What Was The First Audiophile Audio System You Owned?

[MylesBAstor]

Man I was on top of the world back then with my Dahlquists. Circa 1980.

Dahlquist DQ10 speakers (bought with money received as wedding gift!)
Musical Concepts Modded Hafler DH200 amplifier
Hafler DH101 (later van Alstine modded) preamplifier
Rega Planar 3 turntable
JVC 7045 arm (with adjustable VTA and at the time, Peter Aczel's darling)
Grace F9E cartridge
Nikko Gamma V tuner
BIC T3 cassette deck
Assorted Monster cable

[mep]

PS Audio 4H preamp, the "new" AR table with Sumiko MMT arm, Denon MC cartridge with matching SUT, Hafler DH-220 power amp with van alstine power supply mod, and my own design transmission line two way speakers with huge transmission line subs.

[MylesBAstor]

Ever pick up and TV stations on your PS Audio preamp?

[Audiocrack]

My first serious audio system were Goldmund dialogue loudspeakers with the Audio Innovations second (integrated) tube amp. At that time I was still using an old Thorens turntable with a very simple ortofon cartridge. And believe it or not: the system made music and was a lot of fun!

[Bill Hart]

Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by "audiophile." In 1973 or so, I had a Phase Linear 700 and Double Advents, wired in series, running a Panny SP-10 table and a Quintessence preamp. (The Quintessence wasn't common then and is largely forgotten now). By 1974-5, that had morphed into an ARC SP-3-a-1, Dual 75a (which I still own!) and a pair of Quad 57s. I kept using the Panny table for a long time. I have a photo -probably a Polaroid- of the front end. I'll try to scan it and post it. That was what- 40 plus years ago? Yikes!

[JackD201]

Definitely NOT high end but this is the first system I bought with saved up from allowance centavos.

SL-1200 Mk2
Cheapest Pioneer integrated
AR Rock Partner monitors
a Sony Discman
free giveaway ICs and 14g wire from the nearby hardware store

When I started working and moved up to saving pesos I jumped into HT.

Toshiba DVD
Onkyo Integra
B&W 600 series and later Energy Veritas
BUnch of monitors and integrateds in the bedroom from SETs, PP to SS

First Separates

ML No3 series components and Revels F30s then Maggie 1.7QR

on to tubes....

Von Schweikert VR-4s with BAT electronics and VPI turntables last one being a fully spec'd at the time HRX, kept the Levinson DAC

been Von Schweikert ever since going through 3 versions of the 4, two of the 5, two of the 9s and finally (i hope) the 11 Mk2s.

biggest regret: selling my Unifield 3 loudspeakers.

guilty pleasures: I still have a pair of original SL-1200 Mk2s and a pair of slightly modded SL-1200 M5G for DJ play albeit I play mostly digital now with Pioneer CDJ-2000 Nexus decks.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

1st- Stanton gyropoise turntable, kenwood ka-3500 integrated amp and epi 180 speakers (1976).

2nd- rega planer 2, grace 707, nad cartridge, nad 1020 preamp and acoustat monitors with servo charge amps built in (1982)

[Johnny Vinyl]

The very first music system I had was pretty much an all-RatShack/Realistic system. I was 17/18 and lived on my own in a small basement apartment. Probably had about 50 LPs, most of which I still have. Moved on to Pioneer components, Optonica (from Sharp), Kenwood (for their tuner), BIC Venturi and Revolver. It was a lot of fun!

[cpp]

first system, well first real system back in the early early 70's. While going to college up the road at UF, I was working at Ocala Music and Marine. He sold Marantz and Pioneer along with Fender and Gibson amp and guitars and VOX. I got myself a good deal on a Marantz Mode 32 amp, feed by a Marantz model 24 a pre-amp tuner combo feed by a Thorens TD150 ( I think hell I'm not sure but my cart could have been a Ortofon 520). Sounded pretty good way back. I had AR3a's and my room mate had JBL L100's. Man we rocked or thought we did.

[JackD201]

first system, well first real system back in the early early 70's. While going to college up the road at UF, I was working at Ocala Music and Marine. He sold Marantz and Pioneer along with Fender and Gibson amp and guitars and VOX. I got myself a good deal on a Marantz Mode 32 amp, feed by a Marantz model 24 a pre-amp tuner combo feed by a Thorens TD150 ( I think hell I'm not sure but my cart could have been a Ortofon 520). Sounded pretty good way back. I had AR3a's and my room mate had JBL L100's. Man we rocked or thought we did.

Oh, you definitely rocked!

[1morerecord2clean]

First "audiophile" system I had access to was my father's Sony all in one integrated system incl TT, receive, and speakers. He bought an Advent cassette deck to use with it. I was a sophomore in college and living at home. Loved that little system.

First "audiophile" system I owned consisted of a Philips TT, Kenwood receiver, and a pair of Gensis Loudspeakers-not the Arnie Nudell Genesis BTW. Loved that system too.

[Rob]

my mom bought us our first real system in the late '70s it was for my two siblings and me, I put the most miles on it (surprise). It was a Dual direct drive w/ Ortofon cart, and a stack of Onkyo separates (integrated amp, cassette deck and tuner) with Infinity 3-ways that had emit ribbon tweeters.

My first component system I bought for myself, still in college was a pair of Magnepan IICs, Bryston 3b and Kinergetics KCD 20 CD player with volume control, I could bypass a preamp and go straight into the amp.

Lots of 'upgrading' happened with in a year to where I realized I couldn't stand CDs and bought a Sota Sapphire TT and discovered the wonders of tube amplification. A TON of shit has happened since then, I forgot about more gear I've owned than gear I can remember owning but I do have a better recollection of what a certain record cost me or the toil I went through to acquire it.

[Bruce B]

After graduating from that awful Pioneer tower (though the R2R was a RT-707?)..... it was

Amp - Hafler
Pre - Apt/Holman
TT- Denon
Cart - Empire?
Cass - Tandberg
Graphic EQ - Soundcraftsman
Speakers - Mag MGII

[Doxycc]

Circa 1975 when I spent all my money earned from repaving driveways while in HS to buy:

Amp: Audio Research D76
Preamp: Audio Research SP-3a-1
TT: Linn Sondek
Cartridge: Grace F9E
Speakers: KLH 9

In hindsight, probably should have been content, kept it all and saved myself a lot of money over the years

[Rob]

damn, that's a nice system to have while in HS!

[MylesBAstor]

Understatement of the century! A neighbor downstairs had a similar system that he had bought from Lyric Hi-Fi. Only difference was that he had Timpani IIIs and a vdh cartridge. Sure the ends of your speaker cables though weren't rotting (this guy didn't believe in cables and used zip cord).

[mep]

Circa 1975 when I spent all my money earned from repaving driveways while in HS to buy:

Amp: Audio Research D76
Preamp: Audio Research SP-3a-1
TT: Linn Sondek
Cartridge: Grace F9E
Speakers: KLH 9

In hindsight, probably should have been content, kept it all and saved myself a lot of money over the years

That's one hell of a first system! Paving driveways must have paid real well.

[MylesBAstor]

Really!

[JackD201]

Double really!

[MylesBAstor]

Must have used gold cobblestones.

[allenh]

Man, you guys had some nice first systems. Does the ADS Atelier series of components (R1 receiver, P1 tt, C1 cassette deck) with Infinity speakers count? Changed to some Polk mini monitors when I blew the drivers on the Infinities. Was the best sound I could afford in HS!

If not, the next system leaped frog to AP Virgo IIs with Rowland electronics, many, many years later. :-)