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atomicAdam
01-21-2011, 04:20 PM
care of SG at CNET via FB

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http://www.hifizine.com/2010/09/the-unease-of-the-audiophile/

A funny and good read where I had myself saying - yeah I do that - but I don't do that - so I guess I'm not that bad even though there is something wrong with my electricity today.

Mash
01-21-2011, 06:25 PM
I remember that when we had a Phase Linear 400 / Acoustic Research AR3a speakers / and so on, and then later a gas AMP with etc.......... I would listen to these systems, but as soon as I left the house my wife WOULD TURN EVERYTHING OFF! Hummmmm......

Then after I had set up the Magneplanar/Futterman system....

One morning I went to work, and mid-morning I called my wife (not something I did very often) and ...... WHAT? She had the system playing!

THAT was when I KNEW! I didn't need no stinking reviewers' opinions.

I still use the GAS amp, one of the AR3a's got fried, I sold off some other stuff, and.... here we are. If my wife will listen to our various systems, then I know that everything is cool.

And I never tell her the details of the systems, and she doen NOT read audiophile reviews. She is my unbiased canary.

Mr Peabody
01-21-2011, 06:40 PM
Interesting..... could he be talking about me...... as I think about how I've gone from solid state to tubes and have a small collection of gear around the house :)
Oh, to laugh or cry.

hifitommy
01-22-2011, 11:28 AM
my second wife engaged my system early on. she was a music lover but also knew which speakers in my system she preferred and made that obvious.

she also preferred the subtle application of my use of dynaquad and after a couple fo weeks of stereo (we had moved), she indicated it was time to reinstall the dynaquad part of the system.

she had no objection to the audio dominating the living room once she heard it.

JoeE SP9
01-22-2011, 01:34 PM
Very interesting Mash. My first wife helped me to get away from most of the "audiophile" merry go round. She loved my Magneplanars (MG-1's, then 2's then 3's) and became upset when I traded them in for a pair of Acoustats. She said the "stats" weren't as warm as the Maggy's. She eventually grew to like the ESL's. I was sure of this when I received a call at work that the system had abruptly shut down. It turned out that she had blown the 5 Amp power supply rail fuses on a power amp through loud continuous playing of music. It's interesting that I never blew those fuses.
I still have and use ESL's. My current lady friend while not a music lover like the first wife always asks for music. She also likes it reasonably loud.

Listen up fellows; If your wife likes the sound of your system it probably sounds very good. If she doesn't maybe you should try some other gear, especially speakers.

02audionoob
01-22-2011, 04:50 PM
I set the wife up with my Kenwood Basic amp, preamp and tuner, as well as a Kenwood CD player and a Pro-Ject Debut III. Now she sometimes wonders aloud about a speaker upgrade. She has her own little block of Magic Eraser. Last night, she gave the back of her felt mat a shot of Static Guard.

tube fan
01-22-2011, 05:28 PM
I just LOVE this thread. The article at hifizine was very funny, and all too accurate. The point about audio lovers running from DBTs hit the nail on the head IMO! If you are changing your system every year, something is wrong. I check out an audio show every year or so, and play some of my favorite music. Despite the fact that golden eared reviewers are continually claiming that each and every type of new component is "clearly and significantly better" than older ones, I am RARELY impressed with 99% of new equipment. My basic system has changed only a little in 30+ years. The preamp (tube AR SP8), the amp (ARD-70), and the speakers (Fulton J) remain unchanged. I picked up a pair of Dunlavy SCIVs in mid 1990s from my brother who needed the money. I have bought several new cartridges and several turntables (one was stolen, a Linn, and several broke down). I have been using a VPI super Scout with Benz Ruby cartridges for several years; I am currently up to the Ruby 3. I did just buy a Fosgate phono amp as I was extremely pleased with the sound at the Teresonic room at the CAS where they were using the Fosgate.

The point about women is also accurate. IMO, women largely love musical systems that have the timbre correct. They just listen to their music. They are NOT impressed by brand or price. When they hear something that hits their realism triggers, they quickly fall in love with the system. At the CAS I asked 5 women what their favorite room was, and 4 answered, quickly and, without having to go through in their minds the dozens of systems there, "the Audio Note" room. Once, when I was in the Audio Note room, after listening to several of her favorite CDs, a woman turned to her husband and said: "you HAVE to buy these speakers"! I have always had a bias against CDs, but I had to admit that the sound produced by the Audio Note system, playing only CDs, was simply great. The AN CD players seemed, at first glance, to be quite ordinary, but the sound was excellent.