Sneaky Audio Purchase

[jdandy]

I wonder how many members have made a hi-fi purchase, and had to sneak it into the house, maybe even hide it for a while, then try to get it installed without it being caught. I'm not talking about a new Discwasher brush, or a little quartz turntable lamp. I'm talking about a money consuming component, turntable, cartridge, or even speakers, the kind of thing you know would not be approved of if a consensus was required for the purchase. Was it easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission? Tell us about it.

[MC352]

I am an old pro at bringing gear in while my wife is out of the house.

Now, it's more of a game, or a test, to see how long it takes her to realize it's there, give me the look, and the shaking head, as she tells me I'm nuts, smiles and walks away.

Once it's here it's not leaving, unless I sell it.

Once I had a guy come to buy speakers from me, and he kept looking at his watch. I asked him if he had to be somewhere, and he said, he was just trying to figure out if he could pay me, pack the speakers in his car and get them in the house before his wife got home. I just laughed, and helped him stuff the speakers into his car.

[jdandy]

I am fortunate not to have to ask anyone for permission to purchase anything, but each time I buy a piece of new gear I tell Marlene this is the last piece, I'm done. She just smiles and says, "Yeah, right."

[JJinID]

Originally Posted by jdandy

I am fortunate not to have to ask anyone for permission to purchase anything, but each time I buy a piece of new gear I tell Marlene this is the last piece, I'm done. She just smiles and says, "Yeah, right."

That part about "this is the last piece, I'm done" sounds eerily familiar Dan

[John James]

That wouldn't work for me. The end price would be much more than I am willing to pay. My wife is more than willing to let me indulge my stereo addiction, and she enjoys it too! I talk to her about every major expense that comes up (car repair, house maintainance, etc.) and if it doesn't fit the budget this month then we wait 'til it fits. She can make life "very interesting" if I step outside the lines that we have agreed upon. I'm happy to lead a not so interesting life!

[jdandy]

I once allowed a friend to hide a high-end CD player in my garage. He told me that he didn't want his wife to see it right away. I thought he was only going to leave it there a week or so, and then sneek it into the house when she wasn't there. As it turned out he left the CD player in my garage almost four weeks. The purchase showed up on their credit card statement before he ever got it home. His wife blew a gasket, and demanded to know where it was. He immediately threw me under the bus, and told her I was hiding it for him. He called me, and they both drove over to pick it up, her staring diggers at me the entire time they were here. I just grinned. What else could I do? She wanted him to take the CD player back to the store, but he lied, saying it could only be returned in the first week for a refund, and it was long past that time. He still has the CD player. We laugh about it now. His wife still hates me over that one incident. She acts like I spent the money. That keeps me awake at night an extra second before I'm able to finally doze off.

[f1 fan]

Dan....you really seemed worried about;

Dave

[1KW]

Dan,

My wife can read me like a book so I just tell her what I am going to do, she does not say much anymore. I figure between the 2 channel and the home theater rooms that I had built plus the equipment in each room, the most expensive part is done now.

[jdandy]

David.......You are not done. Just in the home theater, we both know how happy your wife would be if those ugly electrostatic panels disappeared, perhaps replaced with XRT1K's. Then, of course, the XCS1K center channel speaker, and XR200 surrounds. You know she would be thrilled!

And, we haven't even touched the turntable and cartridge upgrade yet in your two channel system.

Nope. You are a long ways from being done. (Hint) Put the XR200's in on the front channels first. That way when you sneak the XRT1K's in later, and move the XR200's to the rear, she may not even notice.

[two dot]

I am fortunate enough not to have to worry about sneaking anything from anybody... never have, never will.

I did just hear a good one at an audio shop yesterday... ( no, I wasn't looking for me... picking up a tee vee for a client)

They are a JM Labs/Focal dealer and my salesman was telling me about a recent customer who called in a panic...

Could they get him the Stella Utopia in a weeks time???

He currently had the Scala Utopia and wanted to upgrade, but the wifey was saying, no, no, no..

Well, they were moving the following week.... movers came and packed up the house and headed to the new house... first, stopping at the dealer and switching the Scala's for the Stella's.

She never noticed...

When there is a will...