Wha'choo lookin' at?


As I relaxed to Charlie Haden’s Quartet West on the stereo last night, I thought how much I enjoyed my view when sitting in my main listening position, and I got curious about what others’ eyes came to rest on when listening. My system is in the living room. Much of the front wall is a big picture window. If I want to, I can pull shades down and draw curtains to cover just the first reflection points behind the speakers and not cover up the center part of the window. The main attraction between the speakers, however, is a large floor-to-ceiling plant stand made of oak. (Equipment rack and TV are off to the sides.) It’s a very open affair – no large, solid surfaces -- and on it are a couple of large geranium varieties, an aloe and some other succulents, a cast-iron plant, and assorted other greenery. It’s a very restful composition for my eyes to look absently at and get lost in as I listen. Passive but full of depth, interesting shapes and subtle colors. I swear it enhances my listening experience, and I like it lots better than closing my eyes. I’m gonna call it a tweak. Have not, however, experimented with varying the mix and positioning of plants on the plant stand ;-) .
jayboard

Wow good responses. Never thought about getting into plants. Likely they would all die at my hand. I threatened the roses to bloom last year and it worked. "You think about blooming, or I got a shovel." It worked. Anyway, a large tapestry on the front wall might the TV screen if I could pull it up and down.

 Most of the time I am imagining the performance in front of me though.

I stare blankly at my stereo system, seeing everything, and nothing. Sometimes I experience synthesia (it comes and goes now) or I just come to, realizing that I've been half way into a trance of sorts. Very therapeutic.

Even without going full blown with the synthesia, those moments when I'm looking and seeing nothing and everything can be explained. My rig is just there but not really stimulating me visually. My minds eye, however is conjuring images of the performers with no real effort: it just happens.

All the best,
Nonoise

My speakers flank a hearth. The wall space above the mantle is dominated by a  Tanka print. This is attractive but not distracting. It's just there. . . which fosters listening. Personally, I wouldn't want anything that might seriously detract from focusing on the music but each to her/his own.