Audiophile exile...

BKphoto

Anyone In this boat...I moved here because of my wife so everyone I meet and hang out with are husbands of her friends...None of them really listen to music outside of driving in a car let alone sit down to listen to an album...I'm in the middle of restoring a set of Monitor 10b's (pics coming soon) ...So last weekend we had friends over, our attached garage is where our extra fridge is (beverages) while out there my friend says "whats going on here" I told him i was restoring these speakers and all he could say was "ugh, seems like a lot of work, just buy some new ones" I didn't have a response just kinda shrugged it off, although hitting him with a hammer seemed reasonable at the time.

Last night my daughter had a play date with some friends and their parents were here...I was not because i saw a really nice pair of SDA 2A's on Craiglist for 100 beans...So i went to get them...(very excited)

one of the fathers says "your husband drove 2 hours away for a $100 set of speakers...? that man is crazy"

Maybe its me but that didn't seem ridiculous at all...

Am I crazy...?

dromunds

Pearls before swine

ken brydson

Some people just don't understand our sickness....

BlueFox

Possibly. Restoring old speakers is more of a hobby activity, not necessarily an audiophile activity. However, restoring a speaker makes much more sense to me than restoring an old car, or anything else for that matter.

BKphoto

I don't even want to get into the reaction I get when people see my record collection...

decal

BKphoto wrote: »

I don't even want to get into the reaction I get when people see my record collection...

Ditto !!!!!!!

BlueMDPicker

This from Stereophile's web site. You are not alone, my friend.

Westchester Audiophile Society
New York
516.238.3068
tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wasny/
weiss.1966@gmail.com

The Westchester Audiophile Society is open to those interested in the pursuit of high-quality music reproduction. Meetings generally take place in and around Westchester County once a month on a Friday Night. Please note that we are not affiliated with "The Audiophile Society" based in New York City.

**** July 29, 2013 - UPDATE **** Due to surprisingly overwhelming interest, we have temporarily stopped accepting new members. Unfortunately, to hold meetings with lots of people, you need lots of space. If you would like to be added to our waiting list, please do let us know. In the meantime, we are more than happy to recommend other potentially nearby groups.

BKphoto

BlueMDPicker wrote: »

This from Stereophile's web site. You are not alone, my friend.

Westchester Audiophile Society
New York
516.238.3068
tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wasny/
weiss.1966@gmail.com

The Westchester Audiophile Society is open to those interested in the pursuit of high-quality music reproduction. Meetings generally take place in and around Westchester County once a month on a Friday Night. Please note that we are not affiliated with "The Audiophile Society" based in New York City.

oh boy, my wife is going to love this..

zane77

I feel the same way. I don't really know anyone around here that just likes to take a seat and listen to some quality music, so I just enjoy it myself. My wife will occasionally sit down and enjoy it with me but not any critical listening she will usually have to have her iPad with her and be doing something else at the same time. Sometimes I wish there was someone to compare "notes" with.

mhardy6647

the idea of a club that's essentially made up of socially inept hermits is kind of... counterintuitive... isn't it?

[Deleted User]

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member" G. Marx

mhardy6647

'zackly.

Outside of a dog, a book is Man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - G. Marx

BKphoto

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member" G. Marx

ha...love that quote....

i think it may be weird...it would be cool to hang out with a like-minded person...someone who looks at something and says "thats cool" instead of "thats a waste of time"

mhardy6647

The best - and worst - thing about the internet is that it allowed people with... unusual... interests to find others with similar interests. That's how I fell in with people like this: www.the-planet.org (Gary Kaufman; a wonderful guy with a little... thing...about vacuum tubes) and this:


DSC_5259 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

That's Dave Slagle, of www.intactaudio.com Another great guy, Dave has a... thing... about coils of wire.


DSC_5224-1 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

tonyb

Audio isn't everyones cup of tea. Nobody in my neighborhood is into it and most have Bose or some other crappy 100 buck bestbuy speakers hooked up to an Ipod. Better yet, a table radio with an ipod adapter for outside listening. UHGG ! Only one I can think of has some lower level Klipsch speakers he bought at BestBuy that sound like nails on a chalkboard. Double Uhhgg !!

The same people comment on how good the sound is from my Sonos to a crappy Sony receiver to my outdoor cheap Chinese speakers from Outdoor Speaker Depot. To me it's simply passable for back ground music, to them it's a treat.

To each his own though. You just do what tickles your fancy and damn what others think.

BKphoto

wow....i don't have any words...

although you have to love speakers held up by c-stands..

hochpt21

Yea, I really have to tone down my response when someone shows even the slightest interest in audio. I don't want to freak them out, but I can usually go on and on...way past what they care to listen to.

EndersShadow

hochpt21 wrote: »

Yea, I really have to tone down my response when someone shows even the slightest interest in audio. I don't want to freak them out, but I can usually go on and on...way past what they care to listen to.

Thats why you find other WI fella's to hang with...

I got a couple Indianapolis guys that we can chat on and on about this kinda stuff... makes life sane sometimes. I get to talk to someone (besides my wife) about audio and then dont have to talk to her about it for a bit lol...

drumminman

BKphoto wrote: »

I told him i was restoring these speakers and all he could say was "ugh, seems like a lot of work, just buy some new ones" I didn't have a response just kinda shrugged it off, although hitting him with a hammer seemed reasonable at the time.

one of the fathers says "your husband drove 2 hours away for a $100 set of speakers...? that man is crazy"

Maybe its me but that didn't seem ridiculous at all...

Am I crazy...?

Re: the hammer, sounds about right.

Re: driving 2 hours to pick up speakers, 'tis but a short hop. I drove 8 hours round trip to pick up mine.

There are no audiophiles around here either. When people see my 2.3TL's the first comment is invariably, "man I bet those play loud!" I gave up trying to have a discussion about high end audio, listening sessions, etc., as all I get is blank stares.

drumminman

BlueFox wrote: »

Possibly. Restoring old speakers is more of a hobby activity, not necessarily an audiophile activity.

Depends on the speaker

Schurkey

BKphoto wrote: »

I told him i was restoring these speakers and all he could say was "ugh, seems like a lot of work, just buy some new ones" I didn't have a response just kinda shrugged it off, although hitting him with a hammer seemed reasonable at the time.

Last night my daughter had a play date with some friends and their parents were here...I was not because i saw a really nice pair of SDA 2A's on Craiglist for 100 beans...So i went to get them...(very excited)

one of the fathers says "your husband drove 2 hours away for a $100 set of speakers...? that man is crazy"

Maybe its me but that didn't seem ridiculous at all...

Am I crazy...?

Not crazy, but you certainly have an Education Project ahead of you. Try to enjoy it.

mhardy6647

BKphoto wrote: »

wow....i don't have any words...

although you have to love speakers held up by c-stands..

Electrodynamic (field coil) drivers; the cartridge on that Garrard 301 visible in the background is also an EM (electromagnet) cartridge - gotta love that. We were listenin' to Ella and Louis when the photos were snapped - and they sounded sublime.


DSC_5243 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

BlueMDPicker

tonyb wrote: »

To each his own though. You just do what tickles your fancy and damn what others think.

+1 to what Tony said.

Also, grow your own audiophiles. We have 5 kids. The oldest and the youngest love everything about music, play one or more instruments, and know their way around the turntables, tape decks and transports. 40% is an acceptable average with me (the other kids have other passions). The youngest (11) has just started her own vinyl collection. Now THAT makes me smile!

BKphoto

I agree but I'm a long way off....I have 2 daughters 2 & 5 the older can tell you all about Elvis, BB King, Led Z., etc. but I'm just trying to teach the other one that you shouldn't push in daddy's tweeters...

Mr. Bubbles

I'm a loaner here too. No one i work with or know cares about the differences in stereo gear/ speakers. one friend believes firmly that the speakers in her TV set would sound just as good as my HT system. I had to simplify the HT previously because i would come in and the wife would be just listening to the center channel with nothing else. That would just piss me off as hard as I had worked on putting the system together. No friends into listening. I don't have neighbors within 1/2 mile. none of them listen either. It's just me and due to the wife's constant requests for other things as well as other homeowner projects, the listening time comes little now days. My youngest daughters like to listen to pop and crank it up. I am still trying to teach them what distortion is. They do NOT listen on my gear! It can be a lonely hobby many times. But when I'm listening there are no other sounds; no kids fighting, no wife b!#*&!ng or adding to a list, no dog, just me and the music. it's nice. But it would be nice to have someone to discuss details with, show off your gear to (someone that could appreciate it) and someone to help (either directly or indirectly) encourage improvement and maybe point out details that i may have missed, and even offer other viewpoints and style systems.

hochpt21

EndersShadow wrote: »

Thats why you find other WI fella's to hang with...

I got a couple Indianapolis guys that we can chat on and on about this kinda stuff... makes life sane sometimes. I get to talk to someone (besides my wife) about audio and then dont have to talk to her about it for a bit lol...

My wife always looks at me a little weird when I tell her I'm going to meet up with a guy I met on the internet.

EndersShadow

hochpt21 wrote: »

My wife always looks at me a little weird when I tell her I'm going to meet up with a guy I met on the internet.

LOL, my wife just rolls her eyes and says so expect you home around 3 am right?

And thankfully she's meet one of the guys I hang out with and likes him, so I get a free pass to get over there when our busy schedules allow.

skrol

I got some really strange looks from my wife the other day when I was moving the LSi15's around to try to get the bass to sound right. She really gave me strange looks when I grabbed the sofa cushions to use as sound deadening behind the speakers. (By the way, it works).

BKphoto
Take heart, we understand.

indyhawg

Other than the few local friends I have that are into audio whom I have all met on the internet or through other audio friends, no one I know is into audio. Over the years I have grown tired of having to explain my audio hobby to folks, so I tend to avoid them all together. Here is an actual conversation I had at work on Tuesday.

Female coworker: Good morning. Did you have a good weekend? (while taking her earbuds out)
Me: Yes, I did.
Female Coworder: What did you do?
Me: UHHHHHH........(long pause--I just remembered that I had better not tell her I spent 7 1/2 hours driving round trip to pick up some speakers...there is no way in hell she is going to understand that.)
Female: Coworker: Well.......
Me: Uhhhh....I shoveled snow and watched TV with the kids.

My wife tolerates my hobby. Even though she did ask me where we are going to go on vacation and what speakers will I be looking for while on vacation. She has been nice enough to allow three of our vacations to be interrupted for me to buy speakers.

oldrocker

Sounds all too familar. In fact been smoozin the wife about a trip to north carolina instead of the beach to go see Trey for a speaker mod instead.
Its all good, she tolerates it well...


OTE=indyhawg;2008945]Other than the few local friends I have that are into audio whom I have all met on the internet or through other audio friends, no one I know is into audio. Over the years I have grown tired of having to explain my audio hobby to folks, so I tend to avoid them all together. Here is an actual conversation I had at work on Tuesday.

Female coworker: Good morning. Did you have a good weekend? (while taking her earbuds out)
Me: Yes, I did.
Female Coworder: What did you do?
Me: UHHHHHH........(long pause--I just remembered that I had better not tell her I spent 7 1/2 hours driving round trip to pick up some speakers...there is no way in hell she is going to understand that.)
Female: Coworker: Well.......
Me: Uhhhh....I shoveled snow and watched TV with the kids.

My wife tolerates my hobby. Even though she did ask me where we are going to go on vacation and what speakers will I be looking for while on vacation. She has been nice enough to allow three of our vacations to be interrupted for me to buy speakers.[/QUOTE]

BKphoto

skrol wrote: »

BKphoto
Take heart, we understand.

my peeps...