I built my first system when I was 15; I'm 72 now. My first amp was a Heathkit that took me a week to build. My first enclosure was a thick cardboard box with a coax speaker because I couldn't wait to hear my amp. The source was a cheap turntable. As an improvement to my speaker I found plans in a Popular Electronics magazine for a "sweet sixteen" enclosure with 16 RadioShack 4" drivers which were modified to increase their excursion. I added a 12" speaker in the attic access hatch turning the attic into an "infinite baffle". The last improvement was the addition was a piezoelectric driver as a tweeter. I'm sure it would sound terrible today but I thought it was the best system I'd ever heard at the time.
Your First System
This should be good!!! Most of us have been in this expensive hobby for years now and have worked our way up to components we only dreamed of. I want to know what was your first system of separate components going back as far as you can remember. My first consisted of a Pioneer SX-680 receiver, a Technics SLD-1 turntable (I think that's the right model #), a Sharp tapedeck, and KLH floorstanding speakers. I was 16 at the time and thought I was the biggest badass on the block. Now, 20+ years later I have a ML 334, Meridian 507 CD, CJ PV10A, Canton Ergo 900 speakers, and a Transparent Power Isolator 4. I'm in the process of upgrading to a ML 390. It goes without saying the IC's and speaker cables are top notch as well. I know my system is WAAAYYYYY down the foodchain compared to what I've seen here but It would be interesting to see what everyone started out with.