Vote

Stereophile  |  Sep 22, 2003  |  141 comments

We've been told that younger audiophiles don't like to sit in the "sweet spot" when listening to music, while older audiophiles can't listen any other way. Leaving age to side for the moment, what's your preference?

How often do you listen in the "sweet spot"?
All the time
39% (137 votes)
Most of the time
42% (147 votes)
Sometimes
12% (42 votes)
Rarely
6% (20 votes)
Don't have one
1% (4 votes)
Total votes: 350
Stereophile  |  Sep 14, 2003  |  85 comments

Audiophile systems are made to fit just about any room, big or small. How large is your primary listening space?

How big is your listening room?
Up to 100 sq.ft.
3% (8 votes)
100
13% (41 votes)
150
17% (54 votes)
200
17% (53 votes)
250
15% (48 votes)
300-350 sq.ft.
11% (33 votes)
350-400 sq.ft.
5% (17 votes)
400-450 sq.ft.
7% (22 votes)
450-500 sq.ft.
3% (10 votes)
500-600 sq.ft.
2% (7 votes)
Bigger than 600 sq.ft.
5% (17 votes)
Total votes: 310
Stereophile  |  Sep 07, 2003  |  149 comments

Poll after poll reveals that readers think that high CD prices solidly outpace even the mediocrity of the music offerings as the number-one symptom of what is wrong with the music business. Now that Universal is lowering the price on some of its CDs, do you think you'll buy more of its discs?

Will Universal's announcement of $12.99 CDs for some of its releases encourage you to buy more of its discs?
Yes, I'll buy a lot more Universal music
16% (46 votes)
Yes, I'll buy a few more of their discs
27% (78 votes)
Maybe
24% (70 votes)
No, the price is still not low enough
16% (48 votes)
No, I still don't like the music at any price
9% (27 votes)
Other
8% (24 votes)
Total votes: 293
Stereophile  |  Aug 31, 2003  |  62 comments

Rumors persist that CD-Rs can degrade quickly under some conditions. Have you had any problems with discs you have recorded?

Have you had any problems with CD-Rs?
Yes, quite a few have gone bad
12% (21 votes)
Yes, but only a few have gone bad
24% (43 votes)
Yes, one went bad
5% (8 votes)
No, no problems
43% (76 votes)
Don't use CD-Rs
16% (29 votes)
Total votes: 177
Stereophile  |  Aug 24, 2003  |  197 comments

Guitars have been played for hundreds of years, and almost every musical style has at least some arrangements for guitar. So who do you like as a guitarist, no matter what style or type of music?

Who's your favorite guitarist? Why?
My favorite guitarist is
92% (194 votes)
Don't have one
8% (18 votes)
Don't like music with guitar
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 212
Stereophile  |  Aug 17, 2003  |  93 comments

The RIAA has been very aggressive in going after audio downloaders that it says are violating copyright laws. Do you agree with its tactics?

Do you agree with the RIAA's strong-arm approach for dealing with downloaders?
Yes, serves the downloaders right
15% (36 votes)
Somewhat agree with the RIAA approach
6% (15 votes)
Don't really like the RIAA approach
13% (31 votes)
Don't like what the RIAA is doing at all
28% (67 votes)
Death to the RIAA
38% (93 votes)
Total votes: 242
Stereophile  |  Aug 10, 2003  |  0 comments

Let's assume that we live in a future with no bandwidth limitations or storage issues: Would you still want to collect discs, or would a service or physical disc full of choices be better? If you could get high-resolution audio (format of your choice) via download, disc, broadcast, or something else, which would you prefer?

If you could get high-resolution audio (format of your choice) any way you'd like, which delivery system would you prefer and why?
I'd prefer a disc
64% (138 votes)
I'd prefer an audio download
8% (18 votes)
I'd prefer an audio stream
2% (5 votes)
I'd prefer over-the-air broadcast
1% (2 votes)
A mix of the above
17% (36 votes)
Other
7% (16 votes)
Total votes: 215
Stereophile  |  Aug 03, 2003  |  79 comments

Most audiophiles buy music for the sheer pleasure of hearing it reproduced in all its glory on their systems. However, all musical or sonic attributes aside, what is the rarest or most valuable recording you have in your collection?

What is your rarest or most valuable recording?
Here it is
80% (74 votes)
Don't have one
20% (19 votes)
Total votes: 93
Stereophile  |  Jul 27, 2003  |  0 comments

Some of us buy a little of everything, while others focus on a single genre and build a prized collection. What is the focus of your music buying?

Is there a particular band, composer, genre, or even record label that you collect obsessively?
A band
18% (27 votes)
A composer
9% (14 votes)
A genre
17% (25 votes)
A record label
9% (14 votes)
I collect it all
32% (49 votes)
Not a collector
15% (22 votes)
Total votes: 151
Stereophile  |  Jul 20, 2003  |  118 comments

Do <I>Stereophile</I> readers listen to AAC and MP3 compressed digital audio? From the email we get, we know some of you do. So, are you listening to encoded files on an iPod or similar portable device (at least some of the time)?

Do you use an iPod or similar portable?
Yes, I have an iPod
27% (85 votes)
Yes, I have something similar
10% (32 votes)
Will purchase soon
2% (6 votes)
Am considering it
10% (30 votes)
Only listen to compressed files on my computer
10% (32 votes)
I don't need no stinkin' compressed audio
41% (127 votes)
Total votes: 312
Stereophile  |  Jul 13, 2003  |  98 comments

In last week's Vote, many readers reported that they had solved their speaker/room problems with a digital equalizer. What do you think about using digital EQ?

Would you use a digital EQ in your system to correct speaker/room problems?
Already have one
15% (39 votes)
Planning to get one
9% (22 votes)
Thinking about it
25% (63 votes)
Not sure
21% (52 votes)
Don't like the idea
21% (52 votes)
Never!
10% (24 votes)
Total votes: 252
Stereophile  |  Jul 06, 2003  |  0 comments

It's a rare and lucky audiophile who has a room where both bottom end and imaging are optimized in a single speaker location. In reality, speaker placement is often a compromise between finding optimum bass response or perfect imaging. What is <I>your</I> emphasis when setting up speakers?

When placing speakers in a room, which do you tend to prioritize: bass response or imaging?
I prioritize optimal bass response
5% (18 votes)
I prioritize optimal imaging
54% (179 votes)
I don't optimize either, but balance bass and imaging
30% (101 votes)
Other
6% (21 votes)
No compromise needed
4% (13 votes)
Total votes: 332
Stereophile  |  Jun 29, 2003  |  103 comments

Radio and then television used to be formidable sources for exposure to new music, but the Internet has taken over for many people. How do <I>you</I> discover good music?

How do you primarily find new music you want to buy?
Radio
17% (36 votes)
Television
2% (4 votes)
Magazines
27% (58 votes)
Internet
27% (57 votes)
Friends
8% (16 votes)
In the store
8% (17 votes)
Live performances
3% (7 votes)
Other
8% (18 votes)
Total votes: 213
Stereophile  |  Jun 22, 2003  |  72 comments

Apple's online music service got off to a good start with music fans. Have you used this service or any of the others to download music legally?

Have you used one of the legal online music services?
Yes, Apple's iTunes service
3% (5 votes)
Yes, other
4% (8 votes)
No
93% (169 votes)
Total votes: 182
Stereophile  |  Jun 15, 2003  |  71 comments

In the June issue of <I>Stereophile</I>, Art Dudley <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?855" TARGET=NEW>waxes poetic</A> about the virtues of bluegrass music and festivals. What do you think about this acoustic form?

What are your feelings about bluegrass music and performance?
Love it!
24% (48 votes)
Like it
25% (49 votes)
It's okay
19% (38 votes)
Don't care for it
15% (30 votes)
Don't like it
9% (18 votes)
Hate it
8% (16 votes)
Total votes: 199

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