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Conflicts with Domestic Control

K

kabayiri

pfm Member
I suspect many of us have been here. Apologies if it has been covered but here is my personal current conflict.

Our newly created music/games/2nd living room is a modern look. Black oak floor; painted walls. Dark brown leather settees. My hifi stack of the usual black components on a rosewood Alphason support. The room is only 3.5m by 4.5m or so.

The problem
I fancied a change of speaker, and purchased some 2nd hand Rega Ela in what my better half calls an 'orangey' colour. I'd suggest cherry finish is more apt.

I love the sound. It suits my musical preference.

However, she dislikes how they 'dont fit in' / 'look old fashioned' / look too big.

I personally can't see how they are any bigger than my miniature stand mount speakers on 24 in solid stands, but there you go. I'm obviously wrong :D

My question
What will give me the sound and detail characteristics in a more modern package? Close up to wall operation would help pass the acceptance test!

Many Thanks :)
 
A common problem, I bought some beautiful cherry SBLs and a pair of red Neat Iotas and my wife complained that neither "matched" the curtains(!) or existing furniture!

I would have a look at the Neat Motive 3s, they come in lots of nice wood finishes and work well wall mounted. I have a pair in my second system in the TV/kids room.
 
I found an upgrade was the way to go: My new wife has come up with gems like: "I hate the look of those cables, but it sounds better, so they are staying" - "who cares if they cost £8,000 a pair, they sound good and we can do without other things" - There are some fabulous wives out there, you just need to audition a few before taking one home with you. I bought mine on eBay but was allowed a home trial.
 
You don't say what colour the walls are painted and that could make a difference. Rega had a limited run of coloured speakers recently in red, green, yellow and possibly white, so maybe one of these would fit better?
 
Come home with a few catalogues with colour samples of wood stains, paint (painted speakers can, actually, look very good and "modern") and veneers. Sit her down and tell her she is quite right, you agree completely and you are grateful to her for bringing the problem to your attention, otherwise, insensitive oaf that you are, you would not have noticed.
Suggest that she looks over the catalogues and decides what she thinks would fit in best with your furnishings.
Not, mark you, "what she likes," but "what would work best." In this way you are placing her in a position of moral and aesthetic superiority vis-a-vis the insensitive oaf, rather than merely indulging her whim.
She may make you paint or stain the speakers (hopefully not make you veneer them) but what do you care? But once her authority is recognised, she may even let the whole thing gradually drop.
She may, also, be perfectly right about the colour combinations.

I thin this is what Jeeves would suggest to Bertie.

Will you let us know how it works out? For future reference.
 
JemHayward said:
I found an upgrade was the way to go: My new wife has come up with gems like: "I hate the look of those cables, but it sounds better, so they are staying" - "who cares if they cost £8,000 a pair, they sound good and we can do without other things" - There are some fabulous wives out there, you just need to audition a few before taking one home with you. I bought mine on eBay but was allowed a home trial.
Click to expand...

Very true. For the last 20 years, I've lost at least a room to cardboard, storing products in for review, post review, pre collection and just plain forgotten about. Not forgetting the 20kg or so of massed press releases, brochures and ephemera that turns up FedEx'd every year from Las Vegas and Munich (most of this ends up recycled... but that's kiss goodbye to the dining table until it's sifted through).
 
The Far North said:
You don't say what colour the walls are painted and that could make a difference. Rega had a limited run of coloured speakers recently in red, green, yellow and possibly white, so maybe one of these would fit better?
Click to expand...

The wall behind the speakers is a themed wall painted in a light cappucino colour (well, it's cappucino to me, it probably had some fancy name when it was mixed - I'm just the painter not the designer ;) )

I confess to looking at those Rega RS special editions, a place in Sheffield had a few of them. I've seen them 'in the flesh'. They are a bit "in your face" - statement colours rather than subtle. I did float the idea.

Can I apologise in advance for turning a reputable music forum into a poor mans DIY SOS ! :eek:

[The wife upgrade was a good idea, but I'd need to be careful with choice of cables...]
 
PaulMB said:
Come home with a few catalogues with colour samples of wood stains, paint (painted speakers can, actually, look very good and "modern") and veneers. Sit her down and tell her she is quite right, you agree completely and you are grateful to her for bringing the problem to your attention, otherwise, insensitive oaf that you are, you would not have noticed.
Suggest that she looks over the catalogues and decides what she thinks would fit in best with your furnishings.
Not, mark you, "what she likes," but "what would work best." In this way you are placing her in a position of moral and aesthetic superiority vis-a-vis the insensitive oaf, rather than merely indulging her whim.
She may make you paint or stain the speakers (hopefully not make you veneer them) but what do you care? But once her authority is recognised, she may even let the whole thing gradually drop.
She may, also, be perfectly right about the colour combinations.

I thin this is what Jeeves would suggest to Bertie.

Will you let us know how it works out? For future reference.
Click to expand...

Paul, some expert advice. I might borrow the conversational style when it comes to changing her car :)

I bought some mdf record storage cubes and have painted those in complementary colours. They need an extra coat. If I finish those off then she may accept more painting.
 
kabayiri said:
The wall behind the speakers is a themed wall painted in a light cappucino colour (well, it's cappucino to me, it probably had some fancy name when it was mixed - I'm just the painter not the designer ;) )

I confess to looking at those Rega RS special editions, a place in Sheffield had a few of them. I've seen them 'in the flesh'. They are a bit "in your face" - statement colours rather than subtle. I did float the idea.

Can I apologise in advance for turning a reputable music forum into a poor mans DIY SOS ! :eek:

[The wife upgrade was a good idea, but I'd need to be careful with choice of cables...]
Click to expand...

Might be best with plain old black to go with the flooring then? Keep away from piano black if she has a dusting fetish though. :rolleyes:
 
Piano black is also very difficult to apply without it looking horrible, and the reflections of light off it would make the boxes stand out. Maybe what they call "satin" or "semi-matt" black. They would, as the Far North says, blend into the floor a bit. Much more diffult and dangerous, I would think, trying to establish any connection with the cappuccino wall.
 
I'm very tempted to try the painting/reveneer option. If it all goes horribly wrong keep a look out for one-off Elas on the bay ;)
 
kabayiri said:
I suspect many of us have been here. Apologies if it has been covered but here is my personal current conflict.

Our newly created music/games/2nd living room is a modern look. Black oak floor; painted walls. Dark brown leather settees. My hifi stack of the usual black components on a rosewood Alphason support. The room is only 3.5m by 4.5m or so.

The problem
I fancied a change of speaker, and purchased some 2nd hand Rega Ela in what my better half calls an 'orangey' colour. I'd suggest cherry finish is more apt.

I love the sound. It suits my musical preference.

However, she dislikes how they 'dont fit in' / 'look old fashioned' / look too big.

I personally can't see how they are any bigger than my miniature stand mount speakers on 24 in solid stands, but there you go. I'm obviously wrong :D

My question
What will give me the sound and detail characteristics in a more modern package? Close up to wall operation would help pass the acceptance test!

Many Thanks :)
Click to expand...

You need to measure the footprint of your new floorstanders and compare with your old stand-mounters plus stands.

So the footprint is no bigger as you can see so what is your real issue dear?

I tell you what darling, why don't I go out and get some large Tannoys and give you something to moan about, eh?

You don't need to be dragging her into your cave by her hair but....
 
You seriously don't want to get me started on this topic!.

As I've been called out for being over controlling by one of our fellow members here, for feeling that a Man should wear the pants/slacks in their household. I'm so freaking tired of reading about guys whom aren't willing to tell their wife's relationships/marriages are about making compromises for the sake of said unification.

I just two minutes ago, asked an Asian friend of mine about this topic as he called me from NYC while I began typing this - how does he feel about his wife telling him where to put his system?. ( As so many wife's tend to think said toys should be placed in a basement - out of sight - but not taking into account what damage could be done to ones system or music collection, if it flooded!. )

Anyways, said friend says that since he is the one whom attended Art School ( As he's a student at Center for Creative Studies - C.C.S. which happens to be one of the best Art Colleges in the USA ) he tells his wife, you're not going to select the art work that's placed on our walls - you aren't going to tell me what color to paint the walls - you aren't going to tell me where to place my system - so it doesn't offend your friends upon entering our home.

Key objective here is " Our Home ". But as this is coming from an Asian guy, some might view it as wrong - but I've always noticed one thing about Asians and guys from the Middle East or India for that matter - they let their wife's know who the man is in their relationships. Good, bad or indifferent. In my mind that crap about " Happy Wife, Happy Life ", is nonsense - as it would've a Man catering to their wife's needs while neglecting their own.

Shit - don't we deserve happiness too?. Just think about your own feelings for a moment here. Are don't you've any say in the matter?.

Get a freaking clue - Dudes.

I'm out,
o_O scar
 
kabayiri said:
she dislikes how they 'dont fit in' / 'look old fashioned' / look too big.
Click to expand...

Ignore her until she gets used to them and forgets about it. Sorry, but there is no way I'd get rid of perfectly good speakers that I really liked to appease one of my wife's fleeting stylistic whims.
 
And...

As my wife pointed out on reading this thread, this is the SECOND living room not the main one.

Her solution is that the wife has the say on what goes in living room #1 and the OP can then do what he likes in living room #2.
 
Mr Pig said:
Ignore her until she gets used to them and forgets about it. Sorry, but there is no way I'd get rid of perfectly good speakers that I really liked to appease one of my wife's fleeting stylistic whims.
Click to expand...

Mr Pig,

It seem that you and I have both covered our feelings on this one on another thread not that long ago. It's nice to see that we do share some common beliefs after all.

Be well,
o_O scar
 
cooky1257 said:
Never ask permission, always ask forgiveness.
Click to expand...

That's good but implies he's doing something wrong.

It's typical woman, cares not one jot about aspects relating to the primary purpose and function of a product, only the aesthetics. That's why they ride around on 'town-bikes that weigh three-tons and have three gears and wear shoes that you can't actually walk in.
 
5815027964_c67d1c8f20_o.jpg


May I introduce Exhibit A, presented here merely to provide a point of reference.
 
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