In1969 I as a Sgt in the Army in Germany and bought my first system. Sansui AU555 amplifier, Sansui TU555 tuner, Dual 1019 turntable with a adhere V15 type III cartridge, Sansui SP100 3 way speakers and an AKAI reel to reel with Crossfield heads.
your first system-
I put together my first system in 1977- turntable, receiver, speakers and a cassette deck- $600. An on-line inflation calculator tells me that is $2760 in 2022 dollars. I am sure a current $1500 streaming based system can be assembled that would demolish my 1977 system. That's what I call real progress!