Confessions of a SOUND SNOB
Dec. 29th, 2004 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raefinlayAn ex-boyfriend of mine once spent an unholy amount of money on a stereo system for his new Jeep. The salesman at Best Buy told him it was the best system on the market. He got suckered. I know this because he made me sit through 4 agonizing minutes of his favorite song with the volume at full blast.
Finally, finally, he turned it off and said, "So, honey, what do you think?"
Rae: "Er..."
Ex-BF: "You don't like it."
Rae: "Uh...would you mind if I tweaked your EQ?"
Ex-BF: "Wha?? What's wrong with it??"
Rae: [silence]
Ex-BF: [sinister voice] "Rae..."
Rae: "Well, the mids are mushy, the highs are brassy, and when you listen to high-hat-happy alternative bands, you can't have mushy mids and brassy highs."
We didn't speak to each other for hours afterwards. Later, he grabbed my sister (who grew up in the same sound snobbery environment) and asked her opinion. She said something along the lines of mushy mids and brassy highs. Poor guy.
We were raised to appreciate good sound. My dad had a trunkful of Nakamichi, long before the rest of the world discovered Japanese electronics. My brother dabbles in sound engineering and musical production on the side. I've blown up more speakers than anyone I know.
All this to say, I've been saving for a home theater system, and last night, with the Genius Sound Snob brother in tow, I went to the Bastion of Pure Evil to find the most bang for my buck. And wow did I find it. Many hours, tangled wires, frustrated sales associates, and dollars later, I ended up with a 27" flatscreen TV, a 5.1 surround system with dvd-player, and a 4-head VCR with digital display--all for $338.00 (including tax!!) We hooked it up at home and it is awesome. Beyond awesome. Crisp sound without brass, rich and full tonation... I may upgrade my sub as some point, but for the money, I'm not complaining. Sure, I would have loved to pick up a $1,000-range system, but my house is so tiny with such weird acoustics that it ceases to matter at a certain point.
We tested it out with Matrix: Reloaded and Robotech: Macross Saga. (Adam and I sang Min-Mei's songs at the top of our lungs). So it was a very, very good night. I can't wait to get home and play with my speakers. I will spend hours and hours arranging, hanging, rearranging for optimal sound, *happy sigh* because I am a Sound Snob.
Finally, finally, he turned it off and said, "So, honey, what do you think?"
Rae: "Er..."
Ex-BF: "You don't like it."
Rae: "Uh...would you mind if I tweaked your EQ?"
Ex-BF: "Wha?? What's wrong with it??"
Rae: [silence]
Ex-BF: [sinister voice] "Rae..."
Rae: "Well, the mids are mushy, the highs are brassy, and when you listen to high-hat-happy alternative bands, you can't have mushy mids and brassy highs."
We didn't speak to each other for hours afterwards. Later, he grabbed my sister (who grew up in the same sound snobbery environment) and asked her opinion. She said something along the lines of mushy mids and brassy highs. Poor guy.
We were raised to appreciate good sound. My dad had a trunkful of Nakamichi, long before the rest of the world discovered Japanese electronics. My brother dabbles in sound engineering and musical production on the side. I've blown up more speakers than anyone I know.
All this to say, I've been saving for a home theater system, and last night, with the Genius Sound Snob brother in tow, I went to the Bastion of Pure Evil to find the most bang for my buck. And wow did I find it. Many hours, tangled wires, frustrated sales associates, and dollars later, I ended up with a 27" flatscreen TV, a 5.1 surround system with dvd-player, and a 4-head VCR with digital display--all for $338.00 (including tax!!) We hooked it up at home and it is awesome. Beyond awesome. Crisp sound without brass, rich and full tonation... I may upgrade my sub as some point, but for the money, I'm not complaining. Sure, I would have loved to pick up a $1,000-range system, but my house is so tiny with such weird acoustics that it ceases to matter at a certain point.
We tested it out with Matrix: Reloaded and Robotech: Macross Saga. (Adam and I sang Min-Mei's songs at the top of our lungs). So it was a very, very good night. I can't wait to get home and play with my speakers. I will spend hours and hours arranging, hanging, rearranging for optimal sound, *happy sigh* because I am a Sound Snob.
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Date: 2004-12-29 07:36 pm (UTC);D!
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Date: 2004-12-29 07:52 pm (UTC)(Actually, we collapsed into laughter most of the time. Even when we were in Jr. High watching it for the first time, we hated Min-Mei passionately. Little spoiled twerp.)
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Date: 2004-12-29 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-12-29 08:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-29 08:31 pm (UTC)*but still a snob*
:P
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Date: 2004-12-30 03:20 am (UTC)What the heck? You like Robotech? Why didn't you say so sooner. Dude! We could have talked about Robotech when I was in Modesto. I grew up with Robotech as well. I always liked the ones with the motorcycles. Admits to hating Minmei and really liking Lisa Hayes. Admits to singing a few Minmei songs himself, back in the day. Admits to having a crush on Rook Bartely and thinking that Ariana might be modeled after her.
Even Cynthia has seen Robotech dude. She didn't want to watch them, but got totally surprised (remember that she was a full grown adult at this point) when she started saying things like, "Just one more episode. I want to see what happens..."
:D
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Date: 2004-12-30 03:24 am (UTC)Come on DG. Just admit it! You've sung along too. I hated Minmei and even I admitted to singing along a few times....
:D
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Date: 2004-12-30 04:59 am (UTC)The episode where she returns home she says something like, "I want revenge!"
And it made such a huge impression on me. Here is this woman who is so tough and vulnerable at the same time. She is willing to state that she wants something as useless as revenge for its own sake (not for any higher purpose). At the same time she is admitting this vulnerability to a past. That past trauma had emotionally scarred her so much that she needed closure.
Another great line from same episode...when she is facing off with the gang leader who humiliated her: "You seem to think you're some kind of tough guy, but in my book you're just a wimp..."
Can you tell that my pre-puberty mind had a huge obsession with Rook Bartely?
:D
*is nerd*
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Date: 2004-12-30 05:19 am (UTC)I seriously adored Rook. I wanted to BE her. I thought she was teh cool. Ok, that does it. I'm going to order Robotech: New Generation and have a marathon on my BRAND NEW TV.
Oh, and I had a dangerous crush on Rand. He reminded me soooo much of my very first love (in the 4th grade.)
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Date: 2004-12-30 01:57 pm (UTC)Yeah. It was the one where he visited her sister. Rand was totally cool. He understood her. He had male independence, protectiveness, but also understood that he needed to let her 'do it the way she was going to do it.' Plus Rand made me laugh. He was awesome.
You are SUCH a damn geek. Do you know that? You actually remembered she visited her sister. I am so glad that we didn't know about our Robotech knowledge when we me up. We'd have been chatting about all this stuff and these people would have been turning around and thinking, "They look like adults. But they sound like a couple of junior high kids..."
:D
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Date: 2004-12-30 04:44 pm (UTC)I just ordered the first half of the New Generation. It's been digitally remastered and comes with a...er...toy...that I will, of course, give to my nephew. (Maybe) It was less than $19 from an Amazon distributor. ($29.99 at the Robotech website).
*geek*
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Date: 2004-12-30 04:58 pm (UTC)Very close to ordering. But no toy is mentioned????
Dang it all. Why didn't we have this conversation earlier. I could have ordered Hammered with it and saved on shipping.
And I don't think you are immature for your age. You were very self-possessed and mature in person. Of course this is coming from another guy who is thinking about buying these DVDs...
:D
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Date: 2004-12-30 04:59 pm (UTC):D
You know what I meant....
:P
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Date: 2004-12-30 05:33 pm (UTC)*totally immature*
:D