Do We ALL Position Our Best Audio Gear Where It Gets Used The LEAST?

[Jabs1542]

Yes, it really would be helpful if you can test in your own environment first. Hmm, I wonder if The Cable Co. could that as a new option

 

Testing could be relatively easy . It's the return policy that gets tricky.

[Melvin]

Living alone allows me to indulge at will, in my living room, and I do so daily. My living room is for music, reading, socializing, and napping. TVs are in other rooms and used much less than the stereo. At work I listen all day to internet radio (mostly) on the inexpensive rig I threw together (yeah right!) just for this purpose.

[Ajax]

Excellent and timely thread as I have been living out of a suitcase for the pat 12 months since I sold my home and therefore haven't been able to listen to my main rig (Devialet Ensemble).

 

Recently bought a new "old" house, a real stinker located on the side of a hill and spread over 3 levels with a large but impractical layout (300m2 = 30,000'). I am about to embark on a major refurbishment while trying to avoid a replay of Tom Hank's "The Money Pit".

 

In my previous house my home office (I've since retired) was my listening room for the Devialet, however, after reading everyone's comments I am definitely going to make provision for a dedicated listening room, with the appropriate acoustic treatments so it that it both sounds good and I can play it loud should the want arise.

[Jud]

Excellent and timely thread as I have been living out of a suitcase for the pat 12 months since I sold my home and therefore haven't been able to listen to my main rig (Devialet Ensemble).

 

Recently bought a new "old" house, a real stinker located on the side of a hill and spread over 3 levels with a large but impractical layout (300m2 = 30,000'). I am about to embark on a major refurbishment while trying to avoid a replay of Tom Hank's "The Money Pit".

 

In my previous house my home office (I've since retired) was my listening room for the Devialet, however, after reading everyone's comments I am definitely going to make provision for a dedicated listening room, with the appropriate acoustic treatments so it that it both sounds good and I can play it loud should the want arise.

 

I think if I understand correctly it would be 3000 sq ft rather than 30,000. Let me put it this way: Bill Gates' home is 40,000 sq ft. Would yours be roughly comparable?

[tne]

Blake,

 

I've unsuccessfully tried to figure out what you're listening to that might fit that description. Please clue me in.

 

Mark

 

If I may step in and guess an answer, maybe Blake has been listening to this -

 

SongsoftheHumpbackWhale.pdf

[Blake]

Blake,

 

I've unsuccessfully tried to figure out what you're listening to that might fit that description. Please clue me in.

 

Mark

 

In my wife's defense, she made that comment when I was listening to the album "Andoya" by Eric Holm, which is a nifty album but I can see most of the population in agreement with my wife.

 

My musical tastes are all over the map, but I probably spend most of my time listening to more fringe/experimental artists in the electronic music scene and when I do, that's when I get the ribbing from my better half.

[Blake]

If I may step in and guess an answer, maybe Blake has been listening to this -

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20321[/ATTACH]

 

 

How did you know? Easily in my top 10 albums of all time!

[YashN]

1. How many of us here at Computer Audiophile actually listen to our best audio gear more than any of our other rigs - excluding the one in the car?

 

My system as it is currently is probably one of the more modest ones in this forum and on several other forums.

 

It sounds so good we *have* to listen to it every single day.

 

Turning the music on is actually one of the first things I do every morning.

 

I have my whole music collection to re-discover!

[YashN]

My rig is where it belongs... in the lounge.

 

My missus is where she belongs... sitting next to me listening to loud music in the lounge

 

WAF is for those who perhaps have not achieved optimal wife selection.

 

;-)

 

Yup.

[toddrhodes]

I have three systems:

 

Work - JRiver > Gungnir > Project Ember II > Senn HD650. It's a very fun setup to discover new music and listen to old favorites while I work. I spend a good bit of time on the phone and in meetings so I'd say I get to listen for about an hour a day, and if i know i'll only have 10-20 minutes at a time to listen, I just don't bother, unfortunately

Home #1 - Home theater system in the great room (open concept) - HTPC > Denon AVR > mish-mash of speakers, 5.1, with HSu VTF-15 sub. It's a perfectly fine home theater setup but unfortunately the way I have to set up the LCR with a 1-year old, I don't have high expectations

Home #2 - dedicated, treated listening room in the basement. Audio PC (JRiver + JPlay, PPA USB) > Regen > Aqua La Voce S2 > Bel Canto Pre1 > Nuprime ST-10 > DIY ScanSpeak 3-Way Discoveries, two 12" powered subs.

 

Home #2, the "main" system gets at least 2 hours of work a night, and on many an occasion I've spent 4-5 hours down here after the wife and daughter go to bed. I was able to parlay this room in favor of converting my old office upstairs to a play room for our daughter. My wife has come down a few times to ask if I could turn it down, but honestly that's few and far between. I rigged up a scheduled playlist from the upstairs HTPC to play "white noise" type stuff after 10 pm until 2 am so that drowns out a lot of what goes on in the listening room.

[livelistenlearn]

she’s curled up on the couch. dogs lie

...in various positions around her. nice tableau vivant. captured a few images. in mental megapixels. for remembrance when the world gets less simple.

starbucks sachet coffee can taste nice. when some times/moments are too amazingly lazy to be wasted on a trip to a coffee shop.

anne akiko meyers & the english chamber orchestra. celebrates spring.

well enough to close eyes. and pause (typing this). to listen via HQP (latest) >> mbp >> hugo >> roxannes.

tv is on. 5.2 system is on. softly. nobody is watching.

yes, i should. but don’t want to get up. just right now.

maybe, it’s not how often one listens to one's best hi-fi system... that probably costs too much (in time + money) to be ably justified/explained to most partners. or anyone else who matters.

maybe, what matters are certain moments. those moments. when music sweeps you away. regardless of system. at home, at work or in the car. or, (and this is dangerous) in someone else’s home, office or car.

“do we all position our best audio gear where it gets used the least?” we know we should not, but life happens.

“do we all use our audio gear when music should be enjoyed the most?” because we should.

cheers

[Ajax]

I think if I understand correctly it would be 3000 sq ft rather than 30,000. Let me put it this way: Bill Gates' home is 40,000 sq ft. Would yours be roughly comparable?

 

Hi Jud,

 

Yep one "0" too many. I'm not sure what Bill you would do with all that space. Certainly room for a music room ... maybe even a small concert theatre. Kind of gross in my opinion.

[Jud]

Hi Jud,

 

Yep one "0" too many. I'm not sure what Bill you would do with all that space. Certainly room for a music room ... maybe even a small concert theatre. Kind of gross in my opinion.

 

Shouldn't be too hard on old Bill. He's committed himself to give most of his money away, and he's saving plenty of lives in Africa.

 

The thing Steve Jobs used to say about him was that he had terrible taste, and if you go to any Apple Store and see how kewl the future looks there, then go to any PC seller and see how dull it is by comparison, you know what he meant.

 

That's where the house is actually a little redemptive. Bill got to do Jetsons stuff there like have a little RFID tag that cues the house OS to follow him around with whatever TV/video he's watching, audio/radio he's listening to, etc. So in Bill's home at least, the future as brought to you by Microsoft is exciting.

[Gary.D.Olson]

It's done. My best gear is now in the drum practice studio where I'll surely get 10X more use from it.

 

Of course, there are both advantages as well as disadvantages due to the space. The drum practice studio is a converted 12'x13'x10' guest bedroom situated at the extreme end of our U-shaped 3820 square foot single-story home. I had the builder coat this room with the thickest available drywall. Immediately upon moving into the home, I covered the walls & doors of this room with 1/2" thick sound-reducing panels, and covered those with thick sound-deadening carpet. The investment paid off by significantly reducing the deafening sound from my drums and the unholy sonic intrusion visited upon my unfortunate previous neighbors.

 

The big disadvantage is room size and dead acoustics which necessarily render these and any other speakers into a "near field" experience. While this is hardly ideal, the advantages are striking:

 

1. The Canton's win hands down over the JBL's for the purpose of drum practice. Where the JBL's are nearly at their limit when matching the SPL from my drums, the Canton's are effortless. Hell, they're barely waking up at that point. Plenty of headroom with these fine speakers.

2. While the Yamaha/B&W rig sounded sweet in this room, the Luxman/Canton rig sounds even better.

3. Not only will I enjoy my best gear more often; I'll be able to enjoy it at any volume regardless of time due to the sound barrier.

 

Additionally:

 

1. I'll now enjoy the B&W's at the office - a huge upgrade to my most used rig

2. I now have extra gear which can be sold & converted into new shoes for the wife and a decent steak for me.

 

Temperatures hit 105 here yesterday and are supposed to hit 103 today. Another day indoors:)

[orgel]

The thing Steve Jobs used to say about him was that he had terrible taste, and if you go to any Apple Store and see how kewl the future looks there, then go to any PC seller and see how dull it is by comparison, you know what he meant.

 

They have some Microsoft retail stores now, e.g.…

 

Microsoft Store Tysons Corner Center - Tysons Corner, VA

 

…that are pretty nice. They remind me of some other upscale computer store. Can't quite put my finger on which one. (I don't actually go inside the Microsoft store, but I've looked through the window.)

 

I'm with you, though, on the Gates Foundation's work in Africa. Well done. Also, Bill & Melinda have a pretty sweet place in Lamu on the Kenyan coast, so it's not all work and no play. (I think they still have it. It's a little close to Somalia for some people's comfort.)

 

--David

[Gary.D.Olson]

I now have extra gear which can be sold & converted into new shoes for the wife and a decent steak for me.

 

...or perhaps a DacMagic or Arcam rDAC to replace the Schiit I currently have.

[Ajax]

Shouldn't be too hard on old Bill. He's committed himself to give most of his money away, and he's saving plenty of lives in Africa.

 

The thing Steve Jobs used to say about him was that he had terrible taste, and if you go to any Apple Store and see how kewl the future looks there, then go to any PC seller and see how dull it is by comparison, you know what he meant.

 

That's where the house is actually a little redemptive. Bill got to do Jetsons stuff there like have a little RFID tag that cues the house OS to follow him around with whatever TV/video he's watching, audio/radio he's listening to, etc. So in Bill's home at least, the future as brought to you by Microsoft is exciting.

 

Hi Jud,

 

From what I understand Bill and Warren Buffet have been buddies for a long time and in 2006 joined their wealth together and formed a charitable foundation with a war chest of over $50Billion. They also instigated the Giving Pledge and Wikipedia states that by April, 2012 over 80 billionaires had committed to giving over half their wealth to charity.

 

The thought that two of the best business minds of our generation controlling that sort of cash for the benefit of fighting disease in Africa is very cool. Especially when they do not have to contend with over zealous bureaucrats putting up barriers and siphoning off large chunks of money for "administration". So kudos where kudos is deserved.

 

However, I still think a 40,000m2 house is gross and I for one would feel very isolated in it.

[Jud]

Hi Jud,

 

However, I still think a 40,000m2 house is gross and I for one would feel very isolated in it.

 

While by any stretch Bill's house is enormous, it is *not* near half a million square feet. (40,000 sq ft rather than sq meters, and I apologize on behalf of all Americans for maintaining this damned "English"/"Imperial" measurement system.)

[Jud]

Hi Jud,

 

From what I understand Bill and Warren Buffet have been buddies for a long time and in 2006 joined their wealth together and formed a charitable foundation with a war chest of over $50Billion. They also instigated the Giving Pledge and Wikipedia states that by April, 2012 over 80 billionaires had committed to giving over half their wealth to charity.

 

 

Saw a TV show where Bill and Warren were interviewed in front of an audience of U of Washington students. They were being asked about kids and the Internet, and Bill was saying he was like any parent concerned about where his kids went online, "because of course I don't control all the computers they're going to use." To which Warren immediately piped up, "That's not what I hear."

[blownsi]

Back on topic: I rarely listen to my best gear. I listen to headphones (K7xx/o2) and/or the "TV setup" (T-amp and Fostex FE126en/RELT3) daily. Perhaps once a month when I have 4+ hours to sit and listen on a Sunday, I fire up the good rig.

[Ajax]

While by any stretch Bill's house is enormous, it is *not* near half a million square feet. (40,000 sq ft rather than sq meters, and I apologize on behalf of all Americans for maintaining this damned "English"/"Imperial" measurement system.)

 

Sorry again, you wouldn't think I had a degree in Civil Engineering. Anyway my old rambling house would be considered large by Aus standards and whether you measure in ft2 or m2 Bill's is still 12 times the size ..... I've given up trying to convert!

 

FYI I'm a huge admirer of Warren Buffet who has recently had a foray into Aus shares purchasing A$500M worth of stock (3.7%) of an Australian Insurance company called IAG.

 

From the Sydney Morning Herald .... "Mr Buffett said in a statement that the partnership with IAG would help fast-track Berkshire Hathaway's entry into the Asia-Pacific region. "I expect for decades and decades and decades [to come] we will both benefit from this. I am 84 years old and this is my first investment in an Australian company - I have been very derelict, but it has been worth waiting for."

 

Anyway apologies to the OP = we should get back back on topic before I / we upset someone.

[TubeLover]

If I may step in and guess an answer, maybe Blake has been listening to this -

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20321[/ATTACH]

 

 

I liked this much better than the studio version!

 

JC