Friends hi-fi system not very good, what do you do or say?


So you're going over to someones home and they give you a tour and they have a hi-fi system in a room. And while visiting of course they turn it on for you not knowing that you have a very nice system in your home and you notice immediately it's just not very good.  But then you're used to the very in you're listening experiences. So what do you do when they ask you what you think?

Do you say sounds really good?

Do you make suggestions?

Do you feel a desperate need to tell them about your system?

Personally, I try not to mention any details about my system. If I'm driving around in a Lamborghini I would prefer to be invisible so I don't get stared at when I get out of my car. If they had a really nice system with interesting components I would probably mention a few of the things I have and then we could bond with our common interests.   Ideally, it would be cool to be in the presence of someone who knew a lot more than I did and a real learning opportunity.

Audio systems tend to be private affairs I guess.  I don't necessarily want to hang out with someone and listen to tunes. Those wonderful College days where it made a lot of sense are long gone.

emergingsoul

Showing 2 responses by onhwy61

If you are a guest in someone's house you should act like one.  Be polite!  Show some emotional intelligence.

 

A good friend of mine knew I was into audio and he asked my about his system.  He was using Bose 301 loudspeakers and I told him he could do better.  Now he loves music as much as I do and he's also a good guitar player.  In his opinion the Bose loudspeakers could rock and he was happy.

I few months later I'm at an estate sale and there's a mint pair of Dynaco A25s for $40.  A few months after that I get good condition Pioneer SX434 for $20.  I give them to my friend.  He loves them, but he still kept the Bose.  He's not an audiophile.  He doesn't have a sweet spot and he doesn't worry about soundstage or imaging.  With his modest system he enjoys listening to music as much as anyone on this forum.