How Did You Become an Audiophile?

I remember sitting on the floor in our "playroom"...1964 and the Beatles were just on Ed Sullivan. I had a red record player and a 45 of "She Loves You". I just kept playing that thing over and over. I was hooked. As I got older, I would go to "Alexanders" and buy LPs. I remember they were $2.54. My friends made fun of me when I got my first "Doors" album....1967. I didn't care. I was 13 years old. They were clueless. I found a way to put together a system. I had a Marantz integrated and a Gerrard TT. :celebrate008_2:
 
Dad built Heathkit stereo pre amp, turntable, and speakers we would listen to alot of country, gospel, and christmas music. guitar lessons, listening to wolfman jack late at night on my clock radio. and then listening to my first pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers I was hooked. early 80's picked up my
first audio gear...Yamaha 100, sony dual tape deck, Klipsch Heresy speakers. Dreamed of owning Mcintosh gear after hearing it at the local dealer
in the mid 80's.
 
I got into the audiophile scene because of my admiration for the unattainable. Art of all kinds just fascinates me.
 
I clearly remember the instant I became passionate about having a system capable of producing music to the highest realism possible. I was very young (5 or 6 years old max) and sitting in my Dad’s car in the early 1970s as he left the car radio on an AM station he was listening to while he was fueling up the vehicle. The radio in the car had a slide bar that when moved either right or left changed the reception from AM to FM. I slid the bar to the left and the system locked in some FM station. I can’t tell you how profound an effect this had on me as the sound quality was infinitely better and I had never heard anything like that in my life. Yeah, I know, big deal… FM vs. AM on a stock GM car radio. This was not exactly the pinnacle of audio engineering even back in that day, but given we did not have any stereo system in the house, this sound was a revelation to me. To me, this was heaven and the definition of high quality reproduced sound at that time.

From that day on, it has been a quest to listen and compare how equipment creates music always striving to find the best possible sound reproduction that gets at the essence of the music. Growing up in the Chicago area, that meant progressing through the various audio stores (yeah, brick and mortar was thriving back then). We had MusiCraft, United Audio, and a variety of other what would now be called low end to mid-end stereo shops. I didn’t even know there were high-end shops at that time. All along the way I kept upgrading my system with the meager money I could spend. Names like NAD, Adcom, Sherwood, Fischer etc. was what I could front and was what I listened to at home.

After getting my first “real job” out of college (late 1980s), one of the older engineers found out that I was into music/stereo equipment and pointed me to a shop close by to work (Quintessence Audio, then in Naperville, IL). I walked into the store and my audio life changed for the second time as this store had equipment that I could only dream of and was at a level I had never seen or heard up to that date. In their main room, they were playing some British folk music (sounded eerily similar to Jimmy Page’s acoustic Led Zeppelin) so realistically that I swore there were live musicians in the room (it sounded that real to me). When I walked into the room the system was Apogee Diva speakers being driven by a Krell KSA-250 and a SOTA turntable. I literally had the same feeling of profound discovery when switching from AM->FM years before as I couldn’t believe how incredible this system sounded (now at a much higher quality than a car FM radio ;-) ). Well, at that time there was no way I could swing the money to purchase anything even close to that system (student loans, getting on my feet, etc.). However, that day I told myself that one day I would get a system that could “get close” to what I was hearing. I went back many times to that store and listened to a variety of systems that were spectacular.

A ton of water has flowed under the bridge, my wife and my system has gone through a whole bunch of changes, but the goal of it all is still the same. Try to find, own, and enjoy a system of components that sounds the most like “real music”. That, to us, is what it is all about.

Thanks for listening.
 
I clearly remember the instant I became passionate about having a system capable of producing music to the highest realism possible. I was very young (5 or 6 years old max) and sitting in my Dad’s car in the early 1970s as he left the car radio on an AM station he was listening to while he was fueling up the vehicle. The radio in the car had a slide bar that when moved either right or left changed the reception from AM to FM. I slid the bar to the left and the system locked in some FM station. I can’t tell you how profound an effect this had on me as the sound quality was infinitely better and I had never heard anything like that in my life. Yeah, I know, big deal… FM vs. AM on a stock GM car radio. This was not exactly the pinnacle of audio engineering even back in that day, but given we did not have any stereo system in the house, this sound was a revelation to me. To me, this was heaven and the definition of high quality reproduced sound at that time.

From that day on, it has been a quest to listen and compare how equipment creates music always striving to find the best possible sound reproduction that gets at the essence of the music. Growing up in the Chicago area, that meant progressing through the various audio stores (yeah, brick and mortar was thriving back then). We had MusiCraft, United Audio, and a variety of other what would now be called low end to mid-end stereo shops. I didn’t even know there were high-end shops at that time. All along the way I kept upgrading my system with the meager money I could spend. Names like NAD, Adcom, Sherwood, Fischer etc. was what I could front and was what I listened to at home.

After getting my first “real job” out of college (late 1980s), one of the older engineers found out that I was into music/stereo equipment and pointed me to a shop close by to work (Quintessence Audio, then in Naperville, IL). I walked into the store and my audio life changed for the second time as this store had equipment that I could only dream of and was at a level I had never seen or heard up to that date. In their main room, they were playing some British folk music (sounded eerily similar to Jimmy Page’s acoustic Led Zeppelin) so realistically that I swore there were live musicians in the room (it sounded that real to me). When I walked into the room the system was Apogee Diva speakers being driven by a Krell KSA-250 and a SOTA turntable. I literally had the same feeling of profound discovery when switching from AM->FM years before as I couldn’t believe how incredible this system sounded (now at a much higher quality than a car FM radio ;-) ). Well, at that time there was no way I could swing the money to purchase anything even close to that system (student loans, getting on my feet, etc.). However, that day I told myself that one day I would get a system that could “get close” to what I was hearing. I went back many times to that store and listened to a variety of systems that were spectacular.

A ton of water has flowed under the bridge, my wife and my system has gone through a whole bunch of changes, but the goal of it all is still the same. Try to find, own, and enjoy a system of components that sounds the most like “real music”. That, to us, is what it is all about.

Thanks for listening.
 
Since childhood I was musician. And considered myself as musician when I was young. Also many time I spent for creating DIY audio devices.
Love to music is main reason of my passion to audio.
 
It was 1992 and I went to an Apogee Acoustics event. Jason Bloom was demonstrating the Apogee Divas with his incredible music collection and I was spellbound by the sound. I never knew audio could sound so wonderful, so lifelike. They had a drawing for a pair of Apogee speakers and I won some very nice hybrids. But instead of taking them, I asked them to put the money towards a pair of Duetta Signatures, and they agreed. A few weeks later, I had a new pair of Apogee Duetta Signatures in my living room and the rest is history!

Best,
Ken
 
Alpinist said:
It was 1992 and I went to an Apogee Acoustics event. Jason Bloom was demonstrating the Apogee Divas with his incredible music collection and I was spellbound by the sound. I never knew audio could sound so wonderful, so lifelike. They had a drawing for a pair of Apogee speakers and I won some very nice hybrids. But instead of taking them, I asked them to put the money towards a pair of Duetta Signatures, and they agreed. A few weeks later, I had a new pair of Apogee Duetta Signatures in my living room and the rest is history!

Best,
Ken
Click to expand...

Ken,

A bit off-topic - but Apogee related.

Apogee started in the early 80s. Mike Kay's Lyric Hi in Manhattan was the first dealer. Amazingly, Jason Bloom depended on Mike to select his core group of dealers. As a result, Audition - my shop in Birmingham, AL - was the third Apogee dealer in the world.

Jason and Leo ran Apogee. Both absolutely great guys. Compared to today, there was more a sense of community among the high-end dealers and the manufacturers back then.

I've always preferred the original Full Range Apogee, but that's another story...

We were constantly back-ordered several months (for several years!) with the original Full Range. Then, they announced the Scintilla. Jason told me that it took almost exactly the same number of man hours to build the Scintilla as the Full Range. Yet the Full Range was $8400.00, and the Scintilla was $3999.95. Jason and I had several - umm - "conversations" about the need to further complicate and affect the already slow delivery process. I couldn't understand why they were willing to make so much less on a model which was going to complicate already long delays on a much more profitable (and better) model.

Why not wait to introduce it at a more (IMO) appropriate time?

It got even crazier from a delivery standpoint, and next thing we knew, the Duetta appeared at $2999.95. Sheesh!!!

Then, delivery got truly ridiculous...

Unfortunately, just a few years later, Magnepan won its patent infringement lawsuit against Apogee, and it made survival for Apogee very difficult on several levels.

I always thought those original three Apogee models were true game changers. In my experience, they created more than a few "audiophiles".

Sorry for the long story, but it is related to yours to some extent.. :)

Best,

Jim
 
Apogees demise was in part because they didn't charge enough! I bought a pair of Duetta signatures back in 1990 which listed for $4,000. based on the CPI inflation calculator this is equal to roughly $7,400 in 2016. there's nothing in that price range today that comes remotely close, Maggies might be the best 'value solution' but IMHO lack the bass slam and greater dynamic capabilities of Apogees.
 
Jim Smith said:
Ken,

A bit off-topic - but Apogee related.

Apogee started in the early 80s. Mike Kay's Lyric Hi in Manhattan was the first dealer. Amazingly, Jason Bloom depended on Mike to select his core group of dealers. As a result, Audition - my shop in Birmingham, AL - was the third Apogee dealer in the world.

Jason and Leo ran Apogee. Both absolutely great guys. Compared to today, there was more a sense of community among the high-end dealers and the manufacturers back then.

I've always preferred the original Full Range Apogee, but that's another story...

We were constantly back-ordered several months (for several years!) with the original Full Range. Then, they announced the Scintilla. Jason told me that it took almost exactly the same number of man hours to build the Scintilla as the Full Range. Yet the Full Range was $8400.00, and the Scintilla was $3999.95. Jason and I had several - umm - "conversations" about the need to further complicate and affect the already slow delivery process. I couldn't understand why they were willing to make so much less on a model which was going to complicate already long delays on a much more profitable (and better) model.

Why not wait to introduce it at a more (IMO) appropriate time?

It got even crazier from a delivery standpoint, and next thing we knew, the Duetta appeared at $2999.95. Sheesh!!!

Then, delivery got truly ridiculous...

Unfortunately, just a few years later, Magnepan won its patent infringement lawsuit against Apogee, and it made survival for Apogee very difficult on several levels.

I always thought those original three Apogee models were true game changers. In my experience, they created more than a few "audiophiles".

Sorry for the long story, but it is related to yours to some extent.. :)

Best,

Jim
Click to expand...


Jim,

Mike Kay was really the go to guy back then with any new and innovative product , i do agree on the FR vs the rest , a direct drive ribbon is much better sounding than one with traces , but they roast amplifiers and sensitivity is in the 78db range on a very good day ...

It was an Iconic product in many ways ( FR)


regards
 
puroagave said:
Apogees demise was in part because they didn't charge enough! I bought a pair of Duetta signatures back in 1990 which listed for $4,000. based on the CPI inflation calculator this is equal to roughly $7,400 in 2016. there's nothing in that price range today that comes remotely close, Maggies might be the best 'value solution' but IMHO lack the bass slam and greater dynamic capabilities of Apogees.
Click to expand...

agree Maggies were never in the same league , still feel the same way today when i hear one, they are good value thou , as they were back then...
 
The amazing thing is that 25 years later, the Apogee reference models' sound quality is still world class, at least to my ears. Hard to beat them on vocals and piano.

Ken
 
Agreed 100%, but they were a tough load for most amps - the Scintilla was especially tough - low impedance and low efficiency....
 
Alpinist said:
It was 1992 and I went to an Apogee Acoustics event. Jason Bloom was demonstrating the Apogee Divas with his incredible music collection and I was spellbound by the sound. I never knew audio could sound so wonderful, so lifelike. They had a drawing for a pair of Apogee speakers and I won some very nice hybrids. But instead of taking them, I asked them to put the money towards a pair of Duetta Signatures, and they agreed. A few weeks later, I had a new pair of Apogee Duetta Signatures in my living room and the rest is history!

Best,
Ken
Click to expand...

Ken,

A pair of Apogee Duetta Signatures stayed in our system from the early 90s until about 9 years ago. We really liked those speakers a ton and ran the crap out of them. I was surprised that they never gave us any issues after so many hours and the fact that they are all ribbon, but soldier on they did.

The only reason I was even able to swing the cost at that time was that they were demos from the CES show in Chicago and the dealer just wanted to unload them. I have many fond memories of those speakers and hopefully you do also.
 
Jim Smith said:
Agreed 100%, but they were a tough load for most amps - the Scintilla was especially tough - low impedance and low efficiency....
Click to expand...

Very true on both counts. I think speakers are engineered better now on these measurements. Remember the big Infinity speakers. A local dealer had an amp fire due to their very low impedance.

Ken
 
Jim Smith said:
Agreed 100%, but they were a tough load for most amps - the Scintilla was especially tough - low impedance and low efficiency....
Click to expand...

Jim, I never had the opportunity to hear or own the Scintilla, but from everything I read (including your comment); they were an almost impossible load to drive. Even the Duetta Signatures (which we owned for a long time) which were hyped as much more efficient than other Apogee designs were somewhat of a bear to drive correctly.

When we first got the Duetta Signatures all we had todrive them with was an Adcom 555. Foryears that poor Pass designed gem worked its butt off day-in and day-outpushing those speakers. Even rightbefore we sold those speakers they would make our Pass X350.5 dance (the bigmeter would bounce/bias hard into AB territory) with music at loud-enough volumes.

Quick story of how hard even the Duetta Signatures wereto drive at times….

At the time we were using the Adcom 555 to drive theDuetta Signatures one of my friends was looking for a new amplifier and decidedto buy one of the Carver Magnetic Field big wattage amps of the day (BTW: Thisstory is by no means to criticize Carver’s designs or amps as I respect hiswork). I don’t remember the exact model, but it was specedat or above the Adcom. Well, even with my statements that the speakerswere hard to drive, my friend was insistent to put it on our system.

While listening to music at loud, but not terribly loudlevels, the poor amps were sucking from the wall so hard that their meterbacklights were dimming and they just were not a great match for the speakers.
 
laynesaddiction said:
Ken,

A pair of Apogee Duetta Signatures stayed in our system from the early 90s until about 9 years ago. We really liked those speakers a ton and ran the crap out of them. I was surprised that they never gave us any issues after so many hours and the fact that they are all ribbon, but soldier on they did.

The only reason I was even able to swing the cost at that time was that they were demos from the CES show in Chicago and the dealer just wanted to unload them. I have many fond memories of those speakers and hopefully you do also.
Click to expand...



How are your Scaena's ...??
 
Thank you for asking. A slightly longish answer if I may.

As with everything at this level everyone will have their preferences for what they are looking for from a speaker and what vendors/models deliver it at levels that move them enough to pull the trigger and commit to a model. They are all right as there is no right/wrong answer in my opinion and they all kick butt.

Back around 8 years ago (or so,) my wife and I moved from the Apogee Duetta Signatures to the Scaena model 3.2 system. I guess you could say that the older Scaena models finally gave us a compelling alternative that we felt took down the Apogees. Frankly, we felt that the 3.2s exceeded the Apogees almost across the board.

While we were extremely happy with the 3.2s as with any design (at least in my mind) there are limitations. For the 3.2s, there were two areas that we felt they could be improved upon towards our musical tastes and our listening environment. Specifically:


  • The integration of the subs with the towers
  • While the subs went very very low, we felt that there we areas of the “not so low..low” that could be addressed

In the middle of 2016 my wife and I decided to pull the trigger on the latest Scaena “La Maitresse Ultime” models after listening to a bunch of alternatives.

Right after RMAF 2016 we had the Sunny Umrao (fantastically passionate, knowledgeable, and kind engineer) out from Scaena and he spent a few days installing and initially tweaking the system. He will be back soon for a second visit and ultimately a third for the final assessment after enough time has elapsed and the system has settled in.

“How are your Scaena's?”…you ask…

I have a statement called “Vai-level”, where “Vai-level” is defined as “Super/Ultimate/Awesome/Top-tier/Godly/etc.-level” connotations to a situation which is named after my admiration for Steve Vai’s guitar playing/technique/virtuosity on rock guitar.

Our Scaena La Maitresse Ultime speaker system (in our humble opinion) delivers at a monster “Vai-level” and just bleeds/sweats/exhales/delivers/whatever innate/profound musicality. To my wife and I, that is the most important trait of any system as it always about the music.

They truly are (for our tastes in speakers and in our travels) the best speaker system we have ever heard. There are killer speakers out there that perform at world-class levels from a variety of manufacturers, but to our ears and taste; we have not heard better than what we have.

The upgrade addressed the two issue I mentioned above with the 3.2s and improved just about everything else too.

Thanks again for asking.
 
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