When did it all start?

At a boarding school in New Zealand, late 1940's. The headmaster compelled us to listen to classical music on his state of the art rig. Although monophonic, it used two large speakers. I don't know what the electronics were, but the turntable had a cartridge that used removable wooden needles. The needles had a triangular cross section, and were frequently resharpened using a specially designed clipper.

I started loving music since I was 5 first by dismembering an old gromophone for curiosity but was warned by parents not to do the same thing with tube radiola that might kill if I go inside. Played my own records on tube radiola ever since that is a huge box built in arround mid-50's and than later-on picked up listened tunes with my small 1/4 vintage accordion.
Later-on I went to school of music and "upgraded" to 1/2 i.e. "half" accordion and finally as my height increased "upgraded" to 1/1 120 bass-chord buttons Weltmeister. I quit school of music leaning towards more to improvise than playing classics and started to play in bands and even on holiday occasions and parties and later-on added DIY sound pickup to be able to plug this one onto the head-amp having a gained knowlege from Radio Communications school... Gaining some bucks from party musical entertainments I bought myself a system and practicing instrument, playing were going more and more far away and went completely out here in US. I still have mine lying under the bad and collecting dust for nearly 10 years next to nice system I recently built.

I don't recall any particular epiphany that led to my love of good audio equipment, but I do recall my exposure to the Beatles "Love Me Do" as being a significant musical milestone as a young child (8 years old I think). I have an 8 year old son that has a special love of music too. All four of my children enjoy music, but it is easy to see that my 8 year old has an extra special affinity to music.

Warren,
My Dad had a Fisher reciever, Rotel turntable and AR speakers.

Anyway, it started for me listening to the above system, staring at album covers. Man I used to lay on the floor and stare at "Tarkus" for hours. My 'rents had no trouble playing loud music around this kid...and I love them for it. Not just one kind of music either...rock, jazz, bluegrass, classical....you name it.

Cheers,
Z

In the 50s my dad had a Capehart council record player and tuner with built in speakers. I undergrad school I bought dyna audio gear and roomed with a guy who had a Hartley 24" woofer which we mounted into a sewer pipe. Everything was pretty reasonable and gradual after that until in the early 70s, I heard the Infinity Servo Stats. Life has not been the same since. I have had 14 different speakers since then, countless amps and preamps, seven different turntables, 12 cd players, six dacs, 17 different types of cables, 35 different line filters, 11 different feet, etc. Life is great!