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What was your first "real" stereo system?

I've always love hi-fi, I used to build speakers with my friend and then take our boomboxes and add them to them! However my first real system came when I was stationed in Germany in 82, I went to the base PX and at that time they were trying a "new" credit plan call DPP (deferred payment plan). Since I was a low enlisted, I would only get approved for like 500 bucks or something like that.

So I went to the stereo department and selected a Technics SU V7 integrated amp, because the SU-V9 was going to be too much. Then a Technics SL D20 TT, Sansui Z7 II speakers which I still have with me today, a ACD Sounshaper 30 EQ. I had to come up with some cash since between the amp and the speakers I came up short for the other stuff but hey, it was awesome to have for my real stereo separates! Memories...:music:
 
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In 1989, while in the Army in Germany, I bought at the PX a complete Technics system. I don't recall the model numbers, but it had an integrated amp, tuner, eq, dual cassette, turntable and top mounted five disc cd player. However, I opted for a pair of Infinity SM 120's that I'm still using now. The rest of the system is at my brother-in-law's house on semi-permanent loan. It seems I got quite a deal considering the many years it's been in service. The cd player is long gone, and the turntable is strictly a loaner now, but the rest is plugging along just fine.
 
1979 High School graduation gift. Marantz 2220 Reviever and Advent Speakers and a Pioneer Turntable.

Opus
 
Marantz 2270, Dual 1229, Fisher XP-9C speakers. Bought at Highland Appliance in I believe LaGrange, Il in 1975.
 
Realistic STA-115 reciever
Marantz 6200 turntable
Paradigm 3se speakers

Before that when I was 13 or 14 I used a Bogen DB20-DF amp given to me by an Uncle on a single homemade speaker I made myself with a radio shack 10 inch polypropylene woofer and their 40-1270 cone tweeter. I remember the crude crossover I made with a 1 mH coil (they only sold the 1 if I remember right) and a 10 uf cap It really sounded good when I had the loudness contour switched a few clicks to the left.
 
When I was 15 years old I put together the following system with my paper route money:

Dynaco PAT4 preamp (bought used)
Dynaco ST150 power amp (built from a kit)
Pioneer PL12d turntable
B&O SP14 cartridge
Cerwin Vega 211r speakers (very fun and somewhat sophisticated with the rear facing horn)
Ampex 960 reel to reel (made in my hometown of Sunnyvale CA)

Lasted through high school before I got a job and money to upgrade. This system brought must joy through music to me and my friends.
 
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1976 (sophomore in college) managed to save $1000 from my summer job and spent $400 on the stereo at Crazy Eddy ( for all the NYers who remember them):

Sherwood 7210 (25wpc RMS)
Pioneer PL-12D
Shure V15 (III I think)
AR7

Fairly modest, but a big step up from my Mom's all in one console. :)

Ray
 
Marantz 2226b and Marantz 7 Mark II speakers...still use them in the basement. I bought them at a very small stereo shop next to Forbes AFB in Topeka, Kansas.
 
My first real system...

Never was into sound much in high school- thought a Panasonic AM/FM mono portable cassette was as good as it got. Then going into my second year in college, I got the stereo bug. After screwing around for a year with a Panasonic compact and then with (believe it or not) a DuMont console (loved it for a while- boomy bass to spare), in late '74. I decided I wanted something better, and as money was dear, it needed to be as cheap as possible. Went into the lone local stereo dealer, and found:

An ElectroVoice EV1182 receiver (maybe 8 wpc, and as basic as they
came)- used
A Dual 1009 Turntable which the dealer put their "house brand"
Shure "HTE" cartridge in (turned out to be a M75ED) also used
A pair of "IASI" (never heard them before or since) speakers- 2 way
with 8" woofers- not great, but worked. Those were new.
Pickering (don't recall the model, but they broke quickly) headphones.

Best part about it- it was less than $120 out the door!

I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was far better than the cheapo compacts that most of the other people I knew had- and I loved it!

Forty plus years later, I'm still playing around with gear!

I still miss that Dual though-it was a rock!
 
In the fall of 1975 as went off to college, I had a Pioneer 10 watts per channel integrated amp, a Garrard turntable, and DIY speakers made from Radio Shack drivers. Later in college I had a Kenwood KA3500 amp, a Sanyo turntable (with some Shure cartridge), a Pioneer cassette deck, and some little EV speakers. What I have now is much better. Peace and goodwill.
 
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In the spring of 1987 I got my dad to co-sign a loan so I could buy a Proton integrated(20 wpc), an entry level Dual tt with Ortofon cartridge, Yamaha tape deck and Mirage 450 speakers.
 
Heathkit AA-32 tube integrated amp (built by my brother, my dad and I, Some Heathkit coaxial speakers in cabinets we built, and a Garrard turntable in a base we built. Wonder where all that stuff went? Replaced by my first system that was mine alone which is basically system 1 in my sig, although the pieces I have now are eBay purchased replacements of my originals.
 
In my early teens(early 60's) I had a Sony TC-900S 3" reel tape deck..I recorded everything on that..I still have it.

Then a year later I built a plinth for an old turntable, bought a new ceramic cartridge, a cheap pair of headphones and a MELOS battery powered headphone amp. I still have the headphone amp and it works just fine.


The turntable and headphones are long gone.
My first quality stereo was bought in 1970,
Sansui AU-222 amp, Dual 1215TT and a pair of Electra ED25x speakers (Dynaco A25 clones).
The speakers and TT moved on but I still have the Sansui amp performing duties in my audio workbench stereo system....


The good-old-days!
thanx for looking
graham
 
For me, the first true HiFi stereo was in 1975. A Realistic STA-76, BSR Turntable, and MC-1000 speakers. My sainted mother (RIP) felt sorry for me after putting the STA-76 on Layaway at Radio Shack and working an entire summer yet still being $76 dollars short of affording to take it off Layaway. She ponied up the final dollars bless her heart and bought me the speakers and turn table for my birthday. Best gifts she ever gave me. I still have that system sans the BSR table. Replaced it with a Pioneer sometime around 1978 ish.

In my junior year of college, my first true (to me) "Audiophile" system was purchased circa 1980.
Yamaha CA-810 (Still have)
Yamaya YP-D4 (Still have)
Optimus 10 Speakers (Still Have)
Sherwood Tuner (Still have)
Sanyo Cassette (Still have)
Teac R2R (Still have)
 
My college system

Pioneer SA 630 Amp
Realistic 5 band EQ
Teac Reel to reel
Sanyo cassette deck
Technics turntable
Zenith Allegro 3000 Speakers.
Koss headphones

I can't remember the model numbers on most. I have them written down someplace.
 

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Rotel 855>Eico integrated>Yorkville YSM-1

Had the first two pieces for a while, but things came together when I got the Yorkvilles.
 
In 1981 my father upgraded his system to a Technics receiver, and I inherited a Dyna PAS-3, Stereo 70, and an Eico tube tuner, along with some old speakers one of my older brothers built.
 
Mozart1220 said:
My college system

Pioneer SA 630 Amp
Realistic 5 band EQ
Teac Reel to reel
Sanyo cassette deck
Technics turntable
Zenith Allegro 3000 Speakers.
Koss headphones

I can't remember the model numbers on most. I have them written down someplace.
Click to expand...

I still wish I had my Realistic 5 band EQ boxes. I had two. I'm not sure whatever happened to them. Lost in the shuffle of life I suppose. Those were awesome. As were my SuperTweeters. Miss them both.
 
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