Your first gear.

[MotorToad]

It's been a long time since I've had a group of people that understood the hobby. Almost all my friends are into music, but it's either electronica or they're in really horrid bar bands. Reading through the forum reminds me a lot of my journey through more and more gear, always upgrading or at least lusting after something... Tell us what gear you've gone through since you gave up on the everything-in-a-box Emerson system (where the speakers plugged into the cardboard back of the system with RCA plugs) that your dad got you from K-mart. So here it is for me.

First, right out of high school was a Technic receiver and tape deck, with big Fisher tower speakers I got from Monkey Ward's. My dad had (I now have) a Fisher tube tuner (R-200) and their first solid state integrated amp (TX-300), which I knew were about as good as you could get in the day. I didn't know that Fisher had been bought and were making McAudio in the '80s.

The Fishers fell to some Pinnacle PN-7s (?) and the receiver to my present NAD 2100 and B&K Pro 5 pre. The NAD was a bit much for the woofers in the little Pinnacles and those got replaced with the Mirage M-490 bookshelfs that just got crushed by my new Sequels.

Somewhere along the way I've also picked up an Advent Model 300 receiver that's been my shop tunes for a decade or so. It's a neat little unit.

[pause here] I was looking for some photos of this thing, and I might just have to sell it. IIRC, I paid $20, maybe $30 for it at a pawn shop or a garage sale. I just found one on ebay for $190. YIKES!

Gratuitous photo of the Fisher tuner (can't find the amp).

 

[Spike]

Here's a blast from the past

My first piece was this integrated from Kyocera, purchased in the fall of 1985. The interesting thing to note with this 45lbs tank is the sculpted ceramic base! What do you expect from ... the company whose name is Kyoto Ceramic? Still going strong driving a pair of Maggies 1B for my bedroom system. SWEET sound!

Spike

 

[Charliemike]

The diversification of Japanese corporations is amazing.

 

[miljac]

Thorens TD-126 MkIII

plays today too, still remarkable after 28 years

Next piece:

Mission 770 Mk II

they still sound nice after 26 years

and I'm still crazy after all these years

 

[aerius007]

The very first audio gear I bought was a Yamaha rxv-992. I worked at an audio store and was 19-20 years old. I still use the Yama in my HT system. I didnt have any speakers so the next piece was ML Aerius i's, followed by energy rears, Sunfire sub, and a Cinema center channel. All of that gear was a strong load for the Yama to handle but it did. When I had the money I bought an Acurus 200X 3 for the fronts and rear. About a year after that I bought a Krell KAV-250a for the Aerius. All of that was by the age of 21. I had a rusty car, lived a cheap apartment and had maybe 3 pairs of jeans.

 

[Pcar928fan]

A Hitachi AM/FM/TT/Cassplayer combination thing that came w/a pair of speakers. I then added a pair of Radio Shack Realistic speakers that I STILL HAVE! They are in the Formal living room powered by my Rotel RB1050 as a zone 2 pair off the Rotel RSP 1098 processor! They were out in the garage as that zone 2 location till I sold the Aerius i speakers last Dec, then they moved inside for the holidays. I will probably move them back to the garage and let the MBL 101's take their place next week or the following...whenever we can make the flight out to get the 101's... Oh, they still sound fine too, they were never very good, but not terrible either!

 

[TomDac]

My first "system" was a Monteverdi record player with two speakers. I think I was 12 or so.

By the time I learned to drive, I got a Sansui receiver that had a built in cassette deck. It was cheap, but let me record LPs to cassette. SWEET!!!!

Then I ran away from home.. joined the Navy and got sent overseas.

 

[Dreamer]

My first system was a Technics receiver (Don't remember the model number), a JVC TDW-999 dual-well cassette deck I got from J&R Music in NY, a set of BSR 3-way speakers I bought from DAK, and a BSR EQ-3000 (also from DAK). It was wired with Monster ICs and some Monster 14ga zip cord speaker cables.

I was in college, and was working in the radio station, so I had access to all sorts of nice broadcast-quality gear. I would buy vinyl (or borrow from teh station's stacks) and make tapes in the production studio, using a QRK turntable and a Nakamichi cassette deck. Sounded pretty good to my 19-year-old ears.

I built my own turntable from the guts reclaimed from an old Philco console--built my own case/plinth, and mounted the motor. platter, and tonearm,and re-wired it all. I think I had a cheap Shure cart on it, and to my 20-year old ears, it sounded pretty decent, and was even more satisfying because I could tell people I had built it myself. I got a lot of compliments on that wacky-looking turntable. All the metal parts were spray-painted gold, and the wood was all painted gloss black.

My Junior year in college I bought a Carver M-200t and a Carver Wide-band Z-coupler, and ran the speakers from that, through the receiver. It opened my eyes (ears?!?) to a whole new sort of sound quality, and began my life-long decent into perpetual Joey-itis.

When one of my college dorm-mates bought a Sony CD player in 1987 (our Senior year), we hooked it up to my rig, and we were just BLOWN away.

It's been a very fun (and wallet-draining) adventure for me over the last 20 years. Now I have over 500watts of Carver amplification, Martin Logan speakers, and cables that cost more for a pair than my whol college rig cost..

Does all this new tech sound better? Sure it does--by a long shot. Has my enthusiasm slacked off or have I become jaded in all the years of listening to high-end gear? Not one iota. I still get jazzed when I get a new component, or a new set of cables, or a new recording. Some folks might say I haven't grown up a bit when it comes to my obsession with audio. I look at it in a different way--I still retain my youthful wonder at and excitement over a VERY fun hobby. The way I see it, people who are our age and are NOT on fire about something that brings joy into their lives are just missing the whole reason for living.

After all, it's all about the MUSIC! (and the good Scotch, and yummy desserts, and cuddling with my sweety, and keepng my brain alive by constantly challenging myself, etc, etc.)

--Richard

 

[Zero]

Polk Audio RT2000p's. Talk about FUN speakers... I still miss em'.

 

[Statman]

Once upon a time

First system was a Pioneer 434 receiver and a Dual Turntable and homemade 3way speakers. This was back in 1975. How many of you here were around then? LOL

 

[JonFo]

Let’s see, just after high-school is when I got my first personal system, it consisted of a top loading cassette deck with Dolby B (big innovation in 1977 ;-) a Sansui receiver and some Cerwin Vega speakers with 12” woofers. But I lusted after much better.

30 years later, it’s quite different…

I can barely imagine what my own reaction would have been had I been able to hear my current system as a young man, I’d never believe audio could ever be that good, or that I’d be lucky enough to enjoy it daily.

Thanks for bring back the memories, and for reminding us to appreciate what we have now.

 

[MotorToad]

My first system was a Technics receiver (Don't remember the model number), a JVC TDW-999 dual-well cassette deck I got from J&R Music in NY, a set of BSR 3-way speakers I bought from DAK, and a BSR EQ-3000 (also from DAK). It was wired with Monster ICs and some Monster 14ga zip cord speaker cables.

I had completely and totally forgotten about the DAK catalogs. My brother had some when I was a wee kid. He's 12 years older than me so imagine just how insanely sci-fi neat that stuff was to me at that age! http://www.dak.com/ there goes a few hours

When one of my college dorm-mates bought a Sony CD player in 1987 (our Senior year), we hooked it up to my rig, and we were just BLOWN away.

I remember when I heard a CD for the first time. My best friend in high school had a Technic rack system (you remember those, separate components in a rack with a glass door ;-)) and his 'rents got him a CD player. So awesome! Tapes (metal by then) of CDs sounded better than store-bought tapes.

 

[miljac]

I can remember hearing the first CD player in '82 or so. The sound was not a match (by far!) for Thorens TD-126 MkIII/Grace G-707/Supex 2200R combination that I had then.

 

[SugarMedia]

This was my first turntable at 6 years of age. :rocker:

 

[Tube60]

Wow.... this is a great thread!
For me: 1st system was a Webcor receiver, circa 1970 or so, and the speakers and Garrard turntable that my dad gave me when I was about ten years old, after he upgraded to a Yamaha quad receiver, RogerSoundlabs 12" three-ways and a B.I.C. turntable, which he guarded jealously and with deep suspicion from the rest of the family.
Next up was a Mitsubishi Z-40 all-in-one system that I, and my sister as well, received for high school graduation in 1984. They were $1200.00 at the time! And they sounded terrific for what they were. My sister's example had a CPU failure in the early 90s (I blame it on an allergic reaction to Janet Jackson) and she gave it to me for spare parts. I sold them both to an enthusiast in 2005.
After that, I bought a Curtis-Mathes tube console at a thrift shop in 1994 for fifty bucks. I re-capped it and replaced a few tubes, and I was blown away by the sound quality of it, in spite of it being a console! Massive thing; it was over six feet long. I learned all about imaging and clarity with that thing.
In 1995, I bought an early Fisher stereo from a soon to be lifelong friend (thanks Dan if you read this) for seventy five bucks. How early? First you bought the tuner/speaker, and then you bought the extra amp/speaker combo, then the FM multiplex converter! I scrapped the main chassis some time ago, saving the power transformer and the outboard amp, which I still have. While it was running I was able to enjoy the famous Fisher sound!
Next up was the Trio receiver which I've described in the thread titled World's nastiest HT setup? which is an incredibly sweet sounding rig, which is why I still have it.
For a while I also owned a Harman/Kardon A500 integrated amp, sourced from my good friend Dan. I messed around with it to the point of blowing it up, trying to sweeten up the sound of it, to no avail.
After that, I bought my present McIntosh MX-110 tuner-preamp and Harman/Kardon Citation II, both of which I carefully restored and upgraded; indeed my first high-end system. Then last year I got my Sequels, and the rest as they say is history!
Now I'm in the process of constructing my own amplifiers, and eventually my own preamp; I'm considering gutting my Trio receiver for that.

 

[Robin]

The Long And Winding Audio Road...

As a kid 10-12 years old, I had a Craig Clock radio, which I modified to use the two speakers, I hand built out of particle board, which I painted and covered with speaker cloth myself.
Then 12-15 yrs. old I purchased a Lloyd's stereo - one box (AM/FM tuner/receiver/TT) and I really started my record collection. Every two new starting subscriptions I sold for my paper route, I got my choice of any LP I wanted. I just gave the manager the title and the next week I had my new LP album. Those were the days... Needless to say my LP record collection quickly grew as well as my paper route. I had multi colored tie dyed sheets and posters of the Beatles and the Doors everywhere around my bed room at the time. It was at this time, I also owned my VOX Jaguar organ and VOX ~ 1966 AC30 Super Twin amplifier - with chrome wheeled frame and twin twelve inch speaker cabinet. My gauge band days... (See Photo's Below)

My first serious audio gear was around about, 1976, and my Mitsubishi MGA 800 series set ~ receiver, tuner, TT and three way floor standing speakers with stereo rack. I can't find any photos of this system (I'm still looking). I have found a MCD TT which looks similar (Please See Below)...

Around about 1980 ~ My next gear was my attempt at a HT 5.1 system -->
Pioneer's VSX-608 receiver 100 watts / channel. A 10" Kenwood powered (200 Watt) subwoofer. My Mains were Cerwin Vega three ways with 12" woofers. Cerwin Vega surrounds (two way). Cerwin Vega center a single 8" oval cone (70 watt) speaker. I still have all of this gear stored in my gauge and will be giving them to my son if he wants them, or maybe a audio museum.
My sources were: First a Mitsubishi VHS player (top loading) 1981 version, then later Sony VHS machines. I purchased a Pioneer Laser Disc player in 1985(not functioning & stored in the gauge with what's left over of my $5K Laser disc collection 20 disc's). I also used several cheapy Sony DVD players as well.

2004 My current system began ~ Please See ~ My System #57... :cheers:

 

[bahamaman]

Robin - love the Vox keyboard! I started with the lowly (and cheesy) Farfisa, then graduated to a Hammond B3 and dual Leslies :rocker:

My audio quest started inauspiciously in the early 80s with a Pioneer integrated, Pioneer TT, and some horrible speakers whose brand I've long since forgotten.

 

[joe29001]

I got my first real equipment (a separate component, anyways) as a gift in the early-mid 80's. I remember that it was a Magnavox single CD player, with an orange seven-segment LED display, don't recall the model number. Soon after that, I sold the Magnavox to a friend and upgraded to a Pioneer 6-disc cartridge-style changer, and then a few more similar changers, through similar deals.

Soon after acquiring my first CD player, I purchased a second-hand, partially-functional Marantz 1152 DC integrated amp from a local TV/HiFi shop. A good cleaning (cosmetics and a few dirty/scratchy pots & switches) was all it needed - it apparently lived in a smoker's home. Some 20 years later, I'm still using this amp in my basement & it sounds as good as ever (better, in fact than the far more expensive NAD T763 AV receiver upstairs).

About the same time, I acquired some Realistic 12" 3-way speakers (Optimus 50) at a neighbor's yard sale. These were upgraded/repaired throughout the years with various Realistic/Motorola/MTX components and still provide the sound in my basement (along with the 1152 DC amp).

A few years later, I received a new Technics RS-BR465 cassette deck for Christmas (came from the same store as the 1152 DC amp). I don't listen to many tapes anymore, but I've still got this piece of equipment in my basement (along with the Marantz/Realistic equipment).

For digital audio in my basement, I'm using a Harman/Kardon DVD changer that quit reading most DVD's (still plays CD's OK though).

I've had lots and lots of equipment through the years (heck, I've got 3 systems now - main house, basement & garage), and I'm actually surprised that I've still got my first 'real' amp, speakers & tape deck.

Still looking to upgrade my main system, but haven't found a new AV receiver that can match the 2-channel sound quality of my old Marantz amp.

 

[amey01]

It was all purchased together - a Harman/Kardon 3350 receiver (still in use as tuner), a Harman/Kardon 7225 CD Player and a pair of KEF K120 speakers. It was amazing (at the time!)

 

[Robin]

VOX Jaguar Organ & VOX Super Twin Amp/Speakers...

Robin - love the Vox keyboard! I started with the lowly (and cheesy) Farfisa, then graduated to a Hammond B3 and dual Leslies

bahamaman,

Welcome to the ML Club!

Yes, well it was sooo much fun at the time. I got to not only play, this wonderful organ but sing and dance for everyone. I am (was) quite a energetic performer...