Bad system reactions from friends or family - Story time

audiocr381ve

I thought it would be fun to share stories of people hearing our systems (past or present systems) and not reacting the way we thought they would (or should for crying out loud!).

My father in law came over one bright and sunny day, and at the time we hadn't exactly developed a relationship yet. He is really into audio, used to sing, and is somewhat of a collector of instruments (electric & acoustic guitars, amps, etc.). I was excited for him to hear a system that I was extremely proud of. I was running a NAD C541i CD player (HDCD capable), NAD C162 pre, NAD C272 amp, into some Monitor Audio RS6's. Vocals were absolutely stunning on this system. I mean, wow.

Well, he sits down exactly where I wanted him too. I'm just sure he's going to love it. So I put on a Chaka Khan HDCD, a very nicely recorded CD mind you, and to my surprise, he looked overwhelmingly disappointed. "Well, it sounds okay. I just wish there was more bass."

:redface::redface::redface::redface::redface:

I can't wait to show him the SDA-2BTL setup once I have finished piecing it together. I'm completely taking a different direction with my SDA system and have sold most of my electronics to save up for the new plan. Anyway, please share :cheesygrin:

brgman

I have found that very few people i know "get it" when it comes to what we consider great sounding audio.
I try to let them pick something themselves so they are familiar with the music and have some sort of a baseline to go by when they hear it.
If you throw on what you think sounds great but they have never heard it before i think it makes it tough for them to notice better quality.IMHO You need to put on something they listen to often and then they can hear those details they never heard before.

headrott

Agreed Mike to the last part of your post,

I put on The Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" CD a number of years back when I had a "lower Hi-fi" system than I do now (although mine could still be improved) and my younger brother and his friend said they heard things they never knew were there. My brother's friend's favorite band are the Chili Peppers, so he was amazed by what he heard. i guess that is the opposite of what the OP was looking for though.

Greg

BlueFox

headrott wrote: »

I put on The Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" CD a number of years back when I had a "lower Hi-fi" system than I do now (although mine could still be improved) and my younger brother and his friend said they heard things they never knew were there. My brother's friend's favorite band are the Chili Peppers, so he was amazed by what he heard.

That is a well recorded CD.

Toolfan66

Most people don't care about it, it took my wife a little while to appreciate it after I started this journey but my first couple of rigs I thought sounded great but where I'm at now I think those rigs lacked in all departments. So there might be some truth to what your friend stated audiocr381ve, not knocking your rig as I don't know what your whole rig contains nor do I know what it sounds like but it's easy to be biased as you have put forth the work, time, and money to have it where you have it now. I have a few friends that come over and cannot believe what I have done and how great it sounds now.

A couple of guys from the audio shop here in town are shocked at what my rig sounds like for the money I have invested in it, sad to say they are going out of business in the next month.

In my short journey here I have seen many newbies come in thinking they have it all figured out in just a couple of weeks (hell I don't still don't have it all figured out) and when one of the old timers chimes in with his thoughts (because he has been there done that and wasted a lot of coin to get there) he is just sitting on his high horse and believes in nothing but snake oil.

Keep an open mind to all things and be willing to try new things, and don't burn bridges cause that guy might just save you $$$$$

Just my .02

thsmith

I dont even try anymore, even people that say they are into music dont seem to get it. Most listen to HTB, MP3s or poorly configured systems in as bright as hell room and are happy.

I guess ignorance is bliss in this case because they are happy with very cheap poor sounding stuff.

I was in heaven lastnight listening for 4 hours and enjoyed every second of it, all the while my wife was watching the Cotton Bowl in the other room.

sucks2beme

90% of the world thinks Bose IS the high end. Given how loud most concerts are, all they know is loud.
There's also the crowd that thinks 70's vintage receivers are the high end. Some of them perform good,
but most of it to me is just reliving the past. Good sound involves picking out the better gear from what
ever era your working with. An older high end piece can hold it's own against most modern stuff until you
start moving up to $$$ gear. Most people at CP can pick that gear out after 6-12 months of hanging out here.
Like any hobby, at some point only other dedicated hobbyists can appreciate what you have.

drumminman

It happened so often that I don't even try to show folks what my system can do. At the most, unless someone expresses interest in having a listen, I put on whatever I feel like hearing at the time. If someone comments I'm happy to engage, but not many folks out there care for anything more than MP3's.

One exception is my 19 yo nephew. He gets it! He came over the other day and I played John Mayer's "Continuum", a very well recorded CD. We both heard instruments & vocal passages that we didn't know were there BS (before SDA) :cool:

WilliamM2

You guys really have that many people that are not impressed with your system, or actually don't like how it sounds?

Slinger182

I don't consider my system hi-fi by any stretch. But I always get a kick out of people being more impressed with my Harmony One remote than anything else.

"No seriously, we can listen to some music if you want."

WilliamM2

Lasareath wrote: »

They don't have the time or care to listen to the system. My system is locked away in a separate room and there is one chair in there. usually they can't understand that part as well.

Well I can understand those that don't have any interest, but I never play my system for those that don't want to hear it. Those that do hear it are always impressed. Not suprising considering what they are used to listening to.

michael1947

As someone already said, it is the same with any hobby. As a woodworker I have thousands and thousands invested in tools and fixtures. Most can't understand why I make stuff when you can buy perfectly wonderful furniture and accessories from IKEA, kind of like an audio system with silver dollar sized speakers. Some people just don't get it. However I am quick to admit it could be a disease.

Erik Tracy

It can be fun and frustrating when you want to share your enthusiasm for your hobby.

Maybe next time instead of picking the music yourself, let your relative or friend pick their own selection from your collection.

Kinda like being given a book by a friend that you *must read* - sets up immediate 'blocks' from me.

You may get more of the shared reaction you have if the person plays a title they are familiar with and then experience what it can really sound like on a good rig!

tonyb

Took my wife awhile too, but she gets it now. She's still not sold on the coinage though involved. Samething with the HD video. Didn't get the hoopla over it, but now she's a HD junkie.

When it comes to good sound, some can't get the coinage vs the sound quality thing. They are just as happy listening to an IPOD played back by some cheap Ipod in home player from Walmart. I've had boom boxes that sounded better than those things. They just don't think the money is worth the differences in sound.....thats cool, it's not everyones cup of tea to go that extra mile like we do. By the same token, I don't get others desire to spend tons of coinage on designer clothes, shoes, purses, etc. Everyone has their hangups I guess.

audiocr381ve

drumminman wrote: »

It happened so often that I don't even try to show folks what my system can do. At the most, unless someone expresses interest in having a listen, I put on whatever I feel like hearing at the time. If someone comments I'm happy to engage, but not many folks out there care for anything more than MP3's.

Same here. If they're interested, great. If not, screw them! :biggrin:

The SDA's are fun though. They really have that spooky imaging that messes with the head. Even the wife can't believe there isn't a hidden speaker.

musky1963

Most people these days are more impressed with how many songs they can fit on their ipod or whatever. 9 out of 10 will sit way off to the side, not realizing where to sit. What gets me, is when they walk in and say WOW, that is an impressive stereo! Can I hear it? As soon as a song starts playing, they start talking :evil: . Now that pisses me off! I used to like to show off a little, but now I try and avoid it, unless they are truely interested.......and keep their cakehole quiet :eek:

shack

My system is set up for my enjoyment. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it. If they like it...fine. If they don't...that's fine as well.

dudeinaroom

shack wrote: »

My system is set up for my enjoyment. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it. If they like it...fine. If they don't...I beat them about the head until they agree.

ME TOO!!!!!

Sorry shack. I do agree with your actual statement though.

SDA1C

Lasareath wrote: »

They don't have the time or care to listen to the system. My system is locked away in a separate room and there is one chair in there. usually they can't understand that part as well.

Indeed!

evhudsons

ha ha, great thread and responses! I'm new to the upgraded rig club so only a few people have come over to hear the audio kit. We entertain a lot though. I found that now that I don't have to have it loud to really get high quality sound I simply put on something that I think guests would like, and then I leave and do other things like grill or make drinks. At some point someone will hear some song they like, and then stop talking, sit down, and say something along the lines of "such good sound". I actually had my wife say that just last night! Thanks DarqueKnight, I love hearing that from folks now. On New Years eve party night we had a crew of great friends over. I had the music on somewhat low inside, everyone else outside. In Key West it was a fantastic night outside. Before I could say bring me another beer my wife had all the lady friends and their husbands in the living room sitting down listening to records, one after another. They couldn't believe they could enjoy records like that with incredible sound. My wife even tried to explain SDA to them, that reallly cracked me up!

I think the OP is right though, most people if sat down to listen expect some fireworks or dancing monkeys or something. Without knowing what they are listening to they can't really appreciate on the level we do, just as a fine chef might be disappointment when a fast food junkie wolfs down their creation without saying more than "got dessert?" But once they start to really listen, and they become educated about what the speakers are and how the "black boxes" function, they can really start to dig it.
I simply stopped trying to have them listen. I let them do that themselves, and then they are sold, or not. I love Lasareath's idea about having just one chair, that's awesome!

PerfectCreature

My system is a beginners system. Most people I know just buy those home theater in a boxs that you can pick up at Walmart on sale. When I show them my system they usually tell me how they can get this or that for just the price of my cables.
I enjoy my system right now, and for the moment see no need to upgrade due to space.
Like a few responses, it has taken awhile for my wife to warm up to the idea of spending a few hundred for cables alone.
I do get enjoyment when she will lean over and tell me how awful (usually is missing something she says) it sounds compared to my setup when we are watching movies at peoples houses.

BeefJerky

musky1963 wrote: »

Most people these days are more impressed with how many songs they can fit on their ipod or whatever. 9 out of 10 will sit way off to the side, not realizing where to sit. What gets me, is when they walk in and say WOW, that is an impressive stereo! Can I hear it? As soon as a song starts playing, they start talking :evil: . Now that pisses me off! I used to like to show off a little, but now I try and avoid it, unless they are truely interested.......and keep their cakehole quiet :eek:

shack wrote: »

My system is set up for my enjoyment. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it. If they like it...fine. If they don't...that's fine as well.

These pretty much express my sentiment on the matter. I used to try and "show off" my system, but I don't bother anymore unless someone specifically asks or expresses interest. As shack said, the system is for my enjoyment, and that is all that really matters. I am very happy with my current system, so that means it was a good investment.

tonyb

musky1963 wrote: »

Most people these days are more impressed with how many songs they can fit on their ipod or whatever. 9 out of 10 will sit way off to the side, not realizing where to sit. What gets me, is when they walk in and say WOW, that is an impressive stereo! Can I hear it? As soon as a song starts playing, they start talking :evil: . Now that pisses me off! I used to like to show off a little, but now I try and avoid it, unless they are truely interested.......and keep their cakehole quiet :eek:

Yep, run into that scenario all the time, pisses me off as much as you too.
Shack has a way with words....spot on too.

indyhawg

Lasareath wrote: »

My system is locked away in a separate room and there is one chair in there. usually they can't understand that part as well.

That is exactly how my 2 channel listening space is set up.

I gave up a long ago trying to demonstrate my audio system to the general public. Back in the early 90's I was in the army. I had just moved into the barracks at Ft Riley, Kansas. One of the guys who lived on the same floor as me walked into my room and eyed my Monitor 10s and proclaimed, "Cool you have the party room!." Of course he then mentioned that he had never heard of Polk or any of the other brands in my system. A few days later another guy was looking through my CDs and informed me that I listened to "boring" music. Most of those guys had white van speakers trying to blast out some rap or Nirvanna at that time. The only thing that matters to most people when it comes to audio gear is if it will crank or put out earth shattering bass. Like another poster said previously Bose is high end in most peoples minds.

ROHfan

indyhawg wrote: »

Like another poster said previously Bose is high end in most peoples minds.

Has anyone here ever converted a Bosie? I work with two guys who bragged about getting Bose systems last year and I'd love to have them over for a listen to my system.

Joe08867

1st, play something the person knows. Then play something with extreme volume changes like orchestral music. It really shows the difference between everyday box store BS to the good stuff.

I have never had a bad reaction to my SDA setup but have had people question my Klipsch setup in the past. But not everyone gets that Horn sound. Probably why I don't own any Klipsch anymore. My ears don't seem to like that sound anymore.

I have had people look at my setup in disbelief at the cost until they heard it. Especially when I had all the tube stuff in my setup. My dad was hilarious. Why are you using all that old stuff? Then he heard some Bobby Darin and was floored. I even played some Floyd for him and went out and bought the album. BTW my dad is 74 years old.

I still want to know why people think Louder means it's better? I can hit 120+ db with my setup but since it doesn't sound distorted they think it isn't as loud it could be, which in turn means it isn't as good as there HTIB. Cracks me up. Distortion is a sign of quality. I guess they think it should sound like a stadium with the highs all broken up and the bass pounding you skull in.

evhudsons

After Sunday Church last night (Tim Tebow show) I put on Adele's concert on Bluray for my wife's grandmother, who is almost 90 and quite special. She already said I play my music too loud so I made sure it was somewhat low, and then I gradually increased it to a comfortable level. It's so pleasant even at low levels but we all still felt like we were live right in front of her at the concert. We watched the whole thing and Grandma got so excited when there were two encore performances (oops spoiler).

She would not have appreciated my system as much if I had played Iron Maiden. It was great to see her get so enthralled with Adele. She kept saying Adele was better than the Beatles, and then said she was the best she's ever heard. From a WWII veteran national treasure that's saying a lot.

musky1963

I never liked the "how much does it cost" question. That applies to almost anything. I can see if they are really wanting to buy a nice system and want an idea. Sadly, most are just being nosey and have no intentions of spending more than they paid for their cell phones. I also like it when they base your entire stereo on the speakers. They have no idea nor do they care on the upstream gear.

steveinaz

Aside from the typical teenager "where's all the 1 note, completely overdone, door panel rattling inaccurate bass?" comments, all my "non-audio geek" adult friends are very impressed with my system. They can't believe "those little speakers" produce all that sound.

My dad has really bad hearing, but I sat him down once and put on some Roberta Flack. He was in awe...he said "I knew she had a beautiful voice--but I didn't realize how beautiful until I heard it on your system.""I've never heard her sound that good."

Does anyone else feel like a nut case when your (non-audiophile) friends ask how much your speaker wire cost? LOL, I have even lied on occassion...LOL@myself. I did tell my pal Fred once, he looked at me like I was nucking phutz.