How did U get into this expensive hobby?

I think the year was maybe 1974 or 75 and I wandered into a sterio shop and heard some L-100's playing Supertramp and I, as a 14 or 15 year old could not believe the power and loudness of the system. I fell in love with those Marantz receivers with the beautiful silver faces, script type, and blue-violet glow of the lamps. I'll never forget my first visits to that shop just to listen (they knew I couldn't buy so usually I hung around until some 'grown up'came in to listen to buy)hearing pink floyd DSOTM on JBL L-166 or L-65's, Infinitys (with the watkins woofers), Epicure 20's.
Incidently my tastes these days run towards Spicas, Charios, Proac, Spendor you get the idea.

I got into high-end audio by accident. About two years ago I got into HT and spent $7,000 on a fairly respectable system. Then while searching for better HT speakers I happened upon Audio Connection in Verona, NJ and it changed my life - I listened to tubed gear for the first time. Female vocals sounded incredible. All of the sounds were so multi-dimensional. I couldn't believe that you could re-create the recording environment. I had always thought of music as instruments, voices, ambient effects, etc. all rolled into one. Using this line of thinking it wouldn't matter much how you listen to your music. Well, John Rutan changed all of that. Ever since then I've been putting together the best system I can currently afford while still maintaining a happy marriage. Expensive, but money well spent!

Yeah John R. is pretty cool. He modified my Spica TC-50's, and gave me a good deal on a Magnum Dynalab Etude a few years back.

I was shopping for a cassette back in 1982. I had never heard of high end audio. I just knew that every deck I ever heard sounded terrible. Not even close to at the time my Pioneer PL12D turntable with a Marantz 2220b reciever. Somehow somebody suggested I check out a Nakamichi. Back then you had to find them in high end stores. I looked in the phone book and found Victors Stereo in Chicago and I visited. I walked in and heard Micheal Hedges playing on a pair of Quads. It was the most wonderful sound I had ever heard at that time. I talk to the then salesman, John Swartz who now owns Pro Musica in Chicago. He took the time to teach and allow me to listen to what was possible in good gear. The rest is history. ps. I still own and use that Nakamichi 480.Its the first and only cassette deck I've ever owned and it still looks great with my Mark Levinson components.

well here it goes. i have been involved with music sinc i was a kid. when i was in 5th grade i joined the boys chourus. and the church choir. so i was exposed to music early on. i remember my thrusters speakers by panosonic, that came with my rack system. one christmas day i opened that rack system up boy was i excited. my sister two years older got the same all in one system. any way i ran to my room and hit the wall. i cracked the plastic lid. my dad put a large piece of red tape on the crack. so to match he put a large pice on the other side. anyway my sister had the beegees on at full tilt, i still hate the beegees. anyway i counterd with ac/dc . i won. when i was in 8th grade i went to allstate chourus. i had started upgrading very early on to advent legecys ,sony 9000 receiver. then i found jbl. then the avr 1000 sony.after that a salesman named brett talbert said have you ever heard of hk? i said i have a 120 watt sony why would i want a 45 watt hk. he said it is a nother world, and it was. the first step into high end was because of george myrvos. he said your jbl pro moiniters are garbage. he introduced me to jbl xpl 160s and acoustat 1100s he compared them to my jbl 240tis. o boy i bought the xpls on the payment plan. then the cal audio aria . then hafler xl 280s run mono. then a counterpoint sa 1000 preamp. i was hooked. i wont even get into ivey johnson bringing me to the next level. anyway it is not how you get into the hobby. its that you are in it. their are gear nuts and music nuts. i love music like no other. but part of the experience is looking at my gear. i have had the best tubes and the best ss . and have audio and video all over the house.the idea of a high end system is to close your eyes and be takin away.