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Do You Allow Anyone Else To Operate Your Rig?

No one touches my system...period.

At a dinner party about a year ago, I had a cd playing in the background. When the cd finished, I was busy in the kitchen and entertaining guests. After about 15 minutes of no music, a guest felt that he should start the music up again. I looked up and saw this guy pushing buttons and turning knobs trying to figure out how to get the system going. I must have given him a frosty stare that would have made Medusa proud. My 11 year-old son saw my expression and felt sorry for the guy and went over and told him, "sir, no one is allowed to touch my dad's stuff".

Do other family members play your rig? Do you allow guests to operate your system?

Sorry, but no one is allowed to touch my stuff and I don't apologize for it. I don't even allow anyone to dust it off. Once the housekeeper dusted off my turntable and bent the stylus, ruined it....$500 bucks gone just like that. I never said a word to her about it, I just told her not to ever dust of my equipment again.

In another incident someone tried to play an LP while I was not watching. He got the turntable going but couldn't figure out how to get sound from the system. When I went over to see what was going on, he had the volume turned all the way up to maximum but still had no sound...of course he had no idea what a phono preamp was and of course it was not turned on. Had he turned the source knob one turn to my tuner which was switched on, he probably would have done serious damage to my speakers and scared the heck out of all of my guests with a loud blast. I politely told him not to ever touch my stuff again.

I've never had a guest over that was an audiophile.
mitch4t
kennyt's avatar
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
Are you guys for real???

My main rig is easily operated by my wife and two step daughters (and has been since they were 10 and 14) thanks to a good universal remote.

My rig is to be used and enjoyed by all, friends at [parties usually don't know how to operate it manually, and that's fine, so I keep the remote out.

I am really surprised so many of you freak out if someone touches your system!
french_fries
735 posts
 
gee, i just tell them to gently touch a couple of buttons, and the music either starts or stops. BUT... i freak out if people touch the PLAYING SURFACE of my cd's with their smutty fingers. then the dirty cd goes into a transport which doesn't know where the data is anymore. if the dirt gets onto the lens inside, i am instructed to never attempt to clean that lens myself. this is a real conundrum for me. so sometimes if someone wants to play a cd, or try out my beautiful PIANO, i tell them to please GO WASH THEIR HANDS. sorry, but i worked in a HOSPITAL for over 20 years, so these are the Rules. if they can't go wash up, i simply say no, you can't.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
3,575 posts
 
I'm not sure how fingerpints on CD can dirty lens, but it's easy to show your friend how to handle CD.

When I visit my friends I never touch their stereo or TV or VCR for the same reson that I don't open their drawers or refigirator but if my guest wants to set music himself I will show him how and politely instruct him not to turn volume knob beyond certain point (and explain why) if there is no sound. My 4 year old daughter was operating my TT doing better job than I did (being more carefull) - it's not rocket science folks.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
I generally allow anything that can be done with the remote. The TT is a different since I've found that even adults tend to not understand how fragile the stylus can be and how much it costs to replace it. I trust audiophile friends, but expect them to replace anything they might break, just as I would if I broke something in their system. (I never touch someone else's stuff without asking first).

Another good rule is no cleaning of equipment, including dusting. Speakers can be dusted, but new maids have to be taught not to run the vacuum into the side of the speakers. I assure you, if left to their own devices, they'll scratch the sides of your speakers with the vacuum.

Dave
jim_swantko
301 posts
 
Kenny -

You use a processor as a pre-amp... any monkey can operate one of those!!! :)

I kid.. I kid!!
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