Audiophile Moment - When did the passion strike?

harrymax · « **on:** 28 May 2020, 05:22 pm »

Hello Audio Circle friends,

Do you recall when the passion struck? Was it a single bolt of lightning or a slow reveal through multiple moments? Where were you and when? What type of music were you listening to? When did you become conscious of the fact it became a hobby (version a simple interest) ...or an obsession.

I thought answering this would be easy, but now realize that for me, it was a slow reveal with a lightning strike in the middle, which is when I was in London in 2011 for work. I went to Bond Street to look at watches (purely for fun) and to an audiophile store of which I can't remember the name. It was there that I got to listen to Big Love from Fleetwood Mac on a set of STAX SR-009.

That was it. I still love my Thiel speakers, Eagle amps, etc., but now I'm a headphone guy. Boom.

RMoss · « **Reply #1 on:** 28 May 2020, 08:34 pm »

Hello!

I feel like I've had a little bit of it in me ever since I got my first car stereo components (which of course were terrible). Eventually that shifted more into home theater and now I'm finally working on a dedicated stereo setup. Good question!

Phil A · « **Reply #2 on:** 28 May 2020, 09:56 pm »

Welcome! Got the bug with my 1st set of separates about 40 years ago. Haven't been able to shake it.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #3 on:** 28 May 2020, 11:01 pm »

Welcome

RMoss · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:48 am »

Oh and I forgot to mention but I envy you folks who can enjoy good headphones. I unfortunately have one deaf ear, so it's speakers only for me. I can still see a bit of a sound stage though, if I sit in the right spot and turn my head just a bit. The brain is a crazy crazy thing.

Fortunately, my good ear tests really well. I have to remind myself when listening that I only got one left, so better take care of it!

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:51 am »

Welcome aboard Moss

nlitworld · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 May 2020, 04:41 am »

Hi everyone,,
For me it was a bit of an "oh yeah I forgot how much I enjoy this" moment. All growing up in high school I spent my money on mostly gas and a few cds per paycheck blasting music on my mom's old 70s JVC. Years go by and mp3/pandora takes over and lost the bug for a while. Then I found a random turntable in the garage, plugged it in and bought my favorite album. It was then, wandering around the record store, smelling the insence, hearing old punk on the stereo while talking with the people there about the concerts from years gone by that I remembered how much I loved everything about it. Finding gems at the indie music store or even Goodwill. Coming home from work to tuning out the world and cranking music til you can't help but tap your toes and smile. All of it. I'm hooked. Slowly but surely making improvements to my gear, but always remembering to stop and enjoy the music.

-Lloyd

Scroof Neachy · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 May 2020, 06:23 am »

Probably in the early 7O’s when I first heard a pair of Quad ESL-57’s. It’s what I use now.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 May 2020, 10:33 am »

1976 when I heard a pair of Acoustats with servo tube amps. Still one of my favorites even today.

Before that I had a quad system from 1972.

JLM · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 May 2020, 12:05 pm »

Upon hearing the song "In the Year 2525" as a kid, must have been on my mom's phonograph. Guess I'm more of a music lover who is also a gear head of sorts (worked 38 years as an engineer).

My first audiophile moment was when I bought JBL L-44's in high school and plugged them into my plastic Panasonic AM/FM/cassette. That rich, deep, detailed sound captured me. Dragged Dad upstairs for a listen but sadly he couldn't hear the difference from the speakers that came with the Panasonic (car speakers in hardboard cabinets). He'd lived around engines his whole life and couldn't even hear the crickets outside when we were done.

ArthurDent · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 May 2020, 12:11 pm »

Greetings & Welcome to AC harry

MttBsh · « **Reply #11 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:12 pm »

For me it was when I started attending concerts back around 1970. I loved being immersed in the sound put out by a great band playing in a decent sounding venue. I wanted to be able to recreate that sound in my own home. I also have collected a lot of live recordings over the years. I can say that today if I turn my sound system up loud enough it sounds as good as being at a concert. My neighbors get to enjoy it too!

Chris Adams · « **Reply #12 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:41 pm »

1961, I was 10 and had a little all in one record player. All in one means it had a speaker and amp in it. Ceramic cartridge of course. I bought a 45, "Tragedy" by the Fleetwoods. Played it over and over. Don't know exactly how I got the idea but saved my chore pennies and bought a box speaker from Radio Shack, I think it had a 6x9 or 5x8 in it. Took my record player apart, disconnected the 3 or 4" internal speaker and connected the "big" Radio Shack. Wow, better sound. I was hooked.

mhconley · « **Reply #13 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:55 pm »

I’ve always been a gadget guy and I’ve always loved music. I had a GE Silvertone suitcase stereo turntable and a Panasonic RF-888 radio when I was a teen. I caught the audiophile bug listening to my dad’s boss’ Pioneer SX-1250 receiver. I forget what speakers and other components he had but that big receiver was beautiful.

I bought my first stereo soon after. A mid-range Pioneer receiver and turntable and big Cerwin-Vega 313 speakers. I loved the sound of that system. I remember kabuki speakers were big in the late 1970’s. In the mid-1980’s I had an SAE Two R6 receiver, a Dual turntable, Akai cassette deck and a pair of even bigger Cerwin-Vega 12-TR speakers. Also a nice sounding system.

It’s been a continually evolving journey ever since.

Martin

Digi-G · « **Reply #14 on:** 29 May 2020, 03:57 pm »

I think it was mostly a slow burn for me until I heard a really good demo of B&W speakers in my mid-20s. This would have been right around the time that CDs were introduced, although the demo was vinyl. I had never even heard of B&W up to that point. Pretty sure one of the songs was Landslide by Fleetwood Mac - a holographic Stevie Nicks was in the middle of the room singing to me. I HAD to buy the speakers - DM220's. $450 or so for the pair - God, what a steal. I used them for many, many years before giving them to my best friends 20-something year old son. I hope he realizes how much I loved those.

kmmd · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 May 2020, 04:45 pm »

I started in the ‘90’s with a NAD (Saturday Audio Exchange) and KEF (United) combo during my graduate studies in Chicago. Then my “aha” moment was when I heard a pair of Magnepan MG10QR’s, not 10.1’s, at Audio Consultants. I bought a pair and later bought an Audiolab 8000CD player. I still have the 10QR’s (main system for tri-center) and the Audiolab player (transport) that I mate with an Audiolab 8000DAX in a bedroom system.

jcsperson · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 May 2020, 04:52 pm »

I was in the Navy and my system was mid-fi stuff I had bought at the base exchange in Japan. I was pretty convinced it was hi-fi then.

In 1985 I had to fly from Japan to Hawaii for Navy business (I know, horrible right?) and while my squadron mates went to the beach, I visited a local high-end stereo store. Things were slow at the store and even though I said I wasn't really buying, the salesmen couldn't have been more helpful and informative.

That store was big on Magnepan, which I had never heard of, and one of their listening rooms was entirely dedicated to Maggies and Audio Research. They started with the MMGs and worked their way up to the MGIIIs and that was it. I realized my stuff was just stuff. I did buy one of the better Grado cartridges and when I was transferred back to the States a few years later the first thing I did was buy a pair of MGIIIs which I enjoyed for 14 years.

Two careers and two moves later I put the MGIIIs in storage and haven't had the time or space to do anything with stereo since, but I retire in two weeks and that is all about to change.

glynnw · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 May 2020, 08:09 pm »

I became interested in the mid-70s. Moved to Atlanta, had an NAD/Time Window system and got invited to a house where the owner (Glenn Gleaton) had a set of Beveridge speakers, Beveridge pre-amp and more. WOW!! I was hooked.

Sparky14 · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 May 2020, 08:17 pm »

Honestly, it was a two-part hit. #1 was a music appreciation class in college that made me actually listen to classical for the first time. And during that semester over several weekends, I went to my girlfriend's parents' house. Her dad had a full Krell system and Martin-Logan speakers. It was quite a step up from the 6x9" car speakers I was used to. I stayed with that girl much longer than I should have just for those weekend experiences.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 May 2020, 11:50 pm »

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