Congratulations indeed! One small step for man....one giant leap for audiophiles! My wife was trained as a classical violinist and comes from a family of musicians. You would think that they'd all be overly critical about the reproduction of their art through an audio system. Quite the opposite, it is most definitely NOT a priority for any of them. Suggestions that a good system enhances one's enjoyment of the experience of music meets more often with rolled eyes, shrugged shoulders and knowing grins, elbowing and laughter among them. That is until I switched my home system to a SET (going from SS and push/pull). Once those magical 8 watts of SET sound filled the room, my wife FINALLY took notice, and conceded that, "...WOW, it sounds like the performer is right there in our living room!" Since then, I've heard her even boast to her mom that she likes the stereo system now, and that she finds it very unrewarding to listen on her boom box! I'm sure if she knew the price it all comes at she'd have a cow, so I keep that part of the equation discreet (and my system is pretty modest as those things go here on A'gon). Anytime I mention the price of an interconnect, or of premium NOS tubes it is met with astonishment and sometimes outright mockery! "..I can't believe you pay that much for a 'light bulb'!!" Oh well, ...small victories!
My wife finally got it
My dear spouse has never objected to my audio expenditures and has tolerated the hobby with an occasional "roll of her eyes". Last night, after dinner, I went into the music room, and put on an LP; as I do many evenings. It was the Sheffield Labs/Los Angeles Symphony/Eric Liensdorf Firebird.
My 5 year old daughter and our dog were in the room in front of a toasty fire, the lights were dimmed VERY low (I need to set the mood:)). I was completely immersed in the music. My wife was moving around the house, but mostly doing something in the adjacent family room. When the stylus hit the run-out groove at the end of side 2, she walked into the room and said: "That sounded better than ANY CD I have ever heard. That was beautiful!" Light dawns over Marblehead ladies and gentlemen! She followed up by saying: "Now I understand." We have been together for 10 years, and that is the first time her equipment comments have not been on the order of: "that was nice, but I can listen on the boombox in the kitchen". God, I LOVE that woman!
My 5 year old daughter and our dog were in the room in front of a toasty fire, the lights were dimmed VERY low (I need to set the mood:)). I was completely immersed in the music. My wife was moving around the house, but mostly doing something in the adjacent family room. When the stylus hit the run-out groove at the end of side 2, she walked into the room and said: "That sounded better than ANY CD I have ever heard. That was beautiful!" Light dawns over Marblehead ladies and gentlemen! She followed up by saying: "Now I understand." We have been together for 10 years, and that is the first time her equipment comments have not been on the order of: "that was nice, but I can listen on the boombox in the kitchen". God, I LOVE that woman!