Why do people think I'm nuts involving audio?

you are not alone my friend.i feel most people on audiogon are the last of the audiophiles. i have friends that have known me for years who think i am sick for spending the money i do on audio. i love good movies as well but nothing takes me away like good tunes. if i have a hard day i can sit down in front of my system and escape. find some new friends who are sick like yourself. hell my best friend i turned into an audiophile. i once traveled 750 miles just to hear jm lab utopias. plus i went jetskiing on the ocean , and went to look at porsches and ferraris . the fact is i wanted to hear those speakers worse. i went to ces last january for two channel. long live hard core audiophiles. lets introduce more people to high end. i started with jbls and hafler amps. it took years to arrive where i am. any way i have enjoyed talking to many sterro nuts and hope i can meet alot of the audiogon crowd somday. happy listening kirk.

Sal,

Always remember there are two sides to this argument.

1-Utilitarian
2-Non-utilitarian

If our world was strictly Utilitarian we would live in a very different world than we do now. We would have only functional utilitarian products, and art and creativity would be effectively dead.

Anyone who unconstructively criticizes the way someone spends his hard earned cash is a fool. If someone criticizes my audio system as a waste of money, I ask them if they really NEED the gass guzzeling $30k+ SUV they just drove up in. Everyone indulges in SOMETHING. Everyone has their own set of values of what indulgances they hold to be the highest prioritority. Some folks like food, cars, houses, boats, furniture, personal treatments, classes, vacations, etc... the list goes on and on. No one is strictly utilitarian.

My first suggestion is not to let your friends affect you when they say they think you are crazy.

If you want to fire back, just use the argument I list above. Find out their indulgance, and ask them if they really need it. Ask them if they want to live in a world that is strictly Utilitarian. If they say, 'yes', tell them to get rid of all of their indulgances. They are just being silly.

Always remember that Music is Art. Our music systems are effectively windows that allow us to experience this art. The more you like your music system the closer you feel to the music and artist that created it. A good comparison is to paintings. People who really love paintings (and can afford it) buy the orginal works of an artist. People who love art and cannot afford originals try to buy high quality limited edition silk screens of works. People who loce art but cannot afford the limited edition silk screens end up buying regular silk screens of paintings. People who have some appreciation (or folks that love art that cannot afford high quality sil screens) for art will end up buying inexpensive prints. What does the person gain by spending $35,000 on the original painting over the person spending $2500 on a signed limited edition silk screen over the person spending $500 on a regular edition silk screen, over the person spending $100 on a print of the piece of art? Some may argue for the investment... I have heard arguments that art (on average) grows less in value than the typical bank savings account. Perhaps it is the same gain that is gotten from a $35,000 hi end music system over a $2500 mid fi music system over a $500 rack system over a $100 clock radio? Always remember though... How many CD's do you own? This is how many pieces of Art you own.

Peace folks.

Keith

They're just jealous.

they will always think we're nuts, until they get bitten (with the upgrade bug)...But, for most people, that will never happen

don't let it get you down---close your door, unplug your phone, and crank up the tunes~~~~~~~~

--tb;^}

Hmm...
My wife always ask why I spend so much money on records every week
-- So I ask my wife why she spend so much money on sigarettes...
If I need to get "high", I'll play Marillion or Genesis on my turntable.
Audio is not my hobby anymore -- it's my addiction. It's much easier to jump off "H" than from Audio.
If you'll look at the crackhead you may tell that he's NUTS.