[Mach-X]

My wife doesn't usually say much about audio purchases, but that's because she knows I carefully research every purchase for bang for the buck factor. For example I would never purchase a pair of HD 595's when the 518s have the same transducers for about 1/3 of the price. Don't need the wood trim. I wouldn't purchase a pair of $700 speakers while the equivalent can be found used for $150. So if a pair of nice vintage paradigm Mk 5 or 9 series pops up in the $200-300 range, it's never a question of "ugh why do you need that", but "sure if we've got it in the bank".

 

[rmullins08]

I just assume whatever I purchase will cost double.  New dac/amp for me = more jewelry/clothes for her.

 

[ocelot2500]

I think I found the new official Schiit t-shirt.

 

[tonykaz]

50 years experience 

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

  I think I found the new official Schiit t-shirt.

 
Nope.  I think you meant here.

 

[tonykaz]

I have 5 Decades of experience in handling these things . 
 
Best Advice : don't kick a hornet's nest like wife approval , stay silent ! 

 

[judmarc]

  "Having to conceal from wifey" or "must get wife's (or mom's) approval" or the like means you have issues in your relationship, and that you cannot afford the product if you need someone else's permission.  IMO, anyway. 

 
Conceal, no.  Approval, sure.  My wife and I have been together almost 30 years, and she has the biggest heart in the world, but to her $5000 for granite countertops = necessity, while $2500 for lightly used speakers that cost almost double that new is a needless expense.  I'm happy with the granite countertops, and I'm also happy to say she doesn't seem to object to the speakers.    (Frequently dances to the music, which is a good thing; also likes to sing along, which is not.    )

 

[Ableza]

There's a difference between "needing approval" and "agreement."  I don't want to be in a relationship where I need to "approve" my wife's purchases, nor she mine.  But of course when it's a significant amount of money we discuss and agree (or not) depending on the priorities of the household.  But she is free to spend her money as she sees fit and I am free to spend mine.  She buys expensive perfumes and handbags and I buy audio gear.  And we don't need to approve each others' purchases.  And the idea of hiding something from my wife - that is completely unacceptable to me.  I might have thought that was OK when I was a kid and hiding something from my mom, but if you have to hide purchases from your wife then you are in a completely doomed marriage IMO.

 

[jacal01]

My ex used to hide her purchases for 2-3 months, so that when she finally trotted it out and I'd ask, "Is that new?", she'd reply "This old thing?".   The jig was up when I finally discovered her stash in the back of the hall closet.
 
I also learned that when she'd want to spend money on me, it was to justify a purchase for herself that generally costs several times what she paid for mine.  I grew to absolutely refusing to let her buy anything for me, or even spend money on myself, just because I knew it'd open the door for her coveted purchase du jour.
 
Find the disfunction....

 

[DrForBin]

hello,
 
my household lives firmly in mid-fi land because it is what we can afford.
 
as working poor, it must be nice to be able to "hide" purchases from your spouse, rather than doing meal planning to make it to the next payday.

 

[tonykaz]

My doomed Marriage is 50 years old , 5 children , 5 grandchildren .   
Still , I hold my position that it's always better not to fuel a possible fire .   
What she don't know won't hurt me . 
[size=x-small] Sure , go-ahead and keep it all open but by the middle of the 4th Decade you won't have a Fishing Boat or perhaps a Hunting Dog unless you keep popping for that new Stainless Kitchen ( $50k+) or [/size]Convertible[size=x-small] Lexus or shopping trips to NY,NY .  [/size]
[size=x-small]For the mature married man many thing are better left unsaid and un-revealed .  Mums the Word , as they wisely say .   [/size]
[size=x-small]My lovely wife is already trying to Kibash the important purchase of an MSB DAC , how she discovered my interest I don't know but there you have it :   "$50,000 for a what ? , are you Crazy ?" .   How am I supposed to break thru that Ice ?  I'll have to end-up folding that DAC into one of my businesses as a necessary research tool where I can amortize it over a couple of years but our Accountant is my wife's girlfriend . I'm hoping Professor Moffat will Present a close equal at some Schiit like price point ( just to keep this whole thing from getting too far out-of-hand ) .  My attorney has a mounted Tarpon Fish on the wall of his office , he teaches that the fish is up there because he opened his mouth ![/size]
 
Tony in Michigan

 

[marcoarment]

Or he was trying to stop foolish misogyny. But hey that's all off topic.

 
Bingo.
 
If you need to hide big purchases from your spouse, with the implication that he or she wouldn't permit you to buy them with your shared family funds so you're going behind his/her back to do so, you likely have bigger problems that are worth addressing. There's more than enough potential humor in the ridiculous world of audiophilia that we don't need anyone implicitly insulting their spouses as a "joke", which often crosses the line into misogyny and poor taste.
 
We're all better off if discussions like that don't happen here. (Or anywhere.)

 

[BWAS1000]

After reading that DSD chapter I'm glad I don't worry about that stuff. For me it basically goes:
Audition album
If I like it, download MP3 and sync to iPods and phones. Buy CD later on. Rip to ALAC and replace MP3 on iPod. Re-Rip 320kbps MP3 and copy to phone. 16/44.1 or 32/384 doesn't matter to me. If it sounds good, I rock it.

 

[money4me247]

OMG... soooo off-topic!!!! this is a audio forum, not a marriage counseling forum lollerwagons!!! focus peopleee =P

 

[tonykaz]

It's all the Facets of Audio and Life in General , people have the need to vent and share their experiences , it's all good !!   
I think all you lad's comments are Valid , friends share this stuff .  
This is a Social Audio forum , which can include technical specifications .   There is no need to exclude Audio related issues because they don't pertain to you .  
A imposing technical aspect of hobby Audio is Spouse approval , it's the Elephant in the room for most of us , get real .
 
Tony in Michigan 
 
ps. sorry if I come across a bit harsh , I tried to soften-up my wording but it didn't get the point across properly