I started out building shortwave/FM radio and transmitter kits from Radio shack. I loved electronics, but was not into high end sound. For fun I built my own speakers using wires stretched across drums and paper/plastic sheets. I played trumpet, a little piano, and guitar, and went to live music regularly. I never thought to own anything more than a walkman(for running), and an old mono radio. I'd just never heard anything else. If you wanted to hear good sound, you saw it live. I actually got into high end when I accompanied a friend in her purchase of her first nice stereo at a high end shop. I had an electrical engineer friend who worked there doing modification upgrades to adcom amps. The store was in Corvallis Oregon near the university. I remember hearing Ricky Lee Jones singing 'Easy Money' through an Aragon 4004 with acoustat speakers. I'd never heard such a wonderful singer or such different music. I was hooked at that moment. Being friends they played almost everything in the shop for us, and demonstrated the differences their modified amplifiers had. It was SO COOL! I was hooked but had no cash. I didn't own my first stereo until I was 23 years old and out of college. Been listening and upgrading ever since !
How, all this obsession started
I remember in 70's, back in Yugoslavia, collecting the "catalogs" Technics, Tannoy McIntosh...i "knew" about belt drive t-table, being sonicaly "superior" to direct drive, i "knew" that "Revox" was the best reel-to-reel, Nacamichi best casset deck, and Thorens "best" turntable. Even i never had to chance to acctualy see it, never mind listened. never. Remembre the old "Grunding" "quadrofonic" reciever, that our family friend had it (after years of working in Germany)and listening for the first time "The Dark side of the moon". Than me "bulding" big boxes and mounting "low" quality car speakers inside them, than all hookin-it up with the lamp cord and "phono" jack, into the headphones output (mono of course)of the Radio-cassete deck. ...so i had chance to "finally' hear what is "all" about. The "New Year" 79-80, my brothers friend invited us to the party...and he had "classic" Marantz reciever (brand new)Technic's T-table and Wharfadale -70 speakers! WoW! I was blown away! Only when i moved to US, six years later i was able to seriously consider buying my first Hi-Fi system! And i did, in 1987 went to the best stereo shop in Las Vegas (the upper-ear) and bought me a NAD separates, and Klipch heresy II speakers! Well, my first "ex" took care of that after the divorce. However i still have a Nad cassete deck i was able to "save".