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

i was 16 when I accompanied my parents shopping for a stereo console (brown goods).  We were perusing the Magnavox’s, Zeniths, RCAs, Motorolas, etc when I saw a rack of components in the corner of the store.  When I asked about them, the salesmen replied they were better and much more expensive -- on a different level.

While I did enjoy the Magnavox console my parents chose, I decided to save my lunch money and eventually got a 3 piece Fisher system, that’s 2 speakers and a unit with a turntable mounted on top of a receiver.  It sounded so much better.  I spent my evenings listening to it.

But the audio bug really bit me hard after I went to college.  Most guys in the dorm had some kind of stereo rig.  And my little 3 piece Fisher was close to the bottom in cost and quality, so much so that some guys would be reluctant to lend me their records lest the rudimentary BSR turntable mounted on the Fisher might damage them.  Sound quality-wise, i could hear the difference visiting my buddies’ rooms, and I started to really want to trade up; it became a need!

So my first real upgrade was an Acoustic Research Amplifier rated at a whopping 50 watts per channel.  Got it cheap from a dorm-mate whose father worked at AR.  Before graduating, I had added the matching AR Tuner, a Benjamin Miracord 50h turntable, and a pair of Rectilinear 3 High Boys.  I took them home and they made an elegant ensemble with minimal stylistic disruption in our living room.

Like many here, I discovered separates in the late 60's, having been born in 1948.  

After enlisting in the Army (to avoid being drafted and being infantry) I was stationed in Hanau Germany and we shopped at the Air Force store in Ramstein AFB.  I only had enough money to buy a decent setup when I made SGT with the grand salary of $340 a month before taxes.

That said, I slowly acquired a system with a Dual 1019 turntable, Sansui AU-555 amp, Sansui TU-555 tuner and Sansui SP-100 3 way speakers.  Later I bought an AKAI reel to reel with cross field heads.   After growing up listening to cheap all in one units, it was nirvana.  

After getting out in 1970 and going to college, my apartment was the center of all my friends social gatherings as I had the best stereo.  Thus began a lifelong journey with audio.  Luckily, I made some decent decisions and later in life I found my way the big Maggies (3.6) and McIntosh amps and preamps.  While the sound is amazing, the gratification is probably lesser than that of my first system as hearing really good sound the first time is such a major jump from the weak stuff I had before that.

I got a nice electric shock twiddling with my older sister’s portable record player when only 5 or so and that was it. 

I grew up with two brothers who had audio gear.  I asked for a cassette player when I was 10, and my brother would make me tapes.  I had an external speaker I plugged into it and to me it sounded great!  Then I inherited a Symphonic receiver and a set of home made speakers from my brother and I thought I was in heaven!  When I was 17 I bought a new Marantz 2270 through my brother who then worked at a hi-fi store.  Added a BIC turntable and Electro Voice speakers.  And so it goes on and on...

Born in 1959, I had use of the family Magnavox console from 4th grade onward. First LP was bought at age 12, in 1972. First personal system age 17 was Dual TT, Marantz 2216, and Marantz Imperial 5 two ways. Moved to a Grado cartridge and Epicure 100 speakers before heading to college. I'd wager that I'd bought that first system at Sam Goody with money from the lifeguarding jobs.