Start with music first. I am incredibly fortunate to have two neighbors - each literally two doors away! - who enjoy jazz, like me (though not our only musical interest). About 10-12 years ago I went up to one of their doors on a late Saturday afternoon, and when his wife answered the door, I asked her “can [his name] come out to play”. He was on a different floor but heard me and yelled out “yes!”. That started a thing among the 3 of us where we gather every month or two at my house, start with appetizers and manhattans in the kitchen, and then move to serious listening and scotch for several hours. Even though neither of them is an audiophile, per se, they both have been deeply involved in my system journeys, appreciate the quality of the sound, and give great feedback. But most importantly, we’ve become good friends over the years and always look forward to catching up, using the excellent excuse of music and booze to do so.
How to find local audiophiles
I was wondering how you find others blessed (or afflicted) with the audiophile bug in your local area. If you live in a major metro area, I know there are clubs or audio stores that can make connections. I live in Lexington, Ky., and I haven't heard of a club. Surprisingly, for a city this size, not really high end audio stores specializing in two channel gear. It might be nice to exchange thoughts with like minded people face to face.