What got you into this hobby?

D

Drunkpenguin

Audioholic Chief
For me, it happened when I took a minimum wage job at a movie theater as a teenager in the late 90's. Worked my way up to assistant manager which meant I made 25 cents more an hour than anyone else. Big time! I had keys to the place and was allowed to watch after hours movies once the place was locked up. We threw some legendary parties in there. Man do I miss those days. When I wasnt goofing off I also took it upon myself to tweak the sound in each of the 6 auditoriums. The local technicians ignored our theater because it wasnt a busy money maker for the company. I had no idea what I was doing, but would some times spend all night in there alone just playing with the amps until I got it sounding better. It was my own private cineplex! That feeling never left me and I've been a hard core AV guy ever since. This is the reason I HAD to build a dedicated home theater when I built my house years ago.

The theater was torn down back in the early 2000's and turned into a Sams Club. I found this picture of it online over at cinematreasures.org just a few minutes ago! Havent seen the place in years! I'd love to relive that part of my life again.

The best job I ever had paid the least!

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Bucknekked

Bucknekked

Audioholic Samurai
I got in to the hobby for just one reason: I love the sound of music. I've stayed in the hobby all these years for basically the same reason: I really love the sound of music.

I can do things to tailor the sound at home to the point where I have better tunes in my little music room than just about anywhere else. I love what is achievable with some good toys, a little work, a little creativity, and the right musicians.
 

TechHDS

Audioholic General
For me it started way back 68 was 10 years old, Dad had some old 8 track player laying around from his old cars. He worked offshore. So one day I was in his tool shield saw the 8 track deck some old 6 x 9 car speakers and a car battery. Hooked up the speakers to the player than to the old car battery and Walla! Never stop still rolling with this hobby. Now when I was 16 got my first two channel receiver two speakers cassette deck and turntable. I can remember like it was yesterday, Dad would be offshore Mom all pass out from her nerve pills I would sneak my girlfriend in late at night put a album on the turntable lite up a reefer turn on the black light had these Black light dragon posters all over the walls Bruce Lee posters Pink Floyd poster, Led Zeppelin and so on. Man that was the days man!! Here hit this, puff puff cough cough passes joint. Lol

PS true story, we ran with a circle of friends,
All of us had bellbottom jeans Hrochie sandals long hair, we like go riding around 5 or 6 of us passing reefer around be like Cheech and Chong car full of smoke, go back to my house slap Black Sabbath “Iron Man”on the turntable .

Mike
 
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M

Mark of Cenla

Full Audioholic
I also love music. A friend of mine had an older brother who had a "hi-fi." After hearing that, I was hooked. This was around 1972. Peace and goodwill.
 
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TheWarrior

TheWarrior

Audioholic Ninja
Music! Home Entertainment! Not wasting money on crappy commercial venues!

Did I say, Music?
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I got into this hobby because when I was in high-school I heard that classical music (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.) made people smarter than people listening to other music. :D

So I started listening to Mozart every night at bedtime on my Panasonic Boom-box.

Then when I was a Freshman in college, a friend introduced me to a Radio Shack stereo system with the Phono and Cassette Deck. :eek:

Then it went to Kenwood AVR + big Pioneer speakers and grew from there.
 
WineOfTheVeins

WineOfTheVeins

Audioholic
I've always had a passion for music. I also love quality, and getting the best experiences possible in life. I quickly realized TV speakers are trash, boomboxes are mediocre, my CD walkman I used to have made me feel like a badass. I had the top of the line Sony one that was black and yellow. I also was a gamer as a kid, and playing shooters and RPG's with surround sound transformed the gaming experience for me. I felt like I had an advantage to boot, hearing where footsteps and gunshots came from more clearly. Quality picture is one thing in games and movies, but quality sound is what brings it home IMHO. I used my 5.1 for many years before branching out and getting a dedicated 2 channel music monster. My gf's dad had the nicest audio setup I've ever seen; and when those corrupting, addicting wavelengths resonate in your ears in such a way that it spurs raw emotion and makes you feel almost a high, I knew it was worth the money.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
It all started with music. My parents almost always had music on. While you may not always be a fan of what they're listening to, the beat & rhythm, composition, etc... can have a deep connection. I was tweaking my dad's system without his knowledge - moving the speakers around to properly setup the sweet spot, isolating them from our hardwood floors, to achieve better sound for myself. Not sure if they noticed, but I was enjoying it.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
I was always fascinated by audio sound since a little kid. I used to record audio music shows and tv shows on a little cassette recorder back in the 80's and listen back. I got my own first stereo back in the mid 80's. Some cheapo separate system receiver, speakers, turntable, cassette recorder, and later added a CD player. My first decent major system was a Kenwood Receiver, Cerwin Vega speakers, Onkyo CD player, Sony/Aiwa cassette recorder deck and Technics turntable in the 90's in my 20's. I had some pics on photobucket, but most of those pics are gone. All that stuff is gone/sold now and you can see my newer stuff on my setup thread. Fun journey it's been.
 
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little wing

little wing

Audioholic General
It was the love of music for me too. My mom and dad gave me a record player when I was 9 or 10. And I would sit in my room and spin 45's and albums all day. My uncle gave me my first cassette about this time. Jimi Hendrix (Are You experienced) I couldn't stop listening to it. Then! I had the brilliant idea to buy blank cassettes and make my own mix tapes by playing records and putting the recorder next to the speaker. Of course I had to tell everyone in the house to be quiet, because I was recording! A few years later I got my first receiver, a Sanyo I think, and a Technics tape deck and turntable. You couldn't tell me nothin' after that! But it's always been about the love of music, and it always will be.
 
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TechHDS

Audioholic General
It was the love of music for me too. My mom and dad gave me a record player when I was 9 or 10. And I would sit in my room and spin 45's and albums all day. My uncle gave my first cassette about this time. Jimi Hendrix (Are You experienced) I couldn't stop listening to it. Then! I had the brilliant idea to buy blank cassettes and make my own mix tapes by playing records and putting the recorder next to the speaker. Of course I had to tell everyone in the house to be quiet, because I was recording! A few years later I got my first receiver, a Sanyo I think, and a Technics tape deck. You couldn't tell me nothin' after that! But it's always been about the love of music, and it always will be.
Little Wing!! Where you been Bro!! Hope all is well man.

Mike
 
S

snakeeyes

Audioholic Ninja
Probably my whole life as many great stereos and systems were around me, but I didn’t really crave a 5.1 theater until 2000 when I experienced Terminator 2 in 5.1 DTS at a friends brothers house. 65in rear projection tv and the system had a 15in sub that made the shotgun blasts seem like they were in the room. I was in someone’s living room, but it was equal to the movie theater plus I was drinking beers. :) In reality it was a high end Paradigm Signature setup with a flagship Denon, and it wasn’t perfect but it was close enough. :)
 
little wing

little wing

Audioholic General
Little Wing!! Where you been Bro!! Hope all is well man.

Mike
Hey Mike! man, sometimes life gets in the way of our hobbies. Job is keeping me on the road lately. Went to Dallas to present in front of about 60 doctors, whew!! lot of prep work for that. Gotta keep the juice flowing in the crib so I can rock out when I get home :)

Earl
 
Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
I've always loved music. Since I was 3 or so, I have been fascinated with music. At home, we had a 1934 Deforest-Crosley Balmoral Radio which was among the best console radios at the time in North America. It featured a 20 watt amplifier driving two 10” speakers. Rather powerful output for the period.

At 18, I built a 10 watt amplifier with a schematic found in a Radio-Electronics magazine. Later on, I built a preamp which was added to the 10 watt amp, for using with a GE Variable Reluctance cartridge which was a good affordable product then.

At 22, I was the first in my whole family to own a stereo system consisting of a Fisher X-202 Integrated 20 watt per channel amp driving Goodman's speakers installed in bass reflexes kits which I had built. And the story continues with the replacement of defective stuff or the occasional bout of upgraditis. It indeed is a lifetime passion !
 

TechHDS

Audioholic General
Hey Mike! man, sometimes life gets in the way of our hobbies. Job is keeping me on the road lately. Went to Dallas to present in front of about 60 doctors, whew!! lot of prep work for that. Gotta keep the juice flowing in the crib so I can rock out when I get home :)

Earl
Sweet man! Great hearing from ya! I had forgotten you travel a lot. I’ll be upgrading to Yammies A3080 this coming October! Plus speakers, be 6 years since I’ve had a really nice system. Just now getting back on my feet from the last divorce from that hookah wife I had. Lol. Anyways nice ya doing well my friend!

Mike
 
D

Drunkpenguin

Audioholic Chief
A brother of mine got divorced a couple years ago. He says his income got cut in half when she left but he has more money now than he ever did married lol.
 
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
Babes aside,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201806/empathic-people-use-social-brain-circuitry-process-music

My take is that early on, music got on my radar and when I stopped amusing myself with substance abuse, music was all that was left for me to alter my state with.

So, it's the addiction I replaced my other addictions with. Enjoying music is one thing, picking out gear for people who are not interested in owning gear is maybe a sign that it's not about music or gear. I think hunting down deals is somehow wrapped up in this twisted mess. For instance, I'm trying to track down this guy on Craigslist for a $10 Lava Lamp. Stop judging.

... but seriously, I gotta go. The lamp ...
 

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