Same here. I had been reading electronics mags for a couple of years and really wanted to move on from the old portable record player with speakers I inherited from an older sister, and the table radio. I was talking to my Mom about Christmas presents I wanted and told her I’d really like to have a new stereo receiver. Mom didn’t know anything about such gear, but she went to a local department store and a salesman recommended a model. This one — Pioneer SX-626:
I received it on Christmas 1971 when I was a month shy of 17. It was pricey — $300! I loved it but had nothing else to attach to it or play it through. For a while I got by listening on cheap headphones, until I gradually fleshed out the rest of the system. The page above states 20 watts per channel, but the manual that came with it read 27 watts per channel. Either way, I was in love with it for several years, until the sound became muddy (I did not know about having caps changed and such) and I gave it to Salvation Army in the early 80’s. That piece got me started. 😊
@motown-l Your dorm system sounds a lot like mine. I had KLH Model 32 loudspeakers, which were the lowest priced KLH speaker made at the time. I paid $80/pair and that was stretching it for me. I had a Heathkit AJ-14 FM tuner I built from kit, a used Dynaco SCA-35 integrated tube amp, and a Garrard Type A record changer with a Shure M3D cartridge.
The Dyna endured a beer spill at a party one time. Flash, flash went the tubes! A couple tube replacements later it worked great.
In the Summer of ’68 (how many here were then not yet born? 😊 ) I put together my first system: a Garrard SL55 with a Shure M44e cartridge, a Fisher X-100A integrated tube amp, and Acoustic Research 4ax loudspeakers. Not a bad place to start.
The following year I replaced the Garrard with an Acoustic Research XA table with a Shure M91e cartridge.
Three years later I discovered Stereophile (from an ad in the back of Audio Magazine iirc), and the race was on! In ’73 I got myself what many audiophiles were getting: Magneplanar Tympani’s bi-amped with ARC Dual 75 and Dual 51 power amps and an SP-3 pre-amp, a Thorens TD-125 Mk.2 with a Decca arm and cartridge, and a Revox A77 Mk.3. I didn’t care for the Decca arm (I dislike unipivots), soon replacing it with an SME 3009 Improved. I could live with that system today. Actually, I now have Tympani’s and London (Decca) cartridges, but evolved versions of each.
Like @motown-l, I started audiophilia with a Pioneer SX-525 and an idler. In my case a Dual 1214 with a Stanton cart of some sort. This was in 1973. Speakers were Marantz 4G, which I doubled and stacked a year later. Then Koss headphones. I loved that system for more than a decade—before early stages of nervosa set in!
Family system was a Zenith mini console. It was a large rectangular box. The doors were the speakers which opened out and hung on the unit. The TT was on a spring which you pushed so that it either receded into the unit or "dropped down". The top facing glass had the buttons for functions. I was about 10 or 11 got my brother's second hand Kay guitar and worked out chords to CCR, Hendrix (when my parents were out as he was "forbidden fruit" I borrowed from my brother, BB King, Cream, whatever. Got a paper route and first bought a used Epiphone Wilshire guitar and amp then in JR high school a Scott SS amp, BIC TT and I think BIC speakers, not sure it was over 50 year ago. Got a job in a record store and helped out at an audio store where we supplied the classical records. The owner liked me and sold the record store owners a used McIntosh MA5100 to give me for my HS graduation. Used graduation money to buy demo JBL monitors. Had it thru college until I went to graduate school out of state and it all "disappeared" from the house due to various of my 4 brothers needing a stereo or money.
Speakers came several months later: a store-demo pair of Infinity Monitor 1A's with Walsh tweeters for $450 (list price $900). Then an Empire 698 TT/MicroAcoustics 2002E cartridge from Stereo Discounters in Maryland for approximately $400. All this by the Spring of 1977!
I got my first stereo from the BX in England RAF base. I ordered on ' layaway ' from AAFEES a Crown IC150. DC150 and an EQ2 with a pair of Norman Labs with a Thorens TD126. Rocked the barracks 😆
I traded it to a member here for his Vertical TT Project: combine two non-working Mitsubish LT-5V to one working unit which went well, now in my office
Cool thread, 76’, 18 YO-Yamaha 50 watt reciever, Phillips electronic 312 believe, manual TT, Kilipsch Heresy. I have my older brothers 74’ Heresy, my little Bro has my original 76’s.
With money I saved up from working in high school at the Hyatt House, I stepped up my game from a Realistic receiver, a no-name turntable and home-made speakers. I purchased a Fisher 401 receiver with Fisher XP-7S three way speakers, a Dual 604 turntable and an Optonica RT3535 cassette tape deck. Great memories from a much simpler time!
During high school (1969-1973), I was working at an appliance store that sold a decent range of audio equipment. I purchased an inexpensive system just before starting college. It consisted of a Pioneer SX-525 receiver, some lower end KLH 2 way speakers and a Garrard turntable with a Shure cartridge. These humble beginnings led to a lifelong passion for music and audio electronics.
I've had various Radio Shack all-in-one systems in my teens. Then I got a JC Penny MCS component system in the early 80s. Then once I found the local hifi shops, I started experimenting with various receivers and tape decks then CD players. I've had Kenwood, Aiwa, Yamaha, Nakamichi. For my vintage system, I still have my Denon PMA 757, B&O Beogram TT, Denon tape deck and Canton speakers from the mid-late 80s. Enjoy the journey!
Sansui 9090, Teac 550A RR , Pioneer cassette deck CTF8282 Pioneer PL530 TT 4 Sansui 7500 speakers all purchased when I graduated HS in Torrejon Spain. Graduation present from mom and dad. Gave it all to my son a few years ago.
Mine was a matching Advent receiver and speakers with a Technics turntable passed down to me from my step-dad, it was his college rig and became mine. Such a wonderful sound opening up a new world to me, no idea how far it would take me, that was almost 40 years ago
Bought a Pioneer SX-1250 back in 1979 while I was in grad school. Still have it and listen to it every day. Had a complete restoration done on it about 8 years ago. I also have the same Denon DP-59L turntable bought around the same time, also restored a few years ago. Both continue to work like champs!!
Mine was a Sansui receiver bought in the 60's but I have no idea which model. I kept that thing for many years and used it in my office until the sometime in the 80's.
Went to college knowing nothing about hifi... saw other parents lugging in boxes and setting kids stereos up in their dorm rooms. Not gonna lie, was pretty jealous considering I landed at school with a hockey bag, 3 sticks a suitcase and a clock radio, lol. After hearing some of these setups and learning a bit about what the other kids had, I promised myself someday I'd have a solid rig. Fast forward 3yrs & came back from playing hoceky in Europe with a bag. Marched right in to Tech HiFi in Harvard Square, slapped $3500 cash on the counter and asked the manager Ernie B to set me up with a full system. Left Cambridge that day in my bothers Cadillac w/JBL 4312s, Crown PL-2/SL-2, Teac V-95RX, Denon DP-72 & Micro Accoustics 3002 Cart. Got $38 bucks back and went to The Tasty (Cambridge landmark) for burgers & ridicule from the owners manning the counter. What a great day!
I had a Fisher all in one setup as a teenager. TT and all, thought it was the best thing ever. When I was all growed up, my first “real” system was a Polk Audio setup with towers etc. Then Marantz/B&W (I still have as my second setup) and then the list goes ON AND ON AND ON!
Mine was a Sansui 7 Receiver. I took a long time researching brand, pricing etc and settled on this receiver. I had it for may years until I replaced it with NAD separates.
The journey for me began with a modest but blue is beautiful Pioneer SX-636 driving a pair of Electrovoice Interface B's. Could have done worse as a 17 year old kid.
My first take notice system was a Marantz 6300 TT, run into a Marshall guitar amp and stack. That Marantz is the only TT I have ever owned. It still gets some use when I feel nostalgic. And yes, I still have a Marshall amp also. I am very loyal to my gear, and it remains loyal to me.
1972 fall: Sansui 2000x driving large Advents, via a Dual 1215S and Shure M91E. Satisfying for 6 months before I began to rapidly upgrade, shocking myself at each improvement. First improvement was adding a second pai of Advents to stack, sold to me by none other than the late Bill Thalmann. It was off to the races for 10 more years before post-docs, marriage, and kids ossified things for a while!
My first real stereo was a fisher receiver turntable and speakers. Can’t remember the model but probably 30wpc but loved that tuner knob for the Am Fm that turned so silky smooth and lightning fast. I was 13 that was 1979. Big time !
My first big receiver was (and still is) the Kenwood KR8010 along with the Concept 2QD turntable from Pacific Stereo, I still have both of them and play them on a regular basis in a dedicated listening room, along with a 20+ years old pair of Acoustic Research 308 HO speakers.The sound is still fantastic.
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