What selections do you play when showing off your system to others?

I usually ask what they like and try to start off with a taste of that. Maybe a couple tracks and then throw in a few pieces that really perform!   Maybe Supertramp, “School” from Crime of the Century (either HiRez digital or the record).  Maybe Yes, “Roundabout” Fragile, from HiRez dsf./SACD file.  Maybe some Neil Young “Comes a Tome “ or “Look Out for My Love” off Comes A Time from analog remaster vinyl.  Sting “Island of Souls” from Soul Cages, 44.1 digital.  Black Crows “She Talks to Angels” off Shake Your Money Maker, 44.1 digital file.  Genesis “Firth of Fifth” off Selling England by the Pound”, dsf./SACD digital file. Jesse Cook “Beyond Boarders” off Beyond Boarders 44.1 digital file.  And whatever else they like. 
 

Of course I don’t play all these for everyone but just choose some tracks that the person may like.  Doesn’t work if they hate the band or type of music.  But sometimes the music they like is a terrible recording.  Most of my friends aren’t really into classical much but maybe a little jazz or progressive rock, classic rock and varied other styles.  I’m not stocked up on county or Nashville stuff.  Sorry.  Everyone has a different taste!  So try to play to they’re taste if the recordings are good. 

I used to play Sinaed O’ Connor doing a pretty much acoustic cover of Nirvana’s All Apologies for people. I personally found it to be realistically intimate and close up and revealing and for that reason it mesmerized me. It didn’t seem to have that effect on those I played it for, however. The Highway Men covering Steve Earle’s The Devil’s Right Hand was another one I liked to play, because I thought the sound-stage (the placement of the four vocalists) came through quite well (plus I thought it was just a lot of fun listening to those guys doing those lyrics). Probably another one I flopped out on.

@immatthewj

He is the one that got me started down this destructive trail, but where his main thing is HT, I diverged and became obsessed (with obsessed being a relative term) with two channel audio.

I’ve always been more of a 2 channel stereo fan myself but I can definitely see myself moving over to Home Theatre sometime in the future. A large TV without high quality sound is far less immersive.

@rafevw

Worse yet, if they actually dislike the music playing, they will find an excuse to leave the room and quietly, or openly, question the wisdom behind your expensive hobby!

I’ve never had anyone openly question the wisdom of my hobby (apart from my wife but she doesn’t count - she knew what she was marrying into), but yes I’ve felt those vibes on more than one occasion.

Shall we say it’s a slightly uncomfortable feeling?

That’s why it’s always best to be a little diplomatic if a friend asks you how their system sounds. You don’t have to lie, just choose your words carefully.

I’ve always been more of a 2 channel stereo fan myself but I can definitely see myself moving over to Home Theatre sometime in the future. A large TV without high quality sound is far less immersive.

@cd318 it was back in the good old days of VHS and Dolby Pro Logic that I got started.  And I did think that was a lot of fun.  But so much happened so quickly that I didn't even try to keep up--haha, I never even bought a DVD player.  I imagine that HT has evolved beyond my wildest imagination at this date.  But that's okay, I have rationalized it (because I could never afford it now) by using TV as a just a diversion to pass the time and not allowing myself to think about how good the special effects might be when I watch a movie . . . and that kind of means that I never watch a movie because it has good special effects (like I did in the old days) but because it is a good movie with a good plot a good script and good acting.  But I can only imagine, however, how much more I would like some of my favorite movies on a HT.

I could care less about the tut-tuts I sometimes get. I could care less about the various contests people might goad me into to determine who is the more virtuous hobbyist. In any event, I got to say that, in my current living circumstances the only other person I know of with a genuine, audiophile-oriented sound system is my wife -- whose modest but extremely mellifluous system sits in the living room. Her bedside clock radio has superior sound compared to mine, as well.