How Many Hours of Music Do You Listen In a Day?

[LG]

I do remember reading some where that vinyl had different wieght rating catagories based on the actual wieght of vinyl itself and I what I can recall in was in ounces or grams. If that is so, would the sound quality be better reproduced(?). To me, it makes sense. I will do some research on this topic.

I will tell you when replacing the catridge/stylus(BTW, I always used Shure) there was a sound difference between a $75 and a $150 catridge. I could also the hear the difference when I replaced the old catridge with a new one of the exact same model.

Great conversation. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a recording engineer, going to two years of college, in which I did, then I was going to transfer to Eastern Washington University, which I didn't. I couldn't see myself working in a small, enclosed environment pushing and moving buttons up and down. I'm more of an outdoor type of guy, though now as I'm older and when it's cold and wet out I do at times become a pansy.

I wish I had taken the proper courses to be a sound engineer, that would have been a great career. The heavier the vinyl album the better the quality I have one in particular that is by far the heaviest I have ever seen, and it cost me $120.00 back in 1982 when I bought it.

I like Shure cartridges as well, it is what I am running now myself. I think it will last the rest of my listening career. It is interesting that a cartridge actually needs to "Burn In" or be played for a few hours before it reaches it's full potential. I was looking at a modest Audio Technica for my Technics TT and found one that looked nice, but the reviewers stated you had to play it for about 50 hours before it really performed, which is a little much. I bought a Grado instead they still make good magnetic pick ups.

For anyone who wonders about the subtle differences regarding playback equipment, one of the most effective and obvious upgrades that you can Hear the difference right away is very simple.

Even a modest set up with a good amplifier and nice speakers will improve quite drastically by simply replacing the high gauge speaker wire (Lampwire), with Monster cable. If you leave your volume settings where they were and then replace the speaker wire as I suggested you will notice the music has more depth, more definition and even a little more volume, all because you simply used the proper gauge wire to carry the signal to your speakers. Probably the easiest upgrade you will ever make and not that expensive either.

Groovy, and Tray, I agree with you about playing rock music when reading etc., but Classical doesn't bother me, I can put on a piano sonata or quartet and have it in the background without losing any concentration, I have some favorites I use for just that purpose.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

I listen to rock and even metal while reading myself
I will be paying attention to both and am still able to read and comprehend
while rocking out. Don't ask me how it amazes me sometimes almost like both sides of my brain are acting on their own yet in unison haha

 

[b.o.b.]

2-4 hours average. I'm not including here the radio from my office playing non-stop Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. I'm already immune to it .

 

[joe]

When it comes to vinyl quality there is quite a few complex procedures in the process of production. I'm not going into those steps of the actual production but more or less the outcome and varying degrees that attribute to sound quality and durability of the record. I'll try and keep it simple

The quality of vinyl basically comes down to two factors:

1) The actual wieght of the vinyl record in grams which in turn increases vinyl thickness. In the early 70's, record companies, led by RCA reduced the thickness and quality of vinyl for cost-cutting measures. No surprise there. At that time a vinyl Lp wieghed 125g. "Heavy/Heavywieght vinyl comes in the range of 180-220g and is labelled "audiophile". Japanese pressings are in the 200g wieght class though they are very meticulous about thier production(masters, mothers, stampers, pressing the vinyl), basically very good quality control.There seems to be some debate over the thickness of vinyl that it does/doesn't improve sound quality. That the thickness can withstand the deformation caused by normal play better. On the other hand a record press can only produce grooves that are as deep as the cuts in the lacquer master. Thus the thickness or thiness of the record has no impact on the depths of the grooves. Some prefer the benefits of a thicker vinyl which reduces warp, less breakage, longer lasting quality, and easier to handle.

2) "Virgin" or recycled vinyl. Most vinyl records contain about 30% recycled plastic. "Virgin" vinyl contains no recycled plastic. Recycled vinyl contains impurities that can accumulate causing sound imperfections like poping and cracking. This depends alot on the manufacture's control qualities.

It should be also stated that with each generation of analog copying that there is a loss of quality from the progression of master to mother to stamper to vinyl disc. Of course other factors come into play in the sound quality of a vinyl record like equipment play back quality, tracking of the stylus, etc., and actual care and diligent cleaning of the record itself.

I find this quite interesting but probably most people will find it rather dry.

On the subject of analog to digital...well...that's for another day.

 

[Tray73]

Same here.

I remember in my school days, I couldn't listen to music and do my homework....my parents were so pleased...they didn't have to tell me to turn it off....but, as soon as my homework was done, my Father was banging on my door telling me to turn it down.

Haha, yeah I had to have peace and quiet, unless it was art homework when I always work better with music playing. I never got the ritual banging on the door asking to turn the music down from my parents as my dad was the worst of the lot - if he wasn't blasting his rock music out (I have my dad to thank for my love of rock) he was belting out his electric guitar. It was me having to bang on his door asking him to turn it down as I was trying to study

 

[LG]

When it comes to vinyl quality there is quite a few complex procedures in the process of production. I'm not going into those steps of the actual production but more or less the outcome and varying degrees that attribute to sound quality and durability of the record. I'll try and keep it simple

The quality of vinyl basically comes down to two factors:

1) The actual wieght of the vinyl record in grams which in turn increases vinyl thickness. In the early 70's, record companies, led by RCA reduced the thickness and quality of vinyl for cost-cutting measures. No surprise there. At that time a vinyl Lp wieghed 125g. "Heavy/Heavywieght vinyl comes in the range of 180-220g and is labelled "audiophile". Japanese pressings are in the 200g wieght class though they are very meticulous about thier production(masters, mothers, stampers, pressing the vinyl), basically very good quality control.There seems to be some debate over the thickness of vinyl that it does/doesn't improve sound quality. That the thickness can withstand the deformation caused by normal play better. On the other hand a record press can only produce grooves that are as deep as the cuts in the lacquer master. Thus the thickness or thiness of the record has no impact on the depths of the grooves. Some prefer the benefits of a thicker vinyl which reduces warp, less breakage, longer lasting quality, and easier to handle.

2) "Virgin" or recycled vinyl. Most vinyl records contain about 30% recycled plastic. "Virgin" vinyl contains no recycled plastic. Recycled vinyl contains impurities that can accumulate causing sound imperfections like poping and cracking. This depends alot on the manufacture's control qualities.

It should be also stated that with each generation of analog copying that there is a loss of quality from the progression of master to mother to stamper to vinyl disc. Of course other factors come into play in the sound quality of a vinyl record like equipment play back quality, tracking of the stylus, etc., and actual care and diligent cleaning of the record itself.

I find this quite interesting but probably most people will find it rather dry.

On the subject of analog to digital...well...that's for another day.

That's a great summary Joe. I just saw a 20 minute short program about "Pressing Vinyl Records" on How It's Made three days ago. It is a very complicated procedure. One thing that the Audiophile companies did do was improve the vinyl compound itself, MFSL for example added more carbon to their formula to make the vinyl last a lot longer no matter how many times you played it. They also remade the masters/stampers themselves, some purists hated the end result, preferring the original versions, others like myself have enjoyed what they did in some cases it was such a superior record to the original it wasn't even close.


Back to Tray's comment, I love to play music when I am doing things around the house, it helps keep my enthusiasm up when doing chores etc., and usually it is up tempo music as well.

 

[joe]

LG: I've been doing a lot of research on this the last couple of days and like you said it's very complex and many different steps, procedures, chemical compositions and mechinical techniques are involved. Maybe I should of started a new thread on this subject as does seem it doesn't fit here and may get lost. Oh well.

 

[joe]

Listening to music while doing calculus back in college I believed help me out on that subject. Man oh man, I needed all the help I could get on that stuff.

 

[LG]

We have a stereo/audiophile thread in this section Joe, you can post all this stuff in there if you like, or write a new thread..."Everything you wanted to know about Vinyl but were afraid to Ask."

 

[joe]

^^^Ya, I thought about that subject heading. I'll have to check it out with more detail. Thanx for the reminder.