How old were you when audio gear first caught your interest?

My Dad always had a decent system.   When I was 15  I bought my first real piece of stereo gear.  A Sansui AU9900.     I found it in The WantAdvertiser and my Dad drove me out to pick it up.   $300.   

I was about age 28 when I got the bug for nicer equipment. I was married and more settled down. I am now 71.

Born in 49. I bought a kit amplifier I bought in the early 60's. I do not recall the brand but it was not Heathkit. I also bought some speaker kits from them. I do not recall the turntable brand. It was fun building the kit and my first record was a Ventures. 

~ 8 years old. My dad owned a TV/Stereo business called "Audio Sales" in California.  He would take me into the shop on Saturdays.  Him and his partner would work on repairs and misc..The smell of grill cloth and solder sucked me in.  He sat me down on the floor with an old destroyed turntable for me to work on. 

  We had a console stereo with records that my mom played all of the time, but for me it was all about the gear.  I got my first set of separates (Receiver, Warefdale speakers, and a turntable) when I was 15 and started buying records. Then it became more about the music AND the gear..

Probably around 11 years old, I was always interested in music having played several instruments. Christmas gift was a close-and-play that I used to listen to 45 RPM records. I used my weekly allowance to buy a new 45 every week if I could.  I was 16 when a friend demo'd his father's system for me comprised of separate components with unfamiliar names like Dynaco, Pickering, Empire, and Wharfedale.  I was taken aback by the bass, clarity and separation of instruments while listening to Ten Years After Cricklewood Green album. It was like I saw God. That was the beginning.  Within 2 years I had saved up enough money to buy my first system built around a Marantz receiver.  Marantz was a big name in audio back then, still is.