The poll doesn't really cover my listening habits. Here's my music listening situations, most common to least common:
- Car speakers: Listening to the empeg in the car (through its Bluetooth interface that I made). This is the most common situation where I'm genuinely listening to a large amount of music on a decent system (the factory premium system with a subwoofer). If I didn't have an empeg, then it would be my iPhone connected to the car via Bluetooth or CarPlay.
- TV's surround sound system: Streaming YouTube music videos is something I do occasionally. Done via Chromecast, viewing on the TV, and listening through the TV's surround sound system (good amp, OK speakers, good subwoofer).
- TV's surround sound system: For my personal music collection, I have it all duplicated on my Synology NAS, and from there I have two different apps that I can stream music with: The Synology music app, and Plex. When using those, I'm usually controlling that from the TV via a phone app playing through the Chromecast interface on the TV. I rarely play via those because their music organization and selection features frustrate me compared to the empeg's hierarchical playlist system. I don't have a paid subscription to any music streaming services because I'm sure those would frustrate me even more.
- Bluetooth earbuds: I have 3 different sets of bluetooth wireless earbuds that I can pair to the iPhone at any given time. One that I keep at my desk, one that I keep at my bedside, and one in my travel bag. All different brands (Sony, Bose, Jabra). I sometimes listen to my personal music collection that way, but I'm still frustrated by the music organization and selection on the iPhone.
- Laptop speakers: Playing songs directly on the macboook pro, but not for long term listening. Usually just when I need to learn the chords to a cover song, or to check a lyric or something. Impressive sound for something so small, but no bass. Also I think the right channel tweeter on my MBP is out.
- Recording studio monitors: On my macbook, mixing a piece of my music, or checking my music's EQ against other songs as references, played through my expensive Blue Sky studio monitors with a subwoofer and ruler-flat frequency response. Occasionally (rarely) I will also use these for listening to background music while I code or something. I should really be listening to general music on these speakers more often, because if my ear is always being trained by my car speakers, then that means I always have to do final mix/eq checking of my own music in my car. Which I do, but, it's a logistical hassle. Sadly, I hardly ever turn the studio monitors on unless I'm working on something that requires the precision and detail of those monitors. Shame.
- iPhone speakers: Only to check a lyric or to quickly play an example of something, not for active music listening. I listen to talky things on the iPhone often, like podcasts or YouTube videos where people are mostly talking. But I won't listen to music directly on the iPhone speakers much, just too tinny. I'm impressed by the level of quality that you get from an iPhone, for something so small, but it's still just a tinny mess.
- Bluetooth connection to Bose Wave Radio: I've got a Bose on my bedside table. It's old enough to predate bluetooth. Newer models have bluetooth built in, but I just added a bluetooth receiver puck to mine. Occasionally I'll stream music to it from my phone.