It was tough to manage everything I wanted in a relatively small room but in the end I did get everything I wanted. So I re-designed my living room/listening room in to a double-duty system - projection screen, surround speakers, but also still using my 2 channel speakers as a separate system for music listening. I didn't want to build one of those separate rooms or basement home theaters which, in some cases, people end up not using much because it feels isolating. When I got the Home Theater bug as well in 2009, I had the same feelings. But the accessibility meant the kids could join any time and I didn't feel at all disconnected from the rest of the house. We actually did most of the family living in the back living room, which left that room mostly for me. That's why I'd always had my 2 channel listening system in our living room, the front room of our house. Personally, I've never been attracted to the whole 'man cave' thing, in terms of building some bunker in the basement that I alone would go down to, sequestered to listen to music or watch movies. Like some have said it depends on what you mean by 'dedicated.' I could feel sorry for the newer generations and what technology has wrought for and to them but why bother? It's their world now but I still have mine. My listening has for the most part been at home, personal and reasonably private. I don't have music on my phone - it's a phone! - I've never had an Ipad or ear buds or even a Walkman. Not being a musician I am constantly amazed at the quality of what an individual or a group dynamic can create.Īnd a nice pour of a high quality Whiskey doesn't hurt. Retired now I live alone and have The Man Cave with 40 years worth of records and accumulated high quality audiophilia with my La-Z-Boy parked in the sweet spot, and I can put something on, dim the lights, and not so much seriously concentrate as let the combined and/or sometimes different aspects and parts of the music wash over me and take me. Later on in more amenable living quarters I could embrace my listening more fully and that has continued to this day. So when I got home ( and if our 'party house' was at low ebb) I could sometimes put something on and wind down without too many distractions. I managed record stores for several years where contrary to popular belief it was actual work and you couldn't just listen to whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. LOL.Ĭlick to expand.My listening habits have been a mostly solitary pursuit for many years and were born out of a desire for 'me' time without the obligations of socializing. There is nothing better to me than sitting with the 3 of them and listening to the new Trolls vinyl-which happens every once in a while. Not to force them to listen and get into it. Ultimately it is up to us as parents and relatives to pass along our passion.

He had the coolest set up when I was young. The reason I love music and stereo systems is because of my Uncle. Soon they will be able to explore the extensive cd tape and record library without me breaking a nervous sweat. It peaks their interest the older they get. They see my music room with my system and musical instruments hanging on the wall. Why do I say this? All of them know I love music and appreciate all kinds. My other daughter now wants a turntable and she loves Trolls movies and the music in the movies. My other daughter uses her media player and loves Norah Jones. Every night she plays a record before she goes to bed. Not because of me but because I used to sing the songs to her when she was a baby. I bought her a turntable when she was 7 yrs old and a set of powered speakers when she was 5. Western society has definitely passed from its Enlightenment period, into a tribal culture with an overwhelming compulsion for expression of personal identity.Ĭlick to expand.My daughter loves music. I think that moment of silence before the first note begins is a very attractive experience for these people, but paying for silence versus paying for the narcotizing noise of the pop music festival (with its promise of celebrity, beer, and sex) is a rare thing. Younger people approaching and entering middle age (and passing it) are starting to explore classical concerts, but not en masse. Technology has sure played its part, too. The youth culture explosion developed a more tribal experience, than universalist/Enlightenment experience, for better or for worse, abetted by the disposable income of post-WWII society. School seems to be much more about pursuing personal projects, than the older “lecture” format. Not to mention the ‘shared experience’ aspect, versus today’s mostly personal experience. I am no fan of religion, but children having to sit quietly and listen for two hours probably helped develop good listening and concentration skills.

Soundmate listening system