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I have much more critical ears than anyone else I know. If anything else, I find it hard to listen to my system critically with someone else there, but I don't hear a difference sonically either way.

I tend to dwell on the little things my system does not do well, while friends tend to revel in the whole effect of my system---especially the bringing out of those backround sounds that I have taken for granted but are not necassarily evident in their home systems.

sound waves are sound waves regardless of who's listening.

Psychosomatics: the key to high-end audio. Julian Hirsch was right!

Is this a rational question? Why would it sound any different?

like any other hobby, any human has. Having friends to appreciate it, makes everything better. If not, it will be better off, on a desert island.

The only time it sounds worse is when I willingly give up my "sweet spot" so someone else can hear what I hear.

Why in the world would the sound change?

My friends that have "golden ears" chop my system to pieces.

Pass the bong and it is all better! The greatest tweak of them all.

Never let another audiophile in your house. They'll turn up the sound -- probably damaging your speakers -- move your speakers around, spike holes in your carpet or floor, and tell you that the sound sucks.

except for their ohs and ahs.also cleaning up their drool.

It's all in your head man! It sounds the same!

I'm not sure if it sounds worse or not, its just that I'm thinking that they are thinking . . . "what an idiot -- all this money spent and where is the difference?" I'm not so sure.

My stereola sounds reeeallly gooood when I get reeeallly stoooned on Pot and Acid. My friends agreeee, man!

I don't often feel that the sound of my system is affected by company. The only time that I experienced this was when my friend had his set-up working in the same space, and I was forced to think critically on how his system differed from mine. On the subject of music, however, the people around can have a serious impact on how much or little I can enjoy myself and connect with what I'm listening to. When listening to a piece with a group of people who all "get it," there can be a heightened sense of joy inside the music, but when in the presence of someone who dissapproves or is put off by the music, their negative energy can ruin a listening session. This is especially true for very complex, subtle, or nuanced music. Like many things, audiophile joy is in the mind, and therefore is fragile.

The only reason any system sounds different when you have friends around is because you are not sitting in the sweet spot any more. What else could it be? Evil spirits?

I feel II must move away from the person listening to the music as if iI am tooclose I disrupt this pesons ltening space. As my speakers are my own concoctions and have been compared often with eletrotatics. There is only one precise spot where the full acoustic matrix works well, as I use the Dynaco method of recapturing hall sounds. all in all music is soo soothig when proprely reproduced. If one tames the room accordig to the inescaopable lawsof acoustics and have decent speakers, you can not have anything but great sound. I am very happy withmy souns and please keep up the excellent approach. I will remake my subscription as soon as it is due. John Atkinson gives a breath of scientific thruth to the subjective comments of the reviewers. I wish all of you a very long life, we need you! R. Guy Tr

I just roll my friends up in a 4'x4'sheet of 3" Sonex and put a CornerTune on their heads.

No, it all looks and sounds the same either way.

I have no delusions, no insecurities related to my gear. I like it and know it is good. Usually, we are talking, sharing our lives with each other instead of acting like zombie techno-geeks anyway. Last Sunday one of the wives in the group did ask what CD was playing. It was Mosaic's Miles live set on LP.

Because taste differs, my brother may point out a characteristic that I find pleasing, and state that is "not the way [he] would listen," and suddenly, it begins to sound wrong to me too. That Bastard.

I listen for details in the music when I am listening by myself that I usually don't listen for when others are present. Imaging, presence, and placement or depth of the instruments and so on. But other people just think it sounds great!

ITS ALWAYS THE BEST WITH INFINITY REFERENCE SYSTEM EPSILON

yes, because i give up the sweet spot...

I have had people point out things in a recording that I had not noticed, but my system sounds the same to me. Why would it sound different if nothing has been changed?

It sounds worse because I give up the sweet spot for my guest.

I listen to music, not my stereo!

There might be a psychological impact when you see others listening to your system, but if you listen with the lights turned off in both scenarios, there is no sound difference.

Good friends, good music, good wine -- that's what makes it sound much better.