Passing the wife test.....

[MrBoat]

When I moved into this house, there was a family room addition which allowed us to have his/her living rooms. Nobody went into hers. . .ever. Everyone, including her, lived in mine. Nobody even bothered seeing hers because everyone came to the back door attached to my room instead of the front. I even had to get a 2nd recliner because her butt was always in mine. Now that she's gone, I have changed her room into livable/usable space as well, that people aren't afraid to disturb.

Nobody cares about HGTV model home living spaces unless they entertain a lot. It just ends up as wasted space that needs to be maintained for what it is. If we were meant to have rooms according to her, they would be called "looking-rooms" instead of "living-rooms." I bought this house to live in. Besides, the Berber clashes with my boxers.

 

[-Jim-]

Well Gents, I just had to comment. My situation was a bit of a twist on @MrBoat 's . When we did the big Reno of 2018 (the whole main floor of the house) I wanted carte blanche for the "Games Room" new Atmos HT system, and my Misses wanted almost nothing speaker wise in the Family Room HT system. Actually she only wanted a small speaker stereo (think those awful Bose Cubes that women thought were "cute"). I figured if I compromised on the Family Room, she'd let me do my thing in the Games Room. (I have a cheap 7.1 HT system in the Man Cave / Junk Room in the basement. Did I tell you I've got a problem? See my signature...)

I did in-walls for the surrounds and smaller bookshelves up front with a wireless Sub on the 5.1 HT system in the Family Room. I got a bit of grief as she somehow thought there'd be no Sub at all, but when I moved it to wireless, she was better with it. The Games Room is a full 7.2.4 Atmos System, and she even encouraged me to "go for it" and buy a 75 inch Samsung QLED for it! When we have people over (and even if it's just us) the Family Room system is never turned on, but folks love to see and hear Concerts (Blu-ray of course) and Sports (Football & Hockey) in the Games Room.

One downside was the Contractor's "professional" painter said they could easily paint the grills for both the in-walls and in-ceiling speakers. Well they messed that up badly, and I spent hours and hours poking out paint from the thousands of holes in all those grills!

And by the way, my wife and I are still married...So there is life after a big Reno.

 

[Eppie]

When we bought our home, I had a pair of Electrovoice Interface I Series II speakers... large "bookshelves". The basement was unfinished so the TV and stereo were in the main floor living room for years. The room is not large, so I made some wooden shelves and suspended them from the ceiling with a steel cable on each front corner, angling the speakers downward. It sounded pretty good but you can imagine how that looked.

I knew my wife wasn't happy with that arrangement, so eventually I purchase a pair or Paradigm AMS-300 in-walls and packed away the old Electrocvoice (from around 1984). I painted the grills myself @-Jim- to ensure that none of the holes were blocked. My wife and I used that system with an older Kenwood AVR but she is just as happy to use the Google Home Mini. I moved the plasma TV and Denon AVR to the living room this summer and added a Paradigm centre channel in-wall but she tends to use the TV speakers most of the time as she finds the AVR too complex, despite my setting up the Quick Select buttons. The holes in the centre grill were even smaller so it took careful use of a stipple brush to paint it. She is happy with the look now but upset that she can't move the couch every year now because the TV is fixed to the wall.

 

[Bobby Bass]

Great thread my wife would die laughing if she read it. She always jokes with me that all the guys I’m online with live in their Mom’s basements. Just coincidentally my listening room is in the basement. Wives can be like equipment. There is no best wife, only the one that’s best for you in your life!

 

[lovinthehd]

Great thread my wife would die laughing if she read it. She always jokes with me that all the guys I’m online with live in their Mom’s basements. Just coincidentally my listening room is in the basement. Wives can be like equipment. There is no best wife, only the one that’s best for you in your life!

Nah, moved out when I was 18. I prefer man cave. Wives that think they are the top of the heap of interior decoration tend not to be....