Senior Audiophiles - Audiophile since the 60-70's?

I started my search for the Holy Grail back in the mid 60's when I was in high school. My father introduced me to "Hifi." I had a Heathkit amp and a pair of KLH 17's. I used a Garrard turntable at first and switched to a Dual both with a Shure M91.
My favorite system from the past was purchased in about 1977-78. It consisted of a Dynaco PAT 5 preamp, Dynaco Stereo 150, a pair of "New Advents" and a Dual 1229 turnatable with a Shure V-15II. I also had a Dynaco FM tuner and a Wollensak reel to reel. I also bought one of the first Advent cassette decks with Dolby at some point in there.
Since, I have had all kinds of stuff. I remember my first pair of Vandersteen Model 2's in 1978.
Fast forwarding to now, I have by far the best system I have ever had. No, the old stuff isn't even close. I now have a pair of Vandersteen 3A Signatures, Vandersteen 2Wq subs(a pair), Audible Illusions L-1 preamp, Theta Dreadnaught in a 4-ch configeration for vertical biamping and a Meridian 508-24. I still mess with different wire from time to time but at present, I'm using Tara Labs Master Generation II speaker cables in a bi-wire and Harmonic Technologies interconnect. I have never had a system so pure that just sounds right. This may be it for me. My ears will not hold up forever and I'm ready to retire from the race(more than one.)

Sorry, I forgot the last couple of questions (senior moment.)
My favorite time was the late 60's and early 70's. College was a blast. I loved the music and I loved the equipment that played it. It was nice looking and well built for the most part. North Carolina was the place to be! James Taylor, now that's my man!
These days, audio has become a race for who can spend the most. A lot of the equipment today is not worth anywhere near what they are asking for it. Businesses remind me of car dealerships! So many salesman have so much hot air and think they know everything(especially the young guys.) It takes a long time to figure this stuff out. You may be an "Audiophile" but it takes a lot of experience to learn what is important and what is hype.

I developed an interest in audio around 1959, my senior year of high school, but didn't buy my first true "hi-fi" equipment until the summer of 1964 when I bought and assembled several Fisher kits (tube preamp and tube power amp). I then added a Garrard turntable with Pickering cartridge, and a pair of Jensen or AR speakers (can't remember which ones I bought first). There has been a lot of equipment come and go since then, including Marantz electronics; Nakamichi and Tandberg tape recorders; Dual, Thorens, and VPI turntables; speakers by Bozak, Fisher, Klipsch, Bose 901's, Acoustat, and Vandersteen; etc. I think my current system is quite good, but nothing I have ever owned brought the excitement of those 1960's components.

I started thinking "audiophile" in the mid '70s with the emphasis on music. this was approaching the end of the LP era and the advent of CD's. Up until that time i was listening to mid fi and only heard the music (in retrospect that wasn't such a bad place to have been). I got some cash so I checked out some high (?) end stuff. PSA pre amp, Hitachi mos fet amp, Rogers ls35a's, etc and the trip began. I won't list all the stuff that has come and gone but the conclusion started in the mid 80's when I got my SP10, and an Oracle TT and finished in the Mid 90's when i settled on the above with Paragon Jubilee/Gems (think Dynaudio 3.3's w/better bass and imaging) Sonic Frontiers SFM 160's monoblocks, a BAT CDP, a glider cartridge, and a new room for my primary system. since thin i have focussed on collecting music. For me that past 10 years have been the best years - all of the music i missed in the 60's & 70's has come out on CD's. LP's of the old stuff are available (with some effort) and i have the time and disposable income to buy the music now that i no longer seek to "improve my system".
Much as i hate to believe it, i think this hobby as it has existed is dying - look no further than the state of the music industry and the contraction of retail audio outlets. they aren't closing their doors because there it a high demand for product. too many MBA's in charge of the businesses, not enuf musicians. and IMHO it ain't just the economy! Enjoy it while you can.

Q>What was your favorite decade and why?

Well they tell me the 60s were great and that I had a hell of a system but I can't remember anything about it.

Q>What are your thoughts of the current state of Audio?

I can only hear to 12khz so I can't tell but all the Audio mags have that glossy wannabe look like GQ or Cosmopolitan or something.(my eyes are still good)

Q>Would you trade your current system for a past system?

No, I've been working on "half range" drivers that get a few octaves above A (440hz) that really do the job for me. All those full range drivers and speakers...who needs em?

Shouldn't Audigon have a senior discount and a Card or something? The "Double AA" (Audiogon Assoc. of Aging Audiophiles). We can play shuffle board games with old cds and stuff like that.

Sncerely
I remain,