If she isn't into the gear, is she into the music?

My wife likes music but could care less about audio gear. She likes it easy to use and not too loud.

I am having success getting her to listen to a wider variety of music in my music library these days than ever in the past by displaying my music library and currently playing information on the big screen HD TV in my family room using PLEX app on Amazon FIre TV feeding into my two channel A/V system. Its much like the format used by the music channels she likes on our cable TV feed. SHe has no interest in my audio system otherwise other than knowing that I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Go out for dinner and a show

My wife wouldn't choose to have any of my gear, but does appreciate the sound. She enjoys listening as long as I keep the volume down and she can reach, stitch, or play on the iPad. The system is in parallel with the home entertainment setup because we have a small house and no extra rooms. Our "office" is a box in the coat closet and a MacBook. No listening room for me.

I wasn't permitted to buy a new disc unit until she could hear an improvement over what I already had. When the primary turntable needed some TLC, the caveat was to "do it once and do it right."

Now when the subject comes up, she goes on about how the ultrasonic cleaner (my latest investment, and worthwhile too) made even her old LPs from college tolerable again. Going on, she'll add (get this) they're not quite at the level needed for the high end table - the cleaner can't fix damage, just dirt. They're fine on the old semi-auto Pioneer, though.

Then we come to the material. DiMeola. Zappa. Zappa. Clarke. Bruford. Palmer. Ponty. Metheny. Corea. Yes. Gabriel. Floyd. King Crimson. Gentle Giant. Utopia. Belew. Levin. Rundgren. Eno. St. Vincent. Mclaughlin. Byrne. Beethoven. Holst. Wagner. Strauss. Mozart. Getz. Benson. Klugh. Coryell. Davis. Rich. Herman. James. Goodman. Dorsey. Miller. And more.

We met because of a car. At Watkins Glen. And got married there. And we're still gear heads in more than one way 28 years later. Ferrari, Maserati, Healey, Lotus, Simca, SAAB, Allard, Lancia, Porsche, Triumph, Alfa Romeo, Mustang, Corvette, Challenger, SVO, SRT, AMG, Andial, Alpina, Abarth, Matra, Hesketh, Shadow, Lola, March, Minardi, Arrows, TWR, Wolff, WRC, F1, WEC. And more.