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First components: Technics reciever with "matching" Technics speakers. First actual piece of equipment: AM transistor radio, as a gift from my grandmother when I was 6.

Fisher 500TX Dynaco A-25's Dual 1219 with Pickering XV-15/750 and Shure V15/III Teac 350 top load cassette recorder

I had a number of make-shift systems but my first REAL SYSTEM consisted of a Fischer 500T Receiver,a pair of KLH Model 5 Speakers, a Dual 1009 SK turntable, a Pickering phono cartridge... the exact cartridge model has been removed from my memory bank, any old speaker wire 18 gauge or better & the stock interconnects that came with the Dual. Although I greatly procrastinated on all of my buying choices ... I mean, I REALLY researched each purchase, I was never able to warm up to the system...that's how I got started in high end. I'm a happy camper these days however. My current system is nothing like my first system, all seperates, tube electronics, Maggies, a moving coil, upsamlping, my good,old, faithful Music Meter cables & interconnects and my even older "The New" AR turntable with a Linn Basik arm. What hasn't changed though, is my "take your time" approach to buying, a recommended practice.

My first true system was a bit of a freak: a Gradiente (Mexican tube gear which sounded really good) preamp that took forever to heat up and thus give out any signal; a huge, heavy and not too good sounding Crown power amplifier (I believe it was rated at 500Wpc, which was outrageous for 1984); a Fisher turnable; and a pair of really enormous self-made three-way speakers with a 12" woofer, two mid drivers, and a horn tweeter. The speakers really sounded good, but were bigger than some I now see in concerts!, I made them with my brother and took them everywere since we were party DJs at the time. They were made in cheap wood and no internal bracing or any kind of filling in the inside. That system was fun!

In 1956: Bogen mono tube amp, Bogen FM mono tuner, Rec-O-Kut turntable on a home-made base, GE arm with GE cartridge, and a GE 12" Golden coaxial speaker in a home-made enclosure.

Dynaco amp and preamp, both self assembled kits. Jensen 15" coax speakers mounted in self constructed enclosure. Dual turntable, Shure cartridge.

Marantz 2030 receiver(still have it) Marantz imperial 7 speakers, Dual turntable, Sony tape deck, and kenwood cd player. Good for high school and college. The speakers didn't survive the bear though. :(

1) Adcom 60W power amp (535) (Stereophile Class B in 1986?) 2) Sony ES series cd players from 3 series thru 6 series, connected to power amp via QED passive volume control 3) ADC acoustic suspension floorstanders. Later used as bass boxes via a custom-made crossover, mated to a pair of Kef C35s 4) Sonex acoustic treatment and various monster and Hitachi LC-OFC cables

The year was 1969: Sansui receiver, KLH Model 12 floorstanding speakers, and an AR turntable. I liked the sound a lot when I bought it, but in 1980 when the Sansui died, I replaced it with a Sony STR V-55 receiver and also replaced the AR with a United Audio Dual 1228 turntable. Those two changes really brought the Model 12s to life and I enjoyed the reborn system for many more years. Thanks for raising the question, Mark.

Eico HF-85 Preamp,power amp and tuner 1965

Eico HFT90 tuner, HF20 integrated, and a single 15" Stromberg-Carlson coaxial speaker in a Lafayette Radio reflex cabinet. Don't remember what the changer (of course) was, but the cartridge sure was a Shure! Mono, naturally

Technics 55 watt receiver and belt drive turntable. Audio Technica cartridge. Akai CR83D 8 track recorder(stop laughing). No name speakers, but big!

GE VAR.REL. CART-CARARD CHANGER-GROMMES INT.AMP HARTLY-TURNER SPEAKER bROOKS TUNER.

One day (ca. 1975), my dad brought home a Zenith all-in-one system (receiver, turntable, eight-track) with two vented speakers (6" woofers, horn tweeters). I enjoyed a LOT of muisc on that system. Then I happened to walk by a Tech Hifi store and picked up a copy of "The Hifi Book". It was lust at first sight. That pretty much was the beginning of the end for me. The only trouble is, I've loved every minute of this silly "hobby".

Amp: 14w tube homebrew, based on a Danish kit. Speakers: Homebrew, based on SEAS drivers. Record player: Garrard SP25. Not exactly high end, but this was what I could afford as a schoolboy in 1966.

pioneer 30w receiver; pioneer direct drive turntable; marantz loudspeakers, all ca 1979

My very first system? Outside of the Fisher Price model I had in my crib? I had a a super cheapo Emerson stereo turntable... it was the best rig in the whole first grade!

Kenwood reciever, JBL L46, Technics TT, Aiwa Tape, RS cables.

This was the system that I bought went I went away to college in 1970: a Pioneer PL 41 turntable, purchased used from a pawn shop for $30; I cannot remember what cartridge was on that thing; and a Sansui FM-only receiver, model unknown, purchased used from a television store for about $100 (on layaway). I remember thinking it was so cool to have FM only. I also had a pair of AR2a monitors, which I bought used from a classmate for about $50 and a case of beer. I think he was upgrading to AR3as. Somewhere in there was also a pair of Koss Pro 4AA headphones, but maybe those came later. (I think I actually bought those new!) I listened a lot to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Grand Funk Railroad, and the Jefferson Airplane.

It was an old Decca 8 track (100Wpc). That thing used to rock! I paid $50 for it, used. I still have it and a bunch of 8-track tapes. It brings back fond memories just thinking about it.

I wasn't able to get everything a one time since my income at the time consisted of a paper route but I started with a Nikko TRM600 integrated amp,BIC 940 turntable,Kenwood 5300 tuner and finally I was able to replace those old speakers I'd taken out of old radios with a pair of 3 way Pioneers with 10" woofers. I wore out my Zepplin and Black Sabbath albums on that system. About 10 years ago I pulled the amp and tuner out of the attic and gave them to to my son to use, which he still does to this day.

My first stereo was a Sears unit with 8-track tape and Garrard turntable. The two vinyl-clad speakers sometimes served as headphones, as I lay on the floor with the speakers on either side of my head blasting into my ears. It's a wonder I'm not deaf. But I caught the hi-fi bug and soon started to upgrade.

Well I really couldn't tell you who the manufacturer was, but it was a dinky 8-track plastic number with detachable speakers that I got for Christmas when I was in junior high (back in the '60s). Featured music was Aretha Franklin, very early Cream, and The (Young) Rascals. Fun times!

Pioneer SX 680 Reciever Technics SL20 Turntable AudiosphereResearchSpeaker

In the early '70's: Lafayette (remember them?)30 WPC receiver & a pair of 2-way large bookshelf speakers. A couple of years later I upgraded to a Technics quad receiver and then a pair og Genesis 2+ speaker...and I still hace those darlings now doing garage duty!

My first system was purchased as a college student 27 years ago for $650. It served me well for many years. Though I've long since upgraded, I kept all the components and recently gave several of them to my 8-year-old to start his first system. My first system consisted of: Advent 300 receiver, Genesis 1 speakers, Technics DD Turntable, Shure V 15 cartridge

Onkyo tuntable, Onkyo integrated amplifier, Wharfedale Linton XP Loudspeakers

OH yes. My first component system was one i shopped for myself. First picked out a nice set of KLH bookshelf speakers and then got a Yamaha integrated amp and tuner. Source was a Dual turntable with an Ortofon cartridge. Sounded JUST fine to me, a 25 year old. It cost $1,000 total and was my 25th birthday present to myself. Speakers and turntable are long gone, but Yamahas are still being used by my brother. Talk about value!

A combination unit with AM/FM and record changer built by Lloyds. I remember playing the Mystic Moods Orchestra on it as the centerpiece for a planned (hopeful) seduction.

Realistic all-in-one from Radio Shack, bought at the tender age of eight. It had a tuner, cassete, 8-track, and turntable all together. I was in heaven.