How did U get into this expensive hobby?

Interesting stories fellas. Funny how most of us got started by because magazines. I guess the manufacturers got their money's worth through those ads in Stereophile and etc...

Hififile, what do you think hifi stands for? I am currious to hear your side since you've been on both side of the playing field. Please share with us some of the industry's secrets, especially the onces that the marketing dept. have locked away deep in their top secret safe. Thanks..

Fighting already? I was almost sure that this thread could create no hostile discussions since only ask how you got into hifi and I don't think there's no wrong way. I am starting to think you guys are really like family because family do bicker over the littliest if not the silliest thing all the time. I wonder audio will be included in this old proverb: "Never discuss about the other person's view on religions and politics at the dinner table"...and now audio too? People go over war on this topic people. Leaf, Carl is right. People get introduced to things from all different sources. It doesn't make one bad from another. Heck, if getting introduced to something by a magazine is bad, then all of us are guilty here. How the heck were you all introduced to sex? By a sex education teacher? Of course not, it was Playboy, Pin Up, Penhouse, and etc...blame Hughe Heffner on your sexual behaviour guys. Cheers....

In regards to Leaf's comments about buying gears with his ears without ever reading into a magazine. I believe most us end up buying with our ears. Reading or researching using what ever media that's easily available to us at the time, allows us to narrow number of gears to a manageable process. It would be almost impossible, thought I wouldn't mind if I had the time and the resources, to go audition all dealers around my area. Infact, this web forum is just an extention of the magazine media. By reading the magazine and knowing what to ask in this forum makes the buying process a more educated one. Using a magazine media alone to make a purchasing descision on is pure foolishness. I don't trust Stereophile or magazines like it simply because they have something at stake even though they say their editorial dept. operates independently from their advertising dept; who really knows right? This is why I come to this forum hoping to get a second/third/fourth unbias feedbacks. But this forum only works if the user knows specifically what to ask. Although I was introduced to this hobby by a magazine, it doesn't make me less of a music lover. Infact, I lover of music so much that my music room is the only room in the house my wife cannot and will never decorate. Just so you don't think I am just B.S.'ing I've spent 10 years of short life playing music through my youth and into my early 20's. I only stop because I couldn't make enough money at it to live comfortably. I will enventually get back into it when I retire.