5, 6 years old. My uncle had this tv stereo console that I liked. Big, powerful sound. That started it. Mid 60's my dad took me to the Salvation Army. They had a stockpile of such console units. For $5.00? they let me take out whatever I wanted My dad explained that they were going to dismantle them for trash and I was helping them. Yes. A Frankenstein system. LOL 60 years later... Great granddaughter of Frankenstein, system. Better looking. Better sounding. But still, a Frankenstein.
How long ago did you catch the bug?
My first inkling was about 1972 when a friend mentioned such things as Dual, Thorens, AR, Scott, etc. By '74-'75 I knew about all the Japanese manufacturers (courtesy of a military PX catalog) and about McIntosh. By '76 was using a hand me down all in one Panasonic compact system. The compact system did not last long and very shortly after, '77, came a "proper" 1970's system with such names as Pioneer, Kenwood, Shure, AR, Teac.