Vote

Approximately 20%. How can you listen to more? There is great classical music, but there is also great jazz, rock, folk, pop, etc. Must share the disc time!

Classical is the mainstay of both my listening and collecting. The other half covers a wide range, but is predominantly small group jazz.

Exposure to classical that is fresh to me is rare these days. I think that's why I don't listen to more and purchase more of it than I do.

I find very little contemporary rock/pop/country music appealing in any way (Jolie Holland, the Be Good Tanyas, and Aimee Mann being the exceptions); I can't stand hip-hop; and I've heard "Sweet Home Alabama" and just about every other classic rock song about as much as I need to in one lifetime (with the exception of Pink Floyd, my favorite band for about the past 25 years). I've been interested in classical since my late teens; I just didn't have the resources available to really dig deep into the format until about the last five years or so. My collection really exploded in 2003, when I purchased a universal DVD player (Pioneer's DV-47Ai), and discovered ArkivMusic.com's website. Classical music has a depth and breadth that makes for a lifetime of musical exploration (in higher-fidelity SACD sound, no less!); though I prefer the romantic era (Mahler and Vaughan-Williams especially), I frequently explore music from the others as well. With over 500 years of music to explore, I doubt I'll lose interest any time soon. And in case you wondered, I haven't reached fogeyhood yet; I'm 37. Truly great music appeals to all ages and all income brackets.

Orchestral classic music is what holds my interest, but I do sometimes listen to orchestral pops and soundtracks—but since those are not considered classical music I had to say 75%. I had some jazz and rock, but that got boring after a while. Only classical music transports me to another world, and its climaxes give me full-body goosebumps. Totally satisfying.

Classical music makes up about 15% of my music collection, but I spend less than 2% of my time listening to it. Most classical recordings I purchase I listen to one time and then rarely ever think of again.

Come on, this needs to be spread out a little more. What about 10%. About 10% of my collection is made up of classical music. Dont get me wrong, I'm a hard core blues fan, but where do you think a lot of incredible riffs come from? Mozart was a genius, Beethoven was a genius. Any one who considers themselves an audiophile, or at least a music lover, and doesn't at least give classical music its due, needs to pull out some, spin a few discs and see where the magic comes from.

Closer to 91.7328%

I won't say classical is 100% dead, but let's face it, it's a pimple on an elephant's butt, and anyone trying to argue otherwise is just fooling themselves.

I mostly listen to it in the winter for reasons I've never understood fully.

Regret since I got my new cables, all I've listened to is Jazz and vocals, though I have a great collection of Classical and am sure to go back to it when fall gets here.

If you mean classical American music (that is to say, jazz), then the answer would be 100%.

All I own are a few Telarc demo discs that I never really listen to any more.

About 25%, but it is quality time. It is alive and well in my home. There is no substitute.

I grew up listening to pop music either from stock car speakers or from a boombox. I never developed an appreciation for classical music because I never knew what it was supposed to sound like. I never had a hi-fi system to listen to it on. Because of my recent discovery of the hi-fi universe, I now listen to (no, seek out) quality recordings. Most of my time is spent listening to original motion picture soundtracks. The soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings trilogy was the catalyst that pushed me into the world of classical music.

I don't like the "isn't it dead yet" part of this, because I still respect classical music listeners. I also do not want it to go away. All of the friends I have who are classical music listeners seem to have (or are) played an instrument and been part of an orchestra. I think you have a better appreciation for it. I have tried to get into it, but just could not. I listen to classical jazz, Ella Fitzgerald and the like, but just never got into orchestral music.

Not sure why 50% says that "I spend a lot of time elswhere?" Anyway, I listen to music and do not define my listening tastes/choices by genre; if I like it, then I listen to it (and purchase it, or pay to see it performed live). There is a healthy turn-over in the used classical bins at my favorite music haunts and Naxos releases at Border's are fantastic for the most part (love the Bax Symphony cycle)! Major label releases at Border's. . .well, that's another story entirely. What a joke. No wonder the majors labels' little (and I do mean little) world is crumbling right before their eyes. It's the musical equivalent of the Ottoman Empire on the brink of the Great War. I catch lots of classical performances and often pick up a CD at the show of either the orchestra/ensemble, or of the work performed—usually on a "budget" label like Naxos.

Not much gray area between 0% and 25% there! Great music for critical lisenting and tuning your rig, but not to my taste.

I have always enjoyed classical music. The variety is amazing. On the other hand, I enjoy much other types of music and would not want to be deprived of them.

The problem I have with classical music is it seems to suffer the most from hard CD sound. If it's on a record, I'll just listen to classical, but if the source is CD, once is enough. SACD is better in some ways, but it still seems compromised and harsh.

My time is split between classical and rock/blues. Classical is for evenings (recreating the concert experience), other stuff during the day, when I'm not likely to be glued to the listening chair. I actually discovered classical music after I became an audiophile. There wasn't any of the depth or air mentioned in the reviews in any of my rock records, so I branched out. The Building a Library feature was very useful before it became politically correct, but there are plenty of internet resources nowadays. And make sure to stock up on the RCA reissues, either on vinyl or SACD. The best recorded sound ever.

Listen to classical entirely at home and when I am out walking.

This is one of the biggest reasons high-end audio isn't accepted by more people! People think all audiophiles listen to classical exclusively! I'm an audiophile, and a trained musician, but I don't get into classical, except some Bach every now and again. My view of classical is Boston, The Eagles, and other classic (al) rock! Throw some Joe Pass and Larry Carlton in for good seasoning!

I have yet to develop an interest in classical music. This does not make me a philistine, nor does it mean I am not intelligent enough to understand it. I simply am not interested. That could change, but the constant brow-beating from a certain segment of the audio community won't be the catalyst. Classical isn't the only type of "legimate" music in the world.

Should have a bracket for less than 25% but more than 0% for this poll to be accurate.

I spend more time with those other "dying" genres: jazz and rock n roll!

They don't call it "classic" for nothing. Still the only pieces I can listen to over and over and derive the same satisfaction the fourth time in an evening as the first. Ninty percent of the rest of my time is spent listening to "classical" jazz: Miles Davis, Bill Evans, etc. And not all of them are even dead yet. But the old masters—Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Stravinsky—cannot be beat. Even if their music doesn't really have a beat—or, at least, not what us late-20th century types would call a beat.

It is more like 90% but I do listen to other geners. If there is a reviewer who responses more than 25% I would question his/her reponse. At the recent show classical was only on request with the exception of the one exhibit which was 50%.

The only other music worth hearing for the most part is classic jazz ie Mosaic Records, etc.

Well, not quite 100% classical. I do have a little bit of jazz, rock, and pop—but certainly more than 90%. I have a good idea what to look for when buying classical music; sometimes I'll even buy music from unknown composers/artists just to hear new music. At least you're pretty much guaranteed that whoever made the recording went through years of training. For other types of music, I have no clue, so it would be a total crapshoot. It would be nice if there were some place that had a list of essential recordings for other types of music, so you know you're not wasting your money on questionable music.