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What was your first "real" stereo system?

1977 system

Purchased my first system after I co-op'd between freshmen and sophomore years - 1977 Yamaha CR-620, Phillips 312 (still use), and Bolivar Model 18 speakers. Bought at Schrader Sound in DC for around $1,000
 
My first real stereo was purchased in the early 90's I believe.

It consisted of:
H/K receiver: model#730i or something like that. My younger brother has it but its been stored away for over ten years now.
H/K cdp: don't remember the mod# brother has it also.
Some dyi 3 way speakers bought as a kit. Had vifa and peerless drivers in them. Still have these but are needing new foam on the woofers.
Technics turntable: A lower end model that I can't recall. Gone now. Probably sold it in a yard sell.
 
I'm surprised most of you seem to remember Model #s of each component.

Mine was in the early 90s, a Sony 100W/ch with surround, but no center channel. It had the Dynamic Bass Feedback system, which I still miss today. A lot of classical recordings don't have bass that really replicates what is heard in a symphony hall.

Speakers were Bose 201 Series II, which I've just finally replaced. CDP was a POS Sony 5 disc carousel, which stopped indexing. I replaced that with the single tray Sony I'm still using today. Added some Bose Interaudio 4000 from Sam's Club for bass.
 
1975 - heard serious tunes coming from downstairs, at the other end of the barracks. Investigated, found a Phase linear power amp driving a set of Bose 901s, from a Revox R2R, playing Traffic, "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." WEnt out the very next day and got a $1000 signature loan from the base credit union, and bought my first system: Pioneer SA-7500 Integrated Amp, TX-7500 Tuner, Pl-12D-II Turntable, and a pair of Marantz Imperial 7G speakers. Very nice sound for the bucks, and added to it over the years.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
Sherwood S-7100 receiver
Dynaco A-25 speakers
BSR turntable
Panasonic cassette deck.

Was in college, had $500-$600 and had to decide between the above stereo vs getting a cheap car. Went with the stereo.
 
Replacing my Panasonic AM/FM desktop stereo was a wondrous Pioneer SX-828 receiver, a miraculous Pioneer PL51 turntable topped off with some sort of in house JBL L100 clone.
Truly Transformative.
 
nascar03 said:
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
Click to expand...

Looks like the mini amp that Radio Shack SHOULD have built.
:)
 
This thread takes me back. My first "real" stereo consisted of a Kenwood KR-3400, a pair of Realistic Minimus 7 speakers, and a Sony D-121 portable CDP. It sounded great then, but I don't know what I'd think about it now. The Kenwood was sold in the late '90s, and the Sony died from over use. I still have the Minimus 7s in a box somewhere. I'm thinking of putting them back into service as part of an art studio system, and driving them with the MC-250 that is collecting dust in the closet. :banana:
 
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My first real system was a Realistic STA-180 and a pair of Zenith circle of sound speakers. I think it cost me all of about $20 at the local flea market.
 
Started out with an 80s Sony boom box. I was a kid and enjoyed that I had my own music.

First real system I had was a Yamaha receiver and Altec 100 tower speakers. I believe those were in the Sparkomatic era, but I thought they were great. I took them to college and everyone loved them. I even had a party outdoors and we used them. Those things could play LOUD. They had no trouble filling the backyard and a good portion of the neighborhood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back in 1965 after poring & poring over the Lafayette catalog I counted up my paper route $$$ and ordered the following:

A Lafayette Stereo-10 amp

A Garrard TT fitted with an Astatic record plow

Base for said Garrard (an extra $7.95 or something)

And a pair of 8" speakers with "whizzer" cones.

Dad built me a pair of open-back cabinets for the speakers (only open-baffle speakers I've ever owned:D), I put together some lamp cord speaker wires & I was set. Pretty sure it might've been the first "component" stereo in my small town, since all my friends were using suitcase players or Mom & Dad's console. I thought I was pretty damn cool. TT & speakers are long gone...but I still have the Stereo-10...and it still works!!
 
My first foray into music, was a friends Pioneer system. Absolutely loved that thing. Was the oldschool big amp pioneer stuff. I cant exactly remember the component numbers, but would know it if I saw it.

I on the other hand had a cheap all in one unit from Monkey Wards. Listening was never the same.

Then it happened. I ended up working for a pawn shop. I dont even know how it happened but it was a great job. Unbelievable though was what people were willing to give up for a few bucks.

Anyway, my first sweet sound system was all HK. HK 590 integrated, 710 tuner, cd191 tape deck, with Bose, yes I said Bose 501 series 2 speakers. That system made me have a greater overall appreciation for music.
 
I always loved music, even as a very young kid. When I was 6 or so I had a sears receiver/turntable that I played every chance I got. My father was an audiophile, and was stoked that I was into music too, so a year or 2 later got me my first real system, a black Philips laboratory something or other receiver, a jvc turntable and ohm L speakers. I was in heaven, and used that system till college. I still have the ohms, but really wish I still had the Phillips receiver. It was low wattage, maybe 25 a side, but it was pretty and I remember it sounding very nice.

* Looks like it was a Philips High Fidelity Laboratories 7851 with 30wpc
 
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I put together my first "real" audio system in 1980 at the ripe old age of 17. Here it is:

Receiver - Sears Audio by Fisher
Turntable - BIC 960
Cassette - Sanyo RD 5030
Speakers - Realistic Nova 7b (best part of the system!)

I can honestly say that I have never been more proud of, or enjoyed more, a system. I worked my a$$ off for that thing! Ignorance really was bliss!
 
1966 - I had just graduated from college and signed a teaching contract for $5000. I thought I was loaded! I bought a suitcase type Sylvania stereo system > combo of TT and amp with 2 speakers that detached as the suitcase was opened. IIRC, the cost was about $100.
 
Mine was a 90s Sony AVR, 100 W/ch, a pair of Bose 201's, and a Discman. When I had recovered from the purchase of the AVR and speakers, I added a Sony 5-disc carousel, which capped out just out of warranty. Replaced that with a single disc Sony CDP, which I still use today.

That system got me all through college, my bachelor days, and into marriage. I spent a lot of hours listening to it happily. Doing homework, reading, etc.

Those old 201's are now in my bedroom system now with an old Sony AVR I rescued from the trash and an AT-LP60 turntable. :)
 
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For me it was Sansui SP-X6 speakers, Sony STR something 5.1 receiver and a Dual 1219 TT. Later upgraded to a Sansui 5900Z receiver and DCM KX-10 II speakers.

I still have the Dual (needs work), but I've sold the Sansui speakers and receiver, and donated the Sony to a thrift store.
 
A 1986 Pioneer stereo (amp, tuner, 6 CD changer, "dynamic expander", double cassette deck, and a set of pretty big speakers) - I still have the CD changer and speakers right now.....
 
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