This has been a fun read. Lots of old memories mentioned. Someone mentioned TV Lenny from Madison WI. He was said to have sold 1/4 of everything that Sansui made. I don't know if it's true but maybe. He pushed the hell out of it and had at least two large stores in the midwest. Last thing I heard in an American TV store (TV Lenny, Crazy Lenny), was Mirage M1's powered by Adcom GFA 555 amp. I was fairly impressed. CD I think if I remember right, was the time when you couldn't hardly find a cartridge for your turntable.
Anyway, lots of stuff I've had over the years, Bose, Crown, Shure V15 (still have two of them). Linn LP12 (still have), only took me 50 years to get one. If there was a hall of fame for making loud noise at parties, Bose 901's would be in it. Not perfect by any means but they liked to rock. I still own several pair even though I don't use them anymore.
Someone mentioned lusting for Mac but settling for Crown. I did the same, less than half the money, close in power. I had an IC150 preamp and DC300 A amp, bought new in 1975. It served me well for many years. I sold it to my brother, he sold it to my other brother and my son now has it. Hasn't worked in awhile but one of those things that you can't just throw out. With that, I bought a Pioneer PL12 D turntable and Shure V15 III. Couldn't afford the Thorens TD 125 that I wanted and settled on the Pioneer. It also served me for many years. My nephew is still using it. The series II 901's were also in the deal. I'd heard the Maggies, Ohms and others at the time but bang for the buck (decibel level?) seemed to be with the 901's. Sold off the whole system after starting a new career and having two kids. Spent the next few years working 2 or more jobs and not having the time or money for any decent stereo components.
Had some mix and match components thrown together to at least have something to listen to around the late 80's. Sony ES amps, Onkyo preamp (first time I had a remote and I still own it but sits on the shelf. Had a Yamaha linear tracking turntable. The Yamaha started to fail and I moved to an AR (THE AR), which I still have and my son is using it. First CD player was a discman portable. Tried some carousels and multi disc players and hated them all. Bought a used Denon which I still use.
Moved on to VPI turntable 25 years or so ago(HW 19 III), Cary tube phono preamp (PH 301), which I still have and use both. I now switch on and off between the VPI and the Linn. I see no reason to get rid of either one. Recently added Cary SLP 98 P F1 to the system and am very pleased. Been trying different tubes over the last few months and having fun. My amps are getting old Parasound HCA 2200 II, which I use to biamp AR9's, also getting old but still good. Their bass response is downright amazing. I also added a pair of KEF R107's. In the midst of tube upgrades and then on the probably the last detail, cables and power treatments.
This has been a process that started in the 1960's with a system from Radio Shack that I took into the army with me and it has never stopped evolving in one way or another. It probably will never stop evolving in some fashion. I don't know if that makes me an audiophile or not but probably at least something similar.