How important is spending time with your gear?


In another topic we're talking about digital input speakers, and it got me thinking about something entirely different. 

How important is it to spend time physically close to your gear, vs. enjoying it's output?  If you could have your gear in another room, or closet, and you were left with just your speakers with no audible downside would you do it?  Would you put your gear away and enjoy the empty space or do you need the physical closeness?

Clearly turntables make this a challenge, and there will be some poopy heads which don't get the question or can't stretch their imagination but for those who can, would you?

erik_squires

I enjoy looking at the stuff. It also helps a bunch to have it be visible and no more than a few steps away. You need to be able to operate the remote controls. You wanna be able to run to the turntable when you feel the need to clean the stylus, turn the record over or deal with a skip. I wanna be able to see what track number I'm on when I listen to the CD/SACD player. I want my tube amp to have plenty of ventilation. Sure, all the connecting cables are an eyesore. But I really can't complain.

Agree with Russ. I enjoy seeing the tubes glow since they provide a little ambiance to the room. If everything was solid state and didn't have VU meters, I'd be okay tucking things (like my boxy NAD pre/streamer) away while attempting to hide the speaker cables for a cleaner look. 

I have my gear in a cupboard, with speaker cable through the wall.

It does make for a very clean look, and my wife is happier. She doesn't like cables, or ugly. But it limits what I am able to have. 

https://www.hackster.io/news/a-thin-film-speaker-for-low-power-high-quality-audio-93a6f9d9a9a6

Wouldn't it be better without even seeing the speakers.  No size constraints no placement issues.  Just holographic music floating in space.  I'm for it.  I like my tube amps and turntable  as museum pieces but I'm limited to where they can be displayed.

@painter24 

I read your OP, paused to digest, and then felt disturbingly uneasy at the thought of it. Gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I think I need help 😜

 

 

You're not the only one!

In a perfect world I wouldn't need any of the equipment to be visible, just a blank area where I could organise my imagination, but I entirely get the point made by @audioguy85.

 

"I just love gazing over at my technics direct drive with strobe illuminated in a dimly lit room. Also, peering at my tannoys with their beautiful bespoke wood finish, or watching my vacuum fluorescent VU meters on my vintage 3 head Aiwa tape deck doing their dance..."

 

Sonic beauty and visual beauty obviously do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Naughty Erik, making us think in such abstracts.