A first

All I can say is time has changed.   Back in the 70's, going to friends' houses to listen to their sound systems and album collections was a pretty common social event.

Ah yes, @xcool ,  that does bring back the memories.

We'd get together after work or on the weekends and fire up my Magnavox receiver and put in an 8-Track or put on an LP and the peace pipe would come out. . . .   We didn't know what imaging or sound stage or transparency was . . . but we sure had fun.  Now my sound is in a completely different league, but I don't have near as much fun. 

Hey @immatthewj, good old memories indeed!

My first stereo system was all Pioneer stuff that included a receiver, a turntable, and a pair of speakers.   And my first cartridge was a Stanton with a nice little brush attached.   They were purchased with my hard earned summer job money.   I later added a top of the line Pioneer cassette deck.  Looking back, I wish I have kept my cassette deck instead of throwing it out after I switched to CD's.

One of the favorite things that my friends would do was to come to my place and I would make a cassette for them from my album collections.   Essentially a playlist put together mechanically.  😀

Just imagine the equal conversation over at the Home theater message board: "I can't believe all those folks just watching their favorite shows on their phones and laptops.  Crazy!" 

ghdprentice, with your kind assistance I just added a few photos of this system, as you suggested I do.  

I went for great sound with simplicity.  

I could not be more pleased with the outcome.  

I wish the same for everyone here, satisfaction and great musical reproduction.  

I live outside of Philadelphia; if anyone is close and wishes to stop over and listen, please do.

What a nice & friendly thread!  I recognize many experiences: I listen in a dedicated room, I am alone (except with an audiophile friend sometimes), my wonderful wife doesn’t care & has no interest, my son listens to background music only, my grandchildren are digital natives and of the MP3 generation…But I sit and listen concentrated on a variety of music I like, and I couldn’t care less what others think. I ENJOY. 😎