How do you feel about other people using your stereo?

[617]

I enjoy listening to music while playing on my phone or reading or playing guitar, but I have to say it has always made me really happy when someone else gets to enjoy your stereo. They don't know all the thought that goes into it, nor has their joy been stolen by comparisons.

My girlfriend has this routine recently where she smokes weed, does exercises or yoga or jumps on her trampoline and then lies down on the floor listening to the sad songs off Folklore, the Taylor Swift album. It's not a bad album really but it occurred to me that she would have never spent the money on audio that I have, and as a result would never get to enjoy this music quite as much.

On the other hand, I used to have roommates and it always annoyed me when they used my stereo. I suppose the difference is that I like one more the other. One day I hope to play my system for one of me neices or nephews and make them aware of the joy of audio.

Anyone else love seeing people enjoy their system? I almost wish I could hear it without ever hearing it before.

 

[MarkWinston]

I wont mind if someone close used any of my systems, IF they know how to operate it. I dont want people to press every possible button they can find and mess up my settings.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Nobody touches my system and lives to tell about it.

 

[Pdxwayne]

My 5.1 setup in family room auto turns on when the TV is on. So, anyone can use it and enjoy it. It is used mainly for video playback.

My 5.1 setup in living room is more complicated and involved multiple devices turn on. My daughter knows how to use it and I am fine with her using it. She uses it for exercise videos anyway, so, she is not really "enjoying" music with my setup.
: (

My 2.2 stereo setup in my living room is for me only. I don't mind my family members using it, but they don't care about audio quality that much, so, no request at all to use it.
: (

 

[MattHooper]

I like people enjoying my stereo. I have many friends who come over to listen to music.

But no one has ever operated my stereo except me. Never needed to. I was always there to do it. As for my wife and kids, they are happy listening on the laptop or with earbuds. Though both my sons enjoy listening to some of their music on my system too. Usually I'm already listening to something and if they join me we put on some of their music.

But in general, I don't like the idea of "strangers" (non-family) operating my system, especially given the very delicate turntable part.

I've had enough bad experiences with "laymen" who don't grok the idea of things like expensive audio equipment - as in people placing their glasses and beer bottles on my speakers!

I always have to remember that most people don't see stereo as something precious or something to be careful around. I remember when I'd recently received my pair of Joseph Audio speakers which blew me away with one of the most luxurious high quality finishes I've seen on a speaker. And bloody costly. And of course I always have to keep the re-sale value in mind if I want to change speakers. (Other audiophiles will nickle-and-dime you on any teeny imperfection they can find on an item, so I don't want to see any new scratches happening).

The very day I'd set up my speakers a cable provider technician showed up to try to fix the TV signal to that room and the first thing he did was place his tools on the shiny new easily-scratched speakers!!!

Many a guest (and still my wife sometimes!) lean on the speakers when standing and talking in that room too.

 

[Soniclife]

I'm fine with it, until they go near the turntable, with it's expensive but so easy to break cartridge, then my words and my body language are at odds.

 

[shal]

I have a simple setup : Only my PC as source.

when party and a lot of friends (and alcohol). Yep, they uses a lot the system (essentially youtube)

The gain on the amplifier is low also the DAC output level. The system can't be saturated by the PC.

And my JBL can produce a lot of sound , that's fine for the party

 

[daftcombo]

As a matter of fact, my neighbours are using my stereo.

 

[617]

I'm fine with it, until they go near the turntable, with it's expensive but so easy to break cartridge, then my words and my body language are at odds.

I once saw someone try to cue a record without using the little lift lever on my SL1200 with a Shure M97 cart (discontinued) and I almost hit them with a wine bottle.

 

[617]

I like people enjoying my stereo. I have many friends who come over to listen to music.

But no one has ever operated my stereo except me. Never needed to. I was always there to do it. As for my wife and kids, they are happy listening on the laptop or with earbuds. Though both my sons enjoy listening to some of their music on my system too. Usually I'm already listening to something and if they join me we put on some of their music.

But in general, I don't like the idea of "strangers" (non-family) operating my system, especially given the very delicate turntable part.

I've had enough bad experiences with "laymen" who don't grok the idea of things like expensive audio equipment - as in people placing their glasses and beer bottles on my speakers!

I always have to remember that most people don't see stereo as something precious or something to be careful around. I remember when I'd recently received my pair of Joseph Audio speakers which blew me away with one of the most luxurious high quality finishes I've seen on a speaker. And bloody costly. And of course I always have to keep the re-sale value in mind if I want to change speakers. (Other audiophiles will nickle-and-dime you on any teeny imperfection they can find on an item, so I don't want to see any new scratches happening).

The very day I'd set up my speakers a cable provider technician showed up to try to fix the TV signal to that room and the first thing he did was place his tools on the shiny new easily-scratched speakers!!!

Many a guest (and still my wife sometimes!) lean on the speakers when standing and talking in that room too.

Joseph Audio speakers are pretty fancy looking, I find it shocking that someone would put their tools on one.

I miss having friends over to listen to music. I remember a few years back I knew a lot of people, mostly women, who collected vinyl but had sub optimal ways of enjoying it (or no way). I had a pair of Pro-Ac tower clones and a good turntable with an NAD amp at the time and I remember one girl used to come over and we'd listen to Sparks for like 3 hours. It's a shame that every music lover doesn't have access to really good sound reproduction.

 

[daftcombo]

I once saw someone try to cue a record without using the little lift lever on my SL1200 with a Shure M97 cart (discontinued) and I almost hit them with a wine bottle.

It's the way DJs drop the needle though. He probably recognised the club turntable, but not the hi-fi cart.

 

[MRC01]

I once saw someone try to cue a record without using the little lift lever on my SL1200 with a Shure M97 cart (discontinued) and I almost hit them with a wine bottle.

Back in the day, my wife's sister's husband wanted to play a record on my stereo. I went up to do it, but he said, "Hey, I got this." When I saw him remove the record from the sleeve by grabbing it with his fingers all over the grooves (not by the edges), I knew this wouldn't end well. Then he cued it without using the lift lever, with my Ortofon MC-30 Super Mk II cartridge, and I cringed with visions of a kilobuck going into the trash. Not to mention my expensive needle tracking through the skin oil he left on the record. The ogre slurping breakfast sound it made plopping down was so loud it almost masked the "oh shit" he muttered under his breath. Yet, all went well, nothing broke. He let me cue the rest of the records.

 

[digitalfrost]

Me when someone's using my stereo:

 

[elvisizer]

I'd ask them what the hell they were doing in my house first lol. I haven't had anyone over since the pandemic started.

 

[Pdxwayne]

I like people enjoying my stereo. I have many friends who come over to listen to music.

But no one has ever operated my stereo except me. Never needed to. I was always there to do it. As for my wife and kids, they are happy listening on the laptop or with earbuds. Though both my sons enjoy listening to some of their music on my system too. Usually I'm already listening to something and if they join me we put on some of their music.

But in general, I don't like the idea of "strangers" (non-family) operating my system, especially given the very delicate turntable part.

I've had enough bad experiences with "laymen" who don't grok the idea of things like expensive audio equipment - as in people placing their glasses and beer bottles on my speakers!

I always have to remember that most people don't see stereo as something precious or something to be careful around. I remember when I'd recently received my pair of Joseph Audio speakers which blew me away with one of the most luxurious high quality finishes I've seen on a speaker. And bloody costly. And of course I always have to keep the re-sale value in mind if I want to change speakers. (Other audiophiles will nickle-and-dime you on any teeny imperfection they can find on an item, so I don't want to see any new scratches happening).

The very day I'd set up my speakers a cable provider technician showed up to try to fix the TV signal to that room and the first thing he did was place his tools on the shiny new easily-scratched speakers!!!

Many a guest (and still my wife sometimes!) lean on the speakers when standing and talking in that room too.

My wife once moved my KEF LS50 while wearing dirty garden gloves......

I told her she just significantly reduced the resale value of the speakers due to obvious scratches on the glossy finish and on the front panels. I really hope she learned her lesson and don't scratch my other more expensive speakers with high gloss finish.....

 

[617]

Back in the day, my wife's sister's husband wanted to play a record on my stereo. I went up to do it, but he said, "Hey, I got this." When I saw him remove the record from the sleeve by grabbing it with his fingers all over the grooves (not by the edges), I knew this wouldn't end well. Then he cued it without using the lift lever, with my Ortofon MC-30 Super Mk II cartridge, and I cringed with visions of a kilobuck going into the trash. Not to mention my expensive needle tracking through the skin oil he left on the record. The ogre slurping breakfast sound it made plopping down was so loud it almost masked the "oh shit" he muttered under his breath. Yet, all went well, nothing broke. He let me cue the rest of the records.

The idea that a cartridge can easily cost thousands of dollars is beyond most understanding. They're small and made out plastic, how could they be expensive? Meanwhile if you fart too close to a Dynavector you're going to be selling organs.

 

[A Surfer]

Good lord, spending that kind of money on a cartridge?

 

[antcollinet]

.....

I've had enough bad experiences with "laymen" who don't grok the idea of things like expensive audio equipment - as in people placing their glasses and beer bottles on my speakers!
...

Glasses??? Bad enough.

Anyone putting a beer bottle on any expensive equipment is likely to find themselves on the wrong end of a beer enema!!!.

 

[MRC01]

Yeah moving coil cartridges get pricey, a kilobuck is just above the ground floor. Ortofon says, "Contrary to other types of phono catridges, the moving coil principle is not suited for mass production. Each of the four coils contains between 11 and 24 turns of wire, depending on model, and has to be wound by hand under a microscope." Whether or not that is true, once I heard a good MC I wasn't going back to an MM. I am soooo glad those days are over. We are spoiled now, excellent sound is so much easier and cheaper than it used to be.

 

[daftcombo]

My wife once moved my KEF LS50 while wearing dirty garden gloves......

I told her she just significantly reduced the resale value of the speakers due to obvious scratches on the glossy finish and on the front panels. I really hope she learned her lesson and don't scratch my other more expensive speakers with high gloss finish.....

At least you have a wife who does the house cleaning... Be happy.