Pls.post abt your journey to HiFi world

[Staxxx]

I started learning music when I was 5! My father used to go abroad once a year (in the mid-70s) and all year I would put together a list of 10 LPs that I wanted him to bring back. That was all I was allowed and he was incredibly diligent (I realize now) in finding them for me. At that point the music was more important than the system.....and then one day it changed.

I think it was when I listened to a friend audio system. For the first time I suddenly sat IN FRONT of speakers and intently listened to the reproduction of the music. It was a revelation. In the early 80s, I think I was one of the first to have B&W matrix speakers in India. Sadly they did not last long in our weather and I remember the enormous trouble we had to go through to send them back abroad to get fixed.

After graduation, a few years later, I left India and I never looked back. I became a blazing audiophile, spending all my hard earned salary on new components and tweaks. I can honestly say it has taken me close to 25 years to finally say I've had enough and that I am now actually content with my music system. I am happy to once again listen to the music primarily...although I do succumb to the odd tweak here and there still LOL

 

[devilwearsprada]

I used to listen to a lot of Bollywood/Ghazals and Pop from 60's-90's as my dad was an Audio-Buff but I was never really interested in Music. One Day, a senior from my school, came to the school wearing a really cool Megadeth tee and I loved the tee. Googled the band, and started listening to a lot of Rock/Metal. An year or so after this, my love for Ghazals developed and I started loving all the music my dad listens too.
Today, I am 18 years old and in love with Music. It changes my mood, makes me happier and it really connects. It got me into guitars and Music Photography, two things I am proud of. 2 Months back, I finally got a good HTib(Atleast good for me), and now it all really connects.
Whenever I pass an Audio showroom, I go inside to demo stuff and it makes me feel good. My friends think I am a little crazy when I try to inspect every system, but it makes me feel good.
Proud to be a part of this amazing forum :cheers:

 

[gcpraveen]

My music journey started with radio, National Panasonic tape recorders, still remember, me and my brothers use to fight to play (Ilayaraja songs) their personal pick. Then with help of cousin setup one car audio casette player with open baffle Philips speaker in plastic/mud pots. After which my brother got sharp 5cd/casette/radio where cd clearity was totally different experience (do not know whether it is because of ARR music or cd ) , still remember me n my friends will go n just roam around all audio cd shops in Madurai for new collections. Then got akai 2.1 ht connected to pc, wonderful movie experience. once out of college, searching job, settling down, I was using mobile and ipods to listen. But for past 2 years after got into this forum got to know different rigs and it is totally in different level, thanks to hfv and all hfv members.

Now have Got:
HT: Yamaha 667/wharf 9.5 and wharf cs.

Stereo in bedroom : matantz pm40se with kefq300/SB touch/Laptop

Tv : 40" Sony EX720
Source: PS3 / airtel hd stb

Prj : Acer H5360

Staying in rented house, so still Prj setup is temp. Happy with both movie and music setup (sub is missing for movies, but cant spent anymore atleast for this year, home minister budget is closed )

Thanks,
Praveen.
sent from SGS2 skyrocket.

 

[mpw]

I remember late 70's - my late uncle used to have a complete Philips GA242 based music system at home ( with amp + tuner + suspension speakers ). He passed away in 1980 but not before leaving me with fond memories of lilting music from K Jesudas and co played thru the GA242 especially Lord Ayappa devotional songs and i remember Osibisa, Boney M, AbbA, Usha Uthup and Eruption as well..

We were a joint family of 8 living in a small house in Mumbai and we were lucky to see that things dont come cheap or easy.

He had a large LP collection and i was too small to understand and to prevent it from being sold after his passing.

He died young and sudden.

and there was no one else in the house to appreciate his love for music or his record collection. ( apart from me perhaps and i was to small and only enjoyed dancing tiny steps outfitted in just the basic of clothes )

My interest and outlet into music saw me learn the Mridangam for 5 years and Flute for 3 years. I had to leave Mridangam classes due to Class 12 and i had no one to teach me flute since my flute teacher is no more.

I must admit i was not very talented but soldiered on.

I realize - leaving music ( learning ) - was a mistake and i will try to see my kids dont end up leaving half way.

I suppose the old memories were triggered about 8 years ago when we moved into our present home.

Like lost folks i was impressed with my Architect suggesting a HK + JBL 5.1 combo which i soon dumped in favor of Philips 531 stereo amp bought for a princely sum of Rs 3000 from FM Kapvin.

Soon it was the NAD C356 + Paradigm Titan Monitor then NAD C356 + Epos M12i.. then Naim nait 5i + Epos M12i

In between i added the Naim CD5XS CDP and Technics SL23 TT then Technics Sl1210 Mk2

Auditioned a load of stuff ( hand carried my amp ) and finally here ( for now ) with Merlin TSM MMM.

regards

 

[raghupb]

Ah nice thread. Since it has been recently bumped by "mpw" let me add to it.
Warning: It will be a long read as it not just my journey but my family's too.

My earliest audio listening memories go back to the early 70s. Radio was a given at home, with Suprabhatham playing every morning while my mother would ready dad's lunch box. Rest of the day it used to be whatever played on Aakaashvaani and Radio Ceylon. Remember Bhoole Bisre Geet, Ameen Sayani and Binaca Geet Mala?

When I was about 4 years old my grand-dad showed me something he had built; probably in the 1950's. It was a "wooden box" with a "shiny curved thing" inside. It had thing which you insert into it and wind up. And then put a "plate" on it and move a "heavy arm" with a "nail" attached to the "plate" and let go. Voila it made sound and made the "plates" sing. The first playback I listened to at home was a disc with Pankaj Mallick singing "Ek Bungla Bane Nyaara" on one side and Saigal singing "So Jaa Rajakumari" on the other side. The next disc was Pt. Nehru's Independence Speech. Dada's gramaphone is still there in my uncle's house gathering dust in the attic. Even after pleading that I will restore it to polish and shine and showcase it in my home, he is unwilling to part with it saying it his father's legacy.

Sometime around 1977-78 my dad bought a Philips Hi-Fi set; an amp and TT. Along side he also bought a Panasonic tape player (sleeping model). We listened to this combo until 1980 when he had to sell it off because of financial constraints. This is when dad introduced me to English music; Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Boney M, ABBA, to name a few. Dad against the wishes of mom took to my first live concert; Osibisa Live. I was probably 10 years old. I remember sitting on my dad's or his friends' shoulders the whole show and just being mesmerized.

During the early 80s dad bought a Sony boombox and we started collecting cassettes. English/Hindi/Kannada/Ghazals/Devotional/Carnatic/Hindustani and many more genres. These tapes are still at my dad's place. I have a project lined up to convert some of them to digital format for archival. Sometime around 1988, we purchased a Pioneer system (CD/double-deck/Tuner); a bigger boom box but you could separate the speakers and keep them apart. Cassette collection kept growing with my influence into it; Rock music, I just entered college. CDs were still expensive so we had CD recordings on tapes. Four years of engineering college was a lot of 60s/70s rock music playing on a borrowed Panasonic stereo tape player. My music appreciation was shaped in these 4 years aided by booze and other "mood enhancers". Experienced my first real rock concert when Jethro Tull toured India; think it was their 25th anniversary tour. Dad and mum were also at this concert but right in front of the stage.

1994 I left for the US to pursue an MS degree. During the 2.5 years of studentship in the US, I collected used CDs, about 200+ and gifted them to my dad on my first visit back home. The Pioneer system was now playing CDs for dad. 1997 I went to Japan and stayed for a year. Got a portable Sony MD player with some discs and recorded a portion of my collection on to it. Got married in 1998 and settled in California. My wife was a huge Napster/Kaaza fan back then. She had downloaded a whole lot of pirated MP3s and playback was on a Sony AVR and Bose BS speakers. For movies we had a Sony TV, Sony VHS player and Sony DVD player. Yep I was a big Sony fan then. Attended a lot of live concerts there; Pink Floyd, Cranberries, Rufus Wainwright, Hootie and the Blowfish to name a few.

Meanwhile back home in India, dad sold off the Pioneer and bought an Onkyo TX-DS595 AVR, Onkyo tape deck with Onkyo FS speakers, Onkyo sub and here is the surprise B&W center and surrounds. B&W series 300. Also he was having fun attending rock shows. Dad and Mum have had the luck of watching every show right in front of the stage. Given their age, the security guys would just plonk them in front of the barricades. They have seen Floyd, Tull, Deep Purple, Dire Straits, Venga Boys (??) and many more.

2003 I moved back to India. Did not bring back any AV I had put together. Just sold them off and decided to start fresh. Started with yet another Sony CRT TV and 2 Onkyo DVD players (one for me and one for dad). These are still around serving us well. My plans for music system just did not take off. Bought a home and EMIs started, thus moolah for hi-fi system was never there; music was on dinky computer speakers. In 2007, my mother decided that I need a real music system; so she funded me to get the Marantz PM7001 and told dad to loan me the B&W 303 bookshelf speakers. I now had a good rig for music; my content was digital and being played out of Onkyo/Marantz/BW combo.

2009 I bought a 42" Panasonic plasma and moved the Sony CRT to my parents place to be used as a 2nd TV. In 2011 one of my friends was moving back from the US for good. Had her pick up 3 items; Outlaw OSB-1 and 2 Outlaw M2200 monoblocks. Luckily for me, my wife decided to foot the bill and gifted me these for my 40th birthday.

2012 was an important year for us in the family. My dad (then 76 years), my son (then 9 years) and I went to watch Santana live. It was the first rock concert for my son and practically the last one for dad. I wanted grand-dad to pass on the baton of live music experience to his grand-son. Again my boy and dad were right up in front of the stage. My friend and I were in the crowd enjoying Santana bumming joints from a younger group.

Earlier in 2015 I decided that we need an AVR and media player. So I picked up Marantz NR1605 and an Asus media player. Last month I had a friend get a Schiit Modi-2-Uber, a BT receiver for the Outlaw soundbar and a Tape-to-MP3 converter. A cousin of mine has helped me import a pair of KEF R300s from UK; should be arriving in about week.

With the KEF R300s as L/R and B&W from dad's setup I will now have a 5.0 system. There is a the sub at dad's place if I ever need it; but in an apartment I feel it is a bad idea. Dad now listens to his music on a Panasonic boombox; he says it is too much effort to turn on the amp.

Music interests in my family
Dad - Hindi/Kannada/Tamil/Devotional/Carnatic/Hindustani/English/World-Music
Mum - Hindi/Kannada and some English
Wife - English/Hindi and Western Classical
Son - Hard rock and Metal
Me - 60s/70s Rock, 50s/60s Blues, Jazz and R&B, Progressive/Psychedelic Rock, Old Hindi/Kannada

Movies
Anything that promises entertainment

Hope I have not bored you to death as a reader.
I will post another lengthy one on how to read specs and match various elements in an audio chain sometime in the future.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[SatMumbai]

Journey to HiFi World - Is definitely a journey and a long one for me. It is mostly due to love of gadgets but the string that tied it together is love for music. It has been mostly film music since the beginning and even now though Pop and Rock gets mixed up most of the time.
I will not get into a nostalgic trip but just put together some milestones

Aakashvani on Battery Powered Radio -> Twin Cassette portable player during school times -> Walkman with Speakers in Earthen Pots in College -> BPL twin cassette player with detachable speakers -> Sony Twin Cassette CD Player with bookshelf size speaker + a custom made subwoofer -> Numerous computer Speakers (Altec lansing, Logitech) -> Finally the real world of HiFi

I do not think that I remember to list all the things I had, but let me make an attempt in chronological order (for the sake of me, 10 years into future)

M-Audio AV 40
Denon PMA 500 + JBL Balboa 30 -> B&W 686 -> B&W 685
Denon AVR 1909 + B&W 685 & B&W 602 S3 & Center & PV1
Can't remember the order any more but here is the list
AVR
Denon AVR 3810, Denon AVR 4310, Marantz SR6005, Yamaha RX-A810, Yamaha RX-A3010, Onkyo TX-NR5009, Arcam AVR-300, Arcam AVR-600
Pre-Pro
Rotel RSP-1068, Classe SSP-300, Classe SSP-800
Power Amps
Rotel RMB-1075, Classe CA-2100, Astin Trew AT3500
Integrated Amps
Denon PMA 710, Marantz PM-7004, Marantz PM-15S1, Marantz PM-11S1, Marantz PM-KI Pearl, Classe CP-800, Classe CAP-2100, Pathos Logos, Pathos Inpol 2, Harman Kardon HK-990
Speakers
B&W CM 7, CM 8, CM 9 (respective centers), B&W 805, B&W 804D, KEF 201/2, KEF R300, Tannoy DC6T SE (center and surround), Proac Response D2, B&W PV1 D, Anthony Gallo Strada (3 speakers)
Turn Table
Roksan Radius V, Project Debut

Lot of DACs and cables etc etc

If you feel that I gave up the listing in the end, then that is true as there were tonnes of equipment went through me over these years. And each one brings back so many memories.

My current set up(s) are no way the best ever I had but they are very convenient for today's needs. As the OP put it the right way, this is a journey and so every one experiences it differently. Have fun!!

 

[afj]

when i was young an uncle of mine had these huge arphi aquarius speakers and a cosmic lab amp. in those days, it was the best i heard, and thus began my love for a stereo setup with floorstanders and an amp. while i was a teenager i inherited my brothers arphi speakers (smaller ones) and a sony amp. ive had a 2.0 aiwa setup which was pretty good at the time. but the dream of having a good stereo setup was always there. it took a lot of research to get where i am right now. ive had jbl L890 speakers and now the monitor audio rs6. as for amps, i started with a kenwood, then a yamaha professional model, onto a nad, had a bada purer (chinese amp) for a bit, went back to the nad and now finally with acoustic portrait

 

[spirovious]

Hi,
There are many new FMs writing about their HiFi journey nicely in detail.It would be good if they can just share those links in this thread.
Thanks.