Hi end audio who cares

I think it somewhat depends on whether you have an out-of-the-way dedicated listening room or if your system is set up in an accessible place. My system is set up in a room with no windows - I find it comfortable (and private) and it's perfect for HT, which I also love, but it's not easy to drag somebody down there to listen. If it were in my LR, I think I'd get more takers.

I also think that most of the comments one gets about their system are inversely related to how hard they push to get somebody to listen. If music just happens to be on and somebody new hears it, I think a large percentage of them would either make no comment or notice how good it sounds. I have had very poor luck, and rarely try anymore, in trying to get somebody to appreciate how good the music they like can sound.

Hi, I think the abovementioned situation is quite recognizable. Personally, I only fire up my audio system when people (visitors) are asking for it. The positive point is that people who are not familiar with so called high end audio and home music reproduction are often capable of pinpointing some problems within this sound reproduction. Off course they would never mention that there is not a good "soundstage" or that the "imaging" suffers or that the "treble" is tizzy, but is spite of this their description is quite analytic. Sometimes visitors are pinpointing (minor) flaws within the sound reproduction and that gives a very unpleasant feeling. At that moment I know they are right and that I have a "high-end" system which needs another "fix". This is one of the frustrations for being an audiophile.

Hey, Infinity audio, your girlfriend better be a fox.

ha...ok

My wife did not give a rat's bootay about the equipment and sound quality...ok was ok. So I hatched a plan. We have a tv room so HOT reflection wise that I figured this was the place to start, so I let her pick out the "system" for that room. $800 at Best Buy got us a (please suppress the gagging and outrage) Bose 3-2-1. I supervised her hookup to our big screen Sony, she placed the 2 speakers on top of the set and the sub in the corner behind the TV and voila', a crappy boomy WEAK dvd experience, but oh was she proud. I then encouraged her to place her favorite cd in the player and let's listen. We never finished one track cause she was skipping to the next cut, not really knowing why. (everyone knows where this is going).

Fast forward to our study where I have my enjoyable, but uncomplicated setup (Cary SLI-80/Cary CD 308/ Tyler Acoustics Taylo Reference Monitors). I put her cd in, pressed play, and went to make drinks (glorious libation!). When I returned with beverages, she had her eyes closed....just listening. She is a convert.

Nonetheless, the Bose "thingy" was no big deal as I hate surround sound anyway. No flame intended, surround sound just feels shrill, i can't enjoy it.(I had a great setup once with all B&W Nautilus speakers and sold it all after about 6 months, reallocate the resources where maximum joy exists).

My point to all of this is that, like any Religion (no offense meant to the hypersensitive), you have to be shown the "way". Thank goodness for the patient out there who take the time to share their passion without the arrogance! My wife understands the difference today and so do others with whom you take the time to show them the real stuff! Additionally, don't be so hard on the infidels. Science has shown that if the human ear has an opportunity to adjust to a "blacker" background, they begin to hear the subtlties of recorded music as more obvious material. When you go to the symphony or a great jazz club, the dynamic differences are what (among MANY other things) really moves people. Studies have shown that after sitting alone in a TRULY acoustically dead room for 30 minutes your ears (or level of sound recognintion) will have adjusted and equalized to the surroundings to the point that you can hear your own heart beating. Audibly! (Kind of like when my wife asked how much my Levinson 383 in my other system cost....uhhhh, a little more than the Bose Sweetheart!). In other words, people off the street or straight out of Best Buy need time for their ears to adjust and patient conversation from all of us. We'll save a few souls and the world is always a better place when we do!

Regards...........GH