Your first system and your journey...

18 watt Kenwood integrated and Sherwood speakers from Allied Radio in Chicago, pre Tandy. Fisher 50B tube tuner from Musicraft. Panasonic R2R on employee discount.
A friend's dad had AR 3a's and CSN sounded great there.
Ol' MaryJo cranked up the James Gang and I learned how low power blows speakers.
Next step Dynaco and SWTP kits.

My first actual stereo was in my 20s. Tandberg stack (3xxx something) of tuner pre amp and amplifier, Yamaha PX-2 turntable, Nakamichi ZX9 cassette deck, a 3bx(?) dynamic range expander and a pair of A/D/S L1530 speakers. Then life happened. Kids, a couple marriages, a late surprise child, a final divorce, and I was in my late 40s before I got to indulge myself a little. That indulgence is a Marantz PM7200, SA 8260, Music Hall mmf-5 SE, and a Bellari VP-129 phono stage. All feeding Paradigm Studio 60s (v.3). Not quite the monster my first stereo was, but my hearing isn't what it was then either. I enjoy the music it makes and that's matters most.

A Marantz integrated (had for many years), large Utah 3-way speakers (real wood boxes), and IIRC, a Garrard turntable.

I do remember an ‘all in one system’ I had prior, I believe even had an 8-track player, maybe a Fisher? Not sure, but that was just for a brief time.

JBL L100 speakers in the early seventies. They were way less expensive than the current JBL look-a-likes. I can't remember if they had the blue or orange grills. A Dual turntable, unknown model, plus a  Pioneer SA-9100(?) integrated amp received as a gift from the then sister-in-law.  And last, but not least and who knows why, a Sony reel-to reel tape deck in the pre-eight track and cassette era. You used to be able to purchase pre-recorded reel to reel albums. Wires were zip cord, what else? And I still have my Zerostat anti-static gun.

Even the fancy equipment at home now was never as much fun as blasting the Stones "Let It Bleed"out of my parents suitcase style stereo in 1969. And even that wasn't as fun as our previous 1950's style  small square suitcase style 45 rpm record player. We only had a couple 45's to play as kids, but they were good ones, Little Richard's "Tutti-Frutti" and Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock". Later on we added Joey Dee and the Starlighters' "Peppermint Twist" and Chubby Checker's "Let's Do the Twist" to round out our collection.  

Mike

My first system was back in the late 70's:
Pioneer SX-780 Receiver
Sony PS X40 Turntable
Audio Technica cartridge (can't remember the model)
Visonik Speakers (They were bookshelf size but not their real small ones)
Been tempted a few times to buy a restored SX-780 just for sentimental reasons.