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Kids during audition - aaaaagh!!

It used to bother me a lot when I would try to demo my system for someone and all they wanted to do was talk during the music. I get it - not everyone is an auditory person. But I still found it off putting and a bit depressing. Like if you took them for a ride on a windy mountain road in your Ferrari and all they noticed was the nice leather.

But FAR WORSE than that is when you're trying to demo your system for someone and they bring their kids. It happened to me last summer, and again tonight. In both cases it could not be helped but it totally destroys the listening experience to have a 6 year dancing around in front of the speakers while the 2 year old sings along with Rebecca Pidgeon.  The listener is denied the chance of the listening experience that we all know and love. I found it actually painful, emotionally. A lost opportunity for a new person to be swept away by the musical experience that comes from a high end system. I guess this time it's like they strapped their screaming kids into child car seats in the Ferrari and only let you drive in the small parking lot. Why bother? And no, I don't have a Ferrari. But yes, with no local audiophile friends to appreciate it, I do yearn to at least share the experience with someone who's never heard good sound.

One other note. Isn't it funny that non-audiophiles often assume that you're going to blast their head off by playing Metallica with the volume set to 11?
bob5560g
minorl
1,014 posts
 

My youngest daughter is a dancer.  She is 28 now and has been dancing since four.  She is a professional principle dancer now with a dance company.  Ballet/Jazz/Modern, etc.  centered around Ballet.

Some of my most cherished and fondest memories are of her quietly coming into my listening room while I was listening to music and dancing.

Absolutely wonderful memories and experience.

Especially now when I travel to see her and her dance company perform and those memories come back.

Now she is into vinyl and comes often to take any albums that I have more than one of. 

enjoy 

rodman99999
5,977 posts
 
@minorl -   That kind of memory is worth vastly more, than whatever it might have cost.
minorl
1,014 posts
 

I totally agree.

Thanks,

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Kids running around bothering adults? Back in the day parents knew how to explain it to them. One more for the "General Decline of Civilization" files.
leemaze
329 posts
 
Bob - I wonder if you invited your friend over to specifically listen to music and explained that him/her? I find that unless I’m clear that “I want you to hear this cool thing but you can’t talk or you’ll miss it!” Then people aren’t comfortable sitting in “silence”. Or they don’t consider “listening to music” as _just_ listening without distractions. If you explained it, and then they brought the kids, well you should have just moved on, because that wasn’t happening. But I agree, if you did explain it, that’s a little rude. 

In terms of listening loud - well it is helpful to have people not talk!
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