Sneaking hifi equipment into the House without an Argument!

Rocket · « **on:** 1 Feb 2004, 01:46 am »

Hi,

Seeing as how there seems to be many married members who frequent this forum, i thought i'd start a thread listing all the Excuses we can use to purchase hifi equipment.

I had a discussion with Pugs and suggested the following to him. Here goes:

Hi Pugs,

Sounds like you need a couple of lessons on how to import new Hifi gear into your house without an argument.

Firstly NEVER ever tell you wife the True cost of your purchase. I usually tell my wife that the gear i purchased was at least half or a third of the actual purchase price. You can even get the hifi dealer to doctor a receipt for you

.

Secondly you can tell your wife it was such a super deal that in the long term it will Save you Money

.

Thirdly you can actually Try and hide the hifi purchase and not mention it. If she doesn't check out your system she probably won't even notice something new. (I tried this one but my wife was Too observant)

Lastly you can actually Condition your wife to accept your hifi purchases (hypnotherapy might work).

I've gone threw steps 1 - 3 and now she just shakes her head at me, with a look of disgust, pity and revulsion

.

Anyway good luck and hope my advice helps and doesn't get you divorced.

May'be other posters can chime in with excuses they use.

regards

rocket

Marbles · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 02:25 am »

Those are all real good!

You can't do this down under anymore, but previously to collecting audio gear, I collected firearms....my wife hates guns! I now have 2 safes full.

Whenever she starts to question an audio purchase I just say "no problem, theres a gun show coming up in a few weeks. I can return this amplifier and use the money for a few more guns"

Then she is so happy I spent the money on audio equipment, she won't let me take it back

Also having my own room..OK the basement...she really doesn't know what I have in my system and what I don't. I just leave the gear in my trunk until she leaves the house and bring it on in

She really doesn't want to know how much I spend on this stuff.....oh and she lies about how much her new dresses cost, but I really don't want to know how much she spent on her stuff either

Horsehead · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 03:03 am »

Great topic!

I just snuck in my Great Northern Sound Statement Modified Wadia 861 SE CD Player and she hasn't noticed it yet. That is one big chunk of aluminum, so I'm pretty sure it WILL be noticed.

This trick works well. I had Steve from GNSC ship it my local FedEX center so I could pick it up there instead of "another" 70lb box arriving at the front door prompting some questions

My worst day was when she first saw my old Martin Logan Prodigies- hated them! Next was when she saw the Pass Labs X350 sitiing on the floor. You just can't hide some of these things. Cables are the easiest to bring in and out of the system!

I fully subsribe to Rocket's "techniques". All work very well!

Carlman · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 03:40 am »

It's funny I've been slowly stacking pieces of gear on top of each other as they've arrived to audition/demo... The stack gets bigger and my wife probably notices but, then doesn't want to know... I have hidden the Panny XR25 because I told her I wanted to buy that for myself for my birthday... which isn't too far off but, we still have a few weeks... But, it's here!

My biggest excuse is that it's all 'demo's' or 'auditions' and I'm not paying for it... ha! Even if it is considered 'free' it's not free to ship it back or to the next person... and right now money's getting tight. So, it's getting tougher and tougher to get anything by her.

So, other than 'free demo's' I've run out of ideas. Thanks for some of the other suggestions.

hmen · « **Reply #4 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 03:54 am »

I also have my system in the basement and I've found that I can replace components without my wife noticing. The area where I keep my equipment isn't very well lit, the shelves have a lot of equipment on them and it all kind of looks alike to her (or so she says

). In the past year I've swapped out a pre-amp, two different sets of tubed mono blocks and a DAC without her saying anything so I'm pretty sure she hasn't noticed.
I've had stuff delivered to my office and friend houses but I try to time my purchases to arrive when I know she won't be around. I make sure that all boxes, packing material and the old component are out of sight in the garage before I use the new equipment.
While she was at her sister's house over the holidays I brought in a 43 pound 12 amp Powervar and put it against the back wall next to the subwoofer . She still hasn't said anything about it. If she does I'm going to say that it's been there "for a long time" and point out that if I was trying to hide it from her I wouldn't leave it sitting out in the open

.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 06:43 pm »

This is one of the best posts yet at AudioCircle!!...and I'm so glad that our married audio friends worldwide have to endure some of the same crap to enjoy our obsessive hobby. You wonder, without an internet forum, if you're the only one that has to sneak your hobby in around your wife..it's too damn funny.

One of the only things I can add to the outstanding/subversive advice already offered is...if you're married, volunteer to balance the family checkbook! Be the go-to guy on one of life's drudgeries, happily

. Very important for maximal disguise. Even if you can't add or subtract - learn - it's worth your life and marriage

.

Also, PayPal, rather than checks, allow for a certain further degree of coversion.

I haven't gotten much flack for too many purchases as I time mine to coincide with bigger paychecks (my income is very variable), and I still have small-ish monitor speakers...the audio obelisks you just can't hide from the wife easily. Those new VMPS RM-30's are a mighty tempting direction to go next, just how to sneak those guys in is a good bit of my problem in committing to them right now. I might just have to cryo my cables or upgrade my transport instead to satiate my lust.

Who knew a friendly obsession with high quality sound could lead to Hannibal Lechter-like acts of subversion?

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 06:48 pm »

Incidentally, the piece-of-a_ _ in my avator is NOT my wife. I'm not sure I could EVER lie to her...I find it tougher to lie when sporting a 'stiffy'.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 07:08 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy

Incidentally, the piece-of-a_ _ in my avator is NOT my wife. I'm not sure I could EVER lie to her...I find it tougher to lie when sporting a 'stiffy'.

Yep, TheChairGuy is finally up out of his chair... now chase'in girls on the beach !

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 10:10 pm »

Is that a folding chair on her back?

This thread is hilarious! Makes me glad I'm divorced!

droliver · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 10:34 pm »

I still hear about the day my Norh marble drums showed up unannounced. You'd think that they wouln't get so upset about two large ham shaped pieces of marble being plunked down in the den

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Feb 2004, 11:27 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

Is that a folding chair on her back?

I guess some people are paying attention to other things in my avatar, Robert....sex really does sell, but it sells the unintended a lot.

I think we'll find a sow to model the chair next time.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Feb 2004, 12:52 am »

I doubt it's a good sign that I noticed the chair, but hey! You're the Chair Guy!

JoshK · « **Reply #12 on:** 2 Feb 2004, 02:37 am »

Unfortunately my wife balances my books and goes through each and every receipt no matter how small. She is also extremely frugal, both for herself

and for me

. However, since she doesn't have to work and I am paying for her grad school she lets me play a bit. I haven't done anything extravagant in a while. After we buy our house though, things may be different.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 05:10 pm »

Bump.

I simply had to bump this forward for a few more folks to see; 291 views is far too little for this priceless editorial/op-ed piece.

JLM · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 05:20 pm »

Wifey doesn't like me spending on audio, but knows it could be all sorts of other things (cars, tools, cruising sports bars after going to all the professional/college games, hunting, fishing, etc.) that would cost just as much. After all, a guy needs a hobby.

In planning to biuld a new house (that she wants) I told her that it would include a listening room/office just for me. Now she worries about never seeing me again. That worry has offset her usual concerns about money as I design the room and arrange for custom speakers to be built. BTW I maintain my own checking account and she pays my credit card, so I have a way to sneak around the money issue.

IMO its up to her to motivate me out of the room.

jbgcpa · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 06:30 pm »

Great topic.

I don't buy a lot of equipment, but I find if I keep talking about it with as much technobable (I'm not very technical so I make most of it up) as possible, eventually she says, "Shut up and just buy it". Then I can tell her that I just wanted to keep her involved in something that is important to me

I didn't invent this technique, it just seems to get used on me a lot with a great deal of effectiveness.

Jack

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 07:17 pm »

I've used many of the techniques Rocket has described.

My wife isn't very observant and could care less for this hobby. I pay the bills and maintain our investments so she doesn't see any of the big ticket items on any bills.

The hardest thing to hide are big flashy speakers or aluminum gear. When she asks "What is that?", I just tell her it's a trade-in. She's fine with it as long as it's out of the way not cluttering the house, while at the same time selling other stuff to compensate........And, of course, as long as it doesn't look tooooo expensive (i.e. given away by how aesthetic it looks). Some pieces look pricey so she won't believe me if I tell her I got it cheap. An analogy she uses is that a Ferrari is still expensive, even if bought used.

Always gotta keep on my toes.

Jumpin · « **Reply #17 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 07:40 pm »

The one I use most effectively centers around holidays. I do my buying around My Birthday, Chrismas/Hanukah, Anniversary, etc. and tell her not to worry about geting me a gift, I'm going to get one for myself!

Jumpin

Bill O'Connell · « **Reply #18 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 09:22 pm »

Here is the line that I have used more then once. Bring it out when your in trouble for that new piece of Equipment.

" Honey, What else do I do. I go to work come home , try to do all the things on the honey do list and when its time to relax I just want to listen to music. I don't spend on fancy cars or clothes. Heck I don't even go out with my buddies anymore, You have domesticated me and I love spending time with you but its my only real hobby. I'm not blowing our money in bars or frivilous stuff. Heck all the stuff I buy I can probably sell what I bought it for. What other investment do we have that does that. You want me home and here I am ,at least let me enjoy what little time I really have doing something I love ". Then the big move. Give her a big hug and kiss and tell her thanks for understanding you and letting you pursue the things you love.

This all needs to be said in your soft vulnerable voice.

Yeah,thats the ticket.

Warning: Not to be used for any little purchases, big ticket items only or when confronted with neurotic behaviour from loved one

Best of luck,
Bill

DARTH AUDIO · « **Reply #19 on:** 4 Feb 2004, 10:12 pm »

I used one simple line "I want a divorce"

Now I buy what I want, when I want

And I can see different women when I want. The women now come with a 30 day trail period, just like Audio

Hey guys, the chase is still a lot of fun