How isolated is your hi-fi?

I guess the grass is always greener. I would like nothing more than to have a dedicated space where I can optimize my system and got the most out of it. We already have music systems throughout my house in the family room, patio, master bedroom, and loft. As a family we spend a lot of time casually listening to music but when I listen to my setup it is usually after my kids go to bed. My wife hardly ever ventures into the living room when I am listening unless so is reading a book or surfing the web on the laptop so isolation is not a real problem for me. In fact, I prefer it. Everyone needs some "me" time. I only listen to my system for 1 hour a night before going to bed anyway.

My bedroom is my listening room, it is a part of my life rather than existing a part from my life. There are trade offs but such is life.

I guess I can see it both ways. For example: At the moment I'm trying to read all of these responses while listening to a great Roy Eldridge record. Simultaneously I'm being peppered with questions about appropriate cooking times for a chicken..... Guess what I'm only half listening too?

On the whole though, I think this arrangement works pretty well. Besides, I think i'd feel a little antisocial if I scurried off to my little hole all alone.

Chad, Since I know you're in the process of building your dedicated room, I'll be curious to hear how that works out in six months or so.

Thanks for all the interesting response.

I have my own space but it is not isolated. We have a two story house and there is a fairly large "Bonus Room" on the 2nd floor. The side/rear of the room is open to the upper stair landing. The picture posted with my system is from that landing. This is my space, the rest of the house is my wifes but it's my stereo only room.

My room is in the basement. The mistake I made is the walls go up to the floor truss and the cieling is constructed on the floor truss. I hear footsteps and the music can be heard upstairs. The walls and cieling will have to be disconnected from the floor truss and cieling joices will be placed on top of the walls for the cieling. Good thing it is a 9 foot basement. Other than that I hear no outside noises and the neighbors do not hear me. The source components, line stage and amps are in their own room also.