HOW do you listen?

[phonophan79]

I wanted to start a thread on the discussion asking "how do you listen?".

- What factors are involved?
- Where is your favorite location to play a record?
- Does anyone else enjoy listening with you?
- Does time or location impact when you play?
- What do you do (or not do) while you play a record?
- etc.

Well, me... I have two roommates who accept my hobby but don't really understand it. So, no one in my household but me touches the records or phonographs. One time I found a drinking cup sitting on my Edisonic Schubert and flipped out. I started collecting a few years ago in my mid-20's and most friends do not "get it". ...so, unfortunately I really try to listen to my records when I'm home alone.

I have machines in the livingroom, dining room and my bedroom... so any of those places.

Sometimes I find it hard to do anything but "listen". If I'm doing some kind of housework or project (or working on other phonos)... it's nice to play a record... but I don't have any sort of automatic changer players, so sometimes its distracting to have to change a record every few minutes. Eventually I may get frustrated and put on an LP or CD just for that reason.

I quit smoking 4 months ago. I don't regret that, I feel much better physically. But emotionally, I used to love sitting and smoking while a phonograph played. I still do it, (just sit and listen with my undivided attention) but not nearly so often since I quit smoking.

[larryh]

Interesting idea. I used to spend many hours listening to records especially when I had just purchased them. I love to hear something I haven't heard before. Over the years as you say I had a hard time sitting and just listening and it was a problem for the hobby. If I am doing some project I don't want to have to change a record every few minutes. Sometimes late in the evening or early morning with coffee I will sit and enjoy a few records in a row still. What has actually been sort of a boom to my record playing was my need to exercise for health reasons. I walk about a half hour every morning sometimes more. I have moved the C-19 to that basement and really enjoy the fullness of its sound in a large open space. I can play about 6 to 8 sides while walking and really enjoy it.
I rarely find anyone else who has any interest in hearing them. For me listening to the machines was always my priority. Most even collectors I know simply own them and the records are somewhat of an after thought. My friends will listen for a few tunes if they have too, although you can see by the fact that they really would rather be doing something else.
While doing my work on diaphragms I have to hear lots of records sometimes for days on end, all day. I can develop a real burn out especially of loud edisons after a while.

[Schmaltz]

Good question, Phonophan!

Since I'm a "record guy," and the machines are secondary, the modern turntable with a 78rpm stylus is where I listen the most. The few machines that I have are great for semi-worn records that would otherwise be too noisy on the modern turntable. These days, when I listen to them, it's after dinner when other work is done. It's still a joy.

In High School and College it was a high priority, just below study, and has gradually seen lower priority as "real life" asserts itself. I have one very large room, with very livable acoustics, and my machines sound great in there. As long as I don't listen after bed time, neighbors in adjoining houses are kind, and a few of them like that kind of stuff.

[Henry]

I quit smoking 4 months ago. I don't regret that, I feel much better physically. But emotionally, I used to love sitting and smoking while a phonograph played. I still do it, (just sit and listen with my undivided attention) but not nearly so often since I quit smoking.

Congratulations on quitting smoking! Now you'll have more time (i.e., longer life) to enjoy your phonograph, and in better health too. I haven't smoked in almost 20 years, and it took a heck of a lot of effort to get the monkey off my back, but am I glad I did. I truly believe that if I hadn't quit, I'd be dead by now. As it is, I smoked for something like 30 years, with resulting peripheral artery disease. I have a stent in my right coronary artery, I've had my left carotid reamed out, and a bypass in my left femoral artery. All of the crud in my vascular system I attribute to the harmful effects of the toxins in tobacco smoke on the lining of the arteries. I will soon need a bypass or angioplasty in my right femoral artery. All of this, and I'm "only" 68 years old.

Excuse me for going off-topic at such length. I'll now go enjoy a record play on my VV-XI....

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Mainly with a modern turntable here, but the Diamond Disc C200 stands in the dining room, and when I'm cooking in the kitchen I often have it serenading me: it's loud, but it's early enough so that the neighbours don't have hysterics (I'm in the classic Toronto semi-detached house so we share a wall). Lately I've been in a cylinder frenzy so the Standard D is down there too, making the place look like it's early 1915 and I've decided to upgrade from the Standard and the R S Williams Co (Toronto's premiere Edison dealer) has placed the New Edison with me so I can compare it to my cylinder player. I'm sold on the disc by the way! Even with the new Blue Amberols on the Standard.

Jim

[Paal1994]

It depends very much, how I am listening. My machines and modern turntable in the bedroom, as I'm only 15, my mother doesn't want "those things" in the living room. I usually sit in a good chair beside the machine and listen, but many times after a long day at school, I lie down on the bed and listen to the records.

As for who I listen to records with, I sometimes play them for friends, they seem to like it. Not so long ago, one of my friends wanted to hear my Diamond Disc phonograph, and he literally looked like this , when he heard the sound quality of an electric Diamond Disc.
My mom usually enjoy listening sometimes, but my father as kind of an opposite music taste what I have, and he don't listen to it so often as my mother.

Paal.

[Valecnik]

Great thread. I also listen in a number of ways, depending on time allowed, time of day and mood.

I too have a modern turntable setup with multiple styli and vertical/lateral switch. This I use alot for my best records. Its set up is in my home office, away from the children's rooms so I can listen late at night without disturbing. I also have an Amberola 1 in the same room for cylinders. In the living room I have an A250 and a Victor V. Upstairs of course there are more.

I listen while working, cleaning etcetera but as has been pointed out, changing records every 2-4 minutes can be a bit of a pain. I listen with the kids which they enjoy (for awhile) and that's great fun. Probably my favorite way to listen though, is alone, in the early evening with a glass of wine or two... It's not unlikely that the lights are dimmed and a kerosene lamp and/or some candles are burning too.

[Nat]

I have several machines, and more up at my cabin. I play my acoustic records - mostly opera - on one of the older, acoustic machines, and the electrics on my Credenza. I find that the older records do sound better on the older machines, and visa-versa.

To me, there are two issues: I get a deep pleasure out of hearing the old records on a machine of similar age - much the same almost tactile feel I get when reading old books; one is somehow more "in touch" with the author/musician, and do some degree, the medium is the message.

The other issue is one pointed out by John Steane in one of his wonderful books: in the days of 78's, you listened differently because each record was almost an "event". With CD's and readios, etc., it is easy just to have music running, a sort of aural wallpaper (I'm guilty too - this is NOT holier-than-thou!). When you have to wind, change records, change needles, I think you listen more carefully, and become more part of the music. So I guess I'm with Paal - I like to sit in a comfortable chair, and get lost in the record and the machine. And as with him, some of my friends are pretty amazed.

By the way - great to see someone so young, and from Norway, posting here. I started collecting machines and records at about 13 - og jeg har mange gode venner i Norge da jeg var i mange ar med landslagget i langrenn.

Nat

[Brad]

I too find there is no one in my house that wants to spend any time listening so it is primarily solitary activity for me. I have the majority of my machines in one room and will start playing a record or cylinder and while it is playing I will set up 1-5 machines with more records and/or cylinders. When a record complete I will play the next one, and set the previous machine with the next recording and so one.

It keeps me on my feet and I usually last anywhere from 10 minutes to upwards of an hour until I feel like doing something else, or dinner is ready

[AZ*]

Like Brad and the others, no one else in the house wants to hear the machines play, so I usually play my records when people aren't around or after they've gone to bed. My wife has one rule: No opera after she goes to bed.

I play all my records on vintage machines. Sometimes I play many records on a single machine, and other times I play 4 or 5 different machines. It just depends on my mood.

I don't do much else while listening since I have to change records every 3 or 4 minutes.