Mine would be what is name of that cd you are playing;when I was spinning Frank Sinatra Live at the Sands on my turntable;this comment lead to a conversation on how well a turntable can sound and sources of where to buy albums. |
This is the best complement I have got.
One weekend my older daughter had her friend ( both about 19 or so at the time) staying at our place overnight. On Saturday early morning as usual I had 'classical music' listening session and a solo piano was playing (it was Moravec plays Chopin on Connoiseur Society label on Vinyl) downstairs. My daughter's bedroom is upstairs away from my family room where my main system is.
Later at the breakfast, the friend said: "who was playing the piano, your Dad?". Just Imagine my reaction! Needless to say the record is one of my key reference now. |
Almost nobody compliments me on my rig because nobody cares (except a couple of fellow musicians), and when I demonstrate its wonderfulness to, for example, dinner guests , they sort of pretend to care but in that context they're likely being polite, and if I didn't point out how fabulous it sounds they very likely wouldn't notice. I don't mind at all as the system is designed to my tastes and obsessions, but I have to wonder how many audiophiles are out there in the general masses? Too few it seems. |
My situation is like Wolf Garcia's. Nobody cares. My son often asks if he can play music and of course the answer is always yes, because he has great taste in music for a 19 year old, but he's never mentioned how good it sounds. That might be because he has Sennheiser HD600's and a Darkvoice tubed headphone amplifier in his bedroom. It probably sounds better than my rig. |
Sure. Depends who's listening. When they care, they're always astonished. When someone does, and can afford it, they always have something impressive to demonstrate. Usual first word here is "wow". |
"That sounds really good".
Truthfully most people could care less how it sounds. They think my wireless controlled music server and Squeezebox devices are pretty cool though when I use that to get the music playing. And they are also sometimes really impressed more by the physical presence of my really big OHM F5 speakers. Size matters it seems when trying to impress people.
:-) |
Nilthepill - Cool! Sounds like a terrific compliment to both your system and your father. :^) |
Most people when they see my setup, say "I bet those speakers play really loud!" That what most people equate to a good music set up. They don't get that reproducing the sound of the actual instruments is my goal.
I do have one audio savvy friend who commented he had never heard music sound so clear.
Another person listening to my vinyl rig, said the music seemed to have liquid flow to it compared to CD. |
I'm too shy to describe compliments about my Rig. |
I also have only had a hand full of people that really appreciated and enjoyed listening to music form my rig. As Wolf said most don't care, many are impressed with the gear and ask a few questons but never ask to hear it. |
Wow now that's some clarity. Was a Sinatra CD spinning |
Awe, come on Markanetz. I have no Sinatra. I truly don't think he's worthy. Way over blown. However my music is across the board. Last couple of times, it was Stevie Ray Von's Tin Pan Alley and Donovan's Mellow Yellow. |
Another one would be "what are those glowing things on the floor";led to a nice conversation on tubes and what they can do to the sound of a system;this conversation had a few friends interested in tubes and one ended up buying a used mfa d75 here on audiogon about a year later.I think he eventually sold it and bought a berning zh-270. |
Oh, so it is just a visual thing with you tube guys. I thought so. |
Regarding equipment the only comments/compliments I get are "what are all the tubes?" and how beautiful the speakers are. What I do hear though is a lot of comments regarding my collection of music, rather large and conspiciously displayed. Most conversations in my room revolve around the music, not the system. I don't think most realize the effort its assemby and set up represents. I think I like it that way though. |
Had a guy over recently. His comment after
the first song we played was "Holy shit"
really cool
Alan |
The only thing I have ever heard when someone has seen my system is "how many watts do the speakers put out?" When I politely try to explain that speakers do not put out watts, they usually walk away. |
Many years ago my sister commented on the improvement brought about by using Monster speaker cable. Decades later my wife shouted after hearing the price of my dream component. I now endeavor to bring gear in only when she is not home. Most if they notice at all have that crazed look on their face of you having a very large stereo system and have spend way too much money.
Audio like beauty is in the eye/ ear of the beholder. |
Cs, Sinatra actually has nothing to do with my rig and neither Tony Bennet or Bary Manilow(burp). |
Marakanetz, the first sentence was for you, the second for Rpeluso. Sorry for the confusion. However, I'm with you! |
WOW- It's like we're THERE!(From a fellow live-music lover) |
I find it absolutely amazing how indifferent most people are to a good setup
and quality sound. Women seem to be the most indifferent, which has always stunned me, my wife and mother excepted. I grew up in a household of musicians that included my parents and uncle and many of their friends. I was lucky, we always had great muical systems growing up, big Bozaks, KLH 9s, Marantz 8, 9, Fischer 500c and many more plus thousands of records to listen too in addition to the constant live practice in house. |
Nothing for my “rig” in particular, but Apogee speakers, in general, have a tendency to solicit compliments for design aesthetics (though understandably not everybody's cup of tea). Pass amps, too, both early Aleph and later machined/brushed aluminum facias, get commented on regularly - all generally from men though. |
None come to mind. I know they all must think I'm touched for spending that much time and money on it. |
Csontos- Maybe he's an acquired taste, when I was young and foolish I too didn't appreciate the talent. |
btw, i think donovan is under-appreciated. do you like his Sutras recording? |
"That's some good sounds" from a non-phile (I don't know any philes) and all the while I was thinking how subpar the system sounds for a mid fi system, especially for the money invested. |
My dad, looking at ten years of accumulated gear switched from "you're insane" to "huh. that sounds pretty good". |
Have had more people comment on the size of my cd collection which isn't really all that big. My system is very modest and sits in a spare bedroom so it doesn't see a lot of visitors.
One painful memory I recall is when my wife was showing a few of her friends around the house and she got to my "stereo room." They were actually giggling at the size of my speakers, a pair of Eminent Technology LFT-8As at the time. I felt like I was standing there naked. My wife remembers it differently. They were laughing at something entirely different and weren't even considering my speakers but I know the truth. |
Best compliment was from my UPS delivery guy.
Once while waiting for me to sign for a box he saw my speakers, paused and then said,
"Wow, those speakers are huge, I'll bet they sound as good as Bose"
I didn't turn them on, wouldn't want a disappointed listener :-). |
I had a friend come and listen to my Horn system. It is an Oris 150 with Lowther PM4A with AER cones a KCS basshorn system and DIY subs down to 20 Hz. A couple of weekends after being at my home he attended the Capital Audio Fest in Rockville, Md. He sent me an email telling me he listened to every system at the CAF and he told me that none of the systems there sounded as good as my Oris horn combo. That really made my day. |
Almost no one really cares about listening to my system. A have a few audio buddies over from time to time, but besides that, it is pretty much a solitary pursuit. But that's OK.
However, just the other day I had a reviewer friend up from NYC come by to hear my new front end. He goes to 40-50 live shows a year and does a lot of listening. After about an hour of hearing my LPs he said something like, "All I want to do is listen to more music. I don't hear the system at all. It's very natural sounding and you know it as soon as you hear it." A man of few words, that's about all he said during the whole session.
An older woman heard me play "Silent Night" on the Proprius Cantata Domino LP and it immediately took her back to her childhood in East Germany. She sat there quietly weeping until the song was over. She was utterly transported. That was quite a moving and memorable experience.
Well, I'm going back to do some more listening by myself. |
A neighbor stopped by to borrow something. I'd been listening to Jeff Buckley's "Grace," and as I went off to get what she was looking for, she sat down in my listening chair. When I returned, she asked, "Where is the sound coming from?"
When I told her it was coming from the two speakers -- a pair of Celestion SL-600s -- she said that they didn't seem to be making any noise at all. Instead, everything seemed somehow to be coming from the wall behind the speakers.
This girl, a college kid at the time, actually got up and walked around a bit to check things out.
"Pretty cool," she announced after a moment. "And the music is really good, too." |
A man of my own heart!
Best regards,
Peter |
Most people see the tubes and say, "cool, look at those relics!", as they lean over to touch them. Discouraged quickly by my growl and Sicilian "evil eye". Nearly all are uninterested in listening to my system. And the handful I can get to sit still for a few minutes can't seem to still their mouths long enough to hear to what they are listening. But a few extremely rare comments have been made.
Best compliment? It is a tie.
Upon first listen to my first ever highish end system, playing Pavarotti, my wife and I just stared at each other, dumbfounded, mouthing, "Oh My God!"
Friend/Coworker who sings, records, and conducts a large choir in the Atlanta area stopped by to give a listen. We played material he recorded and said (not exactly, but to my best recollection), "That's it! Exactly how it was recorded! I've never heard it played back on any system which did not compress the complex vocal passages, until now." |
Years ago, using a far different system than I do now (a pair of old Quad ESLs, driven by ARC electronics and of course a vinyl source, cheating a little by using a small set of rear speakers on a delay line), my dear, late audio friend Chuck Lamonica commented: "You can kiss every note." |
About 20 years ago, my daughter then 13 years old, suddenly arrived at recognition walking by while I was tweaking my tone arm while listening. She stopped in her tracks and just gazed in astonishment. Before that she could never understand what it was that made me have to pay so much attention to my gear. She thought it was just a macho man thing. That's when I knew I "had it goin on, man" |
There was that one chick who said:
"Oh my, look at those giant speakers....I want you now!"
That was a pretty good one. |
I have a friend who lives in Bali and visits Sydney every year.
After lunch....we inevitably sit down to listen to vinyl, whereupon Pavarotti singing Nessum Dorma on Decca brings tears and uncontrollable sobbing from this wizened old hardnose.
But often a delivery man will look incredulously on his way out and remark....."Do you still play records?!" |
Whenever someone comes over for a quick listen and then ends up staying for several hours...and the conversation is about the music, instead of the gear. It's also cool when I've gotten some of my best gear and my wife keeps asking, "Who's that?" or "Did you do something new? It really sounds great tonight." |
Try telling anyone not invested in this stuff how happy you are with your new power supply. The tube amp does elicit some surprise since you can see the tubes, and I just tell people, "don't be frightened". Unless you are hanging with another audiophile it's interesting how hard it is to listen to anything with another person...especially when "entertaining". I always have some background music on (instrumental jazz usually...my preferred background stuff), but you look like a jerk if you say..."hey...listen to how GREAT this new LP/CD/Streamed whatever sounds like" and then you MAYBE have 8 seconds before attention goes back to conversation...as it should actually. It is a solo hobby...a shame really...I remember an entire room of us listening to maybe a new Yes album or something through my fabulous KLH Model 20 (anybody have one of those? The non FM tuner one) in the 70s. I guess we didn't drink as much or something. |
A priest from a local church stopped by one day and we were listening to music. I was playing one of David Manley's ViTaL CDs. The music was building and ended with a huge dynamic peak which made the priest yell Jesus! Then with a twinkle in his eye he asked if he could borrow the CD.
I especially like the comments from nonaudiophiles. They are always amazed by the sound. |
I had several comment like some of the guys here.
Are you still playing records?
Oh you can be a DJ...really upsetting one.
Oh i have Bose, i said wow!!!!
Oh your system has 2 speakers mine has 6, i said nice...
Oh you must spend all your money on best buy....i almust faint!
It was a pair of AZ crescendos with ayon triton.
I agree is a lonely hobby but you learn how to live with that
rather than listening to neg, ignorant remarks or people wanting to talk while listening to your favor piece.
Note:
All is not negat here
i have three friends that turned into high end audio after listening my ring all end up buying set up when i had decided to upgrade.
Ages 73,67,65 they are happy and never look back to average gear again.
Funny my friend Dave just moved to Chalston from The jersey shores the only thing he carry on his A8 was the plinius 9100 and nola boxer with the cayin 17A cdp, i was really impressed when he called me.
Regards to you all. |
The Golden Age of high-end is long gone. Back in the 70's, the few shops known for high-end gear were the local hang outs for the likes of us aspiring audiophiles to learn about and discover the latest new gear, listen to music and revel in the hobby. That's where it all happened then. Those were the good old days. |
I think the "golden age" of audio is now. |
I played a live recording for the performer/musician (Vo Fletcher/Ric Sanders Group Live in Lincoln Cathedral) and he remarked that if he closed his eyes the sound took him back to the actual recording event. He said that he could feel the sense of space as projected through the image. |
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Most of the comments on my system have come during dinner, when the music was playing in the background in the den just off the dining room. Usually it is someone asking what is the cd that was playing. When I tell them it is vinyl, they are always surprised. then they realize why I kept getting up every 20 minutes or so.
Other comments from the dinner table are "that sounds real" or "that sounds live" or "where is that music coming from" or "my cd doesnt sound like that".
I think the relaxation of the dinner table allows a new person to let the music into their subconscious differently than if you just plop them in front of the speakers and tell them to listen. In the latter case, they dont know what they are listening for, and it is an imposition. In the former, it sort of sneaks up on them, as they recognize the quality of what they are hearing. |
Best complement I got was someone asking "Is that someone in the other room? You didn't tell us this would be a jam session!" |
Atmasphere, I heard your amps in the Classic Audio Room at Capital Audifest and will now try to do you one better:
It was very lifelike and just about as good as it gets! |
