How did U get into this expensive hobby?

As a teen (late 1970's) I read Stereo Review every month and picked out the "best" system components based on the highly reliable performance specifications and authoritative product reviews. At the time, I had a Sound Design all-in-one turntable/amp with 5" full range speakers (est. $129)!

I love music. Played a trumpet and baritone into college. Got by with a hand-me-down system from my father, a walkman and a good pair of Koss headphones. Insert fond memories here of Boston, Styx, Supertramp, Heart, Kansas, Yes .... oh, but I digress.

Later (out of college, but still broke) I had a $400 Sony 50wpc turntable/tape rack system; which was supplemented with a used early generation CD player. However, after hearing the clarity in my friend's very expensive Denon/Infinity system (est. cost $1,200) I decided I needed new speakers.

Purchased some $300/pr Advent Prodigy II's (considering this to be a great extravagance), and promptly found the wimpy Sony rack system couldn't drive.

While returning them, I happened upon a Dahlquist dealer introducing the new DQ-12's (3-way open baffle construction similar to Vandersteen 2's). I really liked them. He left those pre-production versions at the store and the store was dumping them as demos prior to the new products arriving. I bought a stack of Adcom electronics to go with them. I also got to know the salesperson (he had some great gear), and then subscribed to Stereophile.

Shortly after that I was completely addicted. Like many others at this site it seems continuing happiness requires a regular component upgrade. Currently it's the Audio Alchemy, BAT, McCormack, Thiel, Velodyne level.

But after reading the other thread about "what's the best system you've every built" I have a feeling this is going to go on for some time (wife groans here).

Thanks for the fun question (and memories).

My mother was going to buy me a stereo as a graduation present when I graduated college. I would have been content with just about anything, except I wnted to be able to tape my records so as to preserve them. One of my instructors insisted that 8-tracks were a dying breed and cassettes would be the way to go in the near future. This was in 1974. Since we couldn't find an all-in-one stereo with a cassette, I got a bottom of the line Pioneer receiver, BSR tt, XAM speakers and a JVC cassette deck from E.J. Korvette's. the rest is history

My father bought me an H.H. Scott all in one turntable/reciever for Christmas 1970,(I was 16). He gave me the Magnavox speakers he was using in his bedroom. 1973 I bought a used pair of mint Rectilinear 3's. The Scott would not drive them, I upgraded to a Marantz 2270 Reciever and a used turntable (Pioneer I think), soon replaced by a Technics. Bought some Advents to replace the Rec 3's and on and on through various recievers, integrateds, separates, speakers and other electronics.
My wife and I both worked for record stores/companies at different times in our life, we had probably 1500 records at the beginning of 1990's. For some reason I decided to sell them and my turntable to go all digital. Well after a few years of "Perfect Sound" I decided that I missed analog. 1996 bought a Rega Planar 3 and started collecting vinyl again, have about 500 records again and am having a blast finding new and used vinyl treasures. I am hopelessly hooked on the whole hobby, software and hardware.

It,s All About the Music!
Cheers,
Dan

I was around twelve or so when the bug bit me.I was visiting my older brother,David,who lived away from me with our father.David had just bought His first system.It was a simple system.A pair of Pioneer CS-77's,a Pioneer SX 880 receiver,and a very fine sounding Technics turntable.We listened to Frank Marino and Mahogony Rush Live while watching those twelve inch woofers move in and out in step with the music.I felt the air from the ports halfway across the room.I watched the level meters on the receiver move in step with the music also.The strobe on the turntable was mesmorizing.It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.I knew right then that there was something special about this machine that was pouring out this wonderful noise.That was some twenty years ago.I was able to assemble these vintage pieces of equipment a few months back.I wanted to recreate that experience.I did just that.I was sadly disappointed as you might have guessed at just how terrible the whole thing sounded.After several hundred amps,speakers,source components,cables,etc.that are far better sounding ,I will always remember that system and just how wonderful it sounded that afternoon. I love this hobby.I will always be a gear head.Forever searching for just the right set up and hopeing not to find it.You see,the point of my journey is not to arrive.Happy listening.

Mom used to play albums on an old Magnavox console stereo while cleaning the house and, as a young child, I became interested in music. As I grew up I became interested in equipment that could reproduce music to realistic levels. In high school a friend of mine got into electronics and we started building Dynakits together. When I was in the Air Force in the mid 70s I started visiting audio stores in Charlotte NC and Charleston SC. A person I knew in the Air Force bought some Klipschorns. Wow, was I impressed. After the Air Force I went to college and hung out at a place called the Golden Gramaphone on Akron OH. There I became hooked on Audio Research, Magnepans and Linn Sondek turntables. All the money I saved up in the Air Force was spent on my audio hobby. From college on it got worse and worse. I look back and count how many preamps, amplifiers, speakers, tapedecks, turntables, CD players, D/A converters, etc. that I have owned and am amazed. I've had over 70 speaker systems alone. I guess I will always love this hobby (along with golf).