Disappointing Evening

A dinner party is a social get-together centering around conversation. Listening to music carefully is a silent, solitary activity. There's a disconnect between the two. I actually think your guests were polite to listen quietly for a few minutes. It means they were likely pretty interested, but other priorities exist.

A slightly different story: I was listening to music on my main rig one afternoon recently when my four year-old daughter comes in and quietly sits on my lap, waking up from her nap. The first thing she says to me is, "Daddy, your speakers are working really good." I was so pleased I didn't even correct her grammar!

That's daddy's little girl and proud papa! Very nice!! When I was in first grade, I would sometimes go to my best friends house after school. I would always head straight for his parents stereo and listen to their records. I recall my favorite one being Herb Albert "Whipped Cream and Other Delights".

My friend never understood why I was so interested in his parents records!

In cases like this - the five minute demo with polite guests- you need to shock and awe. I just crank it and guests are totally amazed because it sounds just like a real live show.

We are a rare breed of enthusiasts, and we have priorities that are unique to each of us, even within this forum. I have a few audio buddies but we don't spend much time listening to each other's systems over the course of year. My closest audio buddy that does "get it" lives 500 miles from me so we only see each other and share the hobby at his place or mine no more than a couple of times a year.

Personally I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to live in a time when there was much choice in equipment, which logarithmically expands to possible system configurations (no two need be exactly alike!). But more than that, to also be able to connect via this medium with those who do "get it" and know what it means to have "moments of epiphany" while listening. And there will always be light year differences between listening and hearing, which is what most people do with music. Our brains are wired differently than others and music is essential to our health and well being. It's only natural that we seek the best means of experiencing that which provides our best "view" to the source.