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“Civilian” reaction to your gear?

What kind of reaction do you see/get when non-gearheads see or hear your systems? 
I have gotten the full spectrum- one person called my assembly of gear obnoxious (call me obnoxious, ok, but my gear? Fighting words!). Others have been politely  (and sometimes dismissively) curious; I’ve been asked if it’s as good as Bose (I usually say “close”); and some thought this level of music reproduction at home was not possible. Many have asked what does each “box” do. 
For the genuinely curious I tell them “sit hear” followed by “what would you like to hear”? I play their choice (thank you Qobuz) and invariably the expression on their is quite positive. 

zavato
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
6,031 posts
 

I’ve been loving music since I was a kid and got a used record player, you know the ones that are in a box.  Take off the lid and you had a three speed TT and a on/off volume knob.  Anyway, by high school I had built a decent rig. With a lot of work and horse trading, by college I had Bozak speakers and all Halfler equipment. Every single person I bought over to show off my system thought I was nuts! My Sansui receiver sounds the same. My own brother, my own flesh and blood doesn’t understand.  He is completely happy listening to music though the 1/4” speakers in his iPhone.

My wife is pretty good about my habit.  I guess as long as I don’t drink to excess or go to the Casino, she’s okay with me getting a new DAC.

dwest1023
361 posts
 

Most of my friends could not understand why I spend so much time listening to music. Then we they come by and hear my system , they no longer ask, they accept. They think I’m crazy for spending so much money on gear. They still think I’m crazy but now they understand.

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jfuquay
131 posts
 

My guitarist son-in-law was impressed. My Rolling Stones-loving brother asked where the thump in the chest was. (I play mostly acoustic and have Magnepans). But best of all, my son has a favorite new group and he asks me to how he can fully realize all the layers of sound on their recordings. And so it begins.

barts's avatar
barts
802 posts
 

I've had the full range of reactions.  Totally ignoring a room with an imposing amount of equipment all the way to "What is all that stuff?"

My Hartley speakers are large 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.  With that as backdrop....

A cousin of mine comes to the house for a BBQ and wanders into the music room. Comes and gets me and heavily questions me about all the equipment in a very congenial way.  Finally he looks at me and says "Well that's a helluva lot of equipment but where are the speakers?!  So I ask "You don't see any speakers in this room?".  He says no!  I let him chew on that for a minute because I am amused.  And then I point to the speakers.  He says "Those are NOT speakers!". I say sure they are.  He refuses to believe me and acting annoyed storms out of the room.  Go figure.  Sheesh civilians.

Regards,

barts

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