Father's Day For An Audiophile


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Have any of you ever received an audiophile component as a gift for any holiday, or as a birthday present? Before I got married, my girlfriends knew that I was nuts about stereo equipment. After I got married, my wife and now grown kids knew of my love for stereo equipment because they had to live with it. All of my siblings know of my love of stereo equipment. Yet, I've never gotten a piece of audio equipment as a present.
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My kids bought a 180 gram reissue LP of Dave Brubeck's 1959 or 1960 record, "Time Out." Does that count?

It a wonderful record and I enjoy it a lot, especially since my kids bought it for me.
This year I received a Nixie tube clock. Only audio related in that it has tubes, but I love equipment with tubes.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=nixie+tube+clock&qpvt=nixie+tube+clock&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=1C9B2DAC68636CB6739C40E957B95E7D6794E871&selectedIndex=6
The only audio related item I got gifted was music. I've got an LP or two (pre-CD era) and a few CDs from my direct family, but they were all at my recommendation. I've bought my wife several CDs over the years, but has she ever bought me one, nooooo.
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Bif and Pmotz, no soup for you.

Nope...music doesn't count.

The gift has got to be something that you have to plug into the wall.
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Well, my gift was something that plugs into the wall only occasionally. I just received an I-pad mini to use to navigate my Sonos. Other than that NADA. ;)
No, because I would rather my kids save their money for more important things like food and rent. I would rather they come over and cut my grass or rake the leaves. That is a GREAT present for me.
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Stereo5, the kids paying their rent and buying food is an important thing. If they come over and rake the leaves and cut the grass, that's a very nice present also. However, all things being equal, if a friend or family member should show up at my door with an Audio Research Reference Reference 5SE gift wrapped, I believe I'd be just as happy as you'd be having your leaves raked. Of course, yours would be the better gift, since the sound of raked leaves would be live....and I'd only be listening to recordings through my preamp. Also, the audiophile gifting is not limited to your kids. Spouses, friends and other family members certainly qualify to give an audiophile gift.
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No, I've never gotten any audio gear as a present. I did get a camera for my 35th birthday but gee, I paid the credit card bill so was that really a gift from my wife? And I did get a watch for my 50th but I seem to recall I paid for that too.
My wife purchased for my 40th b-day 10 years ago a new Rogue Audio 99 Magnum....that is true love....
Back in 1997 my wife surprised me with a brand new pioneer DV-500 DVD player. I still cherish that moment....

Our first Christmas together, in 1988, she bought me a programmable universal remote from Crutchfield.

The best thing is that she never questions or complains about my audio/HT purchases.
I know this doesn't count but I got a Crosley record cleaner...but it was the "thought" that counts...!
Enjoy the MUSIC fellows!!!
I would imagine that many friends and family would be afraid to make a purchasing mistake on your behalf. It is often suggested that one not give pets or art as gifts, as they are too personal a choice.
Nobody I know that would buy me a Father's Day present would hae any clue as to what I would want or like unless I told them specifically beforehand, which kind of ruins the surprise part of Father's Day.

I did get to sit and spend time listening this past Father's Day more than I might have been able otherwise. That was a nice present.
Mid 80's my ex-wife bought me Nakamichi BX300 cassette recorder for my birthday. A few years later she bought me my Spendor S100's for Xmas. Of course I chose them, she just paid for them. Come to think of it, she used my money! But it's the thought that counts, right!?;)
Like Map, no-one I know would ever presume to identify an audio toy that I might want, and I'm sure that the general assumption is that if I really wanted it, I'd buy it for myself (or already own it). So, no audio toys, but....

My wife bought me the same thing this year as last year; another Polyscience Immersion Circulator for cooking sous vide. Not an audiophile gift, but a reasonably tech kinda toy, nonetheless.

In a twist on Zavato's complaint, I didn't pay for it (she used her own funds) and we're not divorcing (to my knowledge, anyway), but she and her friends will be eating their fair share of the output from the machine, so it's just a teeny, tiny bit self serving. OTOH, I love her dearly and dig the gift in a big way.
No equipment, and it's probably best that way! But, my daughter did make me a nice clock out of an old LP, painted gold - looks great!
I've never gotten any gear as a present, I think because they know that they do not understand my tastes, and they are fairly confident that I would just sell (or not use) anything they bought me. It doesn't bother me, I don't buy my wife's clothes/shoes either.
For me, the closest thing would be an IPod that my brother and sister-in-law bought me for my birthday. It may not seem like much but the darn thing fascinated me and led to a rebirth/renaissance of my love for audio/video. And so I began upgrading. But I knew early on that as much as my family may love me, the only one that was going to spend the kind of money that I spent for my system was going to be "yours truly."
CDs a few times for birthdays and Christmas, a Discwasher brush once, but never anything that plugs in. I probably nixed that possibility by making such a big deal out of my very first Father's Day present from my wife - a gallon of antifreeze for my aircooled 356. Very practical.
Obviously no one here has ever watched the original Cosby Show. He always made a point that his kids always bought him very disapointing presents for his birthday, Christmas or father's day. Very funny. Most people I find, buy gifts that they like and not necessarly what the giftee wanted or needed, because quite often, they never ask. If a person pays attention to the other, there are hints everywhere as to what to buy. High end expensive equipment would be a mistake for the untrained novice gifter to buy unless you told them you wanted it. But items related to your hobby(s) show they are paying attention and care about you and your hobby. It could be music you love, artwork associated with your hobby, concert tickets, something that shows they noticed. Buy as Bill Cosby always said, it was typically a really bad tie.

enjoy
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I know guys that have gotten Rolexes, automobiles, big-screen tv's and boats as presents.

I do believe if we made specific lists of the things we desired (and where to get them)....we'd probably get better results.

....also, better include a price sheet with your list.
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Have been quite fortunate and share here not to say this is better than others, but that I'm so thankful for my family. This year our daughter gave me tickets to a Peter White/Rick Braun/Euge Groove concert at the One World Theater here Austin, TX....my son (also an audio enthusiast) a 180g reissue of Led Zeppelin + 180g The Black Keys. Being thankful!