[KCLam]

Tandberg Open reel tape. I would make a compilation of music in a tape from borrowed vinyl or record from the radio. I guess I was lucky to be able to handle an open reel tape recorder at an early age.
First records that I bought were Singles or EP's of the Beatles on Parlophone label, record sleeves were plain cardboard paper (or was it not?). Used a Sansui turntable.

[megabigeye]

First: I had either just graduated or was about to graduate from high school when my mom bought me whatever the predecessor of the JVC HA-RX700 was-- she got them so I could make mix tapes for my girlfriends.   I didn't really realize how good those 'phones were until after my first year of college and a friend had repeatedly stepped on and broken them until they were falling apart at every conceivable joint.  I replaced them with some horrendous piece of crap SoundLABs.  I couldn't believe how awful and muddy everything sounded.
I ended up putting the JVCs back together with electrical tape and wire and wore them for another two or three years.

Second: My dad used to have a dual zone setup in his apartment, with Bose in the living room and some little Advents in the kitchen.  I always wanted to lie on the couch and listen to music, but the sound in the kitchen was so much better.  I especially remember the bass.

Third: seven or eight years ago I'd lost my Sony MDR-EX71SLs (god, I can't believe I remember that!) and replaced them with MDR-V300s.  I went through a phase of not even wanting to listen to music until it slowly dawned on me that it was because those headphones were absolutely, absurdly bad.  Somehow I stumbled on head-fi and Headphone Addict's review of the NuForce NE-7M.  I thought, "moar $$$$$ = moar betterz!!" so I got myself the NE-8s.  I remember listening to Can's Future Days and thinking "holy sh!t!  There's a guitar and a flute playing here?!"  I'd never heard instrument separation like that before!

Fourth: My girlfriend owed me a bit of money, so rather than paying me back she bought me some HD650s, which I'd been lusting after.  I plugged them directly into my Mac Mini and was impressed.  But my face positively tingled when I plugged them into my HDP and I experienced that sound stage!  It was disorienting!  It was glorious!

Fifth: a couple years ago I bought my nephew the JVC HA-RX700...  And then he started begging his mom for the PSB M4U (which he got)...  and the next year I got him the SMSL TPA3116... and then he graduated from high school and I got him the Parts Express Overnight Sensations kit.  God, I dote on that child!
...And so the story continues!

[jarcher]

 According to my parents, before I could even speak, I would joyfully push all the buttons and twist all the knobs on my fathers stereo, at that time probably either a Sansui receiver or Dynaco stuff. Eventually the Sansui became my first "serious" receiver.

My first true "audiophile" experience  was listening as teenager to my friend's father's all Quad system - Quad ESL 63 speakers, Quad 34 pre, presumably a Quad amp such as a 405, a Nackamichi Dragon, some turntable I don't recall, playing Pink Floyds then new album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Yeah, the guy was loaded....needless to say I was blown away. Just lately in a fit of nostalgia I bought Quad 63 + Quad 405 to replicate that experience. Still hunting for a Quad 34. The other night listened to PF's Delicate Sound of Thunder album and was blown away again.

[MtnHam]

Wow -- you guys are ancient!   

Ha-  My passion for music and fine audio started about 1960! Kenwood tube receiver, AKG earphones, Thorens TD124 turntable, and a 2 piece Sony R2R tape deck.

[HsvHeelFan]

Early on, I had my dad's hand me down Heathkit 7w tube integrated with a Heathkit turntable and a single 12 in speaker.

He moved up to a Sansui receiver in the late 60's, a Garrard turntable, a Sony 3 head Reel to Reel tape deck (loved that thing) and Utah speakers.

By the late 70's I had bought my own Pioneer receiver with a Technics turntable and some bookshelf speakers.

In '84,  bought all Yamaha.  An Intergrated amp, tuner,  the CD player (March of 84), Cassette deck, direct drive turntable and NS-1000 speakers.

Eventually, bits of Yamaha stuff got old and replaced.  Current system is a music server, a Parasound PH850 pre, a Bryston 4B-ST,  Kef Towers and a Velodyne sub.

HsvHeelFan

[sunnydaze]

Mid to Late 70s........my bedroom, parent's house.........mesmerized by repeated listens to:  Tull, Allman Bros,  Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Steppenwolf, Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Derek and the Dominoes, etc

JVC turntable,  Teac tape deck, Sansui 771 Receiver,  KLH speakers..........and Koss Pro 4A headphones when my folks couldn't stand the racket anymore!     Wow!! the sounds swimming around in my head w/ those cans was mind blowing........and I was substance free in those days!!       

[Emil]

Listened to this




on this



The rest is history

[Triode Pete]

My older brothers (Gary & Gregg) systems, which consisted of;





Playing this


Cheers,
Pete

[HsvHeelFan]

Early, formative music for me was:

Swingin' Brass with the Oscar Peterson Trio - with the Russ Garcia Big Band

Newport '58 - Dave Brubeck Quartet

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis

Ella Swings Lightly - Ella Fitzgerald

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 and  No 6 -  Bruno Walter and the CBS Orchestra

HsvHeelFan