Hi end audio who cares

Most of the people that visit this site have a high resolution system or would like to anyway. The others buy Bose and the like. Just remember, YOU are hearing the music that is absent from "their systems". They have no idea how much content goes unheard. Then tell them you paid far less then they did for all your gear .... You will instantly gain their respect for being such a savvy shopper. THAT,they can understand ....

I would never think of demonstrating my speakers or cdp or new phono cartidge or whatever. What I do is ask have they heard the latest (or some particular favorite piece) by one of their favorite performers, and then play it for them. I demo music they like. Invariably, they say things like, "gee that's so clear" or "it sounds like she's right here in the room with us."

Unless they are already interested in high end sound, however, they never show any interest in going out and looking for a "system."

I too get comments...

How loud can it play?
Louder than I am going to play it for you!

Can you make it thump like those cars?
I probably could, but I dont like the way those cars sound!

Why did it cost so much?
Cause I am insane!

I finally decided to take a stance:

I will not play my system louder than I like

I wont tell anyone how much it cost me

I wont show off the bass (I actually turned the sub of for music and down on movies)

For me, my system is a way of relaxing. It is also inspiring and at times almost a religious experience. It pleases me and I am no longer concerned with having it please others.

BTW: My wife loves the system too. I am lucky on that one. :o)

Taters and others:

Your posts point out one of the sad realities today: high quality reproduction of music in the home doesn't matter much to the vast majority of people, although people will spend substantial sums on home theater systems.

I think this phenomenon is attributable to three factors:
1. Music is often treated in American culture as background "filler" (pay attention sometime to the nearly ubiqitous presence of music in restaurants, malls, stores, bowling alleys, etc.);
2. Far fewer people take the time to actually sit down and listen seriously to music -- either in the home or at classical music concerts;
3. The quality of recorded music, with a few exceptions mainly in the high-end, continues to deteriorate. American pop music is far more concerned with making money than developing top talent; in many cities, classical music and jazz concerts are struggling; and many young listeners have no standard against which to judge well-recorded and well-reproduced music (think about the popularity of MP3, for example).

The audiophile community is, infact, a "deviant" group when compared to the vast majority of Americans. Most folks simply don't place the kind of priority we do on music as a source of cultural, intellectual and/or emotional pleasure. All this reinforces the necessity for those who do support high-quality music reproduction to be adamant with both recording companies and audio equipment manufacturers to raise their standards. (In the early 1970's, I owned Bose 901 speakers, but they provided the basis for me to move on to much better equipment.)

I'm very lucky. No one has heard my system. I'm a pretty selfish person.