Women in High End Audio

blackdog said:
Women have a very different take on audio. They want to hear the music, not look at the gear and its switches and pretty lights. The biggest problem is on the front lines though. Finding a dealer that will actually talk to a woman on her terms and patiently answer her questions is tough. Just like buying a new car, dealers tend to talk to the men, and talk down to the women.
When we were first married (25 years ago) we needed a new system. We went to several dealers, and listened to a number of systems. The place that got my money, was a Linn dealer who talked to my wife, set up the gear she wanted to hear and took the time to explain everything to her in non-technical terms. She used that system more than I did, and even demanded upgrades eventually.
The main reason was that system allowed her to enjoy the music without fussing over it.
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No smart salesperson does that at any successful dealership. You have to "sell" to the person who has the purchasing authority. In most marriages, it's the woman. It usually doesn't take long to figure out who the person is that's in charge of the money. They don't call them "purse strings" for nothing.
 
mep said:
The key word here is "girlfriend." Women pretend to like all sorts of things you like when you are dating. The truth comes out after you say "I do." Ditto for men. Remember, people are always 1000 times nicer when they first start dating than they are in real life.
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Okay, I can agree to some extent. However, my girlfriend and I have been together for nearly 4 years. And, listening at my place prompted her to want a nice system at her place as well. So, this is much more than pretending to like things I do when we are dating.
 
Everest Audio said:
Okay, I can agree to some extent. However, my girlfriend and I have been together for nearly 4 years. And, listening at my place prompted her to want a nice system at her place as well. So, this is much more than pretending to like things I do when we are dating.
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Let me know how it goes if you ever say "I do." :) Right now, you still own everything you have and you get to call the shots on how your house is decorated and what gear is going to reside in which room. After you say "I do," you will be gone for business sometime and while you are gone, she will hold a yard sale and blow all of your gear out the door for pennies on the dollar and she will take the proceeds and redecorate the house to remove all traces of manliness from it. Your geek audio buddies won't be allowed to come over anymore and you will be spending your free time sniffing candles with her at the local candle store. :disbelief:
 
I recently had a customer buy a new pair of speakers from me and his wife was a big part of the process. She was interested in both the looks and the sound. They both are equally happy with the choice. He even said that she told him to ask me what is the next most logical upgrade to the system. So, as much as he is the one dealing with me, she is very involved in the process behind the scenes as well, and not just from the perspective of how things look as they love listening to music together. This is very refreshing.
 
blackdog said:
Agreed, but it happens more often than you think. Especially if the salesman is a gearhead.
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If you cop that attitude, you will be a broke salesperson because you won't be moving much inventory. Once the dealership figures out you are a hay burner, they will drop you faster than a used prophylactic.
 
Everest Audio said:
I recently had a customer buy a new pair of speakers from me and his wife was a big part of the process. She was interested in both the looks and the sound. They both are equally happy with the choice. He even said that she told him to ask me what is the next most logical upgrade to the system. So, as much as he is the one dealing with me, she is very involved in the process behind the scenes as well, and not just from the perspective of how things look as they love listening to music together. This is very refreshing.
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Glad to hear it. That's a refreshing story. I think most men are lucky if their spouse tolerates their audio hobby let alone participates in some way besides "You aren't putting that in my living room!"
 
my wife was the antithesis of one who demands WAF (invisible system). i moved my relatively massive stereo into her fairly small apartment. i cam home on saturday after working at the hospital and the TEAC open reel was running (fleetwood mac playing) which she had never been shown. the small Celestion County speakers i was trying out had been disconnected and the Infinity Monitors back on because she preferred their sound.

when we moved into a house, she prompted me to hook up the Dynaquad rear speakers because she missed the added realism they added.

after 12 nice years of marriage and two children, she succumbed to a long term illness. she has NOT been replaced.
 
Hi Tommy,

I am so sorry for your loss. She sounds like an awesome woman. They certainly don't come around too often and happy that at least you were able to have her in your life.
 
hifitommy said:
my wife was the antithesis of one who demands WAF (invisible system). i moved my relatively massive stereo into her fairly small apartment. i cam home on saturday after working at the hospital and the TEAC open reel was running (fleetwood mac playing) which she had never been shown. the small Celestion County speakers i was trying out had been disconnected and the Infinity Monitors back on because she preferred their sound.

when we moved into a house, she prompted me to hook up the Dynaquad rear speakers because she missed the added realism they added.

after 12 nice years of marriage and two children, she succumbed to a long term illness. she has NOT been replaced.
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Hi Tommy! Sorry, never knew about you losing your wife and companion of 12 years! :( Know it must have been tough but her memory lives on with you forever!
 
mep said:
Glad to hear it. That's a refreshing story. I think most men are lucky if their spouse tolerates their audio hobby let alone participates in some way besides "You aren't putting that in my living room!"
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It doesn't matter to me if women are in high end audio. I'm not here to pick up women. I have one who understands me. We have our hobbies and they have theirs.

My wives have all known that my hi fi system stays with me and gets planted in the house where I want it. This is one topic that is not open for discussion for more than fifteen seconds. If they have something important to say on the topic, they had better make the point FAST. They have been told they can decorate the house in any fashion they desire as long as I don't hate it, which I think gives them a lot of latitude. I get first dibs on any room for stereo equipment, then they can do just about anything else they want in it. I know it may sound boorish and crass, but that's how it is.

If I want something to make my listening better, I get it and they have no say in the matter. I never stopped them from buying shoes, and they won't stop me from buying what I like either.



Having said that, I have always enjoyed "The Audiophile's Wife" website and am sorry the writing has stopped.

http://www.theaudiophileswife.com
 
GaryProtein said:
It doesn't matter to me if women are in high end audio. I'm not here to pick up women. I have one who understands me. We have our hobbies and they have theirs.

My wives have all known that my hi fi system stays with me and gets planted in the house where I want it. This is one topic that is not open for discussion for more than fifteen seconds. If they have something important to say on the topic, they had better make the point FAST. They have been told they can decorate the house in any fashion they desire as long as I don't hate it, which I think gives them a lot of latitude. I get first dibs on any room for stereo equipment, then they can do just about anything else they want in it. I know it may sound boorish and crass, but that's how it is.

If I want something to make my listening better, I get it and they have no say in the matter. I never stopped them from buying shoes, and they won't stop me from buying what I like either.



Having said that, I have always enjoyed "The Audiophile's Wife" website and am sorry the writing has stopped.

The Audiophile's Wife
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And I always thought it was a blatant rip off.
 
My SO of twelve years and I are perfectly happy with our arrangement. We stay together because we WANT to, not because we have to.
 
hifitommy said:
my wife was the antithesis of one who demands WAF (invisible system). i moved my relatively massive stereo into her fairly small apartment. i cam home on saturday after working at the hospital and the TEAC open reel was running (fleetwood mac playing) which she had never been shown. the small Celestion County speakers i was trying out had been disconnected and the Infinity Monitors back on because she preferred their sound.

when we moved into a house, she prompted me to hook up the Dynaquad rear speakers because she missed the added realism they added.

after 12 nice years of marriage and two children, she succumbed to a long term illness. she has NOT been replaced.
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Dude, your story started so happy; it sounded like heaven. Then.......wow, I can't imagine losing my wife. Yours sounded like the perfect mate. So sorry.
 
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