Should we care if a piece of equipment comes from a pet-free, kid-free, smoke-free home?


I agree that I do not want a preamp or speaker coated with a film of smoke, but I am confused as to what a child or pet could do that would not be otherwise visible. You would see the cat scratches on the speaker grill, the dog chew marks on the rack, the iguana turds in the amplifier cooling vents. And what's a little dog hair among friends? As a 3 year old, I supposedly put my finger through my grandfather's new DIY speaker but I'm pretty sure he replaced the drivers so even that doesn't really matter. Most things will be visible and/or easily remedied.  Maybe the price will even be a little lower because of the cosmetics. If it doesn't mess with function, not a big deal to me.

What concerns me more is does it come from a drunk-free, drug-free home.  I think befuddled owners are far more worrisome than pets or children.

 

tcutter

No pet dander, no smoke residue, no kids knocking stuff over whether damage is visible or not.

Great selling point to me!

One thing I see occasionally is the equipment is set up next to a fireplace. 

If it's wood burning, that's worse than the other three put together times ten...

Yah..it's amazing how no audiophiles smoke, procreate, or have a dog.

Hmmm...maybe that's why so many obsess on things that are irrelevant...

I sold a pair of Kimber SC's here years ago and the buyer had an allergic reaction after he got home with them.

Knowing that we have cat's he had taken an antihistamine prior stopping over to pick them up, but it wore off.

Apparently there was enough dander transfer to cause this.

I was once Beta testing a pair of power cables (also years ago) and by the time I received them in the mail chain they smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke I could not tolerate them in the home until the outer casing had been thoroughly cleaned with hydrogen peroxide 3% (which eliminated close to 100% of the oder).

I'm also deadly allergic to asparagus, but so far this has not been a HiFi problem.

No children allergies that I'm aware of.

 

DeKay 

 

Years ago I bought a nice pair of speaker cables that arrived reeking of tobacco smoke.  Being a former smoker years ago who can't stand the smell now it was quite foul.  Tried rubbing alcohol wipe down to no avail.  Eventually the smell dissipated on it's own.  I always mention in my ads - no smoking household.

While kid free and pet free, are not deal breakers, they are a plus.  A piece of equipment that smells of smoke is a definite dealbreaker.