Roots, ie: how did your music/sound/audio life/listening begin?


With all the high-end I have had, Magnepan, ARC, Bryston, Conrad Johnson, and many others....my music listening beginning was very humble.  For Christmas when I was about 11, or so, my parents bought me a "higher end" Montgomery Ward table radio and a small "transistor" radio for under my pillow to go to sleep by.  Many "things" throughout the years, but that table radio was the beginning...and it was Rock and Roll.  WLS out of Chicago, KAAY out of Little Rock, KIOA out of Des Moines....and more.  My maturation process began in the Air Force and my discovery of a love for Jazz and female vocals (a tip of the hat to time in New Orleans).  So I believe a Wards radio started my addiction.   It is either odd or crazy for me to have interconnects that cost more than some "systems" I have owned.  Of the other addictions or hobbies/interests I have had, audio has given me the lowest cost per hour and the most shared with family and friends.


whatjd

Showing 1 response by lkp1952

So  I am finally retired and have been mulling over participating in some discussions. Mine is a long and rich story that is to me at least interesting. Where to begin. Not at the very beginning but I'll start at my first introduction to true audiophile HiFi. Understand that I am not a rich man, lower middle class my whole life and had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, I was fortunate that a friends father got me a job working for a wealthy family in central Illinois as caretaker for their estate. I got $2.25 an hour and worked 52 hrs a week. The Laird of the estate was an audiophile and it was 1970. One task assigned at certain times was to oil the speaker cabinets in his studio which was converted from a garage on one wing of the house.

On the bottom the speakers  (all custom built cabinets mind you) were a pair of beautiful walnut cabinets 3 feet tall and 10 feet wide if my memory serves me correct. Built as a wondrous pair of horns the wood curving gracefully to the sides. I would stand in stocking feet on top of these speakers to oil the walnut speaker cabinets above the horns. these cabinets were at least 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. As I recall when I asked what kind of speakers he said custom with Western Electric drivers. He listened to a lot of Mono as well as stereo music and you could hear it all over the estate but in that room it was glorious.

Enough for now. Let me know if you would like to here more.