Who Do You Credit For Getting You Into This Hobby?
I didn't know which forum to post this in so I hope it's alright to have done so in "Speakers".
When you look back over this obsessive hobby of ours, who do you give credit for helping you take the plunge? I am extremely grateful to Albert Porter and John Fort, who were salesmen at Arnold and Morgan (Dallas) in the mid-to-late 70s (I believe Albert might actually have been the sales manager), and spent a lot of time with me to assist in finding the best system for my tastes and budget. They also treated me the same as their male customers, and never made me feel like the minority (female) that I was in this particular hobby. Their love of the hobby was infectious, and I quickly became enamored with the quest for getting the sound right. That first small system was comprised of a middle-of-the line Yamaha receiver (1977), Yamaha speakers, and a Dual turntable. I still own the Dual turntable and have kept it for its sentimental value. It is currently not in use although it is still operational almost 30 years later.
So, thank you, Albert Porter and John Fort, for taking the time to help me all those years ago. It's also evident here at Audiogon that Albert continues to help all of us as we pursue this endeavor, a few of us much older than when we originally began the journey.
The great music and artists fueled my interest in hi-fi playback. Unfortunately, in my youth I knew no one with the same interest. As long as I can recall, I just wanted to enhance the listening experience. Not having a clue what I was doing, I remember buying raw drivers and mounting them in cardboard boxes, and placing them on waste baskets to enhance the sound coming from a Halicrafters Shortwave radios AM stations. I also recall connecting a 3" portable reel-to-reel tape deck directly to the speaker leads in my parents TV to record the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Not remotely hi-fi, but taking the microphone out of the mix significantly enhanced the recording.
I can't really remember when my desire to acquire "good" electronics began. Prior to being able to afford anything but the light bulb in a receiver, in the 60's, I recall sending in cards from Stereo Review for manufacturer information, and cherished the brochures I received.
I bought my first major system in the early 70's. I still have the ESS Heil Rock Monitors from that period, and up until a few years ago, they were used in a HT system.
In the last 10-15 years my disposable income for items like audio, significantly increased, and I started learning more about audio options, spending more time and money in a local shop in Indianapolis.
During these shop visits, I learned MUCH more from the shop owner Jim Jordan, and the folks that frequented his shop than any time previous -- many happy hours, thanks Jim!
Unfortunately, Jim has since moved to the left coast and is in another line of business but he is still keeping a hand in the audio sales world. As I made a purchase from him this year, I'm glad he's still involved, but sure miss his shop and the friends I met there.
Lastly, I credit sites like this for significantly enhancing my audio knowledge, and shining a light on equipment and tweaks that would have never appeared on my radar screen. Cheers to the Gon and all the posters Ive had the pleasure of meeting on line and in person!
Stanely Clarke - Working in an early warehouse concept store (Standard Sales) when I was 16, they had a small room off the main showroom floor with stereo equipment. I was always deeply into music, but not hi-fi at the time.
I was helping the sales guys move some equipment in the room when a gentleman came in for an audition with a single LP in hand; Stanley Clarke's School Days. The salesman fired up the album on the ESS AMT-1B's, and my face fell on the floor.
I took home the store catalog and poured through the stereo equipment every night, like a kid with a newfound Playboy. My first system was a Kenwood receiver, Dual turntable and Marantz speakers. I stared at the gorgeous panel of that Kenwood receiver for months on end. For their day, those Marantz speakers were very well respected, and the sound from that system was spectacular!
At a high school house party in 1976, a guy brought his speakers, turntable, and Dynaco kit tube amps to provide music. I was immediately bowled over by the sound, and I've been hooked ever since.
Wonderful thread, Mary. Great stories about people's dads, too.
I credit Kieth Smith, old friend and drummer of our band from years gone by. Kieth had a friend who had Phase Linear and Advent. Our keyboard player had Dynaco and Sherwood. Later, Kieth's friend got some ESS Heil AMT 1's. All this stuff sounded terrific to me: our family had a magnevox (sp) console. Kieth and I worked the graveyard shift at Kroger. One night at work he said "you've got to hear these ESS bookshelves, the Tempests". So, after a midnight to 8:00 a.m. shift we hopped in his pickup and drove from central Ky. to Huntington WVa to hear them (forget the store). When I got home, I ordered a pair from, I think, Wisconson Discount Stereo. Used Kieth's Sherwood to drive them until I got a Luxman L-80v. This was in '78. Still use that amp. My Spica TC-60's now sit atop my old ESS's, separated by some rubber stoppers I swiped from the Chem. dept. at work. Those old Tempests make good stands, the passive radiators having long-since rotted out. Thanks, Kieth.
Back around 1987 he showed some kid (me) who couldn't even drive yet some Martin Logan Sequals (original not he mk2). Most hi-end guys seem to ignore the young guys (since they don't have money and probably no sale). Loren had the right idea...get 'em searching for the audio grail young and they'll be back when they have money!
I couldn't believe what I heard. It actually sounded like real intruments in the room with me...(much better than the the Fisher and Radio Shack speakers with the 15" woofers that me and my buddies were interested in at the time :o)
I was hooked! Throughout the years, Loren still gives me great advise about audio and electronics (theoretical and real experience) some great discussions and debates...as well as recommending some really good spots to eat!
D_Edwards or Cinematic_Systems or "The Audio Fascist"
His only requirement was that I be willing to think "against the grain" and be willing to come to my own conclusions based on first hand knowledge and applicable experiences.
Guess thats why I'm in such isolation all by myself when it comes to audio. :)
The guys in the "white van" selling those crummy scam speakers. I bought a pair in college and spent the next 10 years trying to improve their sound - re-inforced the cabinets, changed the drivers, added cross bracing, even found a pair of heil AMTs to add. Eventualy I picked up Stereophile and said - the heck with it. bought a pair a SnellKIIs and dumped the white van speakers for $25 at a garage sale. - Have to credit my dad for really getting me started - back inthe early 70's he had a nice teac reel to reel, Crown separates, various JBL speakers - and eventually magnepans. Ever since I've been stubbornly glued to the "sweet spot".
When I my parents took me to see "This is Cinerama" in the 50's. http://www.mtsu.edu/~smpte/fifties.html To me, it is not a hobby. I watch TV sometimes, I listen to music sometimes.
Mary, You're right on about Albert. While I've never met him, he has been a tremendous help to lots of us. Like Boa2, I've played instruments (guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, saxophone) since the age of seven, so the music came first. I wasnt aware of high end audio until I happened to pick up a copy of Stereophile in 1986, and soon was perusing Absolute Sound, Sounds Like..., and others, thus starting on my journey to my present system. I had a female friend (she's since moved away) who I took with me and my wife when we were getting some new equipment back in the late eighties, and between us and John at Sight and Sound in Morristown NJ (now defunct), that got her started on her path to audio nirvana ( I was going to say "audio zen" but too many companies these days are using that word).
A gentleman named Brian. He was a salesman at Sound World in Pocatello, Idaho 33 years ago. He was patient and informative. He let a 13 yr old kid play whatever he wanted and taught me what I should be listening for. I don't remember his last name which is either fortunate or unfortunate depending on whether I'm in the mood to thank him or curse him....no seriously he was instrumental in my forming an interest in this hobby. Music has always been my first love and as I am a social worker I have a very modest system but oh how I enjoy it.
For Artizen65: I hope my 25-year-old son will credit me for giving him his deep love for music. I started playing music for him before he even left the womb, and have been trying to be a good influence since he entered this life. He's still a reluctant participant in the equipment at this point, but I know at some time he will realize how much a difference it CAN make. Good on your Mom. I am proud of her. You sound like you are too.
Like a lot of us, my Dad got me into this hobby. He was always into music, either playing guitar, recording his own music with my mom, or listening to music. I remember some of the old gear he used to have. Unfortunately, we did not have the means to spend the kind of ridiculous amounts of money I do now but it was still fun nonetheless listening to my Dad's Realistic tuner and tape deck. Thanks Dad!!!!
Albert, my goal is to be at one of your weekly gatherings in the VERY near future! You have made so many changes to your system since Chuck and I last attended. Knowing your phenomenal tastes in equipment and cables (as well as excellent ears), I bet the system is sounding at the top of its game. Looking forward!
My college roomate........he had a Yamaha reciever, Technics turntable, SurperScope cassette deck and generic 12 inch 3-way speakers. Sonic bliss. I had never heard FM radio like that before nor had I'd ever heard the details on an LP like he had. I had to get me a system. Been hooked every since.
My dad, who bought me a Luxman integrated when I was in college. It's payback time, I bought him a pair of Sonus Faber Cremona last year even though his true love is Tannoy Westminster but he doesn't have the space for those monster speakers.
Another audiophile who credits his father. My dad got into hifi in the 50's with tube based gear, DeWald if I recall. He had an itegrated amp and tuner. He died when I was little, but left his system for me to use thru college. I'll never forget that warm tube glow and the click click of the atuomatic record changer! My mom bought me my first system as a college graduating gift. Bless her too.
Al Lobe. He was the good person who, upon reading in the newspaper of my parents' troubles with a developer's refusal to sell them a home, contacted my dad and became a straw buyer for $1.00. My dad, who had a good job and had served his country during the Korean conflict as a second lieutenant, wanted to raise his family in a new house in a neighborhood near a new school and a public park in the city of which he was the fifth generation born and raised. AL, who was an attorney by trade, built Heathkit components for relaxation. His system so impressed my dad that my dad took up building his own audio components. He even let me help with a soldered connection or two. Thanks to AL who helped us to have the home of my father's dreams and who also planted the Audio seed that has come down through the generations.
My closest friend in high school who introduced me to classical music. We spent a summer attending a Mozart series conducted by James DePriest at the Kennedy Center, and then wandering off to look at the local audio emporiums wondering if there was any way to recapture at home some of that experience from the concert hall. .
I can only blame myself. I was a strictly a music lover with a very modest system bought, without reasearch, to get some music into the house. Then I noticed that owning stereo systems was 'cool'. Been downhill ever since, and the worst of it is, owning a good system is no longer 'cool'. Its antiquated. :-)
You know, the thing is, it all keeps coming back to the music... the equipment's cool and all but when I get a jones for that magical thing that happens in a live performance... Just Sunday night we were at a benefit "Revenge of the Book Eaters" for 826Michigan in ypsilanti at the old Pease Auditorium. It was a poetry slam with kids in a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills. The kids were outstanding and then in a supporting effort the Canadian based Cowboy Junkies came on stage and performed six songs for our delight. These are some of those magical moments.... Picture Margo Timmins on center mike with here brother Michael Timmins on acoustic guitar to her left and Jeff Bird on Harmonica and Mandolin, stage right. The sound of that old auditorium was grand and they played nicely a selection of their songs including "A horse in the country" and also covered Joni Mitchell's "River" from "Blue" and Bruce Springsteen from "Devils & Dust". The air went thick and time stood still for just a short time, it was splendid and that it what I long for each and every time I warm up my tube amps and pull out another record for the turntable.
I'll start with crediting my dear old dad for his interest in great jazz recordings. He and my mom watched every dime that ever passed through their hands but, one thing they agreed on dropping the mother-load on was a great all tube (of course) mono Hifi back in 1955. I grew up with the sounds of Bennie Goodman to Miles and Hendrix to Ziggy Stardust. Growing up in Motown didn't hurt any and the tube tuner in that set-up was sweet, set to CKLW.
I also have an Aunt that introduced me to classical music with piano lessons and good concert seats at the Detroit Orchestra Hall well before my teen years. That was probably the thing that put the fine tune on my ears for Hifi equipment. I had to hear the sounds of that hall when I couldn't get a seat.
Then came The Absolute Sound Hifi shop on Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak and the purchase of my Linn Sondek Lp12 in 1982. Wow! Did that thing get me digging for the vinyl. Still does. There are a lot of people to thank.
Well I guess it starts with mom. When I was 7 or 8 she bought me a small all in one record player (FisherPrice I think) and a few records for christmas. That would be 1972 or 73. In my early teens mom again, as we had a console system in the house and pleanty of records, used to love to crank that system. Lets see at the age of 17 there was Mike, Onkio, and Alan Parsons. Then we jump forward to 85 Rick and his suggestion to get NAD which I did. Ok in 87 a different Rick and his new system (Adcom and Infinate Slope speakers) along with my introduction to Audio Review the magazine (hope I remembered the title correctly). Ok I was not sunk yet. That didn't come untill 2003 and my quest for new speakers. I found one store that had the polk's I was looking at getting. But after a listening session I am thinking this isn't all that great so I figured I would bite the bullet and go down to ListenUp and listen to B&W Can't remember the salesman's name but I left with a pair of CDM9NT's. That was it I was sunk thanks to Lew Black who let's me come into the store anytime I want to just listen. Not to mention some other great store owners around town that have let me come in to just listen and learn.
my parents were record collectors, and my father was the first guy in our neighborhood with a 'stereo'. my mom traveled to nyc as a fashion buyer, and loved broadway musicals. the real 'blame' most however fall on an older friend who worked on audio gear as a hobby.
As a '40's kid I loved listening to the radio. Then I loved listening to "anything-live",even more. Then rubbing elbows with anyone,whom had this similar affliction just got me further down this road. In '56 after I graduated high school I bought my first Hi Fi; in mono.I guess I always had the bug but had to wait till the kids were grown before the stuff got to be of a higher quality.---Now, I'm out of control and have to blame the dna I received. But 4me it has been a life-long pleasant journey.
Which hobby? High End or simply what we called being an audiophile. This paricular version the High End variant I must credit another member Sufentil and who explained what happened to audio and where to look to replace my old gear, and introduced me to an exemplary member and friend TRELJA who really taught me and advised me. To this day I have great respect for his opinions. Except the first opininion he rendered which was that I was an audiophile already. the day we first went ut auditioning speakers. I didn't know the least about any of this. Nw if he would give me the same repect about whichcar to get that would be fair. He turned me into a High End modern day audiophile wannabe, my wife will keep that from reaching fruition. Wanting very good sounding music was My father's fault he liked good Stereo equipment and was an "Audiophile". The differences are as many as the years that speparate the two. But you didn't never ever even dreamed about spending the price of a house on your stereo when my Father was into this. He was very selective and spent liberally mind you. You just couldn't spend this kind of money if you wanted to on the better gear.
My father - He always showed me the inside workings of electronic things... (At one time I took apart every piece of power tool that he owned - got a hidin'!)
Jess Clark - My cousin - He gave me old pieces of electronic kit to play around with when I was small...
Andrè Du Toit - Introduced me to 'high-end' audio in 1997
Herman Clark - My cousin - Loaned me my first amp, a NAD C310 and I built speakers for it and the rest is history...
Blame the music that you feel needed to be placed on a higher level, and made you feel you needed to spend more money on trying to correct something done in some studio somewhere... It may never force every recording to sound perfect, but we will keep trying! Sad thing is the artists don't even see any of the money you keep throwing at their sound quality.
Ken Dube. He was an F-16 Flightline Supervisor while I was stationed at Misawa AB in northern Japan from 1990-92. I asked him what the small book that was sticking out for his pocket which became my introduction to S'phile and all things High-End. He also introduced me to Kazuo Kiuchi(Comback/Reimyo) who I thought was some regular JN(Japanese National). Imagine my shock when I ran into him at CES 96! I also blame Ken for all the money I've spent and wasted.
The Nuns at St. Mathias grade school? In second grade, they walked our class into the assembly hall where a chamber orchestra (Chicago Symphony members?) of about 15-20 members were gathered. That morning, I vowed someday to play the French Horn!
Hugh Hefner? Man, That stereo built into the headboard was to DIE for!
Mrs. Saucier? My high school "music appreciation" teacher? Every day for a week she played selections from "Grand Canyon Suite" followed by some from "Rodeo". These started to penetrate my "top 40" saturated brain and ultimately won my "appreciation". Thanks Mrs. S
as i understand, audiophiles don't like the sound of instruments, they would rather suffer through bad recordings as proof that their systems are accurate.
When I was a little kid I used to sit right in front of my parent's Magnavox mono console (tubes of course), with the volume up loud. My Mom, who died two years ago, was a big Elvis fan and I loved listening to her Elvis records on that Maggotbox, I mean Magnavox. Later on, my parents had a transisitor GE stereo console that sounded OK. Then, when I was about 16, my younger brother went on a trip to Aruba with my parents (I wanted to stay home and party) and he came back with a complete Sansui component system. When he played Simon and Garfunkle's The Boxer on that rig I could hear instruments in the mix I had never heard before. Wow, that was it for me, and I've spent 36 years chasing systems that enable me hear deeper into the music. But I don't credit (or blame) my brother, it would have happened sooner or later anyway, I think it's in the genes.
My father. He's a classical violin amateur, and I grew up with constant music coming from a console hi-fi. Then in 1974 he decided to get a real hi-fi, and came home with an AR XA table, an SAE Mark XXX pre and Mark XXXI power amp, and a pair of Heil ESS AMT1 speaks. I was hooked.
For his 80th birthday two years ago I gave him a pair of B&W 804N speakers to replace the Heils that had just died. He drives them with the same electronics, and he's tickled pink.
Hey, my first post! I'd have to give the credit to my dad who let me "play" with his Scott 299B/Garrard/Pickering/ElectroVoice system. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago, but I still have the memories and the Scott, which I plug in every now and then. It still works, but unfortunately, I get a little shock when I touch the controls. Oh yeah, he also had a Wollensak reel to reel. Mary, thanks for taking me back in time. :)
I think vegasears got it right. When we were kids we would go see bands like Santana, Jethro Tull, A. Brothers and we would try to recreate that ambience at parties with whoever had the baddest amps and using stacked speakers. Surprisingly we rarely overloaded the amps as I recall. Ok maybe not hiend but the chemicals probably made up for it.
About twenty years ago, I went to my first "high-end" store. I brought my wife along as I wanted her to be involved in and become interested in the process. (It didn't work. She still doesn't give a rat's tail about stereo equipment, but she does comment that our system sounds better than our daughter's boom box. Thank God for that given the difference in price!)
Anyway, here we were in the store in a small room with turntables made by Linn and Rega with price tags that exceeded the cost of entire systems I had previously been looking at at the local department stores.
The salesman, "Mike" (I don't know his last name), stopped in and politely answered my naive, uninformed questions. Then, while I was commenting on something to my wife, he put a record on one of the turntables at a polite volume so that we could still talk. He then backed out of the room and quietly closed the door without me even noticing. We were left in the room with the music playing. I remember saying to my wife: "Boy, this sound good". I was hooked from that point on.
So, whoever you are, and wherever you, thanks Mike.
I would have to credit my ex-wife. If I was still married I probably would have never started looking around for such things to occupy my time/make me happy. Lol.
I would credit the late Michael Oddie, owner of Alternative Audio. His store (Village Audio at the time) was on my way to university. I walked by nearly every day and one day decided to see what was in the store. Michael always remembered me whenever I stopped by and had no problem with me listening to anything in the store. I loved his laid back attitude and that's probably I always returned to his store. I didn't spend a ton there but was always treated like someone who did.
"Who Do You Credit For Getting You Into This Hobby?"
At this point it's more like, Who do I blame? I've made a lot of friends and some enemies. Spent much money and a lot of time. Finally created club gregadd in my living room. When I head into retirement I know what I'll be doing.
Thanks to all the salesman who's time I wasted without buying anything. And thanks to Mark of Soundworks and John of Audio Depot for letting me hang out at their store.
Hmmm, credit or blame? this is a great hobby and very enjoyable but can be madness at times....I am not complaining but being on fixed income is a bad combo with Hi-End enthusiasm. I can remember back as early as the first grade loving the radio, playing with cassette decks and 8 track players, later on I loved playing with Records, but it was my dad who I learned about enjoying music one-on-one with its playback gear, he would and still does listen daily to a huge collection of music.
My father has to get credit here. He's the one who bought me some good speakers for my little fold out phonograph player. He enjoyed listening to his tube based stereo back in the sixties. The most important part of this is that I love music, I guess you could say that's the most important gift.
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