I got "The Look" from the wife as she walked by the music room...

Hi-FiGuy

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Feb 23, 2015
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As I was putting weather stripping on an interior door.
I was doing bass sweeps today looking for resonating objects.
At 20Hz I thought the door was going to fall off the wall.
Then walks by a bit later and she says , "Are you doing this for me to keep the music in the room"
Absolutely!
 

WLVCA

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Nov 2, 2012
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My wife used to complain that my music was too loud.

So, I bought a headphone rig.

While listening on the headphones she tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I couldn't hear her speaking to me.

Yes, I said. I know that! :D

She didn't see the humor in my comment.
 

Hi-FiGuy

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Feb 23, 2015
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My wife used to complain that my music was too loud.

So, I bought a headphone rig.

While listening on the headphones she tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I couldn't hear her speaking to me.

Yes, I said. I know that! :D

She didn't see the humor in my comment.

This made my day! :eek:
 

Legolas

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Dec 27, 2015
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France
As I was putting weather stripping on an interior door.
I was doing bass sweeps today looking for resonating objects.
At 20Hz I thought the door was going to fall off the wall.
Then walks by a bit later and she says , "Are you doing this for me to keep the music in the room"
Absolutely!

Like it. I found it depends on the music, Beyonce is no complaints, but Rammstein....

I have a music room off the lounge, so an open door to it. I can close it and play loud, to pressurise the room when I want a 'Caveman' moment.
It is something I need to do from time to time, bit like banging my shield with my axe, that sort of thing....

Seriously though, there is a level of enjoyment you hit on music played a bit louder than 'normal', it is more immersive, more like a live event.
 

awsmone

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Apr 6, 2014
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Canberra Australia
I am guess I am lucky, my main system is in its own room, downstairs from the rest of the house, I can lock three doors and little escapes, my record library is in an adjoining room, with my own bathroom, no one else goes down stairs, I bought the house for this feature

I installed a second small system upstairs in the living room, which has active speakers, so only a source and preamplifier

My wife told me she loved just being able to press one button, to get music

Our third system is in our bedroom, and I mainly play jazz on it, which my wife loves...
 

Rodney Gold

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Jan 29, 2014
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Every audiophile should do a rattle and buzz sweep every few months or so , you would be amazed at whats resonating and sharing its happy little tune with the music.....
I rebuilt my room to be soundproof..its sealed.its my refuge from the rest of the world..I like the immersive effect of playing loud .....
 

mcondo

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Feb 24, 2015
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I agree that loading the room once in a while is absolutely necessary. In my house we play the main system a lot, but at fairly low listening levels, say 65 db. Those levels never really produce decent bass and overall balance in my ProAc D15's. Pushing it up to 80+db's transforms my system, loads the room and reminds me why I have a decent system to begin with. One caveat - higher volumes require well produced recordings for full effect imho. That's when I pull out my favorite SACD's. :)
 

COF

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Sep 29, 2017
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I feel so lucky whenever I hear of other audiophiles and the WAF/loundness issue.

My 2 channel listening room has always been the living room right beneath our bedroom. It was renovated to also do home theater duty years ago, so it has some sound absorption in the room. The room has a wide opening (no door) to the hallway, but our nice thick curtains pulled across that opening really deadens the sound getting out. The luckiest aspect for me is that my wife sleeps like a rock. So I can play music after she's in bed and it's no problem. (Then again, I don't play at really loud levels anyway).
 

Legolas

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Dec 27, 2015
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I feel so lucky whenever I hear of other audiophiles and the WAF/loundness issue.

My 2 channel listening room has always been the living room right beneath our bedroom. It was renovated to also do home theater duty years ago, so it has some sound absorption in the room. The room has a wide opening (no door) to the hallway, but our nice thick curtains pulled across that opening really deadens the sound getting out. The luckiest aspect for me is that my wife sleeps like a rock. So I can play music after she's in bed and it's no problem. (Then again, I don't play at really loud levels anyway).

Oh my friend, you must get yourself some high end headphones, it is great fun. I suggest the LCD4 or Abyss for starters!
 

COF

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2017
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An airtight music listening room is like an underground bunker.
Nothing can disrupt the audiophile in it, nothing.

Understood. Though I'm not in the "want to be isolated" camp. I actually much prefer living spaces feeling shared and social. This is also the reason I renovated the living room for home theater as well as my two channel system, instead of doing the standard basement reno or creating some other isolated room. I like the ease of use and accessibility of my listening/viewing room being right here on the main floor, my kids often joining me. It's rare that I even have to pull the curtain across the room opening as no one objects to the sound.

Oh my friend, you must get yourself some high end headphones, it is great fun. I suggest the LCD4 or Abyss for starters!

My point is I don't need to use headphones :)

I'm not a fan of headphone listening anyway, for various reasons, and vastly prefer listening to speakers. I get why headphone listening appeals to some people, though.
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Understood. Though I'm not in the "want to be isolated" camp. I actually much prefer living spaces feeling shared and social. This is also the reason I renovated the living room for home theater as well as my two channel system, instead of doing the standard basement reno or creating some other isolated room. I like the ease of use and accessibility of my listening/viewing room being right here on the main floor, my kids often joining me. It's rare that I even have to pull the curtain across the room opening as no one objects to the sound.

I was just generally speaking, for those times of inner sanctum music concentration, or just simple quiet privacy.
My music room is not a bunker, it is open, with windows, a regular living space.

When we share that space it is pleasant the comments we hear occasionally, and I have a good smile reading the OP's overture while performing duties of sound control. That was a good one that short interaction with his wife; I could picture it in the most sweetest way.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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One of the greatest discoveries for me was when I got a good match between main speakers and sub and then focused on lowering noise floor with good isolation, emi/rfi, dedicated lines, etc. Still far from perfect...but to a point where even at volume level '1', late at night, i can work and enjoy a surprisingly balanced 'bass hit' where i do not feel the need at all to crank to feel the 'impact'. Its not that the bass is thwacking away while the treble is whispering...but rather that even when the music is at soft dinner discussion volumes...i can get a nice low level chest thump (if that makes any sense) that is well balanced with the music.

Ever since then i have found i tend to play at LOWER volumes not higher...both due to lower noise floor which in particular meant that bass hit was delivered with great satisfaction at lower volumes. Something which my wife appreciates as she works at our partners desk.

(Of course, as a bass freak and audiophile...yes, it ALSO means deep house electronic, orchestral and action flicks are insanely fun at exhilarating levels!...which fortunately my wife also finds fun when we watch Mission Impossible 5 or Man from UNCLE!)
 

GaryProtein

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Jul 25, 2012
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My wife used to complain that my music was too loud.

So, I bought a headphone rig.

While listening on the headphones she tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I couldn't hear her speaking to me.

Yes, I said. I know that! :D


She didn't see the humor in my comment.

mens hearing aid.jpg
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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My wife didn't think this was funny either!! :confused:


IMG_3632.JPG
 
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Hi-FiGuy

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Feb 23, 2015
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Exclamation point them a heart, awesome!
My biggest problem with my headphones (over the ear) is when I am in the zone with my eyes shut and she tries to get my attention, my reaction is usually less than mellow, not out of anger, but out of holy crap it startles me and my protective instinct is on immediate high alert.
I told her to poke me with a stick, jump on the floor, turn it down, something anything from a distance, anything just don't be close.
 

bonzo75

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Kingsrule

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My wife constantly asks when am I going to pull the pins from the MPods........chose wisely :D
 

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