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

I was extremely interested in sound quality starting in 1973. Purchased Technics SL1200 with Audio Technica  Shibata tipped stylus, Sony receiver with Dolby FM.

A friend that worked at that store had Pioneer Quad system with Quad Open Reel and Tapes, with 4 JBL L300s. That was pretty cool.

When I heard the Heil Plasmatronics  in 1976, I was hooked on High End from there. (I didn't get them).

This thread obviously strikes a nostalgic chord with everyone. it's a chance to travel back in time to a younger more innocent time.  For me, it was Natural Sound in Framingham, MA.  Went there with a buddy in 1974 or so, (stoned of course), and listened to stacked Quad speakers, with Mark Levinson pre and amp, and some turntable I can't remember, but nice.  I think in those days, the system was $30K!  It literally blew me away.  Whatever we listened to sounded like the band was playing right in front of us.  It was incredible.  I have been chasing that sound (or how I remember it) since I started buying equipment.  Alas, the only things that I could afford were a Harman/Kardan receiver, a Phillips Turntable (with the very cool LED lights) and ElectroVoice Speakers.  Started upgrading in college and never stopped!  But still haven't gotten that sound, although my current system is excellent.

My older brother after his freshman year in college(1977) came back for the summer with a B & O Beogram 4002 table, Yamaha receiver(don't remember the model), and a pair of large Tannoy Era Monitors with classic 12" dual concentric drivers and a ceramic Elephant shaped Bong.  If you placed one speaker on top of the other, it was the size of a refrigerator.  After a summer of that system(I was a high school freshman), I was hooked on audio.

No particular piece of gear. I only noticed that some gear just sounded better than others.

In audio stores I used to hang out with friends (with the same interests) at various audio stores. Impressed with everything from Klipsch to Maggies to, well nearly everything. Being poor, I started with a raw speaker and tiny mono tube amp from a junk pile sale at Lafayette ($5 each… ha!). Soon I “upgraded” the raw speaker by soldering a cap to a found “tweeter” (woo-hoo!”)

My first “real” system was a Kenwood integrated amp, a tiny pair of Advent speakers and a Dual TT with a Shure M91ED cart… from there it was off to the races!

I've a relatively detailed history in my Virtual System. 

But before I ever got into all this, a transistor under the covers listening to Radio Luxembourg was where I discovered music. My parents refused to entertain a record player, so I hung at friend's homes and played their records. Penny on the headshell.