Solitary listener


With this pandemic it’s difficult to get anyone to come over to share your audio system with.
No matter how good it sounds, there’s no one to enjoy it with you and confirm your good feelings.
Hopefully the situation will get better soon.
128x128rvpiano
Hear hear, RV. It's almost as if they don't want us associating with each other any more. I haven't worried about that since the beginning, myself. There's no spreading germs among friends. I hope you can host some adventurous friends soon!
I really hope this doesn’t turn into a discussion about the virus.
That is NOT, repeat NOT my intent.  I’m merely discussing the isolation of the audiophile in the face of it.
Please, let’s not get off track!
It sort of made sense very early on. But its months now the hoax has been apparent. There literally is nothing to be afraid of. Fact of the matter is ordinary flu is a greater risk, unless you are sick in a nursing home with serious co-morbidities, in which case I doubt you're hosting many listening sessions anyway. So the ones who have come over I say you don't need a mask or anything, not on my account, and everyone has been okay with that. Lo and behold, there has been no audiophile outbreak. Because its a hoax. 

The sad part is there's a few who some months ago said they wanted to come by after things go back to normal. Hard to think how anyone could possibly be more detached from reality. I mean how out there do you have to be to not know the mantra is this is the new normal? There's a reason they say that. They want us wearing masks forever, six feet apart forever, micromanaging every aspect of our lives forever. 

There never will be a back to normal. Not as long as people keep thinking about this as if there's anything normal about it. 

Anyway, standing offer. Mighty fine system. Welcome any time. Worth the drive from just about anywhere. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367#&gid=1&pid=10
RV, I understand your request. However, this "situation" is either very real or not real at all and the sooner that is fully figured out and understood by the masses is imperative for life and freedom as we know it. Cheers. Love ya' all.
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@rvpiano I’ve built my system in the last 6 months and have been dying to share it with all the members of the Colorado Audio Society (the RMAF organizers) and my friends. It helps to share descriptions and trade stories with folks on audio fora and to look forward to times together, again. It also helps to hear plaintive calls for harmony and good times, in person, together.
I setup a nice system a month ago w N95 and care, retweaked it w parts ordered... we both wore masks, not ideal but got it done... even drank some wine
No big deal. I've been a solitary listener for over 30 years and am quite used to it. Nobody in my extended family (whom I love dearly) has ever given 2 hoots about it. Had a few lifelong friends, no longer with us, who shared my bizarre musical tastes but were always more concerned with just staring at the stacked Acoustats and asking how loud they will go as opposed to actually sitting in the sweet spot and listening to them properly.
We must be a somewhat of a rare, possibly strange breed. Even without Covid, if l asked most people l knew to come over and listen to my audio rig they would look at me dazed and confused! And if they did manage to come and listen, they more than likely would ask " does it play louder??"
I used to get very excited about sharing my system with friends. I’d be on an audio high and want to share the sound of a new amp, new speakers, amazing sound stage, or a new DAC. For all but one person, the response was always, “I don’t hear the difference.” Or, “it did not cost that much.” Or, “Yeah, nice. And where’s the beer?” And so I’ve stopped getting excited about sharing my system because either I can hear things my friends literally can’t, or I’m batsh*t crazy and hearing things that aren’t there.
rvpiano, your request is hypocritical in the extreme. You start a thread "With this pandemic" then tell us to ignore the fact you are saying its a pandemic. When its not. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html Notice on this page it says 
Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza, or COVID-19 (PIC) for week 36 is 6.3%.

See that? They COMBINE pneumonia, flu (ordinary flu!) and COVID to come up with 6.3%. That is flat out exaggeration. We know from doctors reports they are pressured to list COVID as cause of death. Medicare pays $40k for ICU care with that diagnosis. Awful lotta pressure to list that, even when its not. 

RV, I understand your request. However, this "situation" is either very real or not real at all and the sooner that is fully figured out and understood by the masses is imperative for life and freedom as we know it. 

Exactly. The virus is not the danger. The political response to the virus, that is the danger. We have been frightened into giving away freedoms unheard of in American history. 
rvpiano ... 

You can start having friends over on November 4th, as that will be the date when the "all clear" signal will be given. 

Frank
There will be no virus after November 3rd....and solitary listening is the best. Who cares or needs others to embolden you. I know what sounds good and what sounds like crap.
Agreed!
There is so much that could be said but none of it would be audio related or help this thread in any way , shape or form so i will zip it... lol.

As far as the solitary listening, that has been something I am very used to as the wife has zero interest in sharing even if I played "her" music.
So I get all excited over improved sound mostly for my own satisfaction.

I do have one good friend in the locality and we do share listening experiences based on changes so that is actually a very nice event.

In fact I am due to go over and listen to his new music server hopefully later today. 
I had a friend over yesterday for a great listening session. He flew in from Chicago over 10 days ago.We could have done it sooner but we both wanted to be safe as we were sitting in side by side chairs.
I agree with some of the responders that even in the best of times it is tough to get people to sit down and listen to a good system including my wife. Treasure the Audiophile buddies that you have as we may end up on an endangered species list unless more people get into this wonderful but crazy hobby.
i absolutely needed my friend to listen to a new component and my speaker repositioning before committing to purchase. And he did following very strict prevention protocol. I felt crazy that I could not hold a cd he offered me without sanitizing it.  And I felt mighty relieved his opinion on the new sound confirmed mine.   Now I need to reciprocate as he also needs my ears test his system.  
middlemass, you like Captain Beefheart! My Acoustat 2+2s played Trout Mask just yesterday.
My best friend is stuck in Mass General following back surgery. They won't  let him go until he poops. With all the morphine they are pumping into him it might take a while.
What virus? It is just a peaceful demonstration. 
It’s really a thing that people mention that most of our wives don’t get it.
It would be great if they did, but I guess this is a mostly male dominated hobby.
Also, my audiophile friends are at an age where medical and transportation issues prevent them from coming over.

Uberwaltz,
Yes, a lot could be said.
Actually, it is a pandemic. A pandemic is an epidemic than spans multiple countries and continents.
https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section11.html

Once you understand that, and then follow the link provided below, you will see that the CDC twice states that "Mortality attributed to COVID-19 remains above the epidemic threshold."
(First paragraph on the page, last sentence)

and at the bottom of the page: "Severe Disease:Mortality"
"Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza, or COVID-19 (PIC) for week 36 is 6.3%. This is currently lower than the percentage during week 35 (9.5%); however, the percentage remains above the epidemic threshold and will likely increase as more death certificates are processed."

Note the similarity between the first sentence in that paragraph and the quote provided in the original post.

Aside from slightly limiting the freedom to assemble, what other freedoms have been given up? Private business is just that--private. At the very least, the first and second amendments don't apply to private business. A private business is well within it's rights to prohibit firearms and mandate masks.

Funny, as far as I know, a bunch of armed loonies have never shown up to protest, No shirt, no shoes, no service."

millercarbon
6,081 posts
09-18-2020 4:01am
rvpiano, your request is hypocritical in the extreme. You start a thread "With this pandemic" then tell us to ignore the fact you are saying its a pandemic. When its not. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html Notice on this page it says
Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza, or COVID-19 (PIC) for week 36 is 6.3%.

See that? They COMBINE pneumonia, flu (ordinary flu!) and COVID to come up with 6.3%. That is flat out exaggeration. We know from doctors reports they are pressured to list COVID as cause of death. Medicare pays $40k for ICU care with that diagnosis. Awful lotta pressure to list that, even when its not. 

Exactly. The virus is not the danger. The political response to the virus, that is the danger. We have been frightened into giving away freedoms unheard of in American history.

rvpiano,
A good thread...
I fully understand what you're missing. When I was in my late teens through my mid twenties, I always listened to music in the company of one or more friends while we conversed. Back in those days, we were the most rudimentary of audiophiles. We cared more about sound than the average person, but we didn't know too much and we were relatively poor.
As time went by, my interest in music and good sound reproduction grew, and the inverse happened with my friends for various reasons like kids.
So now, even though I miss those days, I have been a solitary listener for many years, and I have learned to love that as well. I read while I listen, and sometimes, I just listen. I have my own dedicated room, and my husband is very respectful of my interest in music, but is also a solitary listener with different musical preferences, and much more occasional than myself. I listen nearly every night. Both solitary and communal listening have their good points when you think about it.
you are right,

I got hald a dozen new lps for my bday, truly enjoy listening by myself, with the wife, and miss sharing this wonderfulness with a few of my friends.

I do go back and forth with one audiophile friend, we trust each other to be safe at all other times to get together here or there, just the 4 of us, and still stay apart from each other in our houses, imaginary hugs ...
yep, and i’m not gonna fan the flames!
Poor choice of metaphor just at the moment.

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That's an insult not an argument. Where are the excess deaths? Weekly deaths for under 30 is actually the lowest in the last 5 years. 

How much time have you spend in an OR? The procedure masks everyone is wearing, they are designed for the highly filtered and dry air of operating rooms. Outside the OR in normal air they clog quickly, in 20-30 minutes. Even inside the OR they are not designed to filter the air you breathe.

N95 masks are designed for use in contaminated environments. They filter the air you breathe in but not exhaled air. Even so they are designed to filter contaminants, not viruses. A virus is so small it is like trying to stop a mosquito with a chain link fence. 

In both cases these masks clog quickly with normal breathing. Then they hold onto whatever they catch. So you're actually spreading virus, growing mold and mildew, contaminating everything you touch after touching the mask, which people do a lot. This is why we have known for over 100 years these things are totally ineffective for the use we are being told requires them today.

Don't insult me and tell me I don't know the science. I will run circles around you all day long on the science. This is just one tiny little facet of the nonsense. All you have are insults. Do your research. 

Oh and by the way, about science. Science is a method for learning about the world. Science is not a means of making policy decisions. That is the realm of politics. So not only do you not know your science, you don't know your politics either. Insults. Those you got down. Congratulations.
Mail that screed to HR exalted one. I bet you lack the stones to do that. Tick tok.....
Of course if as you allege, coding and billing fraud is taking place ( and why would your employer be the outlier ? ) don’t you have a duty to report that ?

remember treble damages await.... iF you win....
I'm like a few other guys here who are alone in this hobby. When I mention my love of listening to music (which is rarely) The first response is " Oh, you must have Bose". When I say politely , no I don't, that's the end of the conversation on that subject . My cousin and I have shared this obsession since we were teenagers. The only other people I know of are you guys. 
I've never heard a true hi end system. Is love to hear one(or 10) I'm working on mine but still have a 5.1 surround system. Its slow going.

So, ive found when I last showed my system right before lockdown, I started out with DVD samplers. This really impressed with the low bass and surround effects. Then, when everyone in the room was buzzing about it, I snuck in some music that they appreciated. I really enjoyed the long, detailed conversations about the system with my brother that night. 
Miller.
You truly are a lost cause......

I only used to think you were an arrogant, antagonistic a$$.

Now I believe you are full on certifiable batsh!t crazy.
YW.
Actually when you surround and immerse yourself in art, the music lovers and like minded souls just arrive..... works for wine, cars, food, flyrods, recording studios, bird watching, fine double shotguns, working dogs....

so if u ain’t crazy, stop by Seattle or Carlsbad sometime... one if by land, two uf by sea
This reminds me, about time to buy the local hifi shop guys some lunch....
@isochronism
"There's no spreading germs among friends."??Covid19 loves that kind of thinking. Better to bring over people you don't like.Less downside.

Now we all know tRump can't manage that equation in his head.
Get him some nice large font pop-up books and just maybe he might get there......
Ohm Walsh speakers are great for pandemics.  You can listen from anywhere in the room and get coherent imaging and soundstage.  Great for social distancing.   Just saying....
To get back on track sort of.
Just spent a very pleasant couple hours at my good friend Rick's house.

Listening to his new Wolf server and it's pretty righteous.
Getting very very close to his equally righteous vinyl replay system.

Good to shoot the sh!t, some great music and catch up on ideas.
Oh and the next purchases.... Lol.
Bluetooth speaker has been great through the current pandemic. Mostly solitary listening.