2. misc-audio
  3. 977767838

How did U get into this expensive hobby?

So I was up last night listening to my system and thought to myself, when am I going to be 100% satisfy with my set up. Just for once I like to listen without thinking well maybe if I can add this or remove that I can improve on this or that area. A mist all that I thought how did I ever got into this hobby any way? Well, the nightmare began for me when I was working in my college university's periodical section. We had over 3000+ magazines on file. The first stereo magz I ever picked up was the AUDIO annual price list which was about 300 or so pages of all major audio mfg. and models..also known as the audio bible; what ever happened to Audio magazine anyway? I remembered being so intrigued by so many brands that I have never heard of before and how the workmanship and industrial design seemed so much far superior than the average Kenwood and Pioneer back then (no offense to Kenwood and Pioneer owners). This was 10 years ago and I started by scraping every pennies I had to purchase my first NAD integrated amp. Although 10 years have passed, I am still scraping for money to own something new every now and then, but this time instead of pennies, it's dimes a nickels since my tasted have upgrade with my salery. It'd be interesting to hear how some of you fellow audigoners got started in this hobby. Upon adding to this thread, you'll find that you'll get a little grin on your face after spilling your guts out on how you began on this deep pocket journey and how far you have come. Happy Holidays guys and gals.
3chihuahuas
henriques's avatar
henriques
0 posts
 
My grandfather was a nut, back in 1960 he bought a fisher tube amp and pre?i think on the pre,anyways i rememmber growing up listening to the music being played all the time and he thought it was swo great| awhile probaly 25 yrs. my father told me that when my grandmother finally found out how much it cost,she nearlly died. I dont rememmber the amount but quite expensive for the time.
Anyways since being a child i have been exposed to good quality music,i dont know if i should than k my grandfather or not since this hobby has we all know is #$@%^*& expensive.
Ten years ago at the age of 29 i got my first system, cary slm 70s,denon 3560 mod. by stan warren and after several years of research and 5 prototypes i had a pair of speakers and have been hooked.
paulwp
585 posts
 
Skip Weshnner, Barbara Keith and Tracy Nelson. Skip (whose wife, Ronnie Gilbert was one of the Weavers)had a radio at midnight on KFAC, LA classical station in the old days. Skip didnt play classical music much unless it was an audiophile recording. He played a lot of folk music. I'll never forget hearing Barbara Keith for the first time. He would always say she made the best album by a "distaff' singer in the last 10 years (her first eponymous lp on Verve, which I have, but you cant get), and then she made a better one. The song he played was The Road I Took to You from her second eponymous albums (on Warner, reissued recently as a Japanese cd, you can get it from Amazon, but I think its out of phase).

Skip's show was sponsored by LA high-end dealers, including one that was near me, Dimensions in Stereo in Torrance. I lived in that store, even though I couldnt afford to buy anything from them when I was in college. After I moved back to LA from Texas in my late 20s, I bought a Connoisseur turntable from them and they repaired my wife's KLH Model 5 speakers.

Tracy Nelson comes in because for many many years, my goal for my audio system was to have her "appear" in my room (or, even better now that I'm more knowledgeable, transport me to wherever she was when she made the recording). I share my love for Trixie with a close friend who would always remind me that her records just didnt sound like she did in person. We get pretty close now.
justy
19 posts
 
My brother gave me his Linn Intek Amp, CDP and Linn Helix speakers back in 1994 when he upgraded...the rest is history.
jwblaschke
25 posts
 
my son burned out one channel of the Dynaco amp I'd had since the early 60's ( the last time I'd paid much attention to gear). NY Times had an article about Rotel that I'd read earlier so i went to a local dealer to replace the dyna. the salesman spotted a fish and hooked up a used ARC SP 9 they just got in. i went home w/ the rotel( now also ARC), the SP 9, AQ cable & interconnect and a bad habit. otoh, i'm having fun and love the music.
sxr71a231
7 posts
 
If you want to accuse people who got into this hobby through a magazine of being shallow, then you don't quite understand that people don't pick a magazine off the shelf if they aren't already attracted to the material being offered. Magazines are a great way for people to look beyond Bose - if one is both open minded and cares about music. Many of us have learnt that there is a whole world beyond Best Buy stuff out there because of these magazines and websites etc. Of course any intelligent person will sooner or later realize that they opinion on component selection that counts is one's own. So there's no need to put anyone down or get worried that people who read magazines are misguided. Anyhow we should be helping those who are open minded enough to see beyond the norm and help people realize the potential of a good audio systems whatever their original motives were.
More to discover