How long ago did you catch the bug?

Late 60s. Junior high or High School. Find myself sitting on the floor between speakers of our Sears stereo. You know the ones. Big ole hunk of wood. Herb Alpert was playing and at the end of one track they bounced the trumpet back and forth quickly in the mix. I thought that was cool. First time I’d noticed audio/stereo. 
 

Got some B&O bookshelf speakers for Christmas coming out of HS. Bought a used Fischer integrated (still have it) and a Garrard turntable freshman year of college. Wow!  Bass!  (Hauled this rig from hotel to hotel for literally years when I was on the road with traveling bands.)
 

College early 70s.  Drummer in a band I was with was into audio. I was hanging at his house and he wanted me to hear his new Cornwalls.  He dropped the needle on a track with a female singer and acoustic guitar (Pentangle?).  It sounded to me like she was RIGHT THERE, sitting inside the speaker, singing to me.  Had no idea recorded music didn’t have to sound, well, recorded. I was totally amazed and totally hooked.  

1970

Middle school in the late 80’s to early 90’s.  Friends Dad had a state of the art at the time Home Theater set up.  Lost count on how many times we watched Tombstone! 
 

First spade of my own where I could let my love for Audio shine was at 16, my car was the spot.  My audio gear was worth more than the mighty Toyota Tercel. 
 

The bug has shifted from Car Audio to Home Theater to now a heavy focus on 2 Channel.  Just bought a Krell stack, never thought I would have the means or opportunity for the kind of gear I have today and…. Still always looking for ways to get that next little bit further.  Crazy, fun, stupid hobby.

1960. The neighbor across the street (an EE) had a Mac mono amp and one Klipsch corner horn.  That thing played all day every day with a Mac tuner.  I was interested and amazed at 7 years old.  One day I asked him how loud it could play, they used it as background only.  He just smiled invited me in and let that baby rip. As you are all aware that was it for me, I was totally stunned.

I would scour on my bike for console TVs discarded.  Had my bag of tools and would "gut" them.  Finally got one amp and a speaker to work, added more speakers (raw) as I found them and finally blew the thing up setting my bed on fire in the process. Got my butt kicked and also gained space in my dad's small workspace.

Living in North Jersey there was many many audio stores and NYC was only a 20 minute bus ride away.  Imagine letting a 13 year old go to NYC on a scouting mission in this day-in-age.

Hook, line and sinker...

Regards,
barts

At age 13 in 1964 my older brother built a Dyna ST70, PAS3, FM3 while I was away at camp.  When I returned home he took me with him to buy speakers from a nearby stereo shop in Ridgewood, NJ, where I got my first glimpse of a demo room with a TD124/SME w/V15, McIntosh electronics and an array of speakers.  We compared and chose KLH 17s.  A few years later I heard Rectilinear 3s at Leonard Radio in Paramus...they were ear opening in comparison to the ARs and KLHs.  The final straw was a trip to Victor's in Chicago and hearing Quad ESL57s, IMF TLS80s and Tympanys w/ ARC electronics.  Hooked.  I couldn't afford that stuff, but the quest for "the closest approach to the original sound" was on.