How Did You Become an Audiophile?

Thanks for the response , i have the opportunity to hear them locally , so was curious and can believe what you say about live , line-source speakers do live differently from point source speakers ...


Regards
 
a.wayne said:
Thanks for the response , i have the opportunity to hear them locally , so was curious and can believe what you say about live , line-source speakers do live differently from point source speakers ...


Regards
Click to expand...

Please let me know your thoughts if you venture out to hear them (even if they end up not being to your liking). Is there a local dealer that carries Scaena or are you able to hear them from someone who owns them already? The reason I ask is that it is rare to find a Scaena dealer (at least out here) and I would be curious which dealer carries them by you. When we first bought the original 3.2 system it was from NY even though we are out in WA. The new system came from Scaena directly, since there isn't a dealer even remotely close to us at this point.
 
I think it was the day a tiny meteorite fell from the sky and hit me in the head. Ever since I have had a hard time saying no to spending stupid amounts of money for minuscule improvements in sound quality. There must be a reason.
 
laynesaddiction said:
Please let me know your thoughts if you venture out to hear them (even if they end up not being to your liking). Is there a local dealer that carries Scaena or are you able to hear them from someone who owns them already? The reason I ask is that it is rare to find a Scaena dealer (at least out here) and I would be curious which dealer carries them by you. When we first bought the original 3.2 system it was from NY even though we are out in WA. The new system came from Scaena directly, since there isn't a dealer even remotely close to us at this point.
Click to expand...

No dealers , Mr Scaena himself ....
 
I thought it was time to resurrect this interesting topic. For me, it was walking down Lexington Avenue in Manhattan and just stumbling into a place named “Lyric Hifi” (I think). The proprietor, Mike Kay, was playing a track of a man singing as he was playing a guitar. It seemed as if he was right there — sitting on a stool holding his instrument.

I wanted to hear music like that. I was hooked.
 
My Dad and many of his brothers, my Uncles, influenced me somewhere around 4th or 5th grade. And around 6th grade got my first system for Christmas around 1980-1981, a Panasonic integrated with a turntable, cassette deck and Tuner with green arrow directional indicators and a red led indicating you were in station, I kept this through high school later changing out the speakers for ADS bookshelves meant for cars?

Once I got in the Military, ended up meeting like minded guys who loved music and stereos. This lasted until the mid to late 90’s when home systems took over.

Over 4 years back I cried for nostalgia and thought I would get back in this hobby spending around $5000 for a McIntosh system, and put together a decent system but it was no where near $5000, and after going at it alone got in the forums, went to RMAF and here I am today.

Constant path of enjoyment that fits my behavior unlike all the others I have put time and money into.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I've been a semi-pro/pro/serious hobbyist musician since about 1961. My first "audiophile system" was a Sylvania 35 watt receiver and a pair of Sylvania 10 inch "air suspension" speakers with a dual TT and Sony reel to reel recorder. I thought it was the shiznits at the time. Listened to a lot of '60s R&B/soul and hard rock and some jazz on that system. Played in a killer soul band in the late '60s/early '70s and lots of other bands over the decades.

Was a "true audiophile" in the late '70s...Sansui AU20000 170 watt p/c integrated (killer amp even by today's standards), 4-JBL L-166 Horizon speakers, Sansui TT with Stanton cartridge, Pioneer reel to reel recorder, dBx compressor/expander, a record click and pop remover (forgot the brand), a programmable TT that you could program songs or albums in any order (can't remember the brand of that either), Fisher cassette recorder/player and Fisher tuner. I remember my cousin having a killer system in the late '50s/early '60s that he put together while over seas in the Marines. But I don't remember what all he had. The speakers looked like Advents but I'm not sure if Advent was a company that far back. Maybe KLH? Acoustic Research? I remember the grill cloth was a woven tan color. Ten or 12" woofers? It sounded great. And he liked to listen with it cranked. Those were the days.
 
I ditched my afternoon classes in 8th? grade and got high (first time) with some classmates at ones home when the Who Baba O'riley came on their clock radio. I was mesmerized by the song and the magic of the music. I've been chasing that buzz ever since.

sans weed:(
 
Last edited:
I was a musician who was cursed with talent at the wrong time in history. I was one of the top two drummers in the area I lived. But, in the late 60's I saw friends brains deteriorating from drugs, and some even dying long before their time. I had been sucked into that world for about a half year. I landed a gig in one of the best bands in that area. No one could touch us.

Then, seeing it was a dead end street. That to go higher up the feeding chain meant only deeper into a hole. So.. one day at practice, I up and quit the band.

Later, realizing there were no musicians with a straight head on their shoulders at that time. I sold my drums and quit cold turkey. I had a drummer friend passionately tell me he thought I was crazy for quitting music. So be it. I saw too many young men dying before their time. And, that world was making me miserable. It used to be such sparkly fun and excitement. Now, it was heavy and depressing.. but very energized at the same time. It was a great paradox. It was why so many rock greats were overdosing and no longer with us...

Life at that point became as if I had cut off my right arm. A weird deep depression set in ..I finally understood how depression can not be explained to another unless you experience it for yourself. . But, I knew I needed to go through it to escape what I was leaving behind.

In retrospect, I realize now I actually mourned for years my own death because I absolutely loved music and playing in good bands. But... it was no longer to be. Its was as my only true love died, and left me alone.

That was during the Vietnam years, which added to the gloom. Then one day. I found a job at a BSR factory a few miles from where I lived. They made popular turntables. One thing led to another, as I got to know people in the audio industry.

After that job I walked into an excellent training school in Audiophile-ism. A high end stereo shop owned by audiophiles. (Ear Drum Audio, in Nanuet, NY) Famous musicians shopped there as well as the blue collar workers. Then.. as I learned, I landed the likes of a traded in McIntosh MC 275, and C20. Yes, tubes. I learned about tubes from an engineer at BSR (Jack Dodgson) who used to work for Fisher electronics in its glory days. After asking advice he steered me towards tubes at a time solid state truly sucked in comparison.

And, ever since? I have been a serious audiophile.

I had become an active musician once again, by proxy.

"Audiophile." ....... That word? I love the sound of it.

From Georgia, Gene Z.
 
I've always loved music, the better it sounds the more I enjoy it. I bought my first integrated in elementary/junior high. Tone controls, cassette, cd, dac, all in one.
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • sony-cfd-5[1].jpg
    sony-cfd-5[1].jpg
    30 KB · Views: 35
My earliest musical experiences started with the jukebox in my mother's neighborhood soda fountain hang out. We moved there when I was three years old (1953), at the advent of rock and roll. So I remember listening to rock and roll from it's very beginnings. Just a few years later, around 1959, we purchased a Zenith console stereo with a record changer and AM/FM radio. About the same time my cousin came home from a tour with the Marines. He had purchased an incredible sounding component stereo system while overseas. I think it was that stereo system that prompted my parents to purchase their console stereo. I remember my cousin's system even had high end headphones in addition to bookshelf speakers with tan, woven grilles, very much like Advent or possibly Acoustic Research speakers. I just remember it sounded wonderful. I can even remember my cousin having an album by jazz artist George Cates that had the word "percussion" in the title. It sounded wonderful through my cousin's system. I think my father must have heard my cousin's system as he soon after purchased both the console stereo and the same album.

I wore that console out. I remember when I first heard The Beatles while listening to the stereo's AM/FM radio on station KAAY, Little Rock, Arkansas, one of the first 100,000 watt stations. It was our main stereo until I was a senior in HS (1967/1968) when my parents bought me a Sylvania component stereo system for a graduation present. It had
Sylvania "air suspension" speakers, and a Gerard TT/record changer which I owned until I was married in 1976.

In 1978 I really got bit by the high end stereo bug. At that time there were stereo stores everywhere, even in small towns. I saved my money and after about a year and a half I purchased my first high end stereo system...Sansui AU20000 integrated amp, six JBL L-166 Horizon speakers (one pair for downstairs, two pair for upstairs). Sansui manual TT with Stanton cartridge, one of the first programmable TTs made by ADC, a dbX expander/compressor, a device made by Gerard that (sort of) removed clicks and pops from records, Fisher cassette recorder/player, Kenwood AM/FM tuner. It sounded KILLER, especially for the times.

I wore it out until the Sansui amp quit working in the early '90s. I stupidly ran my guitar amp through the Sansui amp so I could practice with headphones and not disturb the neighbors. That eventually fried the Sansui amp and almost cooked the guitar amp. I gave my entire system to my best friend in the early '90s. He couldn't afford to have the amp repaired and he took the entire system to the dump...sniff, sniff. Fast forward to the present...bitten again (it's all Mike's fault) ;). I'm about 1/2 way to my new dream system...I've ordered a new set of Harbeth Super HL 5+ Anniversary speakers with stands and Rockett 88 and MacKenzie cables, and immediately after the first of the year I'll purchase a Luxman 509X integrated amp, Lumin D2, Roon Nucleus+, any other software/hardware I might need, and possibly a subwoofer.

I have an early '90s Technics DD33 direct drive, quartz, automatic TT that my sister gave me. It's in mint condition but I have no idea how it sounds. Guess I'll find out after the first of 2020. Although I'll have to borrow vinyl to hear it. I'm massively embarrassed to say I gave ALL my vinyl away about 10+ years ago thinking that vinyl was going the way of the Model T Ford. Man, was I ever wrong?!! Guess
I'll have to do some pawn shop vinyl hunting.

BTW, I've played guitar in bands for 56 of my 69 years. But these days (and 10 years prior) I've switched to playing bluegrass music exclusively. I also play banjo and mandolin. That's quite a switch from the jazz rock fusion and funk music I played in the '70s and soul music of the '60s. Lots of turns and twists in the road in my lifetime. Anyway, that's my story...so far.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top