Horrific Confession and Question

Just as a side note, I was shopping at Musicland in a mall before Christmas a few years ago, looking for new material. Background music playing, crowds making noise, cash registers going, you know, the works. I was about half way to the back when I heard something. Live music! Had to cock my head to figure out where it was coming from and walked that way, out of the store, around a corner and up a floor. It was a high school orchestra, playing Christmas songs and was able to cut thru all the din. I was genuinely surprised that it really is tough to fool your ears.

Danvet -- thank you for the description of your waiting room. What I have been thinking, much to my horror, is that boomy mid fi might actually, in a perverse, horrific way, "sound" (work?!) "better" in a multi room or background music application than more accurate high end. I will always go out of my way to trash the greedy Dr Bose and his pseudo scientific expertise, and I will keep my tubes and electrostatics for dedicated listening forever. But I have had difficulty getting my high end gear to sound right amidst background noise, guests, off axis etc. Given the technical and acoustic challenges of background music for entertaining, cleaning whatever, maybe we can explore an audiophile solution? Cello parametric equalizers to boost the mid bass with high end quality? LS35as in every corner of every room?

Funny Constantine, I experience a similar feeling every time I go to Tower records Classical section. I am overcome by the lush music and become weak in the knees(Really!). All through the piped music thru ceiling mounted Boses. Similar experience at a Best buy while browsing for CDs, I always find myself humming or bobbing or thumping with the music. They play thru Boses two! I was also horrified to admit to myself let alone ask on the Audigon!What you are experiencing is probably right time and right place away from home scenario. Or MAY BE BOSE SPEAKERS ARE MUSICAL. My friend has Bose speakers and at a party I always find myself grooving /dancing with the music. THERE I SAID IT.(P.S. I OWN PAIR OF DUNLAVY SC-V's)

Constantine, I should mention again that the PSB Alpha A/V's sound very good with the volume up to where you would have it for a party. The PSB Mites are supposed to be very good for their size, as well. I think all the little PSB's are 6 ohm. Or maybe you should get a few of those Maggie MMG's with a BIG amp and corner mount them somehow. I bet that would get their attention, huh? [:)] Good Luck. Charlie

i don't listen to background music, finding it irritating and disruptive of my concentration. i have had the experience, tho, of buying discs on the basis of what i hear on a record store's system. (FWIW, i try very hard not to buy anything from big boxes, supporting instead my local indie, usually twist & shout). can't tell you how many times i've brought such recordings home to play on my "real" system to find they sound like crap. not sure what that implies but suggest this: if ya wanna listen to crap, play it on crappy electronics/speakers, 'cuz nobody'll really care, much less discern its crappiness. i guess that's why so many pop grammy award winners really ought to be put in the muzak category