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What was your first "real" stereo system?

I'm going to date myself with this but my first real "stereo" was a danish modern stick-legged 18" high wooden cabinet with a center opening lid. It contained a Gerrard changer and two speakers and was made by a company called PYE. Purchased it in Hong Kong in 1960 and would I ever love to have that unit now. I spent almost every waking hour spinning stereo LPs :music:. Back then I was buying LPs on the old Command, RCA Victor Living Stereo and Columbia Stereo labels and loved that old "ping-pong" effect that Command was famous for when bouncing their music back and forth for effect, etc. Enoch Light and his Light Brigade Orchestra offerings were my LPs of choice. And guess what, I still have them.....................:thmbsp:
 
I had an all in one system from AIWA, that was made to look like separates. You could stack the CD player, tape deck and EQ in different configs, with the turntable on top. Came with some hulking great big speakers, as was the norm in the late 80's (bought this around 1987/88). It didn't take long to piss the neighbours off with the power from the system!

I can't for the life of me remember the model though; will have to look back through my old photos for that.

It was pretty pricey from memory, and was the first thing I bought on credit. I was only on £60.00 a week as an apprentice, and it would have taken months to save up, and I wanted the system NOW.
 
My first stereo was a POS Yorx record/cassette/tuner my parents bought me for Christmas. It didn't take long before I knew I wanted more, so I bought some radioshack 8" 2 ways and connected them to the Yorx to replace the POS Yorx 4" speakers. They were louder, but the hiss and distortion was SO BAD I literally taped index cards over the tweeters! I had to do something!

My first REAL stereo. I was 10, and I had noticed my grandparents had a old silver faced receiver that they did not use anymore, it had been replaced by a Fisher rack system. Surly it would sound better then the terrible Yorx, so I asked them if I could have it, they said yes! Turns out it was a Sherwood S-7100. I used for several years until I replaced it with a modern surround sound receiver. Gave it to my dad who used it at his vacation home until it stopped working. I told him if he happened to find it in the garage (dad almost never throws stuff away) to return it and at this stage in life with my knowledge level I could likely repair it.

On another note, my oldest DD is probably going to get her first stereo for Christmas. I am looking at picking up a Nakamichi Statsis SR-3a and pairing with a set of JBL L20T I have for her. I will them load her favorite music in ALAC on her ipod. ( On the other hand, my youngest wants ANOTHER Furby! Ugh!)
 
I was nine or so and I had a Technics SA-GX130 receiver I stole from the garage and some really garbage Sharp speakers that came with one of those all-in-one systems designed to look like separates.

Didn't sound insanely horrible but even then those speakers were horrible. The SA-GX130 now resides doing living room duty.
 
First stereo...

Way back in 1963 I had a Fisher KX-100 amp, Knight Kit stereo converter on an Arkay FM tuner(kit), Garrard 210 changer with a GE VR II (stereo version) cart, Sony stereo player only tape deck and 2 EV 12" Wolverines in 2 EV kit cabinets.
I have an old photo in my AK file.
They won't let me upload another of the same photo.

Paul
 
My first real stereo was a late 90s Sony Pro Logic reciever, a late 80s Magnavox cd player and a Technics SL 1300 turntable with an external phono preamp as the Sony did not have a phono input. Speakers were these large Realistic speakers from the 80s and a pair of mini advents.

After several mini stereos that crapped out on me, this was my first real stereo. I later acquired better (and not so much better)stuff through the years.
 
.

Tuner/Amp-Preamp Yamaha CT/CA 810
TT Pioneer PL516D with AT Pro14s
Cassette Pioneer CT-F950
Speakers Pioneer HPM 100s.
Pioneer Cans can't remember which.

Still have the cassette deck and cans



.
 
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1978 - First real job, first real stereo

Still have all pieces and they work fine. No failures either, just normal maintenance, cleaning, stylus, belts, lamps, etc.
Turntable used almost daily.

Technics SA-500 Receiver .............$299
Sony PS-T2 Turntable/AT12Sa .......$159
TEAC A-100 Cassette Deck ............$199

Total = $657

or $2,392.54 in todays dollars.
 
TPettenati said:
1978 - First real job, first real stereo

Still have all pieces and they work fine. No failures either, just normal maintenance, cleaning, stylus, belts, lamps, etc.
Turntable used almost daily.

Technics SA-500 Receiver .............$299
Sony PS-T2 Turntable/AT12Sa .......$159
TEAC A-100 Cassette Deck ............$199

Total = $657

or $2,392.54 in todays dollars.
Click to expand...

you did well, i've had my eyes on a few technics receivers as of late, but haven't pulled the trigger yet............:smoke:
 
Back in the spring of 1987 I bought my first real system which consisted of the following:

  • DCM Timeframe 500s
  • Carver 900 Receiver
  • Magnavox CDB-650

Hence my sense of nostalgia for early DCM speakers.
 
Back in 1995 when I was 21 years old I didn't know anything about Hifi, all I know was I want to listen to good sounding stereo system.

I bought Denon PRA-2000 pre, POA-3000 Power amp (used), Sony XA50-ES CD Player(new), Marantz cassette deck(new), Technics Fully automatic turntable(used), Highly recommended (in Japan) Kenwood LS-1001 speakers (new)with Monster speaker cables and Audio-Technica interconnects cables.

It was very good sounding system and my first love affair with Hifi audio, I still miss it sometimes, good memories.
 
The first real system I bought back in the mid 70s was a Harman Kardon 730 receiver, a BIC turntable and Realistic Nova 8 speakers. The HK730 is still in service with a ProJect turntable and ADS 500 speakers, being enjoyed by my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. I'd say I got my money's worth.
 
My first system was a Nippon All-In-One that was not half bad and still works to this day except the cassette deck. Was high cotton for a 10 year old. Got it for Christmas.

My first real system was a 1988 Kenwood Spectrum System that consisted of a KA-127 Integrated Amp(125 wpc),KT-57 Tuner,KX-67W Cassette Deck,KD-47F Turntable and JL-980 Speakers plus the rack. I still have it all except the speakers and rack. All work too.
 
A Dual 505 turntable with Shure IV cartrirdge. The ampli was a Dual/Bettor receiver (30 watts/channel). For speakers, I choose a pair of two-ways KEFs (can't remember what model they were). It was long time ago, and I was young and happy.
 
When I was in the Arm-Me, I started putting together a system that I could call my own. After a few sales, trades and new purchases this system actually lasted for several years until it was stolen. Everything was brand new except for the CT-7R.

Pictures stolen from the interwebs. :D

Sansui 5900Z (75 WPC)
14883-MLB20092380586_052014-O.jpg


Pioneer PL-L800
Pioneer_PL-L800_2nd_up_570x480_pixels.gif


Technics SH-8055
sh-8055.JPG


Pioneer CT-7R
pioneer_ct_7r_450px.png


Sansui SPX-7900
SANSUI7900--.jpg
 
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Well, it's hard to say ... I just sort of evolved into it, which I suspect is the case for many of us. I started off when I was 14, with a Lafayette LR-75A receiver (15W/ch, no proper phono stage), a ceramic cartridge BSR 6500AX changer, and a pair of speakers my dad built from Heathkit plans back in the 50s. From there, I just kept upgrading one component at a time and adding others until everything was at a level that made me happy.

I like to think that I still have the same system I had back then, even though several generations of components have been replaced -- in much the same way I'm still the same person I was years ago, even though all the cells I had in my body then have long since died.

Deep thoughts.
 
My first system was comprised of:

HK- 730 receiver
Dual 1249 turntable w/ Shure V15
Infinity Monitor Jr. speakers
Teac A420 cassette deck

It was the mid/ late 70's and I was 17. I did not have my drivers license yet and had to rely on public transportation. I bought everything at different audio stores in the Chicago area and took a bus to and from every purchase. I got some real long looks from a couple of the drivers, especially hauling the speakers (had to make two trips- it was an all day event).

I still have every piece except the 1249: I sold that to my cousin and replaced it with a Sansui SR 838 I picked up in the while in the Army. The Infinity's are still part of my main rig and the HK was only recently supplanted by a Mac 4100. I still feel like I'm cheating on my wife when I listen to the MAC though..........

That system meant so much more to me than the sum of it's parts and has been the most stable part of my adult life.

Regards,
Michael
 
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All purchased while in high school (graduated in 72)

Dynaco SCA-80Q integrated amp (bought as kit)
Dynaco A35 speakers
Garrard Zero 100 turntable (it sucked so after a couple months bought a Thorens TD160)
Shure V15 Type II Improved
TEAC A1230 RTR deck
Lafayette tuner (it was about $100 list)
 
My first 'real stereo' was an sx3700 my dad got me xmas 81 from the sound store in Pittsburgh. I plugged into that my realistic SCT-19 tape deck and a tc230 sony r2r, over the next year I got a set of pioneer HPM40 speaks from the sound store and a realistic lab 390 TT
 
I was at a garage sale in the early 90's and found a carver c1 preamp , m400t amp , nikko digital tuner and a adc sound shaper EQ.
 
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