I've done a horrible beautiful wonderful thing

[Takeereasy]

I have pulled a fast one on the girlfriend and the conscience is threatening to act up and get me to confess. I just bought a Marantz receiver to replace the one in my equipment rack. The one my girlfriend bought for me less than a year and a half ago. The one that was my favourite gift of all time (not for the quality but for the effort and extra money she put into buying it for me). Gosh she's a great chick. Here's the kicker, I don't have the guts to tell her that this receiver will be replacing the one she bought me. I know it's silly, she's literally 5'1" and about 70lbs lighter than me, but she scares the hell out of me (is that normal?). Oh, not in a she can beat me up in a one on one fight kind of way, more in a, oh I see, you replaced what I worked so hard to get you without a second though to my feelings now I'm going to cry kind of way. I guess I just don't want to dissapoint her. This is what I told her. I said that the new unit is a processor only (a 37lb processor) and still needs the Sony receiver to work. To pull off this elaborate scam, er.. I mean sleight of hand, I am going to run my receiver into the outlets on back of the sony, thereby requiring that the Sony be turned on to allow the Marantz to be powered up. Is this the perfect solution? I think so. I just hope that I can program the power button of the Sony into the Marantz remote.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Takeereasy - ??? - 4/26/05

R.I.P.

 

[Takeereasy]

Only if I get caught. Man am I ever gonna get caught. I'm in so much trouble. If you guys dont see any posts from me for a week or two assume the worst.

"...and in local news another stereo home theater upgrade has gone horribly horribly awry with catatrauphic results for one man, now to Dave with the weather...."

 

[Resident Loser]

What ya shoulda' said was...

...the SONY cr@pped out and the repair place said it's out of warranty(unless, of course, we had a service contract)the cost of repairs wouldn't be worth it, what with the instant obsolesence factor and all...bada-bing, bada-boom...out with the old, in with the new...and besides, it really didn't do what you wanted it to do, sooo...it really wasn't working as you wanted it to...so it was in some oblique sense, defective...not an out and out lie, just fudging the facts a bit...kinder, gentler, yet quick and painless...

jimHJJ(...not that I'd advocate such subterfuge...)

 

[Red]

I just hope that I can program the power button of the Sony into the Marantz remote.

Wow...good luck....looks like it is time for a new universal remote. As in look honey, I want to make everything easier for you

And if that doesn't work then the basic question is:

What did the five girlfriends fingers say to takereasy's face?

Answer: SLAP

good luck dude

 

[Takeereasy]

Resident, it get's worse, she bought the 5 yr. extended warranty, I'm only into 6 months of it right now.

Oh Red, I am so lucky that she's not big on riddles, otherwise the answer to the 5 fingers question might be, "Hey if we make a fist this will hurt twice as much", or "Make room, now that he's down the feet want a chance."

 

[Resident Loser]

Uh-oh!...

Resident, it get's worse, she bought the 5 yr. extended warranty, I'm only into 6 months of it right now.

This is not good...well, one last bit of advice then...bend over as far as you can, stick your head between your legs...and kiss your @$$ goodbye...

jimHJJ(...my sincerest condolences...)

 

[Tom Andry]

Ahh....the mystery of the modern women. Some would suggest you purchase something for her to distract from the fact that you needlessly replaced her gift. Others may suggest lying, scheming, manipulation of the facts, or other deceptions. Me...well...I can only rise above all the rest and say...Shame On YOU! SHAME ON YOU Takeereasy!! You should know better than to post your plotting and scheming on a public forum! What about the rest of us? You know, the ones that have replaced equipment without informing our significant others and spread dust over the top to make it less conspicuous ("Honey, wasn't this a Sony I bought you?" "Of course not baby, it was a Marantz. Can't you tell how long it's been there from all the dust?"). The ones that have closely matched color, size, and shape of components hoping our sig other, wouldn't notice ("Look honey, I got a new remote."). The ones that have called the credit card company in a panic pleading with them to change the description on the bill ("Can't you make it say 'bath gel' or something? PLEEEAAASSSEE"). What are we supposed to do now? What if they read this? What if they catch on? For SHAME!!!

 

[claudermilk]

How about "Well, honey it now frees up your wonderful gift to run the bedroom's system."

It's an idea...

Best of luck, knowing how it works with me she'll eventually figure it out & the payback will be painful.

 

[JohnA]

Dude...it is better to tic her off by telling the truth, and have her be upset at you for a bit, then to have her found out that you LIED to her....is the trust that you two have worth the receiver? Just food for thought.

 

[annunaki]

I would put the Marantz in, completely disconnect the Sony, and only power it up. Assuming the Marantz has a universal style remote use that and say it is simplifying operation. I would even go as far as plugging the Sony into the Marantz's switched power outlet so as to never forget to turn it on. If it still needs to be turned on by remote, program it into the macro function (if applicable) on the remote. just say you are using the Marantz as a system processor to improve the sound.

If she goes as far as to snoop around and make sure you are using it, tell her to take a walk.

 

[jotham]

I probably would have taken the Sony and put it in the bedroom and bought new speakers or used excess ones (if I had them). You can never have too many stereos set up around the place.

Lying to women is really, really dangerous. Much as I hate to say this, it's probably better to tell the truth and beg for forgiveness. Though I would bend the truth and say that I wanted to have a stereo in the other room so I broke down and bought this Marantz. Can I put "our" stereo into the bedroom http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=61770#
Smilie

 

[Red]

Lying to women is really, really dangerous. Much as I hate to say this, it's probably better to tell the truth and beg for forgiveness.

There is truth there...but it seems somehwhat in conflict with the old axiom:

"Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission"

 

[Audioholics]

Should have told her that Marantz had an upgrade option that involves adding new components into the Sony and even giving it a new face plate... Hey honey, I just upgraded your Sony, that all!

 

[Takeereasy]

Lol guys, all the ideas are great, and this concept of being honest with the ones you love, I find this intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter. (kidding)

Annunaki, that's pretty much the idea I was hinting at, only my plan was to use the switched power on the Sony to plug in the Marantz. That way I'd be sure the Sony is on because the Marantz wouldn't be able to draw any current without it being so. The Marantz remote is universal and does have Macros, so I'm hoping to get all the powering up done with one button.

If one were to split the finest of hairs then by running the powercord from the Marantz to the Sony, to the wall socket, you have made the Sony an integral part of the operation of the new processor. In fact you could say that the new "processor" can't work without the old Sony. If the glove doesn't fit, you've got to acquit.

If she asks any direct questions about the receiver I'll tell her the truth. The odds of that though are very low. All I have to do is start talking watts and inputs and her eyes start to glaze over. In all reality she doesn't really question me about my electronics. All she cares about is how much and what new buttons does she need to learn to use on the remote. It's kind of our deal, we each do our own thing. I have my electronics, she's got clothes and shoes. Man does she have clothes and shoes. Two closets, two and a half dressers, and threee sets of hanging clothes shelves plus a 6' by 8' bookshelf that she uses as a shoe rack. If she came home and said hey honey, I had to trade in my paracusso pumps for some prada open toes (hope those are shoes) then all I could do is nod and feign interest. The same is true when it comes to my toys.

Just thought of this one: Damn it, I could have just told her it broke and I took it into the Sony Shop and this was all they had to replace it

 

[aarond]

Annunaki, that's pretty much the idea I was hinting at, only my plan was to use the switched power on the Sony to plug in the Marantz. That way I'd be sure the Sony is on because the Marantz wouldn't be able to draw any current without it being so.


if you use the switched output on the sony you should see smoke the first time that you crank up the marantz. i have never seen a power output on the back of a recvr that can take that kind of power

 

[sjdgpt]

Come on guys, you have missed the obvious cure to Takeereasy's problem.

Now, normally, I would say that a fine HT is the work of the gods, and the W can be easily replaced.

But SHE is a girlfriend.

All GF are seeking one little thing...... it's a ring

The Sony gets moved into the bedroom for all that quality time that Takeereasy is going to be spending with the GF.

Once GF becomes W. He can spend all his time with the Marantz, 'cause he aint going to be getting much quality time anymore.

 

[miklorsmith]

Confess!

Fuuunnnnyy. Come clean. Explain that Upgradeitis is a disease manifested in Audiophilia Nervosa. There is no cure, only occasion to "scratch the itch". It isn't emotional nor personal. You have agonized over this decision because you know how important and personal the gift was (intellectual brain), but your disease will not be denied (irrational emotion). It isn't your fault, but luckily for her it's not contagious.

You could be on drugs. You could be an addictive gambler. You could abuse her or steal children. No, you're an Audiohead and you're ashamed. You want to take her on a trip! Yeah!! Now we're moneymakin'.

Your original idea is colorful and fun to think about, but ultimately is dishonest and does injustice to your relationship. Sometimes a heart to heart and baring your soul goes a long way. Plus, you'd never be comfortable with the untruth.

And, build a second system with this piece at the center, preferably not in the garage.

I got big speakers my wife hated. We had a major collision and she backed off. We have a basic premise of conflict-resolution based on determining who cares most about a point of contention. Normally the person who cares the most prevails. As long as it goes both ways it works and is generally fair. Don't know if this applies in your situation but I'm keeping my speakers! Good luck!!

 

[zipper]

Aaaaaaahhhh.....................be honest. I've tried the alternate route & somehow it always comes back to bite you in the ***. Then all of the sudden, your an s.o.b. AND a liar......................"Honey (sobbing), I could understand if you didn't like my gift.......BUT YOU LIED TO ME!!"

Been there,done that............


If she has an issue with it try this..........................go out & buy her some clothes & insist she wear them out to dinner with you. Odds are she'll see your point of view.

 

[Takeereasy]

Good ideas and points again guys. All except the ring. Did you know guy's wedding rings are barbed so you can never take them off? I really liked that last one zipper. I don't think she'd be pleased with me for dressing her up to go out. What's wrong with workboots and a tube top at a fancy French restaraunt?

I already told on myself. Can't take guilt for one day. Man is my couch comfortable. Seriously though, she's pretty ticked but she'll calm down. She doesn't remember me telling her it's only a processor so I'm in the clear I guess. She just doesn't want something else taking up room in my entertainment center.

I can sell the Sony right now for $300. I have a friend that loves his sony which is one notch below the one I have and I can't talk him down to $250. I figure I won't bring that one up until the new unit gets here. If her relative that is borrowing my old sub would just go buy his own like he was supposed to do months ago I could throw it on ebay with some old speakers and make most of the receiver money back.