How did you start out in this hobby?

[Bodhi]

Hi folks, given that our forum is focussed on high end audio, I thought it would be fun to post a thread where you can post your very first hifi system that got you started out in this crazy hobby!

To kick things off, my first audio system way back in 1986 was a Sony FH-15R compact hifi which I upgraded with Infinity Reference 3 speakers. The system was actually pretty decent back in the day. It was heavy and had separate components, and solid brushed aluminium casework. The Infinity Reference 3's were large 3-way bookshelf speakers which I recall bent the bookshelf they sat on! This system was just so retro cool with its square click buttons, LED's and spectrum analyser. It was a pretty nice system for a 15 yo student, and I can tell you my best friend at the time was jealous as I had the first cd player amongst our group of friends! I also fondly recall the first cd I bought which was Genesis 'Invisible Touch'. I thought the sound was amazing! So that cd has a lot of sentimental meaning to me .

Here is a short video of a similar system (though with earlier Sony FH-7MkII speakers) -

 

[TooCool4]

For me it was Pioneer PL-112D turntable (Second hand), Personal stereo for cassette playback (New), Mission Cyrus 2 amp (New) and Arcam Delta 2 stand mount speakers (New).

 

[Bodhi]

For me it was Pioneer PL-112D turntable (Second hand), Personal stereo for cassette playback (New), Mission Cyrus 2 amp (New) and Arcam Delta 2 stand mount speakers (New).

That's a nice first system @TooCool4! How old were you when you bought that rig? CD's were the big thing when I started out, but in some ways I lament never owning a tt (even though the vinyl pressings kind of sucked back then!).

 

[audioguy]

My first REAL stereo: 1964. H. H. Scott 12.5 watt per channel Tube Integrated Stereo Amp; Garrard Turntable; E.J. Korvette in house speakers. Prior to that (1960), I had a "record player" with detachable speakers.

And I'm only 47 years old --- NOT !!

 

[TooCool4]

Bodhi thanks, not sure i think i was in my 20's so not so young i guess.

 

[Bodhi]

Bodhi thanks, not sure i think i was in my 20's so not so young i guess.

That's still fairly young to start your vinyl collection. Great to see you've still got the bug! (hence being on WBF ).

 

[Vienna]

Back in 1990s, my cousin was rich enough to own a Technics turntable with Yamaha integrated amplifier paired with Jamo speakers. On the other hand my situation couldn’t permit such a luxury so I could only afford to buy some records and listen to them at his house.
I still remember these Saturdays looking to buy the best classic rock record I could afford...and that Sundays when I was listening to them at his house dreaming of my own system some day

 

[Bodhi]

My first REAL stereo: 1964. H. H. Scott 12.5 watt per channel Tube Integrated Stereo Amp; Garrard Turntable; E.J. Korvette in house speakers. Prior to that (1960), I had a "record player" with detachable speakers.

And I'm only 47 years old --- NOT !!

Tubes and vinyl isn't a bad way to start out. That was back in the day when pre-recorded R2R tape was at the peak of its popularity, and still a few years before Infinity Systems was founded in 1968 by Arnie Nudell, John Ulrick and Cary Christie. So you got in on the ground floor!

 

[Bodhi]

Back in 1990s, my cousin was rich enough to own a Technics turntable with Yamaha integrated amplifier paired with Jamo speakers. On the other hand my situation couldn’t permit such a luxury so I could only afford to buy some records and listen to them at his house.
I still remember these Saturdays looking to buy the best classic rock record I could afford...and that Sundays when I was listening to them at his house dreaming of my own system some day

I still remember after I bought my first proper floorstanding system back in 1991, I used to love going down to JB Hifi in Camberwell every Saturday to buy Blues cd's. Then I would pig out on french fries with mustard & pastries at a local French cafe, followed by a long session listening to my stash with Bourbon and cokes. Great times.

 

[TooCool4]

That's still fairly young to start your vinyl collection. Great to see you've still got the bug! (hence being on WBF ).

I blame my parents as they were into it and my older brother was into it big time, so it was inevitable I was going to be into it.
If you want to have a laugh, here is my music collection. A few suspect ones in there too, don’t laugh too much. If you click on the album cover it will show you the contents of that album.

 

[Bodhi]

I blame my parents as they were into it and my older brother was into it big time, so it was inevitable I was going to be into it.

Yeah I got into hifi much the same way. My brother was into audio big time and had an awesome car stereo with Infinity Kappa speakers, and a full Yammy hifi system incl: Rega Planar 3 and Morduant Short MS55ti speakers. He used to record tons of new vinyl albums onto metal tapes on his Yammy KX-1200U cassette deck as his main music source. The KX-1200U was a good recording deck and had Auto-bias and Dolby DBX.

 

[daytona600]

Walked into a shop as a teenager & heard a active Linn & Naim system ( 6pack isobariks ) no idea music could sound this good
couple of weeks later bought a dual deck , nad amp & Kef speakers

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have enjoyed listening to music as far back as I can remember. My father worked in the record business all of his career (on the business affairs side) at Columbia Records, and then Arista Records, and then at Atlantic Records and then at WEA Music Group. He took me to many concerts growing up in the 1980s.

I became interested in high-end audio in 1988 when, on a quiet Tuesday, Michael Kay of Lyric Hi-Fi in Manhattan played for me in his main reference room Reference Recordings' Symphonie Fantastique on the Goldmund Reference turntable, with Jadis JA-200 amplifiers driving Infinity IRS V speakers. This was my first "religious experience" of an audio nature, and I was hooked!

 

[TooCool4]

Bodhi yes siblings and parents have a lot to answer for.
I was hooked on cassettes and I have always been, I still use Sony Walkman everyday for my commute to and from work.

 

[TooCool4]

Ron Resnick you sound like one lucky guy, i wish my dad worked in music but he was a doctor.

 

[Bodhi]

I became interested in high-end audio in 1988 when, on a quiet Tuesday, Michael Kay of Lyric Hi-Fi in Manhattan played for me in his main reference room Reference Recordings' Symphonie Fantastique on the Goldmund Reference turntable, with Jadis JA-200 amplifiers driving Infinity IRS V speakers. This was my first "religious experience" of an audio nature, and I was hooked!

Ron I had a similar experience as you and @daytona600 when I was starting out. In 1991 I wandered into Tivoli Hifi in Camberwell with my brother on a whim to check out their gear & we were invited by the Sales guy to listen to a pair of Infinity IRS-V's they had on approval for a customer. Holy cow! I'd never seen anything like these 7.5ft 1500lb behemoths, and they looked simply gorgeous with those highly polished rosewood cabinets. But wow, the sound was simply jaw dropping! That was what got me hooked on high end audio.

 

[Bodhi]

Bodhi yes siblings and parents have a lot to answer for.
I was hooked on cassettes and I have always been, I still use Sony Walkman everyday for my commute to and from work.

I"ve noticed grass roots record stores in my neck are reporting an increase in cassette sales, supported by re-releases of albums on cassette & new releases by Indy artists which is good to see. I have the Nakamich 1000ZXL Limited on my bucket list of gear to own .

 

[TooCool4]

I"ve noticed grass roots record stores in my neck are reporting an increase in cassette sales, supported by re-releases of albums on cassette & new releases by Indy artists which is good to see. I have the Nakamich 1000ZXL Limited on my bucket list of gear to own .

A friend of mine has the standard 1000ZXL it’s a lovely machine and sounds amazing but I would not want one, you can’t get parts which means you may have a nice door stop on your hands. I have a CR-7, for me it’s the best Nakamichi to have.

The mini cassette revival is good but I have not bought a pre-recorded cassette in years, I make my own recordings from LP's and I have a stockpile of new TDK MA-XG’s to use.

 

[pweg]

I"ve noticed grass roots record stores in my neck are reporting an increase in cassette sales, supported by re-releases of albums on cassette & new releases by Indy artists which is good to see. I have the Nakamich 1000ZXL Limited on my bucket list of gear to own .

I just wish i had had a chance to hear the IRSV. By all accounts it was life changing !!

 

[ThomasW]

A Friends of mine had a Philips Laboratories Tuner 673 in the early 80s, some Grundig Monolit Loudspeaker, the First Philips CD 100. i forgot about the Preamp, maybe a Yamaha...! And after this evening my whole life changed and the hobby starts....
Hearing music with good sound is quality in living.
Sorry for my bad english by the way.