What do you play your music on?

[clarkete]

I've spent more time than worthwhile in my life choosing devices and then buying tons of media - still have all my CDs that I won't part with, but don't play. 

Thinking some of you are far more avid than me and I realise there's certainly a lot of vinyl and streaming out there (for starters) so I guess the question is a three parter? 

Format/s

or

Provider/s (for digital) 

plus

Device/s

Eg for me I pretty much listen to either 6music or tidal. 

Device I listen to dab in the car or tidal from Bluetooth.  In the house I play tidal off a firestick or Bluetooth to one of a couple of minirig speakers (from Bristol, small and decent). 

Apologies for the lack of clarity 😊

Edited August 2, 2023 by clarkete

[Padjeq]

Like you we've got a load of CDs we can't part with, but haven't played in half a decade at least. We actually pared it back a bit when we moved a few years ago, but we've still got abut 1000. Some are sentimental to me, but the rest are there not for now, but for the future, when the landscape changes again.

We play vinyl now and then, but we try not to buy it as it just sits there taking up space.

Listen to spotify on my phone on the train to and from work. When I get home we listen to Radio 1, but flick over to Radio 6 when Jack Saunders gets to be too much (usually 20 minutes). On the weekend if we're in, we watch a lot of music videos on youtube, blasting out the Megaboom 3. Good speaker I take to every afternoon party, cuz no one ever thinks how they're gonna get music to play in the garden.

[clarkete]

8 minutes ago, Padjeq said:

Like you we've got a load of CDs we can't part with, but haven't played in half a decade at least. We actually pared it back a bit when we moved a few years ago, but we've still got abut 1000. Some are sentimental to me, but the rest are there not for now, but for the future, when the landscape changes again.

We play vinyl now and then, but we try not to buy it as it just sits there taking up space.

Listen to spotify on my phone on the train to and from work. When I get home we listen to Radio 1, but flick over to Radio 6 when Jack Saunders gets to be too much (usually 20 minutes). On the weekend if we're in, we watch a lot of music videos on youtube, blasting out the Megaboom 3. Good speaker I take to every afternoon party, cuz no one ever thinks how they're gonna get music to play in the garden.

Yes, I'm sentimental about some CDs, others are really lovely little packages. There are definitely some in there from buying music way back in the day, when it would be based on someone's write up in a magazine and without hearing a beat. Seems extraordinary looking back - inevitably sometimes I loved their suggestions but I've definitely got some I rarely played...but still keeping them. 

I also know what you mean about changing stations, we were driving to see Pulp on Saturday and switched away from 6music for a bit, others just seem so different, did like 1xtra for a bit though, people just requesting party tunes. 

I'm intrigued about these afternoon parties you're going to - I'm the age where they're lucky if I've got enough energy by nighttime, so you must be a tad more effervescent than I. 

 

[Neil]

18 hours ago, clarkete said:

I've spent more time than worthwhile in my life choosing devices and then buying tons of media - still have all my CDs that I won't part with, but don't play. 

Thinking some of you are far more avid than me and I realise there's certainly a lot of vinyl and streaming out there (for starters) so I guess the question is a three parter? 

Format/s

or

Provider/s (for digital) 

plus

Device/s

Eg for me I pretty much listen to either 6music or tidal. 

Device I listen to dab in the car or tidal from Bluetooth.  In the house I play tidal off a firestick or Bluetooth to one of a couple of minirig speakers (from Bristol, small and decent). 

Apologies for the lack of clarity 😊

ithe wife and i have a big cd library which we never play - always use spotify instead. we've got 6 sonos's scattered round the house for playing music to. (there's nice integration between spotify and sonos too.)

also got a minirig and marley_chant & sonos_move for the garden - have just bought a bluetooth adapter  for the mninirig cos it always annoyed me that we'd bought before they had a bluetooth version.

[The Nal]

CDs have been unboxed and packed up those big CD envelope holder things and in the attic. DVDs too. 

Tidal (via Argentina so about 35p a month) usually on my phone to Chromacast on the stereo, or via the Windows app during the working day, vinyl and a really cool app called Simple Radio with some of the best stations in the world as favourites. 

[clarkete]

On 8/3/2023 at 10:37 AM, Neil said:

ithe wife and i have a big cd library which we never play - always use spotify instead. we've got 6 sonos's scattered round the house for playing music to. (there's nice integration between spotify and sonos too.)

also got a minirig and marley_chant & sonos_move for the garden - have just bought a bluetooth adapter  for the mninirig cos it always annoyed me that we'd bought before they had a bluetooth version.

6 of them, you must live in a house the size of a Palace 😉

I was too cheap and lazy to go down the sonos route, although to be honest with tidal it's getting pretty rare these days that I search for something and can't find it, certainly compared to a few years ago when I was on spotify. 

I have two minirigs, one early and one bluetooth, sure enough the latter gets most use. 

22 hours ago, The Nal said:

Tidal (via Argentina so about 35p a month) usually on my phone to Chromacast on the stereo, or via the Windows app during the working day, vinyl and a really cool app called Simple Radio with some of the best stations in the world as favourites. 

I too went down the Argentina route, after reading about it on hotukdeals, although last I read there were more hoops to jump through these days. Mine is 65p for hi fi plus.  I really like the service and the range of audio qualities, only thing I miss is spotify connect, as it's simple and works on lots of common devices - where tidal connect doesn't.  They're due to introduce that lossless FLAC format end of this month so I may be tempted to look at one of those Wiim mini or pro devices as I think connecting one of those to my amp would enable tidal connect and the highest res formats. 

https://www.techradar.com/audio/tidal/tidal-plans-to-rollout-another-hi-res-lossless-audio-format-for-hifi-plus-subscribers

[The Nal]

2 hours ago, clarkete said:

6 of them, you must live in a house the size of a Palace 😉

I was too cheap and lazy to go down the sonos route, although to be honest with tidal it's getting pretty rare these days that I search for something and can't find it, certainly compared to a few years ago when I was on spotify. 

I have two minirigs, one early and one bluetooth, sure enough the latter gets most use. 

I too went down the Argentina route, after reading about it on hotukdeals, although last I read there were more hoops to jump through these days. Mine is 65p for hi fi plus.  I really like the service and the range of audio qualities, only thing I miss is spotify connect, as it's simple and works on lots of common devices - where tidal connect doesn't.  They're due to introduce that lossless FLAC format end of this month so I may be tempted to look at one of those Wiim mini or pro devices as I think connecting one of those to my amp would enable tidal connect and the highest res formats. 

https://www.techradar.com/audio/tidal/tidal-plans-to-rollout-another-hi-res-lossless-audio-format-for-hifi-plus-subscribers

Yeah Im using a Chromcast the mo but obviously downgrades the quality. Time for an upgrade.

[fred quimby]

Like others have a CD collection that hardly every gets played.

Vinyl which I play but have little time to sit down and listen at the mo. Still can't stop buying it though. Just ordered more and Eltons Glastonbury set was delivered today.

I have a room set aside for playing music which has my Technics 1200's set up , a Denon DJ CD deck, plus blooth speaker into one mixer. Another hercules mixer into the amp I use for my laptop which has Tracktor on there with too many mp3s.

I'm an echo person and have the Studio one in the kitchen as I cook alot. Spotify is my streamer of choice.

Radio in the car. 6music or (I do alot of caring for my elderly parents, hence lack of vinyl time) I sometimes listen to Jo Wiley on the way over and on Sunday last  part of sound of the 70's on the way home.

[steviewevie]

loads of cds, some vinyl still but no record player, but pretty much all my music is just various 6music shows on computer or radio (especially Giles Peterson, Ravenscroft/Grant, Cerys Mathews), or just listen to stuff on spotify. We have an old car with am/fm radio and cd player so some cds get played there.

[Neil]

7 hours ago, clarkete said:

6 of them, you must live in a house the size of a Palace 😉

no, just one per room (front room(two in there, one of those also does the garden), dining room, kitchen, office).

[Neil]

8 hours ago, clarkete said:

I was too cheap and lazy to go down the sonos route,

i did it to get the wife off my back who was fed up with the network music players i'd  sorted not working, turns out that sonos can fail (network problems) just as much 

 

 

8 hours ago, clarkete said:

I have two minirigs, one early and one bluetooth, sure enough the latter gets most use. 

you can get a b;uetooth adapter from amazon for £6, which will make the other one a bluetooth too (i've just bpught one can't believe i didn't do it sooner.. 🙂 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Neil

[Neil]

2 hours ago, steviewevie said:

loads of cds, some vinyl still but no record player, but pretty much all my music is just various 6music shows on computer or radio (especially Giles Peterson, Ravenscroft/Grant, Cerys Mathews), or just listen to stuff on spotify. We have an old car with am/fm radio and cd player so some cds get played there.

if you like cerys on radio, have you listened to "add to playlist" that she does on radio4:- .... is a good way to hear stuff that might pass you by otherwise.

[clarkete]

21 hours ago, fred quimby said:

I have a room set aside for playing music which has my Technics 1200's set up , a Denon DJ CD deck, plus blooth speaker into one mixer. Another hercules mixer into the amp I use for my laptop which has Tracktor on there with too many mp3s.

I'm an echo person and have the Studio one in the kitchen as I cook alot. Spotify is my streamer of choice.

Way back as a teenager my parents had a house with a music room, it was a great luxury to have, but even with solid walls and floors I still recall occasionally bouncing enough to make the needle jump - that memory of ruining precious records is a key reason why I was always happy to stop using them.  Your mention of mp3s reminds me I've also got a folder on multiple drives which was my ipod archive, not played for many years...but if course can't get rid 😉

Studio 1 to me is the fabulous record label, which presumably is quite up @Neil's street.

15 hours ago, Neil said:

i did it to get the wife off my back who was fed up with the network music players i'd  sorted not working, turns out that sonos can fail (network problems) just as much 

 

 

you can get a b;uetooth adapter from amazon for £6, which will make the other one a bluetooth too (i've just bpught one can't believe i didn't do it sooner.. 🙂 

I certainly get you about wanting the technology to be easy for everyone...ah I'd forgotten that sonos used to have their own way of networking. 

Adaptor does sound interesting, although currently it's OK and tbh any new gadget these days I'm wary about how quickly it will be added to my unused archive of technology and cables, so I try to make sure I only buy stuff I'm really sure I'll use. 

Case in point, when after over a decade of not switching it on I wanted to make use of my projector, the solution I used was really simple and effective - second hand pair of jbl professional speakers off ebay for forty quid. 

Mind you, also paid one geezer to plaster the wall and another to decorate with appropriate paint 😂

[Neil]

23 minutes ago, clarkete said:

sonos used to have their own way of networking. 

still do, can run their own wireless network (they also have network cable sockets) - all goes wrong if the router drops off the internet.

[Neil]

26 minutes ago, clarkete said:

 

Adaptor does sound interesting, although currently it's OK and tbh any new gadget these days I'm wary about how quickly it will be added to my unused archive of technology and cables, so I try to make sure I only buy stuff I'm really sure I'll use. 

it was this adapter i bought.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09KN6NZZZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

works good. sounds ok.

[moogster]

Home is two Sonos (office and living room). Playing Tidal, soundcloud or radios (Belgian, French, UK stations). Otherwise phone when about or at the real office with various earbuds and headsets. I still love my "old" Bose noice cancelling ones, they're more than 8 years old I think. I bought new pads for it last year and they are as good as new.

Terrible car stereo without bluetooth or DAB so mainly a Belgian radio station (stubru) and some usb sticks where I have old MP3s or ripped CDs.

The CDs are out of their jewel cases, in individual plastic sleeves, and don't really get used anymore. I have a few vinyls but I bought them more as a "support the artist" move.

 

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, moogster said:

Home is two Sonos (office and living room). Playing Tidal, soundcloud or radios (Belgian, French, UK stations). Otherwise phone when about or at the real office with various earbuds and headsets. I still love my "old" Bose noice cancelling ones, they're more than 8 years old I think. I bought new pads for it last year and they are as good as new.

Terrible car stereo without bluetooth or DAB so mainly a Belgian radio station (stubru) and some usb sticks where I have old MP3s or ripped CDs.

The CDs are out of their jewel cases, in individual plastic sleeves, and don't really get used anymore. I have a few vinyls but I bought them more as a "support the artist" move.

 

All sounds very continental, nipping around listening to European radio. 

I too try do eke a longer life out of my headphones these days. 

I mentioned that wiim pro above, which gets a very positive review here

https://www.techhive.com/article/2006524/wiim-pro-review-astounding-value-in-music-streaming-hardware.html

 

[Neil]

3 hours ago, clarkete said:

I mentioned that wiim pro above, which gets a very positive review here

https://www.techhive.com/article/2006524/wiim-pro-review-astounding-value-in-music-streaming-hardware.html

 

thanks not something i knew.looks interesting, but i'm worried its just something else to go wrong - the wife isn't happy when the sounds don't work (had the broadband dropping a lot lately (before an upgrade)).

[moogster]

14 hours ago, clarkete said:

All sounds very continental, nipping around listening to European radio. 

 

Well it's quite representative of where I was born and where I live 🙂

During work I am a big fan of French radio stations Fip and Radio Nova. If anyone wants to try.

[clarkete]

On 8/9/2023 at 9:18 AM, moogster said:

Well it's quite representative of where I was born and where I live 🙂

Ah, oh for those halcyon days of nipping freely around Europe for work or leisure on a whim 🙄

[balti-pie]

mostly spotify via my phone or my speaker thingo in the front room, and while i can use that in me car, i'd rather buy CD's (mostly for smaller bands that need the dosh more) and listen to them in the motor.

I still love the tangible thing in my hand with a CD, and i just sort of ignore the storage/shelves/stuff issue and have hundreds of CD's in my front room 

[clarkete]

5 hours ago, balti-pie said:

mostly spotify via my phone or my speaker thingo in the front room, and while i can use that in me car, i'd rather buy CD's (mostly for smaller bands that need the dosh more) and listen to them in the motor.

I still love the tangible thing in my hand with a CD, and i just sort of ignore the storage/shelves/stuff issue and have hundreds of CD's in my front room 

Nice 😊

[balti-pie]

18 hours ago, clarkete said:

Nice 😊

i keep on being tempted by the whole vinyl revival thing, but know i'd just be bankrupt and homeless in a year's time, with an amazing collection of thrash and death 12" re-releases 😄 i cant do it!

[Neil]

2 hours ago, balti-pie said:

i keep on being tempted by the whole vinyl revival thing, but know i'd just be bankrupt and homeless in a year's time, with an amazing collection of thrash and death 12" re-releases 😄 i cant do it!

i've been tempted by vinyl, but have swerved it so far knowing that i won't have a collection as good as i used to have* (and sold mine  off years back when very skint), din't sell my mates, of course.

*i got given a mates collection to look after when he went travelling, which expanded what i had.

[Gnomicide]

I mainly alternate between vinyl and Spotify, though I did actually play a few CDs the other day that aren't available on streaming.

My vinyl collection is getting a bit out of hand as it is mostly stored in boxes under the stairs and I'm running out of space. Waiting for my eldest to get his own place so I can take over his room for a home office and buy a proper storage unit. 

This is from the last time I sorted them, just over 12 months ago and I've added another 50+ since then (6 from a record fair yesterday 😬).

Radio wise, I mainly have 6 Music on but not as much as I used to, Mary Ann Hobbs particularly has started to get on my nerves. I love a bit of Liza Tarbuck on Radio 2 on Saturday, she plays some really eclectic stuff in between the inane chat.