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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.
pcook15
golixe7df
55 posts
 
I started around '81 with a Technics SL-Q 2 with a Denon cartridge (a 110, I think) a BIC cassette machine, Pioneer SA 710 amp and speakers were Fostex FP253's in back-loaded horns and JBL 2402's crossed over at 5kHz.
scottht
398 posts
 
Space ship helmet 8 track player. I removed the speakers and added my own that I had gotten from a local junk yard. I had about 6 speakers running of this thing.
I was about 12 years old.
ryljintc9ff
2 posts
 
In 1973 No one in My crew even considered anything other than Dynaco electronics and AR speakers. I got AR-5's(in Teak). But I couldn't stand separates, so I got a Sherwood S-7300 and a Dual 718 with an ADC XlM (>1g Tracking).The Speakers and Turntable are long gone,But I still have the Sherwood and its tuner still outclasses all my new digitals.

BTW, I am shopping on eBay for AR-5's. I miss them terribly and I can get rid of these stupid subwoofers.
squeegy200
14 posts
 
My first true system was an NAD 3020 with an Audiocontrol C22 graphic equilizer. I used a Technics SLD1200 belt drive turntable, and Akai GXF-71 cassette deck as sources and a pair of JBL 3012 monitors connected using Monster cables.

It took me months to get that stuff out of layaway.
w9tr
7 posts
 
Circa 1965.
My first system was a Knight Kit KM-15 tube amplifier driving an 8" "full range" paper cone speaker, also from Allied Radio in Chicago. Speaker was in a homemade plywood box with no back. Phono source was a "Dynamic" cartridge (Stanton, I think) on a turntable of uncertain origin. Added another KM-15 amp and another speaker a year later for stereo. Beatles Rubber Soul, Revolver (Mono) were in heavy rotation, and Sgt. Peppers (stereo) was a revelation. Added a Pentron 1/4 tape machine and a Knight Kit tuner later.

My peers all had Silvertone or Wards pull down portables, at best.

Sometimes I wonder if it hasn't taken me 40 years to get back to the sound of that system.
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