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Your First System

This should be good!!! Most of us have been in this expensive hobby for years now and have worked our way up to components we only dreamed of. I want to know what was your first system of separate components going back as far as you can remember. My first consisted of a Pioneer SX-680 receiver, a Technics SLD-1 turntable (I think that's the right model #), a Sharp tapedeck, and KLH floorstanding speakers. I was 16 at the time and thought I was the biggest badass on the block. Now, 20+ years later I have a ML 334, Meridian 507 CD, CJ PV10A, Canton Ergo 900 speakers, and a Transparent Power Isolator 4. I'm in the process of upgrading to a ML 390. It goes without saying the IC's and speaker cables are top notch as well. I know my system is WAAAYYYYY down the foodchain compared to what I've seen here but It would be interesting to see what everyone started out with.
pcook15
csontos
1,311 posts
 
I can't remember. It was good.
peterc613
1 posts
 
In 1975 I turned 16, other kids bought their first car, I bought a Phase Linear 4000 preamp, 400 amp, Bose 901 Series II Speakers, Thorens TD-124 turntable with (I think) a Grado cartridge.

By 1977 I graduated High School was selling gear for a local high end shop and had moved up to Quad ESL-57 electrostats, Audio Research SP3A preamp + D76A amp, Panasonic SP10 turntable with Rabco SL-8E arm and Denon DL-103S Moving Coil Cartridge.

Today I have kids, my system is mainly for Home Theater, all Martin Logan's (Prodigy R/L, Theater CTR, Request SIDE, Aerius REAR, Descents) with Lexicon MC-12 preamp, Bryston amps, and a modified Oppo bdp-95 blue ray player. For fun I just built two Danley Sound Labs DTS-10 tapped horn subwoofers driven by a QSC RMX 4050HD on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. (I've been lurking on audiogon to pick up a used turntable and get back to vinyl)

However to this day I can still remember the thrill of sitting in front of my Quads, mesmerized by the most incredible detail, ambience and soundstage I'd ever heard. It hooked me for a lifetime of audio enjoyment.
nikmilkov
22 posts
 
Back in 1996 I bought a JVC digital front (CD player don't remember the model) but it was about 150 $; JVC receiver RX 316 R (about 250 $). Before almost immediately switching to Magnat Transpuls 3000 3-way speakers that I bought on sale in Vienna, Austria for only 100 $ (MSRP of 600 $), I used an old ReVox monitor speakers (don't remember the number) 25 Watts only.
bradashell
2 posts
 
In 2004 I put together my first sound system: a Marantz SR4200 with Paradigm Monitor 5 v3's, Titans for surrounds, a CC350, and a PS1000 sub, and a Panasonic DV-578. The only changes I ended up making in 8 years was adding a PS3 for blu rays more than games, replacing the Marantz with an Onkyo TX-SR805, and replacing the DV-578 with a Panasonic DMP-BDT210. It was a reliable mancave HT setup, but too ugly to have in the living room.
liquid-smooth
48 posts
 
GE 8 track. It actually had ok sound for what it is. I enjoyed Beethoven symphonies and the sound of music when I was a teenager...

Brings me back memories of grateful parents who have given me all my toys... then they bought me a complete Pioneer system which sounded much better - I thought it was sonic heaven then...

Strange how much I enjoyed that system, even more than I am doing now with my 60k+ system... Is it my age, or do we simply get used to higher quality, and it stops being amazing after awhile?
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