1973

1973: The genesis point of my audiophile odyssey. Started with a Panasonic receiver with a fish eye tuning dial and plastic, trapezoidal single driver speakers. Also, had a BSR changer (4800?) with a ceramic cartridge. This system was a ubiquitous feature of every dentist's office back in the day. Listening to WDAS FM in Philly led to my fixation on Stevie Wonder, Ohio Players, Graham Central Station and War. Stones, Santana, Hendrix and Yes were like sonic heroin.
Then, I got a pair of BIC formula 1s, mounted them venturi side up in the corners of my room and literally shook the rafters. That launched the equipment side of the obsession that continues to this day.

1973 one year out of High School.
Living in my Folks’ basement.
Waterbead, Marantz 2270, Rectilinear 3s, Technics TT.
Smoke, women, music good times.
a friend had a pair of Bose 901s suspended from ceiling driven by McIntosh. I was astounded by the sound.
@Millercarbon...headed to Seattle in September. Love the area and the stores 😉

Let's face it, in 1973 "Hi-Fi" translated into bone crushing bass. (Had the term "audiophile" even been coined?) My approach, my first year after passing the Bar, was to trade my AR3's for a pair of Tannoys the size of small refrigerators and a massive McIntosh power amp tweaked with an equalizer set with the ubiquitous U-curve.

I was in the Peace Corps in a remote town in Ethiopia with no electricity, running (or potable) water, medical service or regular transportation (a DC3 would occasionally come and land on an open field).  The inside walls of my house were sprayed with DDT to prevent malaria-carrying mosquitoes, a bit of a devil's bargain.  But I had a small battery powered cassette player that was my musical salvation.  Ten years later and settled back in the U.S. the system-building started in earnest, and now, 37 years later, it sounds fabulous!
Jim Heckman

Lived on Pennsylvania Ave. NW Wash., DC, in between jobs at Goddard Space Flight Center. Chilling and binge watching Watergate hearings. 🤥