What was in your first "real" higher end audio system?


There were "record players" and clock radios and other things that played some music...but what would you consider your first system that really started your quest for the.....ah, absolute sound?

Mine: Large double advents stacked with the top one upside down, so the tweeters were close.
A Yamana CA-1000 which I ran in Class-A most of the time.
The earliest Monster Cable speaker wire and interconnects.
A Pioneer PL-12 turntable with a M91ED cartridge/later M95ED, replaced with a Yamaha YP-800
An early Yamaha tuner, CT-800...wanted the CT-1000, but too much $ for me.
The early Advent tape player, not remembering the model.
And was hot to buy the best album pressing available,...imported, Mobile Fidelity, etc.

The upgrades came fast, Yamaha B-2, a Yamaha Pre-amp of that time.
Dahlquist DQ-10
Some Straightwire cables
A Yamaha T-1 tuner, not as good at the T-2, but not bad.
Yamaha YP-800 direct drive table with ADC XLM cart. 
Some early isolation feet?
Audio Technica Electret Condenser Headphones

As with many of you, "in for a penny, in for a pound" The audio fever has been with me since, some
pieces that were very good at a good price and some that were considered some of the best of their time.

As I told my wife at the time, "well, at least I don’t collect women".....that came later when I had more money.

Sorry for any typos







whatjd
Superphon Preamp (with phono)
Yamaha B1 Amp
Empire Troubadour TT
Empire 4000 DIII Cartridge
Epos Speakers (14's I think) 
I got a paper route in the late 60’s bought my first system
Garrard turntable
Shure cartridge 
Lafayette amp
Criterion 25 loudspeakers-upgraded from these to Dynaco A25
Upgraded big time-
AR amp
AR turntable
AR 3a loudpseakers
Still have the AR amp tucked away-works like a charm can not imagine the amount of hours on it.



  • Garrard SL95 turntable & Shure cartridge
  • HeathKit AR-1500 receiver (that I built)
  • a pair of AR-3 speakers
Tons of upgrades over the next decade and a half. Then everything was stolen and I quit cold turkey until just a few days ago when the bug bit again and is now seriously infected.
My first high end stereo was:

Counterpoint SA 3.1 preamp and SA 12 power amp
Vandersteen 2C speakers
SOTA Star Sapphire with Alphason Xenon tonearm Sumiko Talisman cartridge
Rotel RCD 955AX cd player

Still have the turntable and cd player, the speakers are newer Vandersteens. 
CJ PV5
Threshold Stasis 150
SOTA Sapphire TT
KEF 104.2’s(or 105’s)
Monster Cable

should have stopped there. it was the real beginning with no end in sight after 40 yrs