How isolated is your hi-fi?

I agree that some environments look pretty cold and uninviting. A semi-religious shrine of sorts => cold, austere and meticulously laid out with gear with no sign of life.

Other shared rooms look great and comfortable until you notice giant speakers that look anomalous or out of place in proportion to the room....like the "obelisk" in 2001.

Others are music themed and you have Elvis LPS's etc on the walls - I like these rooms a lot!

Perhaps it is all about balance - a pleasant place to spend an afternoon or evening rather than a cave.

I chose to hide all my gear, including speakers as I don't need to see it and I don't plan on changing stuff each year. The room I chose is a play/family/rec or den room - it had a pool table in it when we moved in, which I removed and now it has children's toys over the floor. The advantage is that it is large and is one of the only carpeted areas in the house plus it walks out into the garden so it is a pleasant place to sit. The only drawback is I have to share it with the kids sometimes, which is a great pleasure, as, after all, there is nothing more important in life.

We're empty nesters so I don't have to share with anyone or anything. Well, except my pool table. My wife and I are much happier having our separate spaces to enjoy what we each enjoy. We're not worried about growing apart since we still do plenty of stuff together. We watch a lot of sports together and dine out often. After 32 years of marriage, who else would want either of us anyway? ;-)

I am starting to address the "man cave" look. A few LP covers in frames, lots of wood since I've build my own racks and speakers. But I am starting to consider some color. The off-white drywall is getting old and the room could use some new curtains.

My room is dedicated...but not isolated. It has a music system, hometheater system, and computer. It's also a good place to read...and dance, (mostly, the grand kids do the dancing, and we do the watching....age 2 and 9).

We have a TV in our living room, and the bed rooms...no TV in the dedicated room. (exceptions made for hi def sports!)

Dave

My high-end system is located in a dedicated room and this room was a priority when we had our house built (my wife's priority was a large kitchen and plenty of other entertaining rooms.) It is my belief that to extract the maximum performance from a hi-fi system a dedicated room is needed - this will allow the use of proper acoustic treatment and a highly symmetrical arrangement, with respect to the speakers. My family understands that I have been into audio for over 25 years and totally accepts my unique hobbies (I have others). We do not think of my dedicated room as a form of societal isolation, but rather a means of fully appreciating the art of music reproduction. Some hobbyists have dedicated woodworking shops; others art studios or large garages with vintage automobiles. In general, these are places we practice our passions and are not necessarily a social and family screen. I realize a dedicated room will not work out for everyone, but for those seeking the ultimate hi-fi experience and have understanding family members, it is wonderful.

When my GF and I were looking to buy our first place, I suggested a seperate bedroom/den for the system since she seemed bothered by it visually in our living room. To my shock she said no way, if we're going to have a stereo, especially a silly expensive one, then we should both be allowed to use it, including any friends that come over. I was rather surprised by this but couldn't argue, and the more I think about it the happier I am not to be locked away in some soulless dedicated room.