Do you listen with your eyes closed?

[Jeff In San Diego]

This is truly a pointless question...just wonder how other people do it.

 

Especially since I fixed my room, I now find that my ears tell me I'm in a great big room (when it is a good recording), and I prefer to listen with my eyes closed to avoid the cognitive dissonance of seeing my dinky little listening room.

 

One thing I learned when I went from headphones back to speaker listening is that my involvement in this hobby greatly increased. I moved my listening from my home office to my long-abandoned living room.

 

The main reason for the change is that I stopped "being at the computer" and started just listening. Being plugged into the workstation really lends itself to disconnecting from the music and drifting away from it.

 

So while CA is where it's at...for me at least, it requires a firm conviction to separate the "C" from the "A".

 

[Paul R]

If I am listening for enjoyment, or for critical listening, yes-most of the time.

(grin)

 

Hardly ever in public though!

 

 

[PeterSt]

I don't, because it is too easy then to move the music into your head and listen to headphones.

Sounds strange to you ?

 

Not for me; This "headphones" thing works for the better or the worse with eyes open. So, the better the music gets into your head with eyes open, the better the reproduction is.

With eyes closed it doesn't take much to get it into your head, so judgement is a kind of worthless.

 

Of course this is when your life sort of consists of ever and ever trying to improve the reproduction.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

[wgscott]

Only when driving.

 

[beetlemania]

and for the same reason I typically mediate with my eyes closed: it substantially reduces distractions and fosters maximal depth of experience.

 

[Chip S]

almost always when listening to tunes for enjoyment, if my air guitar playing gets to active one of the pupsters will usually nudge me with a look of 'what are you doing' and if moved to get up and boogie well then eyes open and dancing with hounds...

 

[baxtus]

Yes, I listen with my eyes closed (if I am not driving etc - sir wgscott).

 

Any para-stimulation while listening to music is, in fact, noise.

 

A simple experiment is to listen to headphones in a quiet environment with the lights on and then switch them off. A perception of a significant lowering of the noise floor is instant.

 

In a visual analogy, it is similar to viewing a movie with the lights on or off. The original information is still there but the perception with the lights off will be that much more detailed and relaxed.

 

We use this technique in Medical Imaging also where we keep ambient light levels to a minimum when viewing our images for QC or Diagnosis.

 

Therefore, your question is not only valid but an important concept in the listening process.

 

[GoldenEar]

@PeterSt

Interesting theory. However, I prefer either eyes closed or a VERY dark room (only one candle burning). I'm not sure which is better. In my opinion things are very difficult to discern. I noticed that closing the eyes during daytime is less effective than when it is dark. Sounds strange, doesn't it? OTOH, listening with open eyes in a dark room is ok. This may be due to a reduced level of ambient noise in the evening, or to less nois in the AC supply in the evening.

 

Just my 2 cts.

Kay

 

[PeterSt]

That's even more interesting. Although with one candle burning it wouldn't be as dark as with eyes closed. It would even create additional atmosphere. I think I would prefer that over anything else ...

 

[Bear]

I almost always listen with the eyes closed when possible and agree with the observations above in this regard. However, this may sound strange, at times I find - depending on the music in question - the experience so intense that I have to open my eyes to, shall we say, recalibrate myself.

 

[Abstraction]

I close my eyes at live performances and at lectures. I am a university professor, and my colleagues generally assume I am asleep.

 

I also find music sounds better when I sit in a Scandinavian-style leather recliner with foot rest. I suspect a cloud would be better.

 

Whatever input other than the sound is a distraction.

 

I do not listen to many singers, because words have nothing to do with music. I listened to Meredith Monk last night. She sings wonderfully, but mostly does not sing words.

 

I pay special attention to the bass line.

 

[Paul R]

I am prone to dozing off sometimes if I close my eyes and the music doesn't grab me.

 

I try to keep my eyes open in public because it is terribly embarrassing to fall asleep at a performance.

 

 

-Paul

 

 

[nemick]

I listen with my eyes closed most of the time. That way, I feel I can more easily conjure up the feeling of being at a performance rather than seeing and therefore knowing that I'm just listening to electronics.

 

[Teresa]

unless I'm on the computer then I have to open my eyes to read. But even when I'm on the computer and something really great starts playing I stop what I am doing, turn off the screen and close my eyes and am transported.

 

I also agree music is best at night, must be less demand on the electrical grid.

 

Problems with listening with the lights out include knocking over my water glass and bumping my shin on the coffee table. But to me music sounds so much better in the dark it is worth a bruise or two.

 

[bleedink]

It's the only way to listen to music. One of the disappointments with DVD-A's is having to have an image on screen all the time. I also found that the one nagging thing on Steve Wilsons latest BluRay-although the videos are stunning at least. I come to music for the music however. Were it not for roommates, neighbors most listening would be done late night. I have a pair of P5s (not the best I know) but they are nothing compared to my real speakers. When the house was empty the other night I put on DSOTM in total darkness--The Parson's Quad of course. A revelation. I'm thinking of going blind to facilitate this experience. Unfortunately someone would slip a 128kbps Mp3 in there just ruin it for me! Eyes closed, naked, and altered. These are all the cheaper ways of getting the most from your audio equipment.

[REShaman]

Only when I am driving. ;>}

Best,

Richard

[HiFiInsider]

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[Paul R]

Want a good laugh or have DEEP pockets?

 

ROTFLMAO! I have to admit, I get a wee bit jealous of people that are able to think up stuff like this. I would like to be rich.

 

-Paul

[bleedink]

Want a good laugh or have DEEP pockets?

 

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[orgel]

Want a good laugh or have DEEP pockets?

 

How about this? A sensory deprivation tank that's wired for sound. Waterproof remote additional. What's the URL for Kickstarter?

 

--David