[albireo13]

just ask her if she can take your balls out of her purse 

....  says the guy still living in Mommy's basement!
LOL

[thunderbrick]

....  says the guy still living in Mommy's basement!
LOL

 

[jsalk]

I need a huge WAF to help me get some Salks.
Show me what works for you.THX

ROB

We have received more than a few emails over the years from the spouse of someone who purchased speakers.  In those emails, the writers often say they are not interested in audio, but wanted to write and thank us for the nicest furniture in their home.

I always encourage someone concerned about WAF to have their spouse to select the finish (or at least provide substantial input into the selection process).  It is all about encouraging them to take at least a degree of ownership in the process.

We have had scores of couples come to our shop over the years.  Often, the spouse is not at all excited about the impending purchase and seems quite bored.  But then we start talking about finishes.  I show them different veneer samples and ask questions about their taste in decor.  I see an almost immediate change in their attitude.  Most seem to enjoy the process of being able to create their own look.  When the speakers finally arrive, they are able to take ownership because the creation was theirs.  Problem solved.  And when they hear their favorite music at a level of quality they haven't heard before, well...game over.

- Jim

[toddc2]

My advice would be to get a new W, but since that won't go over well...here's a common sales technique.

Try and sell her on something that's kind of hideous, more expensive than a Salk, and something you ultimately don't want.  Work to convince her, act disappointed when she says no.  Then pretend like you're compromising and offer her a better looking and cheaper Salk model.  Compromise has been achieved and you got what you wanted.

I used this technique years ago when I purchased my first Saab convertible! I started the discussion with a Corvette convertible and settled for the Saab. These days I wouldn't mind picking up a new Corvette, so I can use the previous compromise to start that discussion.

[benguin]

I must be one of the lucky anomalies for this.  My wife is very supportive and we approached the selections jointly.  Frankly, she is in music professionally and has a different ear for things I don't always pick up.  She's been my trusted final adviser, and I like having he opinions for consideration.  W

We planned a stop by Jim's shop on one of our trips, and she was sold based on the feeling the sound evoked.  I think we're almost three years in on our SS8 based system, and we're both still wow'ed by the sound and the appearance.

My advice would be not to focus on the logic approach as much as to get her hearing them in action with music she likes.  Budget might be the only real limitation for you both to be in agreement.  Hopefully, that will keep it from being a power struggle/grudge item. 

If the appearance is a big factor, there's bound to be a color/wood/grain/paint/metal that can meet your needs.

Good luck!

[thunderbrick]

And when they hear their favorite music at a level of quality they haven't heard before, well...game over.

- Jim

Game over is when you say "I Do."

[Phil A]

Just tell here the alternative is to live with me.  First show her all the pics of my stuff in my gallery.  If that doesn't make her say yes to whatever you want, then just show her my picture.  That's bound to scare most

[SteveFord]

Maybe tell her Phil A and myself are a package deal?
What time do you serve dinner?

[Phil A]

Maybe tell her Phil A and myself are a package deal?

We don't want to kill her!!!

Seriously - I used to do deliveries/set-ups with a friend who worked at a high end shop.  The significant others used to bitch to me.  I'd tell him would you rather he spend money and stay at home or spend money and either time at a bar or on a golf course.  They would shut right up.

[sunnydaze]

Game over is when you say "I Do."

That's just sad.....so very sad!

May be why I'm still single!     

[Phil A]

That's just sad.....so very sad!

May be why I'm still single!     

I had brown hair once and more of it   That's why I'm single now.  Many moons ago I had the owner of the stereo shop helping me mount rear surrounds to the grand room of my old house which had a 19 foot ceiling (the surrounds were slightly over halfway up and tilted down).  The surrounds were large black laminate bookshelf (19 inches high and 10 inches deep and 7 inches wide).  He remarked I'd never get away with that if I was married.  I said that's why I'm not.

[FullRangeMan]

Since a long time only the poors marry, the rich and famous are united by contract, sometimes the contract is not even renewable.

[thunderbrick]

That's just sad.....so very sad!

May be why I'm still single!     

Yeah, "I Do" means you are agreeing to submit to 24-7 adult supervision.  That's when the trouble starts...

[ckunstadt]

from my experience:

While I totally agree that Jim's speakers are finished beautifully, I believe MOST systems are a poke in the eye because of the hodgepodge cluster-hump of componentry that is arranged on a wood plank and cinderblock stand. With an Xbox spilling out and a cable modem balanced on top of Assassins Creed.

Take some care and budget for a very nice cabinet for your equipment. Having doors and drawers can really lighten the visual weight of an audio system. Attend to messy cabling. Minimize the number of colors and finishes. Adding "feminine" items on or around your system is a cheat that's not likely to help. (I'm talking plants and figurines and picture frames. Not tampons.) And for the sake of sound quality, pave the way early for good speaker placement. Don't let the spousal unit expect to have speakers jammed against the wall. Or that speakers may be moved around all the time. It should be part of the deal to allow the speakers to occupy a little space in front of the wall. Finally, where I have failed, is to get a single remote control that makes using the system simple and teach the older people in the house how to use it. If they can't use it or don't understand it, they will likely resent it's presence. Maybe they don't need to know how to switch sample-rates on your outboard DAC, but they should (perhaps) be able to start up Pandora and listen to something they like.

Oh!  What I was never able to articulate to my first wife is that my audio system was different than an appliance -- where you would simply research, shop and choose one and use it until it dies. For many/most of us, it's a hobby or interest that keeps our systems evolving. Things are changed or added and it's not because something was so "wrong" with what we had. The journey is the thing.  Wife 2.0 understands this. Or, at least she expects it.   Don't assume they know your psychology wrt audio.