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I was 16 years old. I went to a store to get a stylus for my grandmother. I noticed they had Klipschorns. I asked for a demo. They used a Belle Klipsch in the center, a Mac tube amp, and a nice turntable. He put on Headeast "Never been any reason" followed by ZZ Top's "LaGrange". It was loud. It was clear. I was stunned. I could hardly speak. I told the guy if I had 2000.00 dollars for those speakers, I would give it to him. He smiled and told me to come back when I was finished with school. I was hooked. My system has evolved over the years, and I once had those Klipschorns, but that memory is still burned into my brain. It was the first time that I realized that a recording could put goosebumps all over you, just like live music. It's all about the music. It is a great hobby.

I'd always been a music enthusiast, but it was the purchase of my first CD player that turned the tide. Initially, with the resources of some "mainstream" audio magazines, and eventually Stereophile, I focused my quest in audio reproduction and upgrades, and became the audiophile I am today. God help me...

I started my hobby after I read a 1997 issue of your magazine.

An event only in that it was a natural continuum of experience that derived from my love of music from the start: Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, the original South Pacific soundtrack and Montavonti on my parents' big multi-driver "hi-fi". The Doors became the new favorites along with the Mothers, the Beatles, Beach Boys and Kinks. It was easy to lust after the Oracle turntables and Macintosh gear at Dallas' best store across from school when I was in college. They sell mid-fi now but I have been lucky enough to build a servicable system whose total cost exceeds what I would admit to and which consistently brings pleasure to us and our guests. The event is just the flow of a life and the random luck of opportunity, but the result is the love of beautiful sounds at home and that should be where it's at.

I would like to be catagorized as an audio enthusiasts. I enjoy the art of sound reproduction entirely. It's just that I do not tend to focus as much time, or spend as much money as other's in acheiving the best that our hobby provides.

My Friend Kevin Brook. I already had a large LP collection, but he taught me how to get the most from them and keep them in good shape.

While I was a freshman in college there was another frshman on the same hall in the dormitory. He set up an impressive system and played Carly Simon "You're so vain". Although, I was not a fan of Carly Simon I could not believe the depth of the music. After that my electrophonic system sounded even worse. Finally, about 7 years later I was able to upgrade to a more listenable system. Although that system would be very unacceptable now. It was a technics turntable, technics receiver, pioneer cassette deck and advent speakers. I finally got the system I wanted several years back-Rega planar3, Classe CD player, Conrad Johnson preamp, McCormack Amp, Nakamichi RX-505 cassette deck, a pair of Vandersteens, and cables by Kimber Kable. It took a long to time to evolve into a system that I appreciate-though I still dream and drool over the systems reviewed in Stereophile and Absolute Sound. I am at least sated by what I have.

I had an extensive collection of 2 channel music, but my toddler managed to toast both my amp and a speaker at the same time. I was out of the loop for a few years collecting a few more kids and then decided I wanted a home theater setup. As I went looking at my options, I realized that most of my money should go into the mains. Shortly thereafter I rediscovered the joys of 2-channel after watching some DVDs. I spend much more time listening to music than watching cool surround sound movies.

As a kid growing up, an uncle, limited by his wheelchair, learned to play the acoustic guitar and harmonica. He got me my first system: a Sanyo cassette player. I have been hooked since then! We spent numerous hours recording and playing music. Now, 25 years later, I still enjoy listening to music, only with much better equipment. I enjoy three separate systems. One for the master bedroom; one dedicated for surround sound; and my main audio two-channel system, built from Krell, B & W, and Marantz components. My uncle has sinced passed away. I owe the joy of music and high-end audio to him. God bless him.

Aaron Fosdick...at the University of Colorado...he was too into his stereo...i told him about the Sansui that my brother's owned...and it went from there. I delved into on my own from there...as everything else I have ever done...buying my first high end journal..the 30 year aniversary issue of Stereophile...hearing the words of the long departed EAR J.Gordon Holt...i was hooked...

My uncle's ancient Crown/B&W system did it for me! Combine that with my love for music and there you have it.

First the love of music; second, the need to understand how the music gets to me. The recording process, home hifi equipment, and the icing on the cake, acoustics.

Ninth grade music appreciation class -- a small classroom with sound enhancement materials all around and two huge horn speakers with monster tube amps. I sat fives rows back in the center. We listened to Prokofiev (Pierre et le Loup). As each instrument was played my teacher told us what it was, and who and/or what it represented. As the music progressed, I found myself immersed in a fantastic world. At the end of that class,I promised myself that one day I would have that kind of experience in my own home. Thirty-four years later,I am almost there! Thanks to all you that take the time to teach our young.

I was swept away . . . on Lexington Avenue in New York City at Andrew Singer's first store. Picking up a copy of the abso!ute sound for the very first time in my life and reading Harry Pearson's words almost 28 years ago. Mr. Pearson alone is the most significant individual to have inspired me and taught me how to listen. His writings have allowed my mind to open-up to the meaning of music and the machines that make it happen for all of us in our private little worlds. That one moment in time I still vividly remember: the Acoustats standing high, tube electronics recreating sounds I'd never heard before and Mr. Pearson describing it at that very moment, the way it really was. Yes, I was hooked. Forever.

There I was with an Aiwa integrated system a friend (an audiophile) came along - listened - cried - puked - and then introduced me to Klipsch. Its been constant expense since then but the results have been worth it.

I have always loved music. I grew up with the Classics and Jazz, and was also a musician. But it was an event at Disney World, Fla. in 1977 that turned my head toward hi-fi sound. I was walking into Space Mounntain, and what? What was that glorious sound coming at me? Wow! Music can sound that good through speakers and an amp. Now at 45 years old, I rest with my Krell and B&W's. Thank you Walt.

As a young engineer out of college, my first Station's Chief Engineer had a killer system at his house. It first told me that there was more in audio than my late Father's RCA Phohgraph player with it's "full-range" 8" speaker, but in a beautiful mahogany, table top cabinet. it even had a "tone" control. My first real system consisted of a Fisher 500TX with Dynaco A-25's and a Dual 1219 with a Pickering XV 750. My first cassette tape deck was a $350 Teac 450 in 1970. I later bought the original AR Turntable with a Shure Type 3 and AR 3a speakers. I won some local contests playing the Clarinet during school and then taught myself to play the piano. Once you are keenly aware of what live music sounds like you can never go back and the "quest" of "the sound" beings.

When I first heard music from a pair of Maggies. It was the first time I realized That reproduced sound could have more quality as well as quantity

Looking for some new speakers after my Cizek's had blown, a friend recommended I go listen to Magnepans. That was my entry into audiophiledom. It was hearing Magnepan speakers. It was startling to hear music coming out of speakers that was so immediate, life size, and natural. I walked out the door having bought the SMGcs.

My first Led Zepplin concert.

My Father had a Regency mono tube amplifier and a Girard turntable with one home-made speaker that used a 12-inch Altec Lansing Woofer and an Altec horn midrange tweeter. I started getting into music right at the time of Beatlemania. I was in love with the sound that came out of the system and how it made me feel when I turned it up playing all my Dad's old 45s and Beatles LPs. From that day on, starting in high school, I started building a hi-fi system and have kept trading up ever since -- and at 45 I am still not finished. Needless to say, this is a hobby that I truly enjoy and one that gives me extreme pleasure.

In my case it was a slowly deepening appreciation of music- not an "event" really- and a realization of the difference that subtley and nuance made in how satisfying it could be to listen to a recording. Hearing live music in a concert hall was an important factor in whetting my interest in better recorded sound.

my brother with his fisher tube integrated amp, garrard turntable, raw jensen speakers hooked up with a spool of wire

My dad was my influence on getting started in the audiophile mode. Much thanks dad.

It was the classic Linn demonstration. I heard an LP12 and the earth moved.

I'm no audiophile, I'm just a MUSIC lover. You know some of us actually listen to music on on stereos rather than use them for our ego gratification. Of course, it's a waste of time for me to type this 'cause you only print the "supportive" letters.

In one of the few CES shows in Mexico city (1993?)saw many great things.

WHEN LISTENING TO A PROPERLY CONNECTED ROKSAN SYSTEM THE SOUND CAME ALIVE AND WAS MORE A FEELING THAN A SOUND

It was an odyssey, actually. I sold off my cobbled-together system, and practically everything else I owned, in order to finance my graduate education. After living with no music, and then with only a CD boombox system for a few years, I finally had enough scratch together to consider something better, so I went shopping. I stumbled into a Levinson salon and it was as though I had been reborn. I never knew reproduced music could sound so good! So, by descending from low-fi to no-fi, my mind was somehow prepared for the transcendent experience of hi-fi. Sometimes, I guess, you have to get down to go up.

Years ago, a good friend sold me a run of Kimber 8TC for a steal. After noticing the difference, I've been tweaking ever since.