My HiFi life didn’t start until my early 20s, but like most it was a compulsive obsession with music, and discovering new music which got me started on the path.
As a child my grandmother had one of those sideboard type music centres whereby the top would flip back and inside there was a record player and radio. Apparently I would keep playing Cat Stevens’ 45rpm of "Lady d’arbanville" over and over and over again, and also "Where do you go to my lovely?" by Peter Sarstedt. I think I was about 4 or 5 yrs old at the time 😁.
Another watershed moment was sneaking into my friend’s uncle’s room at his gandmothers; he had a big system, no idea what it comprised of, but he had Dark Side of The Moon, Paranoid by Black Sabbath, Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s by The Beatles. That was it, I was off, mind blown🙄😎😁
That was round 10 or 11; I had various crappy tape players and my folks’ all in one type record players, and that’s how I listened. I was then given a Realistic, all in one record player with speakers at the front of the box which I had for a while.
When I started working properly, I saved up and bought a Pioneer stacked midi-system; turntable, cassette deck and with a CD platter that held 5 or 6 CDs at a time. I thought this was it, the bees knees 😁 as I hadn’t had any exposure as a young adult (early 20s) to proper HiFi.
I was then introduced to a friend of a friend, who had an elaborate Naim Chrome Bumper set-up, a Linn TT, (don’t remember the model) and I think some large, either Epos or Linn speakers, don’t recall what they were, but needless to say, another watershed moment. I had NEVER heard any think like it, total "Road to Damascus" stuff. He also introduced me to Jazz, which I hadn’t given much thought to prior.
After hearing this system, and being a young man with a decent job, no family responsibilities and some disposable income, my new found friend introduced me to his dealer, and a couple of weeks later, I had a bi-amped Naim Olive set up, Epos 11 speakers, an Arcam Alpha CD and Audio Alchemy DAC (I think it was the Digital Decoding Engine v1? - memory’s a bit hazy on this).
I was I audio heaven, a pig in muck. Move forward a good few years and I’d gotten married, bought a house and sold the whole system to go fund the house renovation. Two years later, we separated 😁. I will always regret selling that system 🤔🙄.
That was 2002, and I hadn’t bothered again, life got in the way. But last year, I jumped back on the bus - I was fed up of listening to my music through smart speakers and/or a DAB/CD player. A lot has changed during my HiFi wilderness years, but decided while researching to go all in on the digital/streaming front, plus a CTD for my old CD collection.
Had a few changes to my original set-up bought last year, and I’ve had a lot to re-learn, and still do have, but I’m loving the journey again, and rediscovering what my music sounds like played through quality components, as well as discovering new music on a daily basis via Qobuz/Tidal/RP👍😊