When I first met my wife, she was like that. now if I say something is going to be $10k, she doesn't even flinch. You need to acclimate and use positive reinforcement!
When I first met my wife, she was like that. now if I say something is going to be $10k, she doesn't even flinch. You need to acclimate and use positive reinforcement!
Gets claustrophobic at audio shows but not street bazaars, doesn't help me move stuff around, has no pole dancing skills, has problems when my eye wanders towards things with four wheels, goes ballistic with anything bigger than a Vespa with two.
On the other hand, wonderful mother, my best friend, can be funny as hell, if I come home late never asks where I've been, allows all guy road trips, let's me do and spend what I want on audio, video, photography, golf and computing. Getting good at yoga, maybe there's hope for that pole yet.
like Jazdoc, i consider my wife a Saint. really super.
she has always enjoyed the way my system sounds if i play the music she likes. obviously; my wife has been very supportive of my hobby......and when i'm spending money she is part of the decision process.
as far as specific opinions about the system; it's typically about how things look. she still misses my Kharma Exquisite speakers for the way they looked.
For years Donna grudgingly tolerated my penchant for stereo gear. We were like polar opposites – I liked listening to music, while she was into TV and liked to have it going all the time, even if no one was watching it.
In 1993 a good buddy of mine took me to an “Expo” of sorts that Yamaha hosted at a local hotel, to show off their new Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound integrated amplifiers. They played for us the canal chase scene of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” and I was really impressed!
A few months later I talked Donna into going with me into a local Home Entertainment store one night (not an easy thing to do!). I asked the salesman to play that canal chase scene on the Yamaha system, and she was totally freaking out, frantically looking around the room as the sounds came at her from all directions. She walked out of there positively whimpering, “I hate you. I’ll never be able to watch TV again!”
A couple of months later Donna was blessed with a huge bonus, and the first thing she said was, “Let’s buy that Yamaha!” I couldn’t believe my ears! My audiophobe wife was actually making a request for a piece of audio equipment, and even more, an expensive one, and even more - paying for it out of her own pocket!!!
From that time on, anything I suggested we needed for the system to enhance the viewing or listening experience - equalizers, high-priced Super-VHS VCRs, laser disc, you name it - it was like, “Whatever you think is best, dear!” Hanging big speakers from the wall for surrounds? Big ol’ subwoofers? No problem! Ah - marital bliss!
Oh, I'm so lucky, my wife totally supports the hobby, even though she's personally not into it, she enjoys the results.
The best part is she's a talented artist and designer and has helped me design and build-out the look of the A/V room. and not just simple stuff, but complex projects like:
Custom Acoustic sidewall treatments
Custom CRT projector hush-box, complete with leather top and high-end fabric side-wrap.
Many hours helping me drag gear in and out of the room and hanging acoustic treatments on the ceiling, etc.
We live in a typical suburban split level home. My stuff, as she calls it, is situated on the main level that's open to the rest of the house. So, in essence, when I play music everyone hears it. I don't take requests. The children have been conditioned, literally, since they day they came home fom the hospital. We'd situate them in front of the system and play music. Now, they sleep through almost anything. Almost. As I'm writing this, in all honesty, I'm beginning to appreciate my wife a bit more...
Was washing the motorcycle in the driveway one day last summer and saw 3-4 couples walking up the sidewalk pushing strollers. Just as soon as they saw me you could see the guys start to drool and pant. The wives on the other hand began the 'death stare' as though their husbands were getting ready to put a dollar bill in a dancer's g-string at the local strip joint.
Just as they were passing, I directed my attention to the guys and said "My wife LETS me have a motorcycle!".
I am no longer allowed to talk to the neighbors!!
I would never actually have a motorcycle. I saw a 50 something guy in all his leathers flipping like a broken robot after head on with a van on Niles Canyon Road a couple of years ago, later read he died. His motorcycle group was with him, all dudded up as well. I saw his wife sold all of his stuff on craigslist a couple of weeks after.
Nobody I ever knew with a motorcycle had anything but scary close calls. My hippie roommate in Venice had a fantastic bike, I never saw him ride it. He said he stopped after being tossed over the hood of cars a couple of times.
I gather 50 something men die pretty often on them.
My preference is to listen alone. I set the volume and music that I want at the time and repeat passages if I want to hear something again and don't have to cater to the whims of others. There are extremely few people who will sit and listen with no expectation or desire to do anything but sit with zipped lips and listen.
If I am doing a demo for someone, that is something different. I expect to have some talking and to jump from one musical piece to another.
Even if the plan is to just listen to music, practically anyone joining me always wants to talk about something simply because we are two people in the same room, which totally corrupts the listening experience. Most people seem to think the music is a background for something other than just sitting and enjoying the experience.
Like Bruce's wife, mine likes big speakers too....... she owns more LP's CD's and ripped music than I will ever hope to.... and more musical instruments. Motorcycle would be a deal breaker... but nice cars are fine as long as I'm willing to work on them without bitching.
That is Wife Tolerance Factor, which is apparently high, and clearly there is little to no "Acceptance"
