I lied to my wife about the price of Stax 009S headphone


My wife is the youngest of my mom in law who is 88 years old.

Recently my wife is staying with her mom to take care  expecting her mom can live just one more year or so.

Thus I am having happy life playing music loud even during midnight.

My house is seated on 2 acre lot so that my neighbors does not get bothered unless windows open wide.


My wife dropped at home yesterday ( She drop once a week to clean the messy kitchen while she is away.  She is an angel Ha ha).

She happened to see my new headphone of Stax 009S headphone and asked its price.

I could tell her the real value ( new price 4,500$ and I got 4 months used one for 3,200$).

I did not mean to deceive her but answered it costs me 1,500$ by chance.


Then she had listened to K-Pop using both  Stax 009S headphone driven by Carbon amplifier and Massdrop  Empire Zeus IEM( I told her the real value as 1,000$ No lie here Hehe).

The source was  Cocktail Audio X30 music server feeding  Chord Dave and Mscaler ( I did not tell her how much Chord Dave and Mscaler cost, if she find out, I may have to buy her diamond necklace)

On first few songs, she prefer  Empire Zeus IEM  to  Stax 009S headphone on lively sound of the former.

But after listening few more songs, she expressed that  Stax 009S headphone sounds more natural than  Empire Zeus IEM .


Whew if I had told her that I had spent 3200$ on headphone, I may have to go out to buy her something like expensive bag or clothing.

Reality is I had also spent additional 3300$ on  KGSSHV Carbon headphone amplifier.

How many of your audiophile had lied to your wife or girlfriend about the cost of audio components?

I guess 98% from my 41 years of audio history.


128x128shkong78
Of course I lie to my wife. It’s what our “audio relationship” is based on!

I kept the information from my wife on my modest Cary SET an integrated tube amp ~$5K.  She thinks it looks real cool and wants me to buy one for the living room and two more for the other house.  She didn't ask the cost.  Then, she makes the big bucks.  
@ davidgwillett

It is better to keep the price of audio gear from your wife rather than lying.

My wife does not ask the price of gear often.

But this time she was curious about the price of headphone after she got surprised at my purchase of 1k$ earphone.

I reduced the price of headphone afraid that she may get heart attack upon hearing the real price of it.

She has prejudice that any headphone or earphone over 500$ is a rip off.
@ teo_audio

I am using your nice interconnect as one component of triple combination (not just double like Doug Schroeder).

On 2005, I could reach the speed of 135mile(220km/hr) at Autobahn near Frankfurt, Germany.

Unless they raise the speed limit to 100 mile/h in US, I do not have any intention to buy any sports car here.

I do not want to play top audio system under 80db all the time.

It is same as nice sports car to drive under 75 mile/h.
Kong,

Thanks for providing one of the most interesting reads on this
site. There are a lot of weak sisters in the 80+ responses who
as you say are best ignored. 

I do not lie but I am deceitful at times. Is that any better? No.
As any attorney will tell you, a response to any question you
do not want to answer can be phrased a number of ways with
a "truthful" answer that avoids the real truth.

I have owned 4 Porsches the first of which was rolled a couple days
after its purchase but before my insurance was in place. As I crawled out the rear window and saw my 38 revolver lying on the road
I realized my guardian angel was again working overtime.

Cars, audio, guns & women fascinate most men I know.
There is really not much else required to satisfy the hedonistic
virtues of man.  If that's too crude for anyone, stop reading now.

Sinatra's song- "I took the blows and did it my way"will be my epitaph.

When I see your icon photo of the lovely, open and airy home
you own with all the windows, my 1st question is:
"Why don't you build a music room to appreciate the gear you
own"? 
As you are an intelligent man I am sure reasons exist.


One guy raises the most provocative question:

"When did music become such a self-prescribed solitary experience?
I'm really curious to pinpoint that moment in our culture. Anyone" ?

Nobody took a shot at replying so I will. 

"When a man finds something that suspends the madness
 circulating in his mind, he naturally gravitates toward it."  
 No wife required for the audio activity.

Women evolved by developing social skills which can not be
successfully employed when music is being listened to.  
Not much different than duct taping their mouth's shut. 
As you would feel if you were handcuffed.

They also see musical gear as giving you more pleasure and garnering more of your attention than they feel they can offer or feel they are receiving.  A threat is always feared.

I have some other darker and more negative reasons but will
not go there on this forum.