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. |
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. |
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. |
Rogers Cadet integrated
Leak Mini sandwhich speakers
Basic Garrard deck
It was so long ago, they had only just invented electricity, it sounded great and I thought I had a Hi-Fi system, no I had a Hi-Fi system. |
My dad bought me a Sony ES 5.1 Theater system in 1999 for Christmas it was my first real entry into audiophiledom. Before that I had an Awia cdp and some cheap speakers to go with it. |
i still have my harmon kardon arv 10, which has recently been put in a second room. my new stereo is a marantz, which lacks to fun of my earier much loved harmon kardon. |
Sony str receiver
Technics Turntable
Bose 301
I wasn't really happy with the sound - but didn't know why, so I kept listening to it all through my college years. After all, it was B o s e - how can it not sound good?
Sony and Technics are b i g companies too, so I thought they must sound good - perhaps it was just the condition of my records or something.
I neither had the money nor the knowledge to see through the marketing hype... I could have had a much nicer system even for that money...
It wasn't about one year ago I started this audio-quest, thanks to internet and all the guys in sights like this. I spent as much as a brand new car on this hobby, only to listen to a kenwood exec system I got for $159.
I am still lost - but I am having fun. |
In 1983 I got a JVC Home system/Boombox that had dual decks, a hide-away turntable with push button motoriezed ejection system. It had a battery pack to use as a boombox but at 27lbs it was hard to carry around and ate batteries fast......but man did I think it was cool! It cost me $450.00 and I thought I was the coolest kid around, I was really just a very young audio nerd! I think the first LP I actually bought was by the "Thompson Twins" oh man FLASSSSSSSH BAAACK! |
My first component system was Dynaco SCA-35 w AR-4xs and AR Turntable . . . Just bought an H.H. Scott LK-72 and Dynaco PAS-3 and Stereo 70 and am really looking forward to getting back to tubes with my small Maggies |
JVC 2 channel receiver
Paradigm 7SE speakers
Yamaha CDX-5 (I believe) CDP - the cheapest one because CDs were the "perfect" sound anyway
Nakamichi BX-100 tape deck
Interconnects/speaker cable? Whatever was literally lying around
Bought all this new in 1987 with part of my student loan money :) |
1970
Dynaco SCA 80 solid state integrated amp.
Thorens TD 125(?) w/integrated factory arm and Empire cartridge.
Larger Advent loudspeakers.
Scott LT-112B tuner.
16 brown lamp cord (thickest available-I new the value of good wire back then) |
What's sad is most of you were using my equipment for your first system 20-30 years ago. I'm using a Marantz SR2000, a Sony PS-X20 turntable (absolutely worthless) and recently upgraded to a Sony DVP-9000ES. My speakers are Mission 80's or Boston Acoustics A70's. I'm thinking I'm going to turn over everything except the receiver and cd player. |
My first "system" was in 1962 or whenever ... a turntable with two speakers that actually locked into place above and below the turntable once it was positioned upright on its side, thus forming a compact suitcase-like affair with a handle. Can't remember the name, like it would be worth remembering, but I do remember having a great time playing LPs, which were probably fairly expensive at $1-$2 |
It was 1973. I was 16 and living in Santa Barbara California. The father of my oldest brother's girlfriend gave me a 60's era Sherwood tube amplifier and separate tube tuner. I added a early Garrard turntable that was bought at a garage sale and received a set of large Advent speakers for my birthday. I was in audio heaven! I have a photograph of me proudly posing in front of my system and I still have the tube tuner.I don't know why I kept it as I haven't used it since the 70's but would never give it up now as it reminds me of my first real system. I've been through several systems over the years and now have one with a Threshold/Levinson front end pushing B&W Naltilus speakers and I'm seldom really completely satisfied. Back in 73' I was satisfied and the vinyl sounded as great to my 16 year old ears as anything does now. |
In 1970, I started with a Thorens 150 with Stanton 681EEE, a Sony R to R, a Teac cassette deck and Heathkit tube tuner as sources, with Dynaco Pas 3 and Dyna 70 as amplification, driving AR4ax's. All are still in use for my system at the cottage. This system still gives me great pleasure, although my main system is probably a "better" system, mainly due to the fact that the speakers are much better (Totem Mani2's), along with the vinyl source (Oracle Alex III, Rega300 and Bluepoint Special).
Bob P. |
Started building it in 1976 with a Pioneer SX-750 receiver, and Pioneer CT-7272 Cassette, Dual 1245 turntable (still have and won't part with), Technics direct drive turntable, MXR 10 band graphic equalizer and the key component, Electro Voice ETR-18 Speakers (still have and will never part with). Later upgraded to Phase Linear amp and pre-amp with 4-Bose 901's for a nightclub. Nothing matches (then or now) the sound reproduction of the ETR-18's (Environmental Transducer Research). Today's digital stuff is crap in comparison. |
A Pioneer SX 525 reciever. I was so happy when I brought it I rode all the way home with it in my lap, like it was a baby. I could not even afford speakers to go with it. The tuner was my only source listening with headphones. Finally got some house brand Havard Speakers,a pioneer turntable and a technics cassette deck. Great first system. That was some 30 plus years ago. I've a better system now, so not so very bad getting older. |
Fisher 190 24wpc receiver, BSR changer (absolutely worthless), Fisher 3 way speakers, all purchased 1974. My freshman year at college it impressed most people. Now my most recent (secondary ie. bedroom) system. Mint, refoamed, large Advents, Dual 1226 turntable, and the same Fisher 190 receiver. Sounds great. |
My Dad took me to the Council Stereo shoe in 1956 and bought a Packerd Bell it had a wonderful sound.I did not experiance true stereo untill 1967 in some hippy pad wow--- |
Bought this system in 1977 - Pioneer SX-1080, Pioneer tape deck, Techniques turntable, Bose 601 speakers....later added Bose 201's in 1982. Still have the system and it still sounds great. |
A Kenwood KR-2600 stereo reciever(15 watts per channel!),
a Pioneer PL-112D turntable with a Pickering XV-15 cartridge
and Fisher St-455 12",3-way loudspeakers with DOME tweeters and finished in genuine walnut veneer.
I upgraded to a Technics SU-7600 integrated amp (50 wpc)
SU-7300 tuner, Garrard DD-75 turntable with Stanton 681-EEE, ADC Integra XLM-1, and Empire 2000T cartridges, and Marantz Imperial 6G 10", 2- way loudspeakers finished in genuine walnut veneer.
I later added a Technics RS-M228X cassette deck with DBX. |
In 1971 when I was 14 , it was a 60 wpc ? KENWOOD TK140X Receiver , a cool BENJIMIN MIRACORD Turntable model ? , An AMPEX reel to reel Deck model ? And a Pair of Large 2 way BOZAC Speakers w/12" woofers which I proceeded to BLOW PRONTO !!! Playin' HUMBLE PIE'S "Performance Rockin' the Fillmore" Lp. What a blast it was ! mike |
It was 1982 and I was only 9years old. Dad gave me a NAD6040 tape deck - to play recordings made on his Linn LP12 / Nakamichi - connected to an - then already - old Dynaco Integrated valve amlifier driving a pair of AR8s speakers. The sound was great! |
I was working at Lafayette Radio's southern most company store (Forest Park, GA) while in school when I bought my first real system.
1975
Lafayette LR-2200
Lafayette Criterion 777 speakers
BIC 940 w/Shure M91ED cartridge
1976
Lafayette LR-3500 (from marketing literature "Massive 47 Watts RMS per channel")
JBL L-36 loudspeakers (still have them)
BIC 1000 w/ADC ???? cartridge
Kenwood KX-530 cassette deck
Moody Blues, Doobie Brothers, Pink Floyd, etc all sounded so good back then. Ah to be young with little or no cares in the world.
Several changes since them but still have some of the equipment, more changes are coming! |
Really it was a Craig 8-track I bought from Bill Ursery when I was 13 for $50 because he needed the cash for his trip home from Northern California to Kentucky, (or was it Tenn.?), and with it came a pair of plastic, backless, 45* angle 5" fullrange(?) speakers which I mounted to my wall above my pillow so I could get the full 'true' stereo effect (Ooooh pleeeeease)
- But I learned to love Carly, Led Zep, Grand Funk, Cream, Jesse Colin Young and others which were right out of 1971-73 during this summer of '73.
In High School (a few years later) I bought a Concept 3.5 (which I still have in good looking/working condition!) from Pacific Stereo and then BUILT my 1st pair of speakers from Plywood and a pair of Altec 15" along with some E.V. 3500 horn tweeters I acquired from an older gentleman at Church.
That stinkin' system was so loud, full and efficient with the ported enclosures I built (at the ripe old age of 15) that I immediately became rather a well-known fixture as a Freshman who liked to hang out on the Senior lawn, and was allowed to.
-The reason? Because I was invited to all the Junior / Senior parties as long as I brought my stereo and 'DJ'd all night!
Now THAT was real fun; because I had the right stereo system I was a big man on campus as a FRESHMAN!!
Oh, what a fun little stroll down amnesia lane.
These days I often find time to enjoy my Soundlabs, Threshold S/500, and Studer CD, which aren't real upper end but set me free every time I off the lights and melt into the Ekornes with that hauntingly ethereal Mr. Hedges on guitar... Can't wait to hear him again live, but that won't be on an Earthly Stereo system.
We all miss you Michael.
|
hooked up my 13" black and white tv speaker wires. The sound was kind of "surround" due to signal mismatch....and wrong impedance as well. later I added a SONY 8-track tape deck! that was great for recording my own 8-track tapes in full stereo. Recorded my own Elvis music off the radio since there was no napster back then :) |
Its time too show my age in the Hobby.
I've had a few bestbuy type systems in the past, but my first attempt at doing something different was a tri-amped system consisting of Sonic T-Amps.
I have a pair of Kinetic Audio speakers that allow for a tri-amped configuration.
I run two sonic t-amps with the left/right inputs mono'd together. This was run of a entech dac, fed by a cambridge audio CD player.
I then ran a third t-amp off the analog outputs for just the tweeters. I control the system with two Luminous Audio pre-amps.
The system is very un-conventional, a pain to adjust but very efficient.
Its no longer my primary setup, but I still enjoy it in a remote corner of my house, infact alot more than my previous BestBuy/Circuit city over-priced bargains. |
Kenwood C-2 Pre Amp
Kenwood M2A Amplifier (still use for the Uppers)
Onkyo T4017 Tuner
Onkyo EQ-35 Equalizer
Technics PD-50 Turntable (still using)
Teac CD Player i forget which one |
Kenwood M1-A Amp
Kenwood C-2 Pre Amp
Teac PD-30 CD Player
Onkyo T4017 Tuner
Onkyo EQ-35 EQ
Infinity Reference Standard 4b
Kenwood Casette Player |
Got mine in 1973 after graduation from High School. Where I lived at, every one had high power systems. Mine consisted of Kenwood Kt-1035 with Stanton 681EEE, Kenwood KA-9100 (mega power), Kenwood KT-7500 tuner, Akia X-1810 reel to reel with JBL L-100. Not many changes since then. Now changed TT to Poineer PL-518 (2 of them) with the 681EEE, retired reel to reel and bought another one from studio I worked at, TEAC TA-7300, rare one there, and picked up a Pioneer CTF-6060, and added a pr of 4311B control monitors with the L-100's. Still have this system today. Sounds as good as the first time I listened to it. For christmas I received the Tascam CD RW5000 for turning my albums into CD's for audio system in my truck. I found its like Timex, takes a lickin and keeps on tickin!!!!! |
A battery operated transistor radio with earplugs and to which I fell asleep with at around age 11. |
My first bedroom system when I was 13 was made of bits and pieces found in relatives' attic: An old Pioneer receiver, a Technics manual TT and a pair of beaten 3A from France(same designer Daniel Dehay as the now Reference 3A brand but at his beginnings).
My first system purchased new by me was many years later Rotel 930 series (CD + integrated) + Paradigm Mini-MkIII |
I had a Scott FM only tuner (tube) a Scott Pre-amp (tube) and a Mac 60 watt (tube) power amp. My turntable was by AR with a separate SME arm and a Pickering stylus. My speakers were AR 3AX.
I still have the AR 3AX's in my basement with a quad of smaller Advent's. They still sound great |
He fellas, a little late but, had to add this. Circa 1971, my first love was a Muntz(remember them?)4&8 track car stereo with a car battery i stole from a car note being used and a pair of funky plastic craig??? speakers. Accidenty hooked both ground wires to the deck and finally found out what BALANCE meant. Then i moved to discrete quad 8trk decks, what fun. Then, i bought an am/fm 8trk unit, i think it was Electrophonic and two funky speakers for $85 bucks, then added a BSR/Mcdonald record player with a pickering ceramic cartridge, years later i found out the damage i did to some original Blue Note albums that'er now priceless! My, have i grown since then, i have so many toys, too much to list. Thanks for the opportunity to share how i got this disease, or is it ease? |
my first system consisted of a marantz sr 430 reciever a marantz sd 221 cassette deck and a small pair of epi speakers,i only had the epi's for a few weeks and then went out and bought a pair of advent 5012's |
Garrard record player, Sony TCFX310 cassette, Amstrad Executive receiver and Goodmans Q30 speakers at 16 yo. I thought I was spending a fortune - little did I know until later. |
My first component system was a Dual changer (model 1015?) with a Stanton 500E cartridge, a Fisher AM/FM receiver, and a pair of 10" or 12" 3-way house brand speakers from Cal Hi-Fi. This was 1968. For my $500, I could have just as easily gone with AR and Dynaco had someone given me some guidance, though I probably could not have tackled a kit. |
Garrard 401 (hand-me-down)
Aiwa cassette deck
Denon DCD1000
Kenwood tuner
NAD 3020
Electrovoice Crystal speakers
A real hotch potch of components, but I loved this little system which I can blame for getting me into this hobby back in the early 80's. |
As a kid, I had always wished to be the age I am today (36). I wanted to have the finances to buy all the audio equipment I would dream of. I remember when I was 14 years old, I had a paper route and saved up enough money all summer long to buy a Marantz receiver in 1981, from Leo's stereo. I don't recall the exact city, but in the Los Angeles area.
I remember getting up on Saturday morning and waking my mom at 930am so I could be there when they opened at 10am (god, she must have hated me then). We went down to the store and I knew exactly what I wanted. I can recall my parents keeping the receipt for me in their safe, and even though I had other pieces of audio equipment before, that was my first piece of real home stereo equipment that I earned and found myself.
That September I started my freshman year of high school, and the quest was on...
Today I have most of the things I dreamt of as a youth in my house and in my car, but nothing can compare to how my system sounded in my own room when I was 14. That was priceless. |
1973-I was 18 and had travelled cross country with a high school buddy after graduating. We ended up in Maynard Massachusetts where I got a job for Digital Equipment Corp. I worked in a department with some Vietnam Vets who were all into audio and, after hearing them discussing gear, and telling them I wanted to buy a decent stereo, they suggested I buy a pair of AR 7's which I did and they also told me to go down to H.H. Scott (just down the street) because every Friday they opened to the public and sold equipment, as is, that had some kind of defect(s). I purchases a receiver that worked perfectly for $75.00. The only thing wrong with it was it was missing the bottom cover. I don't remember the turntable I had at the time but after coming back home to Washington State a few months later I purchased an AR turntable with a Shure cartridge (don't remember the model), and an Advent model 201 cassette player which was the first player to have Dolby noise reduction. For it's time it was an incredible sounding system. Those speakers made a lot of jaws drop. And I don't know if I'll ever enjoy a system, no matter how good, as much as I did that one. |
pioneer sx 1250 receiver, pioneer ctf-9191 casstte and altec lansing model 19. The best, or so I thought in 1976. |
1964 - College freshman in-dorm audio special:
(1.) Single box all tube record player/pre-amp/10w mono amp/2" woofer (FR: 200Hz - maybe 800Hz).
(2.) Rolling Stones first album ("12 x 5"?).
(3.) Ample supply of model airplane glue. |
1975-ish (before that, I used my dad's system, which was basically all Philips)
Sansui Something integrated amp
Pioneer Something turntable with Shure Something cart
Technics Something cassette deck
LSA (Laboratoires des Sciences Acoustiques) Something bookshelf speakers
(no sarcasm, just don't recall the model designations) |
I got my first "rig" in 1972 for Christmas. I honestly can't remember the brand. Dad must have purchased it at a department store (sears?). It was a receiver with built-in 8-track! It had a separate turntable (the platter was smaller than an LP). Speakers were way cheap (about 15 inches high). The tone controls were the "slider" style. My big "upgrade" was to replace the turntable with a BSR McDonald-310 (I needed to get a cheap external preamp from radio shack). My next upgrade was a pair of Ambassador speakers (bookshelf) that were actually acoustic suspension. I had to be clipping that thing every time I played it. I dont think I ever backed the volume off full blast! It was all about rock & roll in those days; played a lot of air guitar back then! Man, my poor mom & dad were pretty cool about it; the house was too small to filter out the noise. No worries back then
.those were fun times! (Thanks dad). |
When I was 17 a retired friend of ours had a stereo that he had assembled and mouted in a pine box. Rather ugly. However, Once I paid $150 to him I found that he had an EICO HF85 preamp, an HF 90FM tuner with a multplex decoder all that he hand assembled, and a Pilot SA232 amp. The turntable was a top of the line early 60s Garrard which listed for over $200 in 1960. I snagged a couple of JBLs which ran me another $100 and a new Empire cartridge for $50 and I was ready to go. I never knew how fortunate I was to have all that collectable tube gear and a $300 system that I would envy today. I have been searching for that sound ever since. Go figure. By the way I purchased this in 1972 along with my first car, a 1967 Pontiac GTO. They were both sold in 1974 for what I paid for them. I hope someone still has both of them today. Anyhow I was a lucky teenager. I just did not know how lucky. |
Mine must have been in the mid '60's. It was the first boom box I guess. I remember it was a textured grey suitcase looking thing with a handle on top. On the sides were the speakers, they hinged out and detached for better sound-staging! In the middle was a turntable that folded out of the "suitcase" housing and it was even nicely suspended. After a year or two it required a penny taped to the tonearm to keep it tracking!
My dad was a true influence on my requiring good equipment, NOT! I think he found it next to the camouflage waders at the corner five and dime.
Thanks for the thread, I have not thought of that thing for years.
jd |
Pioneer 8 Track with matching speakers from 1973. Listened to this to death. In college, my Dad got me a pair of pro JBL monitors matched to a Dynaco Amp and a pro Sony cassette deck. |
Around 1970, Sansui 3000A receiver, speakers were various drivers thrown together, turntable was an early Bogen, with a hand-made tonearm that would really get a good laugh if seen today. I forget which coins were used to balance the arm, front and rear. Counterweight was a mass of wood, hand carved, as was the head shell. There was no anti-skating. Cartridge was a Shure that cost around $19. I got the turntable from a friend who upgraded to a Lenco. Lamp cord for speaker wire. I was in heaven! |
Late 1980s - Bare bones Technics receiver, Kenwood CD player, and Bose 201s.... ugh. I could have chosen some Baby Advents instead of the Bose... what was I thinking!? |
1976, I was in the Army stationed at Augsburg,Germany.We got great deals through the PX. My system was a Marantz integrated(forgot model),Pioneer CTF 9191 cassette deck(huge), Dokorder 10 1/2" open reel recorder(would die to have this back), Technics belt drive turntable and Sansui "Super 16" speakers(loud). I sold this system in 1982(needed money) and did the low-fi thing for years,sad but true. Just got back into good equipment and I am having a blast !!! |
