I don't know if this is the spot to post this. Please tell me if not. Since I just put my first ever system together, I would be interested in finding out what some of you started out with,whether or not you liked it, and how much it cost. Sort of a nostalgia trip. I know mine is simple and just barely, if at all, considered "audiophile," but for a first, I love it. So here goes for my humble beginning.
I loved my first system. I bought most of it in 1978-1979. I had a Yamaha CA600 integrated amp; Yamaha T-550 tuner, Pioneer HPM-40 speakers and a Pioneer turntable which I can't remember the model of. Guess what, I still have them all and all they still work perfectly.
Well, my first system was a crystal radio set that I used to play with under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep. It worked pretty good, sometimes I even got LA! But then me and my brother got a hand-me-down motorala combo tubed radio and 78 rpm platter. I think my first record was "Davey Crocket", and Yea, I loved it!
My first system, in the mid 50s, was a combination of hand-me-downs including an automatic record changer, tube integrated amp and speakers without cabinets. I later graduated to Dynakit 60s.
My first real system, in the late 60s, was when I bought a new MA5100 SS amp/preamp, Dual 1019 TT, and Altec Lansing 3 way speakers all of which I put into a Barzilay cabinet assembled as a kit. I still have the Mac and the Dual in my office system.
I stayed with SS until recently when I woke up and went back to tubes! Don't know why it took so long.
Sent home a Sansui integrated amp,Sansui speaks and a big,beautiful Pioneer turntable,wish I had taken pics,cost around 450$,it was 1968,thanks for the memories,Bob
My first system (after suffering with an "all-in-one") consisted of:
Technics SU 8011 amp Technics SL-B2 TT w/Audio Technica cart. SOTA 3-way speakers Sound Shaper One EQ JVC KD-V100 cassette deck
I thought this system really rocked....I still have most of it in original boxes with manuals (sentimental fool), but gave some to my parents for their new sunroom.
My first “real” rig, other than a record player and then dad’s console, is still my favorite because it meant so much to me. I saved like a dog and still borrowed a couple of hundred and made payments.
Keep in mind that these were the brief days of “quad”.
Pioneer QX-747 Quad Receiver (later traded it and a couple of “bags” for a Marantz 4400)
Pioneer PL55-D Direct Drive Turntable w/Audio Technica Quad Cartridge
Pioneer CT-F9191 Cassette Deck (still have it)
ESS Satellite 4 Speakers – Four 2-ways (6” mid – 2” tweet), a 12” “Bass Reflex Sub” all run through an outboard crossover. I bet no one remembers these. Still have the sub and two of the two-ways (re-coned). The cases were covered with an EXCELLENT, and now somewhat rare variety of African Zebrawood.
Though most all has gone away, the memories will last a lifetime!
-Lafayette Radio Integrated Amp -Lafayette Radio Cassette Deck w/ outboard Dolby unit -Used pair of Fisher bookshelf speakers from a camera shop's used equipment section. -JVC TT with an Audio-Technica cart
It was OK but it didn't last long cause I was hooked. My freshman year of college (I was away from home), I hit the Tech Hi-Fi (anyone remember them?):
-Sansui AU6500 Integrated amp (still have that bad boy) -Klipsch Heresy Speakers in unfinished birch -Thorens TD160 Turntable -Some huge, thick (or so I thought at the time)speaker cable -A bunch of CTI jazz LP's engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.
That setup was satisfying in spades for many years until I was out of school and making some money.
I still listen to rock music and to this day my present system still can't "rock" like this simple system. Loud, electronic-sounding, booming bass with a lot of slam and an in-your-face sound-but boy could it play Led Zeppelin and Earth, Wind & Fire. I wasn't listening for soundstage, high end bloom, transparency etc.-I simply enjoyed the music. Mmmmmm...
My first "system" was a white and green Zenith all-in-one record player. I loved listening for hours to Hans Christian Anderson stories. It was confiscated by my Mother, however, when I learned that my finger could alter space/time by speeding-up/slowing-down the turntable revolutions (a promising recording engineer nipped in the bud!).
My first personal system consisted of a Nakamichi TA1A receiver, a Sony second generation portable discman, a Luxman turntable, some speakers from a old Canadian company ESM (?), and Kimber cheapy cables throughout. Like Rar1, I was 13.
I thought this system was very good at the time. I really didn't have anything to compare with though. And, I bought everything brand new.
I had AR turntable and EPI 100s, I do not remember the rest, but they got loud :^)
They were mounted on my bedroom wall and when I got done moving them (several times) the wall had dozens of holes in it. It looked like someone had shot it with a machine gun.
1975. Infinity Qb speakers, (these were the first with the MIT tweeter.) JVC integrated amp and turntable, with Shure cartridge. Yes, I liked it very much.
The first system I really "put together" consisted of An Apt Holman pre amp, Hatachi 7500 Mos Fet amp, Rectilinear 7's speakers, Technics 1200 Turntable & Shure V series cartridge, Sansui Tuner, and a Teac 10 1/2" R2R. Just loved it - then I subscribed to Stereophile (or something) and read all about the benefits of an Accuphase 3 cartridge - bought it and its been downhill ever since...........well almost. :-)
Amphiton amplifier(now known hear as Lamm), S50 bookshelves, Mayak 205 reel-to-reel, Electronica record-player(with built-in phono) and Supex cart(don't remember the precice model)
To say I liked this system is too trivial since I almost never was satisfied with performance and always was modding source, speakers and amp as well taking advices from various russian radio DIY journals.
I started to like my first system when I immigrated to US and bought simple boombox and bundle of CDs:(. I couldn't stand this Sanyo box for even 10min and bought walkman that could offer me much more for the same amount of money. Vintage studio Koss earphones were later-on added getting music even more real and live. For another several years sneaking arround different thrift shops and garage sales, looking for a budget components of the brand names I dreamed back in Russia such as Fischer, Pioneer, Technics, Kenwood and actually aiming to start building the system here, I couldn't realy get a descent piece of equipment that could come even little-to-close to that system performance assembled in Russia...
And here goes my first system here: Pocket walkman with extracted line output wires directly soldered onto unbalanced plugs fed to the vintage Marantz receiver with vintage Infinity bookshelf speakers. All these components were acquired free from the super's basement except walkman that by that time only started to appear in the stores and was quite expencive(near$100).
It was descent and I was glad that I was than able to listen with no headphones.
Baileyje - you've probably never heard of Heathkit! My Dad put together a Heathkit amplifier (monaural, of course) and gave it to me with an old turntable and a pair of homemade speakers (drivers from Radio Shack, naturally).
I was around 12 years old and it sounded pretty good to me.
My first system depends an what a "system" is. Back in the very late 70's I asked for, and received, at Christmas a "system" that had a Tuner/Cassette/Phono, and yes, 8 track, all in one with separate speakers. As for a "real" system, I was a foolish teen in 1985 and purchased a full Technics system that wasn't that good but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Like a previous poster, when growing up we had in our basement a pool table, Hi-Fi (Phono with a speaker) and a Juke Box converted so you didn't need to insert money.
My first system was a Marantz 4400 Quad Integrated Amp (25w X 4 or 60w X 2) which I used as a pre-amp, SAE MkIV Power Amp and matching Marantz 115b tuner (still have the Marantz pieces) and Thorens 165 turntable. And yes the dreadful BOSE 901 Series 1 speakers (purchased new in 1972 for $325) which if placed correctly against a bare wall did not sound that bad. Used this system for about 20 years.
Checked the classified ads each week looking for that great deal on Kenwood seperates. Found/bought a Kenwood KA-7100/KT 7300 tuner for $365 new. Used w/4 JBL L-40's, Teac R2R, Garrand Zero-100 TT in a small room for many years. Still using the int.amp to this day and sounds/looks great. Good memories/times!
A Sansui 661 stereo receiver, Dual 1225 belt-drive turntable w/Shure cartridge, Sansui cassette deck, Matrix speakers. Yes, it gave me great satisfaction in its day.
In the late 60's my parent let "the gang" hang out in our basement where we had a pool table and a 50's vintage portable phono. The contained speakers were fried so we spliced in a couple that we found somewhere. We used about 10' of wire, ran 'em open air and figured we had stereo!!! We also had to use spare change to keep the arm from running. Filed down some great albums including a great blue vinyl, double LP Led Zep boot. Ah, those were the days...
I got my first system when I was 13. It was a used Philco Victrola ... a one piece tube affair with detachable speakers and a drop down Voice of Music record player. Absolutely loved it ... cost me $50 ... but after awhile I became frustrated with its sound ... 4 inch baffle mounted speakers. Graduated to a SONY HP 161 Tuner/Turntable one piece solid state compact when I was 17. It was the last system that I was completely satisfied with. Separates did not enter the picture until I was 24 ... a Pioneer 636 receiver; a Dual 1257 turntable; and EPI 100 speakers.
Of couse I liked it. Not much bass but it was my first, it was the 70's, it was what I could aford, and it certainly sounded much better than my parents Magnavox console unit.
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