Decisive moments your your audio journey

Great stuff here many of which I can relate to. I've had many different revelatory moments listening to music along way. The initial one was hearing what good, tight & defined bass can sound like on stacked large Advents in too small a room that I covered all the walls w/ thick Karastan carpet samples I got from a friend to absorb unwanted reflective sound. My friends & family thought I was nuts but I loved it!

Next was building first one & then a second Hafler DH - 200 power amp to power  the Advents which was great but then I heard ProAC EBS speakers & understood what midrange & high end detail was about.

I heard & bought a Conrad Johnson Premier 4 power amp w/ EL 34 tubes & along w/ a Jadis preamp & heard real depth & imaging for the first time which was a game changer along w/ my ProAc's . I've been hooked on tubes ever since. 

Very recently I heard how great a quality,  modern horn speaker can sound w/ tubes & bought a pair of Volti Audio Rivals. "Live" music sound as opposed to accurate "hifi". 

For those of us who still listen loudly to rock, blues or jazz, tubes & horns are awesome!

It was in Ogden UT at a store called LaBells. They sold higher end audio. They had a large pair of cerwin vega with the 15”.  It was Christopher Cross “sailing”. It had me hooked. That was 1981 I think. 

The last time I bought gear based solely on a showroom demo.

I vowed never to make the same mistake again and I haven't.  

1965, I was 4. Big truck arrived. Parents didn’t have $ for furniture, HiFi took priority. Dual 1019, Shure, MC MX-110Z, MC240, Bozak B-305 ( half a concert grand. in cherry cabinets )…

Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra…

I still have the 110 and 240

some other revelatory moments along the way…

1978 first time and phase Theil.

1978 first low TIM SS amolifier - Audionics of Oregon CC2

1978 first EMIT tweeter

1980 first wood body Grado

1983 first Chicago CES

1983 CJ Premier

1983 SOTA Sapphire

…… many more since…..