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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
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
My first high end system? Its a continuum with no real obvious beginning. My first real high end component however, the one that opened my ears more than any other, was the McCormack DNA1. 

By the time it became my first system the McCormack had been replaced with an Aronov integrated. It was a close call. Sound quality wise the Aronov was only slightly better. With the right preamp, IC, PC and Cones the McCormack probably would have been better. But the Aronov was better without any of that. So there you go.

The original (in hindsight, awful) JBL L7s were replaced with Linaeum Model 10. The Audioquest Dragon with Synergistic Research Resolution Reference. And the Cal Audio CDP with a Basis/Graham/Glider. That was my first real high end system- Basis/Graham/Glider, ARC PH3SE, Aronov integrated, Linaeum Model 10, Synergistic Research, Bybee conditioner. 

I don't have any pics of the first one, but this is what that first system looked like in the same room. Only in the beginning there was no rack, no amp stand, and it was a Basis turntable just sitting on the floor to the side of the Aronov. That's a TV under the blanket. That was my home theater. https://www.theanalogdept.com/c_miller.htm

The McCormack was never really in my first system. Yet it was the one thing that really got me realizing what could be. It was that good. So maybe it was in a way a part of my first system after all. I don't know. You make the call.
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
From Day One my audiophile dad always gave his hand-me-downs.  The first real hifi he gave me was a Heathkit mono tube amp, preamp with a half dozen EQ's (including Early 78's!) and an AM tuner.  I've mentioned this before but I watched him assemble it on the kitchen table.  I think I was eight.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Here's what I bought in 1977: Ariston RD11S/SME3009/ MicroAcoustics2002, AGI 511 preamp, GAS Son Of Ampzilla, lnfinity Monitor 1A's with Walsh tweeters! Verion ICs and Polk Cobra Cable. For FM listening I had a Marantz 2270 receiver. And all this on an office clerk's salary!
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