Funny you should ask. allow me to set the scenario:
I have the bug to upgrade my analog setup. So, I put my current table here on the 'Gon hoping to sell it to take some of the credit card sting out of the new purchase. In addition, I am funding a remodel of our kitchen for my beloved; including Granite, prep sink, hardwood floors....
My motives are not completely atruistic however: My wife loves to cook and wants a kitchen conducive to that. Our house is setup so that anyone working in the kitchen is isolated from everyone else. So, I worked with the contracter to have the wall removed between the kitchen and dining room and an island installed as a divider. My wife thinks it is a great gift so we shouldn't spend a lot more on gifts for each other. Well- the table has a pending sale and is on it's way out the door, depriving me of vinyl until I get a new one. So, I says to my honey: "I sold the turntable today, that'll take SOME of the sting out of the cost of the new one". She says: Oh God no. We can't afford another purchase like that right now; what with the cost of the new kitchen."
D'OH! take about your plans backfiring on you..... |
You guys just don't get it. Never, ever concede or you'll end up living with your old equipment. Most women don't have the same inclination to upgrade equipment as most of us men do. Slipknot, now look what you have...a beautiful new gourmet kitchen that your wife will love, including that "new gift island". Look what you got...bupkus, zilch, nada. Even worse than that, you sold off the only thing you could spin vinyl on. You might as well sell all your albums because it will be a cold day in hell before you see another turntable...unless you whine, moan and groan about the fact that you never get anything and you bought her that new kitchen just because you love her and all you wanted was for her to be happy, blah, blah, blah!! Or you can strap on an apron and learn to cook and forget about all that audiophile crap and get on to something more worthwhile... the choice is yours. Happy Holidays!!! |
Ucmgr-
No, not at all my friend. That is hardly the end of story. I told her when I put the other table on the market, it was to help finance a new one. If she complains about the $$$, I say: "Is the mortgage being paid? Are the tuition bills being paid? Have I asked you to seek employment to help finance my hobby?" She'll counter with: "Well, you know how much you make" That will be the end of it. |
I bought her a set of snow tires |
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I would have given her the old stuff and bought new for myself. Now, she has her room and you have your room. As long as she doesn't kick you out of the bedroom your okay.
Slipknot1, tell her your taking an advance on tax returns. |
She's getting new paint job (inside of house) and carpet, I'm getting new speakers and analog rig + dedicated lines. Wohoo!! Happy Holidays! |
I bought a pearl necklace for my wife but before that I paid off all my debts a few months ago. That was the best gift as now all audio purchases have no strings attached. |
I just bought her a new stainless steel range. She was complaining about the old one, but I still can't scrape together enough to buy the amp I want. Maybe if I bought one of the older Krells it would run hot enough for her to cook on it. Oh well, it's done now! |
Slipknot, I was just bustin' your chops. God only knows the women in our lives put up with an awful lot. I'd have a very hard time being married to me too. Ironically, I vaguely remember my wife saying "go on honey, buy that big old expensive pair of mono blocks that you've been drooling over. I know you work 12 hours a day so go ahead and buy yourself something nice for a change", but then I woke up in a cold sweat before making my way out the door to my favorite audiophile shop. I was going to buy her a real nice pair of speaker cables for Christmas, but she wanted an ice maker instead. Go figure! |
Ucmgr, maybe you should get the ice maker -- a very special unit you can use to cyro your cables (and make ice, of course) ;-)
I'm still sorting out what to get. A nice slide for the necklace, some earings and some new music sounds like a plan!
Kinsekd, shouldn't it be "What did you get your partner for Christmas"? There are some awesome women out there who are every bit as crazy as we are. I suspect their husbands have to put up with a lot too. Plus, not everyone is married. If you don't mind, I'd like to invite everyone to participate in this very timely thread. |
You are all going to hate me. The wife, kids and i are going to the CES in Vegas, just like we did last year. I have been going since it started and have loved it each year. Last year was first time i could take kids and they too loved it. Daughter loves tubes, has a tube amp and B & W speakers...son...he likes HT. See you in Vegas! |
I took out a loan without my wife knowing(As an early New Year's resolution, I decided to tell her after the holidays) and ordered the new Meadowlark Osprey.I also bought a used integrated amp for the bedroom system,a used Shunyata Python for the main system, and some Stealth PGS ic's for the main system.To try to cushion the blow I bought my wife for Christmas a new Alvarez classical guitar with fancy hard case, a pair of 1 carat champagne diamond studs,and a LCD color T.V.( also a new Hoover vacuum cleaner,but we can't call that a gift because of Chauvinistic insinuations).I'll probably buy a big block of cheese to put on the mantle for Santa so on Christmas morning I can declare. " AHHHH, the power of cheese..." I feel I'm in for a great Christmas holiday. Anyone need a roommate after New Year's Day ? Merry Christmas to all... |
Hey - I got her the TV. A widescreen 22" Panasonic LCD TV with component video for the bedroom system. She loves to watch movies before bed, and since we're not a TV household, it's time together we don't always get.
The bedroom now features tubes (little ASL Wave 8s) AND flat TV, and nice homemade rack + speaker stands. Mixes old, new and homebuilt, and the morning light shines through the rack (partially in front of a window) very nicely. It's quite pretty actually. She loves the aesthetic value AND the mini-HT. |
Got home. ordered the new TT/Cartridge setup. She never even batted an eye. I guess she is getting used to indulging this merry-go-round of Audiophilia Nervousa. |
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Guys,
I purchased her some nice very expensive perfumes (got it at a discount in NYC versus Macys). She wants a new kitchen in 2003, probably drop $80Gees. I already bought myself a Pass X-250 amp and X-1 preamp here on the gon (placed it all on the 0% interest credit card for 15 months of no interest payments versus paying the lump sum now). So I am set until the speaker cables come in for an audition next week, then the power cords in January, then I'll start all over with the CD players, just missed that Wadia 860 with the GNS upgrade. Gotta love this hobby!
Also wanted to ask you audiophiles to pick out one of your favorite songs this holiday season and play a song for some of my friends and realatives who are no longer with us because of 911. Not a day goes by that I do not appreciate what I have. So, please remember all of your loved ones and play a nice song for them.
Happy Holidays to all and Happy Listening.
Peter |
I purchased my wife a digital camcorder and decided that I like gifts also, so I purchased myself 2 electrglide fatmen from an auction here on audigon and I purchased a bat vk 50se. Now all I have to do is sell my bat vk-30. What a HOBBY. |
No wife, so I had to pick up a new digital camera for the girlfriend ($300)and a 34" Toshiba widescreen (direct view, flatscreen)($1800)for the bedroom.
Mom got a cellphone. Mom still listens to 8-track tapes, and has an analog answering machine, so this is a great leap forward for her. Resistance is futile.
Happy Holidays.
David. |
I bought her an Audio Aero Prima. Fancey that, she thought it looked ugly around her neck. She said maybe it would look better on me. IT DOES! Happy Christmas you audiophools... |
Snow tires? That's great! And I am serious.This year my wife bought the present herself,so did I.Nothing fancy,and we both seem to like the idea. |
Nothing, My wife and I do not exchange gifts for Christmas. We consider it a waste of time and effort with a great deal of stress thrown in. We usually get want we want during the year. However, we do buy for our 2 children who obviously treasure Christmas as i did when I was a child.
Chuck |
Well........ I don't have a wife yet, but I do have a fiance, if that qualifies. What I am going to get her for christmas is a DVD player (though it would be something along the lines of my Toshiba SD-2700, as opposed to my Pioneer Elite DV-37)(which is a Toshiba SD-1800, I believe, for around $100.00), which in itself should be enough. And that's considering that I have gave her a $1,200.00 ring earlier this year. So, I should say that a $100.00 DVD player will suffice. I would like to see if she's going to spend $1,300.00 on me this year.
--Charles-- |
Chuck .. way to go ... right attitude. Christmas presents are for kids ... grown ups should know better than to get fooled into the "I just loaded up OUR credit cards to get you something which you don't really need, just because the media makes me feel I should" frenzy.
We have lost the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not about expensive gifts, it's about over-eating and watching too much TV !
Bah humbug ! Merry Christmas all. |
I got her a personalized prontopro with her own photo and Van Gogh art interposed with control for all the little systems in the house she can't figure out. (In to funiture, trip to France ect.) |
Interior Decorator was hired to put new curtains in the house. The appointment with the decorator on 12/30 is the surprise. |
Consider yourself lucky to even get some parameters to work with :)
Good post!!
Merry Christmas. |
Sharp 27U-S50 27 inch television $219
Free Shipping
RCA DRD430 Directv satellite receiver $61
Off of eBay
Pioneer DV-354 DVD player $99
JVC HRS 3800U Super VHS VCR -
Transferred from existing (got to make room for that new D-VHS unit next year)
Sauder TV stand in Cherry finish $100
4 way AV switcher $39
Getting my wife what she asked for and staying within budget (almost) (Okay, so I cheated a little by transferring a little used VCR) Priceless
Thanks to all who posted. It was a real hoot hearing from all of you. Merry Christmas. |
