What started you on your audiophile journey .

I've got 3 uncles and a godfather who are are serious audiophiles. I would visit their houses as a kid and listen to the wonderful music from their systems and then marvel at their gear. One uncle had these immense looking Threshold and Audio Research gear. His speakers were these tall Magneplanar speakers. They would sometimes bring me to stereo stores when they were buying or auditioning gear. Everything looked so expensive I just sat and looked at gear. My dad has some gear from my uncles to. My Dad's bedroom system had a McIntosh receiver, a Reel to Reel and DIY speakers. His main system was a Nikko stack with Shure pro speakers.

In addition to that I've also always liked to listen to music. From taping music from the radio stations as a kid to buying tons and tons of CDs, to digitally downloading or buying. I always to listen to music. When I finally got a house I was more into HT but then when I found I didn't have as much time for HT I got back into 2 channel listening after just listening to music via headphones.

Lent my first and only album to a friend at school. After a few days went to get it back, walking up to his dorm room heard the record playing, it sounded so different then on my modest system. Once in his room hearing the full effect it was marvelous. I have been hooked every since.

My interpretation of the word "audiophile" is to mean "high end" audio. When I was in "mid fi", I was simply a music lover with a stereo. After my mid fi pre went "belly up", I wandered into a high end emporium. I could not believe the music that could be derived from a black disc if you had a Koetsu cartridge, with Sota, ARC and B & W. Carmen McRae was so real on the soundstage, I wanted to walk up and kiss her. That's when I became an audiophile.

Music was always playing at our house. My systems started with my Dad buying me a suitcase styled orange and white turntable with built in speakers at about age 10. Been upgrading ever since and no plans to ever stop!

my parents were professional pianists.

my father had a decent stereo system (mono) and i was constantly exposed to live piano music.

i developed my interest in classical music while i was in elementary school.

i played in a hs band.

my first purchase was a magnavox phonograph, followed by a sony tape deck. i taped many concerts (live) from carnegie hall, the frick collection and the ny phil, whenever possible.

my first serious stereo system was in the 60's.