This is a great thread! My wife knows my love of music and my system. She doesn't listen with me as much as I would like and that's cool but every once and awhile she will look around to see if there's any new gear that I might have added.(justfy time)What was wrong with the piece you had?
The partner or wife factor
Most of us don't live alone. We have to contend with the people, we share our living space with. This can be a huge asset to our hobby, sometimes a detriment. Sometimes, listening with a loved one can deepen our involvement with the music and shared hobbies are a source of joy through the years, sometimes the hobby can be a continual source of bickering and trigger resentment and,in a worst case setting, separation either from the system or from the partner. I personally, in my long life, have both met with intelligent support for, but also viscious resentment of my gear, as systems and partners changed.( Systems more than parners) The shortest episode, hilarious actually, was when a ladyfriend , led by me proudly to the listening area , shrieked "electrosmog....!!" You can rest assured, she didn't stay very long. What about your experiences? Joyful, painful, helpful, destructive, funny or amorous ones? Very curious....