How do you play / listen to music?

[MyLittleStudPony]

I think I'm doing it all wrong.

When I was young, you got a music playing system, which had speakers and played tapes / CDs / records on it. Simple.

I haven't had one for a while. I was using the TV and Youtube for some time. But my TV doesn't have brilliant sound and Youtube has got loads of adverts now.

What do people do these days? Is it a clever bluetooth speaker? Maybe with Spotify? I have neither.

To be honest I'm fine with what I have at the moment but when people come round everyone wants to put their music on too (which is great!) but I think means they need to bluetooth their phones into whatever I have. Or my system be accessible enough they can find and play music on it.

What solutions are there?

[KungFooBob]

Other peoples music is crap, make everyone listen to your Rush LPs.

[Taipan]

Watch YouTube videos on the MacBook and listen through AirPods.

[weeksy]

DAB only. I don't listen to music at home generally.

If i do at times its in the garage on Solar Radio played through phone.

[ogri]

Digitized my collection and downloaded what i liked over the years, stored on 2 remote hd's. 2 gbytes of data

[David]

CD's in the car (and Radio4) sometimes phone in the house, or CD's in the house, I could do vinyl if needed.

[trophydan]

Listen to YouTube music vids through a nice bluetooth soundbar, works well.

Out n about, I use the phone for YT music again, but through Blutooth earbuds

[Horse]

Spotify, on phone & earbuds, or Echo Dot.

I had ripped loads of CDs onto the laptop, and do like to occasionally listen to an entire album while working. But not done so since retiring.

[Count Steer]

If you don't want the CD or vinyl sources then a streamer might fit the bill. Depending on budget they'll play from Bluetooth sources, do DAB, internet radio, Spotify etc etc etc. Stuff like the discontinued Naim Muso Qb and (still available I think) Muso 2 have built in speakers so just one box. Basically a bells and whistles smart speaker.

There are lots of options depending on budget but I'm a bit out of touch. Just drop into Sevenoaks Sound and Vision or Richer Sounds, they'll demo stuff.

(I've still got a stack of black boxes inc CD player + streamer. Got a Sony Bluetooth speaker for sound from the PC).

[Saga Lout]

A few years ago I loaded Vortexbox on an old laptop. I ripped all my CDs to FLAC and MP3 and connected it to the HiFi. Works a treat.

By the way, I can't hear any difference between FLAC and MP3.

[KungFooBob]

Seriously tho'

90% of my music intake at home is vinyl, played on my Sony Bluetooth turntable via a Sonos Move.

Usually while I'm doing my ironing.

Being portable I tend to carry the Sonos around the house/garden while I'm listing to my Metallica and Nirvarna LPs.

[Sunny]

Buy something like this and visitors can hook up their own Spotify etc to it: https://amzn.eu/d/0179HT4o

Or buy something like that and a Spotify sub of your own. (the audiophiles here will recommend a higher quality streamer that I've forgotten, and probably a higher quality speaker too...)

[Rockburner]

I grew up listening to Capital Radio, and mixtapes so never got used to albums.

These days it's mostly playlists (my own) on Spotify in my study, Planet Rock in the workshop, or Radio 2 or 4 in the car. Oh and occasionally Spotify on the phone while mowing or riding the bike.

So, no gadgets any more.

[MrLongbeard]

In the car / on the bike it's MP3's on my phone streamed through Bluetooth.
At my desk it's a streaming radio station through crappy monito speakers.
In the garage it's MP3's on my phone through an old computer set of 2.1 speakers.
In the garden MP3's streamed through phone on to https://goaxil.com/products/xphere?srsl ... hShJCFnpvD

In the house I've most likely got a DAB or internet radio station or CD's playing through;

PXL_20260418_144007091-EDIT by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

[Ditchfinder]

If you don't have a sound bar on your tv then get a refurbished or open box return one

Look for Bluetooth 5.1 so it can have multiple people connect at same time.

One with a separate bass speaker will give you a reasonable sound quality for music whilst improving your tv sound too.

I pay for YouTube music family plan as we use it France and the boy has his phone on it too in that there London. I just can't be arsed to download everything I like and it's nice for someone to say "have you heard this?" and I can just throw it on a playlist.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Google Play Music and various Bluetooth speakers depending on where I am, fecked if I can be arsed with CDs or Vinyl.
Just remembered Google Play Music is now Youtube music

[Felix]

Other peoples music is crap, make everyone listen to your Rush LPs.

Was it not Greetin face Olly that was the mad Rush fan? Fallen Angel was the great defender of U2

[cheb]

I generally only listen to music in the shed or in the van, The van has a physically small usb drive plugged into the ICE and the shed had another tiny usb into a standalone music player.

The music is stored as a variety of file types and shuffled before it's loaded onto the usb sticks. New music is added in fits and starts. This way I get music I probably like without adverts nor DJs.

[Trinity765]

100% digital. Youtube Music or internet radio.

From my laptop with wired speakers in the front room. Phone and Bluetooth speakers in the kitchen and car. Bluetooth in-ear headphones anywhere else.

I have Bluetooth speaker adaptors so can plug any aux into them and a 12v Bluetooth adaptor for the car.

[derek badger]

Vinyl, FLAC streaming from my NAS and lossless from Spotify.