MrZero63
Well-Known Member
We had some friends over the other night to share music, sing (karaoke), talk, and relax together. It was a night of top-shelf alcohol (whisky, whiskey, home-brew beer, and wine tasting – a friend is a home brewer) and fun times. We broke in some new karaoke equipment I got for my wife for Christmas (and I must confess I enjoy it a lot as well) - a feedback destroyer and a Boss vocal processor as well as two new karaoke starter sets which included a lot of classic rock, 70s, and 80s tunes. Over 60 new CDGs/discs. I have an AKG Perception 200 condenser mic and mic stand that everyone loves to use with our component karaoke setup (and also a nice Shure mic), but I couldn’t find my cheap old tubed mic preamp to power the AKG so there it stood, unloved, until the Boss came (with phantom power). I must confess the feedback scared my wife a lot because she likes surround sound karaoke. I don’t. The monitors are too close to her but that's what she likes. Two-channel is perfect for me. But back on point…
One guy who came over just loves my two-channel setup and has only been to the house twice since my wife just met his wife at her work a short time ago. He’s a real nice guy and all – genuinely interested in the system, but for all the wrong reasons. It is driving me nuts! He liked my ‘big speakers’ so much he googled them and found out how much the Khorns cost new and was stunned. I didn't tell him how old they were since I don't like talking prices. My wife only said that I recently got them. He also googled the tube amps and mistook my MC225 for a MC275 (needs glasses maybe?). He now wants the Gordon Gow 275 in gold. He also loves the ‘table (the Scout in my signature) so much that will be the first thing he gets. Or so he thinks.
He wanted to listen to some records so I took him to my thinned-out herd of records (about 8 milk crates) and all he talked about was how his father had so many more. I commented how great it was and that he must be excited to share the experience with his father but it was just the record count that seemed to matter. I then offered to play some CDs I knew sounded really good (to me anyway) on my system since my records were in no particular order and he had a hard time finding anything he really liked (after one minute of cursory searching).
Did I mention we are different generations – he’s in his late 20s, me in my late 40s? He responded that he only wanted to listen to records since that was what he listened to while growing up. Mmmm, okay. I then picked out a Billy Joel record (The Stranger) and brought it to the table where we were sitting and talking. He took the album out, looked it over, and then got up to put it on the turntable. I quickly cut him off and said, “I know you weren’t thinking of putting that record on. No one touches the turntable but me.” He said that he was thinking of putting it on but quickly handed the record to me and my expression went from kill-mode to knowing grin. I put the record on and it was the true 75-cent thrift-store find I remembered it was – about a 5 or 6 with lots or surface noise (even after I ran it through the RCM three times). He loved it. I cringed and wondered how it found its way back into my collection.
I then played some CDs to showcase the system. By this time, he was taking pictures of the system and the too-big-for-the-space speakers. I was angry and delighted at the same time. Angry that he liked the experience more than the sound and delighted that he liked the experience. The system is, after all, a great conversation piece! But I REALLY want to share the music! I continued to start/warm-up the CD player and noted that it was a tubed-output player. I played a jazz staple that shines on my system – ‘Forever Blue’ from Swing Out Sister. I then told him that I didn’t care if he liked it because I wanted him to listen to instrument placement/soundstage, clarity, vocals, instrument realism. My wife looked at me in slight anger but quickly understood my method. Afterwards I played some classic rock but his wife pestered him to go. Too bad. It was rather late (or very early – almost 4 AM) and he really had to go.
But he never got a chance to really listen to the system. And he never will again because he is going on a business trip for 6 weeks and I’m moving in in 6 weeks – I doubt our paths will cross again. But I don’t really feel that bad since I believe he wanted the system only to have the system. I don’t believe he really wanted to listen to music for the sake of music. He just wanted to play music on the system. I even let him hook up his iPhone and he played a Rhapsody stream of some Genesis. It sounded awful. Simply awful. Low-fi in a really bad sense. My wife agreed. He still wanted the system and wants to know where I got everything. I told him that is part of the hobby – searching and researching. And he liked the sound of the iPhone as well. Using that tiny speaker it has. Ugh!
I have never been a trendsetter because I generally eschew things that are trendy. I don’t do things to outdo the neighbors. And I generally keep my audio hobby to myself until I sense someone really has an interest in the hobby. I don’t like to bore people and I don’t ever want it to seem like I am bragging because my system is minimalist compared to a lot of other AKers, and because it really is a humble system that I enjoy listening to. This hobby is not for everyone. I understand that. I also accept that everyone is different and if something works for them, it is okay – it may not be for me. But I also believe I understand when someone wants it for all the wrong reasons. Help me understand - am I being a snob?
One guy who came over just loves my two-channel setup and has only been to the house twice since my wife just met his wife at her work a short time ago. He’s a real nice guy and all – genuinely interested in the system, but for all the wrong reasons. It is driving me nuts! He liked my ‘big speakers’ so much he googled them and found out how much the Khorns cost new and was stunned. I didn't tell him how old they were since I don't like talking prices. My wife only said that I recently got them. He also googled the tube amps and mistook my MC225 for a MC275 (needs glasses maybe?). He now wants the Gordon Gow 275 in gold. He also loves the ‘table (the Scout in my signature) so much that will be the first thing he gets. Or so he thinks.
He wanted to listen to some records so I took him to my thinned-out herd of records (about 8 milk crates) and all he talked about was how his father had so many more. I commented how great it was and that he must be excited to share the experience with his father but it was just the record count that seemed to matter. I then offered to play some CDs I knew sounded really good (to me anyway) on my system since my records were in no particular order and he had a hard time finding anything he really liked (after one minute of cursory searching).
Did I mention we are different generations – he’s in his late 20s, me in my late 40s? He responded that he only wanted to listen to records since that was what he listened to while growing up. Mmmm, okay. I then picked out a Billy Joel record (The Stranger) and brought it to the table where we were sitting and talking. He took the album out, looked it over, and then got up to put it on the turntable. I quickly cut him off and said, “I know you weren’t thinking of putting that record on. No one touches the turntable but me.” He said that he was thinking of putting it on but quickly handed the record to me and my expression went from kill-mode to knowing grin. I put the record on and it was the true 75-cent thrift-store find I remembered it was – about a 5 or 6 with lots or surface noise (even after I ran it through the RCM three times). He loved it. I cringed and wondered how it found its way back into my collection.
I then played some CDs to showcase the system. By this time, he was taking pictures of the system and the too-big-for-the-space speakers. I was angry and delighted at the same time. Angry that he liked the experience more than the sound and delighted that he liked the experience. The system is, after all, a great conversation piece! But I REALLY want to share the music! I continued to start/warm-up the CD player and noted that it was a tubed-output player. I played a jazz staple that shines on my system – ‘Forever Blue’ from Swing Out Sister. I then told him that I didn’t care if he liked it because I wanted him to listen to instrument placement/soundstage, clarity, vocals, instrument realism. My wife looked at me in slight anger but quickly understood my method. Afterwards I played some classic rock but his wife pestered him to go. Too bad. It was rather late (or very early – almost 4 AM) and he really had to go.
But he never got a chance to really listen to the system. And he never will again because he is going on a business trip for 6 weeks and I’m moving in in 6 weeks – I doubt our paths will cross again. But I don’t really feel that bad since I believe he wanted the system only to have the system. I don’t believe he really wanted to listen to music for the sake of music. He just wanted to play music on the system. I even let him hook up his iPhone and he played a Rhapsody stream of some Genesis. It sounded awful. Simply awful. Low-fi in a really bad sense. My wife agreed. He still wanted the system and wants to know where I got everything. I told him that is part of the hobby – searching and researching. And he liked the sound of the iPhone as well. Using that tiny speaker it has. Ugh!
I have never been a trendsetter because I generally eschew things that are trendy. I don’t do things to outdo the neighbors. And I generally keep my audio hobby to myself until I sense someone really has an interest in the hobby. I don’t like to bore people and I don’t ever want it to seem like I am bragging because my system is minimalist compared to a lot of other AKers, and because it really is a humble system that I enjoy listening to. This hobby is not for everyone. I understand that. I also accept that everyone is different and if something works for them, it is okay – it may not be for me. But I also believe I understand when someone wants it for all the wrong reasons. Help me understand - am I being a snob?
