Stereos We Used to Have (Fun)

[CDMC]

I thought this might be fun. What did you used to have? What was your first setup?

I will start, this is my system circa 1995-1996 when I was in grad school. It was:

• Dual Turntable- $40 used.
• Aiwa Cassette Deck- Approx $150 new.
• Parasound EQ- Never really used by was free, so why not.
• Carver Sonic Hologram Generator- $50 used. Fun and did some neat things with some music. Worked better with monopole speakers.
• Denon DCD-910 CD Player- $500 1/2 of off its $1,000 as a demo when purchased in 1988 with hard earned law mowing money.
• Audio Alchemy DDE 1.0 Dac- $200 as a demo closeout (new V1.1. was out). Was an improvement over the built in Denon DAC
• Adcom GTP-500II preamp- About $200. The Audio Research was a loaner, as I purchased the GTP used from a local dealer and the tuner didn't work (a common problem). They kindly let me use the used Audio Research while it was being repaired. I hated that Audio Research, it had a lot of gain and a resistor based volume knob with about 24 different levels, of which basically two were usable, too loud and too soft.
• Hafler DH-220- Purchased used from the same dealer $150.
• Magnepan SMGa- $250 used.
• Velodyne F1000 subwoofer- $500 used. Thanks to FEMA for the funds from stuff that I had damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

During the Mid 1990s there were a lot of dealers still around which gave many opportunities to go listen to different things and while not state of the art, I was never disappointed coming back to my system, even after listening to $5,000 speakers (which were very expensive then). I had this system until about 2001, after I had bought a house and had more room and acquired my dream Magnepan 2.7s.

 

[muslhead]

is that a duran duran half speed master I see on the floor?

 

[Chrispy]

My first one was based on my dad passing on his Fisher 500-C receiver to which I added a new Dual 1219 with Shure M91ED and some original Advent speakers....that was in 72 when I was in high school. Had that set for a few years before I changed the receiver to a Marantz 2270, used that gear for quite a while....

 

[CDMC]

I thought this might be fun. What did you used to have? What was your first setup?

I will start, this is my system circa 1995-1996 when I was in grad school. It was:

• Dual Turntable- $40 used.
• Aiwa Cassette Deck- Approx $150 new.
• Parasound EQ- Never really used by was free, so why not.
• Carver Sonic Hologram Generator- $50 used. Fun and did some neat things with some music. Worked better with monopole speakers.
• Denon DCD-910 CD Player- $500 1/2 of off its $1,000 as a demo when purchased in 1988 with hard earned law mowing money.
• Audio Alchemy DDE 1.0 Dac- $200 as a demo closeout (new V1.1. was out). Was an improvement over the built in Denon DAC
• Adcom GTP-500II preamp- About $200. The Audio Research was a loaner, as I purchased the GTP used from a local dealer and the tuner didn't work (a common problem). They kindly let me use the used Audio Research while it was being repaired. I hated that Audio Research, it had a lot of gain and a resistor based volume knob with about 24 different levels, of which basically two were usable, too loud and too soft.
• Hafler DH-220- Purchased used from the same dealer $150.
• Magnepan SMGa- $250 used.
• Velodyne F1000 subwoofer- $500 used. Thanks to FEMA for the funds from stuff that I had damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

During the Mid 1990s there were a lot of dealers still around which gave many opportunities to go listen to different things and while not state of the art, I was never disappointed coming back to my system, even after listening to $5,000 speakers (which were very expensive then). I had this system until about 2001, after I had bought a house and had more room and acquired my dream Magnepan 2.7s. View attachment 80189

Probably. I had a few, Boston, Pink Floyd. All are gone, digital only.

 

[paddycrow]

I still have Technics SL-1700 turntable I bought in 1977 and KEF 104/2 speakers I bought in 1988. The Carver C-1 preamp and M 500T stereo power amp bought in 1985 were gifted to my nephew who still has them (unfortunately, pretty beat up now).

Before the Carvers, I had a Lafayette LR-5000 Quadrophonic receiver (mostly used in stereo mode) bought around 1976. I don't even remember what I did with it. I've had more speakers than I could count, the KEFs are the only ones that stuck around. DCM Time Windows bought with the Carvers, sold to a friend who still has them.

Since then, it's been a blur of equipment and speakers. Too many to list.

 

[Robin L]

First system, 1973 [just turned 18]:

Only other ingredient was 18 gauge zip cord.

 

[mtmpenn]

I have been a DIY kind of guy in the past, although thinking of going commercial for the next round.

I don't have a picture of my first attempt at speaker building, but they were WayneJ's MorePee design (for morel and peerless the brands of the drivers used). They were very ugly. I tried to paint them gloss black using rattle can lacquer, and it did not go well. I gave them away to a kid via a craigslist ad. I have no idea what happened to them.

Next up was 5 of the Vifa Recession Busters. This was a budget kit speaker from Madisound. I made 5 of them, sealed, matte white, no grilles. I had them in a 5.1 setup with a projector, fanless htpc, and a cheap receiver. I really loved that setup. It is possible that I loved the projector more than anything else. In my current house I don't have a room that will work for the projector/surround sound setup. I have a nice TV, but it is just not the same. The speakers are in my basement, waiting for a new purpose and/or to be given away.

Then came the Tritrix towers, a transmission line kit from partsexpress designed by Curt Campbell. I liked the way they sounded a lot, particularly given their low price. I didn't keep them for long though. At the time I wasn't spending much time listening. Space was at a premium and so I gave them away to a friend. Interestingly, he then gave them to his brother, who is a singer/songwriter with several albums to his credit. He apparently still has them and uses them when listening to songs he is working on. I'm glad to know that they found a good home!

 

[CDMC]

I still have Technics SL-1700 turntable I bought in 1977 and KEF 104/2 speakers I bought in 1988. The Carver C-1 preamp and M 500T stereo power amp bought in 1985 were gifted to my nephew who still has them (unfortunately, pretty beat up now).

Before the Carvers, I had a Lafayette LR-5000 Quadrophonic receiver (mostly used in stereo mode) bought around 1976. I don't even remember what I did with it. I've had more speakers than I could count, the KEFs are the only ones that stuck around. DCM Time Windows bought with the Carvers, sold to a friend who still has them.

Since then, it's been a blur of equipment and speakers. Too many to list.

Love the 104/2 and still think about buying a reconditioned pair.

 

[Alexanderc]

Not as fun as the ones I’ve seen so far, but this was my “stereo” beginning my senior year of high school (not my picture, but mine was identical). It had a spot in my room or office until about 6 years ago. I owned it for over 20 years until I donated it to my daughter’s elementary school classroom.

 

[countbasey]

smga - i still listen to mine every night, including right now, as they have been my tv speakers for over 15 years. i upgraded the xovers in 2007 but apparently measurements would not show an improvement... i like them anyway.

 

[fløyen]

My first audio wasn't mine, but the one my brother left at home after going back to college - Technics SLB-2, VMS-20E, New Acoustic DIMENSION 3030 and AR25 speakers. As I could afford my own system, it was down to Unilet in New Malden for their sale to get a Cyrus 1 (considered a Naim Nait) and mordaunt short MS40s (first one), then up to Tottenham Court Rd for an Ariston RD80 SL, Linn LV-V and Ortofon MC10? Super. Hey, look, still using the amp nearly 40 years later...

 

[Doodski]

Cyrus 1

We couldn't keep those Cyrus amps in stock when they where a new and current model. Sold like hot cakes at the time.

 

[TimF]

I had a Koetsu Rosewood I really loved. Never, never, never refinish your home woodwork using steel wool if you have a turntable. The cartridge attracts the microscopic pieces of steel that gets deposited all over the house. The cartridge can be saved but the microscopic particles also get attracted to the static on record albums. You guys probably all know about this hazard though.

 

[muslhead]

my first big stereo expenditure started while in my second year of college

 

[jsrtheta]

First system, 1973 [just turned 18]:
View attachment 80308View attachment 80309View attachment 80310View attachment 80311
Only other ingredient was 18 gauge zip cord.

This was the ne plus ultra of 1968.

 

[jsrtheta]

First actual stereo: Electro-Voice E-V 1144A, 1969. Garrard table (cheap). Thought it was way cool. Before that, at home, a Webcor home stereo. The cheapest one.

 

[Kouioui]

In the late 60s I had an Electro-Voice integrated receiver with a built-in Garrard changer on top that connected to two speaker cubes with corners that bounced sound off walls ala Bose and active negative feedback bass distortion cancellation. Wish I could remember the name of the system or find a pic of it but Stereo Review gave it a good write-up and it was affordable for a 12-year old mowing lawns.

Started building my own Dynaco tuner, preamp, and 120W amps to pair with AR 5 speakers and AR turntable shortly after. JBL 4310s, Dynaco 400 power amp, Crown 700 reel-to-reel deck next. Still have two open reel decks I've held onto (Technics 1500, Pioneer 909) but rarely use and a Sony linear tracking turntable with an Advent 300 receiver as a phono preamp.

Been thru an amazing amount of gear over the years ending up with the modest desktop/mobile setup listed below.

 

[Robin L]

This was the ne plus ultra of 1968.

"Consumers Report" approved.

 

[Doodski]

In the early years I went through a Sears full system with 8 track and a turntable. Upgraded to a Pioneer cassette deck with worn heads and then found Technics. Technics supplied my turntable needs for near 10 years, then I found moving coil technology and I found the Technics EQ's and integrateds of the time to be satisfying and ran Energy and dB+ speakers. Then I had a ancient Illinois Audio Labs tube pre and some inexpensive East German RFT speakers. Then I got a JA Michell turntable, a high end Sony CD player and tri amp'd system with ~900 watts available and used a 3 way car audio crossover with some KEF transmission line speakers and used Altec horns on top for mids. Then I got some GAS, SAE, Threshold, Krell and Kinergetics Research gear with more KEFs. Over the years in between I survived off the electronics and speakers that I won in sales contests. In all I had won 14 different pairs of speakers and many Yamaha pieces. Now I am into my pooder and have a powerful unit that I use for everything but office work and it supplies my audio needs via Sennheiser HD 598SR headphones. My end game right now is aimed at getting Sennheiser HD820's or something in that range. I haven't figured that part out fully.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I left home to do an engineering apprenticeship in 1968. I had a lot of records but was completely unaware of hifi, we had a radiogram at home for my Mum and me but my Dad had zero interest in music, he was completely deaf in one ear and didn't hear that well in the other either.
I looked at getting a record player, then read a few magazines. I already had my mono valve tape recorder which I had been using for years and I ordered a Garrard SL75 record deck from a local shop in Huddersfield but when it came it had neither plinth nor cartridge, which I hadn't expected.
I had spent all my money by then .
I found a cheap ceramic cartridge which, wired in mono, could be connected to the microphone input of my tape recorder and give a reasonably listenable result for listening to my LPs. I had 4 cups the same size so upended them on the table and sat the 4 decoupling spring/foams onto them in lieu of a plinth.
I spent all my spare money (which wasn't a lot) to get something stereo up and running, a heathkit amp and kit speakers using Wharfedale 8" RS/DD "full range" drivers and a home made plinth and dust cover.
This was my system for a couple of years and allowed me to enjoy my music.