I can see making some concessions on aesthetics to get along with your wife if you don't have a separate listening room of your own. There are a lot of big ugly speakers out there that might sound great, but make her barf at their appearance, and not want them in her (and your) beloved home. But that credenza idea is a too much to swallow, and she needs to be more considerate of your needs too.
I'd suggest using negotiating skills that start with the word "No" and I'm willing to compromise, but not roll over for that idea. Then offer some compromises. Keeping the components in a ventilated space behind a closed is doable, and worked with my wife. You know I wanted to display the electronics, but was willing to compromise with her winning on that score. The speakers you, not she desires, need to have a reasonable , not garish, appearance, but suit your listening needs and be placed in a reasonable position in the room where they won't sound like, well you know. That's where I'd hold the line, while giving her some say on the speakers aesthetic appearance.
By showing a willingness to compromise, but holding the line where you need to in terms of how your system will sound, I'm guessing you'll end up getting more respect in the long run, after a few fights. My wife didn't like my big old Dahlquist DQ10's sitting out in the room when I had them, and I didn't like having the rest of my beautiful equipment behind closed doors, but that's marriage, give and take.
If your sound system is important to you, you can't be a door mat or you'll eventually not have her respect, which is a worse outcome, and definitely worse than a few fights. The kind of trade off twoleftears suggested might be a reasonable compromise as well, and another way to skin the cat.
I'm sure a lot of us have been where you're at. It might be tough for her to hear the word "No" to a credenza, but she'll get over it, eventually. And it will only get brought up by her but occasionally in future years, during unrelated arguments. In my experience women never do forget and for that matter men never remember. Good luck,
Mike
I'd suggest using negotiating skills that start with the word "No" and I'm willing to compromise, but not roll over for that idea. Then offer some compromises. Keeping the components in a ventilated space behind a closed is doable, and worked with my wife. You know I wanted to display the electronics, but was willing to compromise with her winning on that score. The speakers you, not she desires, need to have a reasonable , not garish, appearance, but suit your listening needs and be placed in a reasonable position in the room where they won't sound like, well you know. That's where I'd hold the line, while giving her some say on the speakers aesthetic appearance.
By showing a willingness to compromise, but holding the line where you need to in terms of how your system will sound, I'm guessing you'll end up getting more respect in the long run, after a few fights. My wife didn't like my big old Dahlquist DQ10's sitting out in the room when I had them, and I didn't like having the rest of my beautiful equipment behind closed doors, but that's marriage, give and take.
If your sound system is important to you, you can't be a door mat or you'll eventually not have her respect, which is a worse outcome, and definitely worse than a few fights. The kind of trade off twoleftears suggested might be a reasonable compromise as well, and another way to skin the cat.
I'm sure a lot of us have been where you're at. It might be tough for her to hear the word "No" to a credenza, but she'll get over it, eventually. And it will only get brought up by her but occasionally in future years, during unrelated arguments. In my experience women never do forget and for that matter men never remember. Good luck,
Mike