But as I said in my opening post, I love having music around me during the day. Classical most of the time, popular music from the 60's and 70's, older country & western.....

Several of you have mentioned speakers connected to your computers. I'll have to look at that option, especially since I digitized many of my LPs. I was going to burn them to CDs, but, as someone mentioned, they do take up space. I will also be looking at Alexa devices. A cursory review shows multiple hardware options. Very confusing.

Good conversation, thank you all!

KR Pletzer

I too love listening to music (all genres). I have approximately 5,000 LPs and 1,000 CDs. For serious listening I have a system consisting of an Audio Research SP-8 tube preamp, VTL Deluxe 225 tube mono amps, Golden Ear Triton One floor standing loudspeakers, Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, and Sony SCD-XA5400ES CD player. Even though I just turned 76, I can’t give up my main system yet. For casual or background listening either from my computer, iPad or cellphone, I have a JBL Charge 4, which I can take almost anywhere, indoors or out.