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Ah, the joys of retirement expressed in long hours of musical nirvana. it's better than . . . well, it's very good.
Reader Samo Jecnik, from Ljubljana, Slovenia, has a simple question for audiophiles: "I'd like to know how much time per week <I>Stereophile</I> readers <I>listen</I> to the music on their <I>main</I> systems. I mean the time they're sitting in the sweet spot."
My favorite form of entertainment and relaxation is to sit exactly in the sweet spot of my system and become intoxicated with the power and the majesty of my B&W Nautilus 802s powered by my new NAD Silver Series components. Ain't nothin' better than 8 to 15 hours per week of pure pleasure.
The time may vary depending upon my mood and desire for critical listening. If I spend much more than that, I tend to overdose and not fully enjoy all that my system and the music has to offer. Most nights of the week, I go to the room and partake in "concert time". Earlier in the day I will plan my evenings concert. 1.5 - 2 hours of listening is good for an evening...unless it's the weekend...then it's most likely longer!
Maybe just 2 hours a week in the sweet spot, Sunday morning mostly. The rest of the time, on any given day we are running around the house with up to 3 stereos (2 are tubed) playing NPR news in the evening while we cook, etc.
After spending 12 years building and upgrading my audio system, I would feel slighted if I didn't spend at least 2-3 hours per day listening solely to music. Having a stressful job, I spend many hours in front of my $20,000-plus system just letting the music relax my tired brain and put me in a good mood! Will you marry me, Diana Krall??
Unfortunately, not as much as I expected when I was putting the system together. Why is that? My system is in the basement, where the little ones can't put their sticky hands on it. I spend more time upstairs living with my second system, which cost 1/10th as much as my main system. Eventually something's gotta change.
Under 5 hours a week? And I consider myself an audiophile? Yes, I definitely prefer a few "quality" hours of listening to having the radio or CD player just putting out noises in the background all day (or evening) long. That kind of listening could, of course, have its virtues too. I spend a lot of time working; just a few hours are left to really enjoy musicin the "sweet spot" that is. And how sweet are those dear sounds of favorite music making their way out through the cones & domes of the boxes in front of me, in the comfort of my own living room!