I had three formative hifi experiences in the late 70s and early 80s, my early teens in the suburbs of St. Paul. In chronological order, hearing 901s at the house of one of my parent's friends - I couldn't believe music could sound so big, like I was in a concert hall! Second was the stereo system in the office of my junior high school band teacher - cool blue meters and big speakers in the corners of the office - I didn't know then what I know now, and I could be totally wrong, but I like to think McIntosh and Klipsch? Sounded so real. More importantly he introduced me (us) to jazz. And his daughter, but that's another story, let's just call it music + girls = heartache + mix tapes. Thirdly buying my first low end music reproduction system - Pioneer receiver, Advent speakers, Technics turntable, at a little strip mall store in the Twin Cities called Sound of Music (they morphed into something much different over the years, also another story), off the sale/discount/used rack. I loved it of course but that's when I started wondering why my stereo sounded like this and their stereos sounded so much better?
