I was always into stereo since I was a little kid and heard my uncle’s JBL Paragon/Mac system. I went through a Crazy Eddy phase with Cerwin Vega, ESS, Marantz, etc. But then I started reading The Audio Critic and learned about DCM Time Windows, Rappaport, , Janis, AGI, etc., and the worm turned to boutique audio. And it has sustained ever since.
the gateway product that turned you into an audiophile
@foggyus91 suggested/pushed/encouraged me to start a thread about this. It was related to Darko's post about 12 audiophile misconceptions. One was that we are all about music - vs gear. I think that subject has been chewed up already a 100 times. I am not sure anyone has anything new to say.
However, that made me think about the day I turned into an audiophile.
It was when I bought my first "gateway" product that was affordable but audiophile quality and led me to explore more and tweak and switch and experiment and never be fully content but always be smiling when I turned the power on. It's been about the sound and not the music and that's fine. But I realize now that those Monitor Audio speakers I bought from craigslist were my gateway drug 
Were you always an audiophile or was there such a moment and a piece of hardware that made the difference?
(Lastly, I am very uneasy and on the fence about this forum and starting a thread - for my last correspondence with the moderators. What I learned should bother anyone who cares about fairness or even the appearance of it. I can't discuss it because it will get removed - I tried, my comment lived for less than 5 minutes, )
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In early 90s I moved back to Springfield, IL to attend Med School. A good college buddy of mine had a degree in musical engineering and started working for a small speaker company there, Legacy. I was visiting him at his work and he turned on some music for me. I seem to remember it was a solo female jazz artist, maybe Eva Cassidy? Anyway, I was absolutely blown away. I was turned to the side and when I turned towards the music, I fully expected to see Eva there in person - so REAL and engaging. Needless to say, I had no funds for HiFi. Wasn't until 2018, when I got started. I would often think back to that amazing sound and was in a position to start my journey. I haven't heard Legacy speakers in person for years, but still a huge impression on me. I have gone the route of a 2 watt Type 45 SET, so the Legacy are not in my future. But is was definitely them that got me hooked. |
My interest was sparked by a college roommate. We lived in an old double wide trailer that was a complete pit. Really nasty. Drank four dollar a case beer and Hiram Kessler whiskey. But he had a great real to reel and speakers that were big and loud. We would crank that thing up, and you could see daylight through the walls of that trailer. So I took my first couple of paychecks from my first job and bought a 40 W amplifier, Kenwood, I think, EPI speakers and a Sanyo turntable, which I still have and need to get rebuilt just for the hell of it. I thought that was the most gorgeous sound that God ever made. after marriage and kids. I had to content myself with headphones for many, many years, but now I am happily squandering my children’s already paltry inheritance on gear.
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Lots of steps for me. My first "real" stereo was a nice Panasonic receiver with 8 track and Altec Lansing speakers. BSR turntable and Audiotechnica cartridge. Hardly high end, but much better than what my friends had. Next was a Yamaha R-100 receiver and large Cerwin Vega D-9 speakers. Not high end, but a step forward. Those speakers would make your ears bleed. lol. Then an Adcom GFA555 amp, NAD1300 preamp, and Vandersteen 2ci speakers. My first system with Stereophile recommended components. Lots of other stuff since then...
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My seminal experience was with a Nakamichi Tape deck. It was used... of early 70’s vintage... the first generation, seven years old. I had purchased a top of the line Harmon Kardon (highly reviewed... product of the year). I took this ridiculously expensive old used tape deck ... about 40 pounds, upright, wood around it. It was an order of magnitude better than the Harmon. My jaw simply dropped as I heard by far better sound than I thought possible by a huge amount. The old used deck cost three times the new cost of the new Harmon Kardon. The new cost for the Nakamichi was way more than 3x. I can honestly say, I have never heard an "affordable" "audiophile" product that sounded like one. Every audiophile component that has been simply stunning sounding has cost an absurd amount of money... and been worth it. If it didn’t cost more than my car... didn’t blow me away. As many times as I have tried "giant killers" they have been a complete waste of money... every single time. They never are. On the other hand, the price tag is not a guarantee... that is why huge amounts of research is required, to match your taste with the house sound of the product... this I learned over the decades. |
@foggyus91 you be you. Don't be cool Prius boy, ever. |
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