Whose Responsible?

[woodsman10b]

Ok, Im sure this has been done before, but I couldnt find it anywhere, so who is responsible for getting you into this audio hobby that we all have? Stories anyone?

My oldest brother is responsible for my addiction, when he joined the Army, after coming home from 2 years at MIT, he traded me all of his audio gear for my Panasonic dual tape deck boom box. I was 11 at the time! I got a Scott receiver, Technics tape deck, Realistic EQ, Pioneer TT(only piece I still have) and a pair of 3-way Pioneer speakers that were abit beat up. He now lives in Milwaukee and has been a courier for me as far as picking up good deals via craigslist and Ebay, when he complains about picking **** up for me l always tell him its his fault. :D

tom

[comfortablycurt]

Cool story.

I guess for me, it was really myself that got me into it.

I've always been a huge fan of music...I've been a musician since I was 12 or so. I've always had half decent HTIB setups, but it wasn't until a year and a half or so ago, that I really started getting into audio gear.

It all started when my old Optimus AVR took a crap, and I needed to replace it. So, I shopped around, and ended up with my Onkyo. From there...I decided I might as well replace the speakers too...and then I decided that I needed a 2 channel rig, and now I need to upgrade the front end of my HT...and I've got the next few years of upgrades for the 2 channel charted out...lol

Damn this hobby!!!

[Krazyz1]

Went to a co-workers house-( a "A" FRAME ). He had Bose 901 or 501 so long ago I don't remember. Speakers wer'e hooked up to 100wrms Pioneer reciever.( speakers very elivated ) We wer'e listening to Supertramp( " Crime of the century" ) on vinyl. At the end of 1 of the songs a bell rings 4 times. I actually turned my head and could everything but see the bell. F rom that day on I was hooked! Date est.80-81

[inspiredsports]

Competition is responsible.

Back in early September of 1973 when entering junior high school, my best friend Mark had 2 older brothers that co-owned a great sound system, and always brought home hundreds of rock LP's. When the older brothers left for college, somehow Mark inherited the entire stereo system and all of that great vinyl. And I craved a system just like that.

Mark and I had formed a small band with 3 others. We both played guitar, wrote lyrics and had decent voices so we competed with each other to be the front man. As I started to work and earn money (and we played out a few times and earned a few bucks), I always invested in stereo gear. I was trying to compete with what Mark had been given. We ended up going to different schools so the competition fizzled out a bit, but now I was addicted.

Working my way through college, I learned a co-worker (Jim) was into hi-fi and the arms race began once again and lasted into the '90's until Jim moved away.

I guess a "he who dies with the most/best toys wins" mindset started it, but now it's just me and my music, and not a day goes by that I don't think about how good it sounds, but how can I make it sound better . . .

. . . . and down the rabbit hole we go!



P.S.: By the way, I've listened to both Mark and Jim's current systems . . . . AND I WIN!

[bsoko2]

The Polk Forum is responsible for my addiction. Just cruisen the web, came across the vintage thread and got hooked. Still go'in strong!

Bill

[bigaudiofanatic]

Myself, okay well myself and this forum and my neighbors. I not always wanted the best sound only until I got my first car than i wanted a nice system nothing that can be heard form a mile away or any crap like that. I than got into higher end SQ stuff like audison and Image Dynamics. Than when I got my first CC I hit best buy grabbing a ton of stuff for a HT setup. Now that I know what I am looking for. Thanks to this site, I am now building up a really nice system. My neighbors well they just helped me with soem good music to listen to.

[vc69]

My parents bought me a copy of "Every Picture Tells A Story" when I was like seven I think. My dad had a record player and I used that for awhile. Then they bought me a Sears Wildcat portable record player a couple years later.
Then guitar lessons at 10. Formed a band at 12, bought a small PA. Yadda... yadda.
My parents. This all their fault!

Edit: I should add that at the time, I thought my p's were pretty square. But my mom and dad both had some pretty cool records and I wore the grooves out of everything in the house. They ALWAYS bought me a couple of records for birthday and Christmas presents. They always encouraged my musical interest. In the end, I pursue this hobby out of a love for music. For that, I have my parents to thank.


Thanks Mom and Dad, I love you.:)

[sTiLlLeArNiNg]

It's all my dad's fault :)

[mmadden28]

I always had the itch to improve but kept my sights set low.
One night, only a couple years ago, at a friend's cocktail party he had some particular 80s crap music on that I usually hated, but it sounded especially crisp and awesome--even though I hated the songs, the sound put me into a zone of sorts, since then I started the pursuit. Secondarily my pursuit led me to Club Polk and its all history from there.
Now that I have some SDA's my appetite has been whetted a bit more and well now I want more.

[kawizx9r]

I blame my dad for planting the seed.

Growing up he's always had separates in several rooms of every house we lived in. Everything from Cerwin Vegas in the living room to altecs/bose/klipsch in his "man cave" and bedroom. Whenever we moved (he was in the military so we moved alot) I was always there to "lend" him a hand hooking stuff up, going to look at audio with him and was even there when he had to refoam some speakers once.

That's all come back ever since I picked up some SDA's from a Polk member here, whom I'm still getting to know more and more about over the past few months. Everytime I go to his place, we talk audio for a couple of hours...heck I just left his place earlier with a tubed preamp he let me borrow.

As for my cheerios getting soggy as hell and the fact that the better stuff costs an arm and a leg, I blame Curt :D

[comfortablycurt]

As for my cheerios getting soggy as hell and the fact that the better stuff costs an arm and a leg, I blame Curt :D

That's understandable...most things really are my fault...so I'm the most logical person to blame.;)

[cnh]

I suppose it was myself...but probably because my father was an aspiring singer...we always had the cheap portable turntable in the house...and my father bought a Reel-to-reel Audiovox (I think) system to record himself.

Eventually the heads needed to be cleaned...something we didn't know..so we sought out a repair shop. A local German guy who sold Grundig and Telefunken and swore by them. That was my first exposure to something more than brand X.

I then saw an add for JBL 12" monitors in a magazine when I was in High School...and I was wowed by their look, so much so that over a decade later I finally got enough money together to buy a pair which I still own....

The rest is history...I've been searching for good sound for a long time because I grew up with 'little' and loved music. My father sang and played guitar. And I grew up listening to him singing and his endless playing of Segovia (classic guitar) and Flamenco guitar music on his cheapo turntable which never sounded 'good enough'....

That's all for now..

cnh

[buymesome]

CP is responsible

[fossy]

My older cousin's ... had to go stay a month with them in 68 ....they had the beatles...I was only 8 .... damn cousins ...

[zombie boy 2000]

I've been into audio ever since I discovered music. I received the greatest Christmas present EVER at the age of twelve - a kenwood monoblock and a pair of scrub speakers. My parent's were fed up with me sneaking into their room and listening to their "real" system. I eventually inherited that one when they upgraded and I've been a diseased, wretched gear junkie ever since.

It's funny to me whenever someone remembers the good ol' days when we were all satisfied with our boomboxes. I can honestly say I was NEVER satisfied.

[thsmith]

I was 14 and saved money all summer for a motorcycle. I was hanging out with people I should not have been and got a speeding ticket and no drivers license. I figured since I was working I could pay the ticket and my parents would be none the wiser.

Early one Saturday morning the court called and told my dad if I was not at court in 1 hour they would have a warrent againest him. Needless to say he was not happy.

To make a long story short my parents would not let me buy a motorcycle so I bought a stereo system instead.

Over the years I have had several systems. In the late 90s I went to mostly HT.

Last year Ron Temple got me to thinking vintage polks. Its been a rabbit hole ever since.

[vc69]

Last year Ron Temple got me to thinking vintage polks. Its been a rabbit hole ever since.

Yeah I had the motorcycle problem too. I actually bought one and had to keep it at a friends house. Until we got caught. Then I had to sell it. :o

I have Ron to thank for my vintage Polk interest too. Thanks Ron!

[maandjojo]

My brother-in-law. My wife and I had been married for a few years and the first thing he purchased after getting a part time job after graduation was some audio gear. I really forgot much of what he purchased but the speakers were Bic with a receiver and phono. I went with him to pick it up and remember the first album he played for me, it was the soundtrack from Rocky. Man it sounded awesome. Well that sent me off and running and I haven't stopped yet. I did turn him on to Polk though.

Joe

[lanion]

Completely me... I've always tinkered. hooking up my SNES audio to my parent's speaker system (Even without a TV), trying to make surround sound using 2 pairs of computer speakers and a 1994 Nureality SRS processor.

Finally started building a system in college after selling a Bose lifestyle system I got in high school when I did not know any better.

[Fireman32]

My buddy Lou (ohskigod) got me into this hobby. I was satisfied listining to CD on a boombox. When I bought my big screen tv he told me that I could not listen without a nice set of speakers. I heard his RTA 12B's bought them and the rest is history. I still have those speakers and will never part with them either.