As A Youngster, What Unit Puqued Your Interest In All This?

It was about 1976/1977, I went with my Dad to the local stereo store.   Dad was buying Cerwin Vega speakers, Girard Turntable, and a Sylvania receiver.   The next room over was playing Dave Grusin, Three Cowboy Songs and it was magical.   I don’t know/remember the electronics, but the speakers were Dahlquist DQ10.   It was a whole ‘nother dimension.   I’d never heard anything quite like that.   I was totally ruined by that experience.   And the pursuit began…

Music and electronics when I was around 8 years old.  1962ish. My dad found out that we could help Salvation Army Thrift take apart big donated furniture stereo tv consoles for $5.00.  Speakers, turntables, AM FM radios, amplifiers.  I experimented and built a lot.  Looking back, woodworking lacked very much. 

Come high school. Frequented our big audio store here.  Drool and dream.  That is where I met a Paragon speaker.  Lafayette Electronics came with Altec and Yamaha.  Of course, their Criterion gear.  Part time work brought me a Kenwood receiver, Criterion speakers, Garrard turntable.

Graduated.  1974 full time job.  Slowly upgrading.  One day I dropped into a small brick mortar tv repair shop and stereo.  I got to know the owner and salespeople. One of the salespeople was into this thing call High End.  Underground.  By appointment only cult.  Yup.  I've been screwed up ever since.

1965-1966. My mother worked as Quality Supervisor at Columbia Records’ Santa Maria CA plant. My dad built a mahogany cabinet to house his HH Scott tube and SS receivers, Lab 80 turntable, powering AR-2ax speakers. In 1966 he traded the ARs for Wharfdale W70C speakers. I’ve been hooked ever since.

In 1979 I took an Audio Physics course (all physics principles taught through the lens of a stereo system). I was hooked. Went out and purchased (my first credit purchase) a 40 Watt Luxman Receiver, a Phillips 777 Turntable with an ATN14 Shibata Stylus (still have the turntable saved for my son’s system), 3D Acoustics Satellites (still sounding great in my HT system with 5 B&W speakers and a sub) with a passive subwoofer which was replaced the next year with a custom subwoofer from Harms Labs (Steve is still building speakers in Old Town Fort Collins), and a Sony cassette deck (wanted a Nakamichi but it was too expensive). Every few years the the systems evolve. Sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much. The hobby has provided over 40 years of enjoyment and sometimes frustration. Love it!

My dad had a Mac 275, Mac pre, Thorens TT and Tanny horns. My Mom worked in a reccord store. You can guess the rest.