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

@knotscott 

1975/1976 I travelled a lot for business, and the rental car company had my car waiting, either a Cutlass or a Firebird, I loved driving them!

That was the end of the 'Greenstamps' era, I gave them to the drafting department, everyone got lawn equipment with them.

Reel to Reel Tape, once you hear it, oh man what a difference.

The console I inherited had a 2 Track Stereo Viking (Telex) Deck in a drawer, and my uncle had many Classical and Opera 2 Track Stereo tapes. Amazing, my best sounding content, but Classical and Opera was not for me.

My era’s music: 4 track, auto reverse, I went thru Teac’s line ... finally settling on their X2000R auto reverse, 6 heads. I’ve got two of them, and one prior X1000r needing tension adjustment which I can do myself. It’s my son’s, I gave it to him, but history repeats: he knows how good the 60’s music is, but for him .....

I bought about 500 4 track tapes on eBay many years ago, shipping cost more than the tapes back then; sold about 150 of them.

I recently gave my uncle's 2 track tapes to a friend I met here who has two Otari 2 track stereo decks. They sound awesome.

@elliottbnewcombjr 

Im really enjoying hearing about each person’s journey 

5 years old using my Dads tube amp with overhead loudspeaker powering our black & white tv’s sound, watching Claude Kirchner and the Terrytune circus. I must have been out of my mind! 

When I was 6 (1954), my two brothers and I watched a B&W TV in a console, I think an Admiral. 

I was the designated 'slapper', I had the magic touch to slap it on the side, to straighten out the picture ... I had no idea I was jiggling tubes inside of it.