1976. Had saved enough summer job money to buy my first "stereo": Panasonic "Thrusters" system. After returning it for exchange three (!) times because of unstable pitch from the turntable and which the salesman could not hear, the poor guy said "kid, take your money back and go somewhere else". Went to Sound Components in Coral Gables, Fla. Had never heard high end equipment before and will never forget the experience of hearing stacked Quads/Janis subs/Sequerra ribbon tweeters driven by Levinson ML-2's with Levinson pre and Linn table. My jaw dropped! That was the day the sickness began.