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I've Fallen in Love With My Mistress

For sure I thought I was a loyal die-hard 2-channel guy. In my mind I was kind of smug, thinking that a 2-channel devotee was more serious about hi-fi than those home theater guys, and I could never be one of "them"....they just didn't seem to be purists like the 2-channel guys. But it seems I've been smitten by another pretty girl, a mistress....and her name is home theater. Maybe it's just an infatuation, but I'm loving it. Amazingly, I once viewed high end audio stores that started catering primarily to home theater enthusiasts as "sellouts". Now I understand. Over the past few years I've seen guys selling their equipment here saying that they're moving to home theater....and I thought that they must have been crazy.

I am spending much more time doing home theater now than 2-channel. The time I have to spend for home entertainment is not very much and HT is crowding out music listening. With Netflix providing so many movies, I can't seem to get enough. I have been trying to catch up on movies that I haven't seen over the years and I'm having a blast enjoying them. Watching movies doesn't leave a lot of time for 2-channel critical listening. I listen to my 2nd system during the day (mainly the tuner tuned to the local jazz station) while I work as background music (I work at home)and I barely listen to my main 2-channel rig at all any more. It has been months since I've plunked down in my listening chair and let the music take me away.

I have no plans to unload my 2-channel stuff, but I do feel kinda weird walking past my vinyl and cd's that has been my main source of home entertainment for decades. I feel like I'm cheating on someone that has been good to me.
128x128mitch4t
somec59
245 posts
 
You got to have music at the party but HT is a must for the afterparty
rx8man's avatar
rx8man
1,475 posts
 
Well, I'm 50 so it's about time for me to stray (without any real logic of course) so rubberdoll.net here I come !

"What ? yes dear I'm on the computer, be down for dinner in a few minutes"
sdatch
204 posts
 
Nothing wrong with favoring whichever ebtertainment format your life situation dictates. Actually Mitch4t's honest observation is a pretty common trend in the US now, and is probably part of the reason that new music, as well as music systems don't sell as well as they used to. Given the hours many of us work in the States, finding time to listen can be difficult. Playing a movie typically doesn't involve all of the "ritual" time that music does. I haven't listened to vinyl on my system in about a month, even though I know it sounds great, because I don't get those long periods of time to listen lately.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Had to laugh, I used to think those guys with lawn tractors were wusses. I pushed my mower without rear or front wheel drive (I was the drive!) for ten years cutting on a decent hill. Wusses... A guy gets a riding lawn mower right next door, cutting 1/3 of acre, just like mine. Wuss. I'll never get one of those things. Wusses...

Then I moved to an acre. Huh. This was different, however. Now I NEEDED a tractor. And Not one of those simple trashy ones with no tight turning radius and manual transmission. No way, that's for suckers. I've got a lot of trees and NEED a good tractor! Gotta have a zero turn tractor! I got it.

Hey, I didn't change. The situation did. ;)

Further, never marry anything electronic. Then you won't have these problems. Oh, and by the way, your HT doesn't love you. Told me so herself!

Seriously, there's always infatuation with a new aspect of audio/video. Horribly sad, but you might have the HT mutation. My HT gene is recessive.

Anything else you want to confess, Mitch? No, on second thought DON'T! :)
phd
1,280 posts
 
Mitch4T, you are not cheating. Your an audiophile first who has discovered or rediscoverd another enjoyable media, movies. Music can transport you back in time but a good movie is an excellent distraction from daily routines. You can enjoy both music (2 channel) & movies (HT). If you get tired of one than go ahead and enjoy the other but I wouldn't sell your 2 channel gear just because you may regret it later on. My little secret is I have always maintained both, separates for two channel (music only) and a separate Home theater setup (movies only).
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