your first system-

My first:

Pioneer PL 12D turntable

Fisher 500 receiver as preamp

McIntosh MC2100 amp

Klipschorn  speakers

Zipcord speaker cable

Gold-enz interconnects 

Bought my first HI-FI rig in 1969

Garrard 401 + SME Arm + Shure M75E

Leak Stereo  70

Goodman Magnum K's

About 280 Pounds as I re call

1976/77.  Pioneer SX-750 receiver, HPM 100's, Rotel TT.

A Technics SA-500, JVC QL-A2 turntable with Audio Technica cartridge, and 3D Acoustics sub/sat which was one of the first affordable sub/sat systems and had a very good review in Stereo Review. Speakers were $400. Receiver was about $275. I don't remember what the turntable cost, but I think the cartridge was about $50. Later I upgraded it to a $250 Shure V-15 Type V, but soon thereafter replaced the turntable with an NAD.

I wouldn't think it would take more than a $400 pair of powered studio monitors and an $8 DAC hooked to my phone to blow it away now.

I remember selling Goodman speakers back in the early 70’s which had our store name on them as the brand.  I sold them with our low cost Sherwood receiver and Garrard turntable for $400.00.  

U.S. Army, Augsburg, Germany, 1975.  Pioneer integrated amp, Pioneer cassette deck, Pioneer speakers, and Dual TT.

@zavato I have the PAs, and I have two Dyna Mark IIIs, and the Lafayette tuner. the rest is all gone.

In1969 I as a Sgt in the Army in Germany and bought my first system.  Sansui AU555 amplifier, Sansui TU555 tuner, Dual 1019 turntable with a adhere V15 type III cartridge, Sansui SP100 3 way speakers and an AKAI reel to reel with Crossfield heads.

Early 70's Kenwood KR-5600 Stereo Receiver , Garrard Turntable and big ole 3way altec lansing speakers.. oh can't forget my Koss Pro/4AA headphones 😉

Berlin Brigade , we got them free !

@kennyc, you may want to reconsider your speaker choice since you already have Constellation amps. I heard from a reputable source who has Magico S7’s that every time heard Magicos paired with Constellation amps, which happened numerous times going to dealerships and HiFi shows, the rigs sounded absolutely terrible.

I’ve had the A3s just over a year and am about to try my third amp. I thought I was happy with the PrimaLuna EVO400 power amp but isn’t it funny how listening to someone else’s rig seems to identify weaknesses in your own rig?!
 

I got a great deal on NAT Generator monoblocks. looking forward to hearing what they do in the system.

Good luck!

Well, the first system is a bit of an throwback to 1978-1979...it's also still intact and plays daily.   Even have the original boxes for it all.  Near mint condition.  Yup, good stuff they made back then. This is my secondary system today.

Sony STR-V45 receiver.

Acculab 440 and 320 pairs.

Dual CS606 TT.

ADC Soundshaper one ten.

If I recall correctly there was also a Sharp cassette deck that didn't last 3 years .

1976

Sony  80 wpc STR-6800, Marantz 6800 TT, Infinity 1001A's (rear firing tweeter) and a BIC two speed cassette tape deck

1980

First "real" one was a Hafler 500 Amp and Carver Holographic Pre, B&O BeoGram TT, Nakamichi Tape Deck, a Pair of Infinity Column II’s (Transmission line) and a Miller Kreisel Triangular shaped subwoofer. It was in a very small living room and that thing ROCKED !

1995. I was living in Allentown, New Jersey at the time.

I decided I wanted to ditch the Kenwood integrated amp and get a true hifi system. I was just starting my career in design so I didn’t have a lot of money. Luckily the local stereo retailer took trade ins. I had recently bought a Paradigm passive subwoofer from them and decided to trade it back in with some recently acquired Infinity speakers from a big box retailer.

I came home with a Carver TFM-15 amp and two Paradigm 2-way monitor series speakers with 8" speakers. My CD player could go directly into the Carver and I could use the the 2 gain knobs for volume control.

I was expecting sooooo much when I first played a CD on it and...I was entirely underwhelmed. There was a lot to learn.

I still have the amp...it went a good 20+ years before needing service. It’s now my garage system. With a good preamp in front of it, it sounds pretty good I must say.

My first system was two mismatched Sherwood tube amps ( kits, one 15 watts the other 25 watts) a Garrard TT and a pair of speakers with 8” drivers, I built into some bookshelves in my bedroom.

All the best.

JD

Marantz speakers, Sanyo turntable, AT cartridge, Pioneer receiver, can't remember specific models.

1990 the year I graduated college. A pair of Def Tech BP10’s, a gorgeous built like a tank Pioneer Elite receiver and a Sony ES 5 CD carousel. Purchased from my first experience with a high end retailer called The Listening Room in Scarsdale, NY.

I still have the BP10’s in my storage room and I gave the Elite receiver and Sony carousel away in 2018 to our movers. I wasn’t using them for years but They both still worked 28 years later.

Heathkit integrated 60wpc amp a Thornes TD165 TT with Audio-Technica cartridge with Dynaco A25 speakers. This was in 1974 I was 18 at the time.

It was 1979, my sophomore year of HS

NAD 3140 integrated amp

Sony PS-X60 w/Shure V15 phono

Nakamichi 480 cassette

Celestion Ditton 15XR spkrs w/factory chrome stands

*updated Celestions with a factory kit to accept the improved tweeters ~ 1982

It was a great bedroom system.

1981? Sony V-fet integrated, Polk Audio 7, Pioneer turntable and Shure cartridge., complete with lamp cord and red and white RCAs. I think the vfet was 125 watts but I blew it up twice anyway.

In 1978:

Sony integrated amp; used circa 1968

Marantz direct drive turntable with AT cartridge (new)

Sony tuner (new)

EPI 110 speakers (used)

I had these components for 5 years before moving up.

I can't recall models, but1981 Technics TT, Receiver and speakers. The cheap entry level ones. The TT was an SL model with an Audio Technica cartridge.