BusaDude Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 In 1980, at the age of 14, I took my entire savings and went to BEST Products and bought a Pioneer receiver (SX-3800 was $390 if I remember correctly) and some Pioneer speakers. The receiver purchase was based mainly on my reading an article about the SX-3900, in Stereo Review. My old boombox was plugged in to the receiver and served as my cassette deck. That was my first good audio system. Had great sound (or so I thought at the time) and plenty of volume for disturbing the parental units. A year or two later a trip to Pacific Stereo netted an Akai GX-F71 cassette deck ($400) to replace the boombox. That served as my system until 85 or 86 when I bought my first CD player (Sony CDP-102 for $430). There were no other changes until 1989 when I purchased my first set of Klipsch speakers (Forte's - $1130). I still have the Forte's (my brother has them actually), receiver, cassette deck and CD player... The Pioneer and Sony still work and are used today. The Akai fell silent long ago due to a lack of parts (capstan roller). There were several other purchases along the way, but currently I have in my main 6.1 system... McIntosh 7270 Denon AVR-4800 Pioneer DV-563A Sony CDP-102 (from above) Chorus II's - Front Left/Right Forte II's - Center Front/Back Quartet's - Surrounds Definitive Technology PF-15TL+ (Sub) I just picked up another set of Chorus II's (for $400) and will probably integrate them into the 6.1 system if I can find the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 1974 Sansui integrated amp don't remember model, was pretty big... Dual 1219 turntable Shure M91 ED cartridge Electro Voice Interface D speakers Emerson Lake and Palmer "Tarkus" was first album I ever bought aside from kiddy records Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 For me I had a Fisher Console. 50 watts per side, BSR TT, Pickering Cartridge, then I decided to move up. Klipsch Heresys Yamaha CR-1000 Sony TC-377 R-R TapeDeck Sony TC-755 R-R Tape Deck Thorens TT with I believe Pickering Cartridge Koss Pro 4AA Headphones Sony Cassette Deck dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 Just found the receipt to my Pro4AA's dated June 15, 1983...price?.....$27.95+tax. They need some new ear pads (they went flat a long time ago) and wearing them too long will make the top of your head feel like it's getting a lobotomy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtkinney Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 I was a geek in high school (mid 70's)and built a bunch of Heathkit separates. The preamp was comparable to the Pioneer components and the power amp (125 wpc) was a rip-off of a B&K design. Also had Heathkit speakers, Dual 1249 with Shure V15/III, Dokorder then Pioneer reel to reel, Pioneer then Teac cassette deck. I have all the Heath stuff the turntable and Teac deck. The Heath stuff still works when I drag it out and plug it in, even the speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeesGuy Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 My first real system consisted of the following: Scott 399A receiver BIC 920 TT BIC T-1 two speed cassette BIC Formula 4 speakers (horn Mids) Audio Control 120B EQ Of that stuff, I still have the T-1 and the 120B (both in the closet) Speakers since then: Thiel 04's, Maggie SMGa's, Infinity RS-111b's, Thiel 1.2's, Maggie MMG's, Paradigm Titans, Paradigm 3SE mini's, Klipsch KG-3.5's, Klipsch SF-2's, and currently---an older pair of Paradigm 11's. Hey, I'm Klipschless right now! - Help Me!! Help Me!! -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theryugobuddy Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 circa 1975-nubile 15 year old kid-owned- Marantz 2230-30 watt receiver--roomate in college fried it Dual turntable -- thing wouldn't die-until CDs introduced Electro Voice speakers--re-coned, currently in my office Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomski Posted December 17, 2004 Share Posted December 17, 2004 When I was 16 I bought a 45wpc H/K I cant for the life of me remember what model # it was? It had the grey nubs on the knobs At that same time I also bought the JVC QLF6 TT and a pair of DLK/3s I still have the JVC and the DLKs My parents were disappointed in my purchase,They wanted me to buy a car instead My DLKs were around the typical 88db/1watt so when I went to Cornwalls in 83 their sound outputs were night and day different. I remember my first song on the corns was "Do you feel like we do" And yes I did I will allways remember that day Tomski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclonecj Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 They say a picture is worth a thousand words...... Yea, that's me, 3-4 years old , I think I was listening to a Burl Ives record.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 Reading this thread brings back memories. My first real system was a Connoisseur turntable with a Grace 707 and a Stanton 680E pickup cartridge, NAD 3020 amplifier and Acoustic Research AR17 loudspeakers. Later I introduced Rogers LS3/5a's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 Hey Tom...Koss pro4aa in Team electronics 1973 cat. are 60.00 so in 1983 how could they be less? did you get them on sale?...rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 ---------------- On 12/18/2004 2:24:27 AM ricktate wrote: Hey Tom...Koss pro4aa in Team electronics 1973 cat. are 60.00 so in 1983 how could they be less? did you get them on sale?...rick ---------------- They probably were. I remember seeing the newspaper ad and scrounging up some change for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 It was a yikes Realistic Integrated Amp, gold in color with midrange control, I believe. I always hated FM, didn't see the need to drop bucks on a tuner when I wouldn't be using it. SPeakers were Altec Model 7 from local CMC hi-fi shop. Garrard record changer quickly followed by Technics Direct Drive SL 1700. Had a little Fisher stereo cassette deck (plastic) that had DOLBY! wwwhhooooo It was straight uphill from then on... Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted December 19, 2004 Moderators Share Posted December 19, 2004 Wow, some really neat stuff listed on here. Some of which bring back some fond memories. I wish I could look up the salesman at our local high-end stereo store to say how sorry I was for hanging out there for hours and hours without spending a dime. I lucked out a great deal. My father worked for Ampex so, needless to say, I had the state of the art reel to reel coupled with commercial studio grade tube amps and preamps. I also got all of my fathers Mac stuff as hand-me-downs every time he upgraded. He switched from Klipsch to the AR-1 when it was all the rage. He told me that was the reason he went to Dyna amps, that was the only Amp at the time that would drive an AR-1. Thank goodness he went back to Klipsch and he liked to upgrade almost every year. I still have a lot of the Ampex equipment, all tube, all analog. Some stil workds great, some I am still searching for parts. The Mac stuff is all stll perfect. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 My first GOOD system... Denon DCD-3520 CD player SimAudio Celeste 4070 power amp SimAudio Celeste 4008 preamp Dynaudio Contour 1.1 w/Atlantis Reference stands (the contours were just introduced) Cardas cables all around Panamax power conditioner Updated a year after purchase to Audio Research tube preamp(ah what a improvement),the erst stayed that way for two years. simple but very effective Today I have moved forth on both quantity and quality.Having two dedicated rooms full of audio goodies And many $$$$$$ in audio.No regrets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 The first time I was really, really happy with a system--somewhere around 1980, give or take a year or so: Quad ESL 57 Linn LP12 -SME 3009-Decca London Gold (arm is now Fini's!) Pair of Marantz 9 McIntosh MX-110 preamp/tuner This was the first time in my life that I assembled a system and could just sit there and smile and say "DAMN!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Here was mine: Fairchild mono preamp, 255 (30-watt) amp; Klipsch Shorthorn Model T; Ampex 934 tape playback unit; Fairchild 232 cartridge w/transformers (I don't recall the TT/TA, think there was a series at the time). Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Damn Larry, you're an oldtimer. I bet that rig would sound better than most today do, mono as it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 ---------------- On 12/19/2004 6:55:08 PM TBrennan wrote: Damn Larry, you're an oldtimer. I bet that rig would sound better than most today do, mono as it was. ---------------- Thanks a lot, Tom! Stereo was around, but I started slow and small. Yep, very fine sound, & the 15WK "T" was a great speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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