If you would allow me, my recollections are not only of my introduction to audio/hi-fi music, but also my most significant experiences and memories along this great way!!
When I was a young boy, living in Brooklyn, my dad had a great collection of music. Mostly opera and symphonic pieces. He also had some Caruso on 78's! My memories were of the excitement I had listening to the thunderous climaxes to symphonic pieces like Schererazade, or Beethoven's 5th. The music was played on a Strumberg-Carlson console (first a half model and the a floor model. When I was old enough I started buying my own musics which was mainly 45's doo-wop (Dion & the Belmonts)!!!
I must have been 14 years old and working for my uncle in NYC during the summer when I was asked (assigned) to go to Hines & Bolet (forgive me if the spelling if wrong or even the name) an appliance store. The year was approx 1962.
When I walked in the store I heard this magnificent sound coming from somewhere! It engulfed the entire first floor where I was. I looked around and there it was.....I believe it was an original AR-1 speaker. To this day the feeling I got when I heard that sound is still a moment for me to pause!! I was then determined to "get" that sound.
Many years later (1975??) I was invited over a friends home to hear......the famous, fabulous, legendary ....Infinity Servo Static 1-A's!!!!! Yes a working pair of 1-A's. That night we heard record album after record album...and my mouth remained opened with my jaw 2 inches from the floor. Ahhhhh, memories. I am sure that if I were to hear that system again today it would lave a bit to be desires and not rival my system of today.......but to capture the youth of my experience that day will never be forgotten and still my search.
I am happy to say that I am still quite young (young enough) to get excited by great sound (and a lovely woman) both real (the NY Philharmonic) and re-produced (not the woman) Try to listen to the IRS/1-D's or the watt puppy 7's, pipedreams, VR-5's (and 7's I suspect), and many more!!!!! The memories and there waiting to be made!!!!
When I was a young boy, living in Brooklyn, my dad had a great collection of music. Mostly opera and symphonic pieces. He also had some Caruso on 78's! My memories were of the excitement I had listening to the thunderous climaxes to symphonic pieces like Schererazade, or Beethoven's 5th. The music was played on a Strumberg-Carlson console (first a half model and the a floor model. When I was old enough I started buying my own musics which was mainly 45's doo-wop (Dion & the Belmonts)!!!
I must have been 14 years old and working for my uncle in NYC during the summer when I was asked (assigned) to go to Hines & Bolet (forgive me if the spelling if wrong or even the name) an appliance store. The year was approx 1962.
When I walked in the store I heard this magnificent sound coming from somewhere! It engulfed the entire first floor where I was. I looked around and there it was.....I believe it was an original AR-1 speaker. To this day the feeling I got when I heard that sound is still a moment for me to pause!! I was then determined to "get" that sound.
Many years later (1975??) I was invited over a friends home to hear......the famous, fabulous, legendary ....Infinity Servo Static 1-A's!!!!! Yes a working pair of 1-A's. That night we heard record album after record album...and my mouth remained opened with my jaw 2 inches from the floor. Ahhhhh, memories. I am sure that if I were to hear that system again today it would lave a bit to be desires and not rival my system of today.......but to capture the youth of my experience that day will never be forgotten and still my search.
I am happy to say that I am still quite young (young enough) to get excited by great sound (and a lovely woman) both real (the NY Philharmonic) and re-produced (not the woman) Try to listen to the IRS/1-D's or the watt puppy 7's, pipedreams, VR-5's (and 7's I suspect), and many more!!!!! The memories and there waiting to be made!!!!