How long ago did you catch the bug?

As an infant my mother could not get me to sleep. For months she tried everything.

Finally, in desperation she stuck a table radio in the crib. It worked and I have been listening to music almost continuously ever since. I got my own record player on my 4th birthday, a brown Zenith portable with a black Cobra tonearm. It was not long befor I realized that my dad's system sounded A LOT better. Bozak B302As driven by a Stereo 70 with an HH Scott front end and Rec O Kut turntable. The real prize was an Ampex tape deck. By the age of 10 I had managed to collect a soldering iron and all the tools to build an amplifier. I managed to talk my dad into a kit Stereo 70. I suppose you could say that is where the real journey began as far as "high end" systems would be concerned.  I think I was born an audiophile, a genetic mishap. 

@ghdprentice 

old farts here? Hey, I resemble that comment 

Correct me if I am wrong but it appears that a majority of us Forum dwellers are about the same age. My Freshman year in college was 1971. Boomers!

As a Voice Performance major in the conservatory I had to have my first serious system. Anyone remember Pacific Stereo? I was so proud of my $199 PS special.

We would put on Classical albums and everyone at parties would play “name that composer”. And my pianist, perfect pitch roommate would “play” shadow fingers on the ceiling instantaneously to the piano pieces.

A cool Niko receiver, a super duper Lenco TT… funny that about a $100 TT would become a sought after restored item. PS had their house brand speaker. The Quadrelfex. It came with the entry level bookshelf.

Took several years until I started the never ending upgrades. My first was a very great pair of Klipsch Heresys. 

5, 6 years old.  My uncle had this tv stereo console that I liked.  Big, powerful sound. That started it.  Mid 60's my dad took me to the Salvation Army.  They had a stockpile of such console units.  For $5.00? they let me take out whatever I wanted   My dad explained that they were going to dismantle them for trash and I was helping them. Yes.  A Frankenstein system.  LOL 60 years later... Great granddaughter of Frankenstein, system.   Better looking.  Better sounding.  But still, a Frankenstein.

In many respects… the real high end stuff has always been primarily an old guy thing. As a young audiophile I used to drive up to Phoenix from Tucson to the Audio Research / high end audio store to look and listen. The only guys walking out with new Audio Research equipment we’re old guys. Us youngsters were there to dream…. Maybe buy a used budget piece of equipment. Like the shiny new corvettes… old guys! A small compensation for getting old.