What was the first major component/system that turned you..?????

[sharkmouth]

Once you have heard, "really good".....???
How do you know?...
What is the benchmark....
What was the first major component/system that turned you..?????

For me it was the first Pioneer car system I heard in the 80's that was done right & from there I just thought wow & still do.....

[Mr Peabody]

For me, I worked in an audio store late 80's into early 90's, we had stuff like Kenwood, Infinity, Carver, one day though I went into the service area and heard sound like I haven't heard before and that was just using Kenwood speakers, asked what was goin on, my friend had a Mac tube amp hooked up. The presence, or, 3D type sound was new to my ears, sweeet. There have been "ah" moments since, but, that one was the first I remember having that type of a lasting experience.

Now, we built, some bombastic auto systems, but, that's a different thing. As an example, the guys built a multiple Electro-Voice driver system into the dumper of a monster truck. The era I was in the business car audio was really peaking. When the dumper was up it was like their wall of sound. A bunch of 1,000 watt Kenwood autoamps into E-V.

[Penthouse-D]

Nakamichi PA-7 (Nelson Pass designed) CA-5, ST-7, Nakamichi CD. Infinity Ren. 90's. Pearl Jam never sounded so good...lol Late 80's....

[Mechnutt]

Back in the 1970's I heard a Marantz receiver and speakers and then around 1980 or so, I heard a system in an apartment in Brooklyn, NY that had a pair of 3 panel Magnepans and also a pair of Bose 901's that the guy switched back and forth depending upon his mood. That turned me on to Magnepans and high power systems.

[a.wayne]

Pr of Dyna ST70’s with Goodmans monitors circa 1973 ....

[nicoludio]

Acoustat Spectra 2200 driven by, I believe, Classe Audio electronics. The violin was so palpable, floating in the middle of the room.

[DSkip]

Buying a set of Polk SR5250 and SR104 for my Camaro when I was in my early 20's. The 5250's were $900 components and the 104 was a $300 subwoofer, both of which were built to be the transcendental car audio speakers for sound quality. I still enjoy feeling the music, but I quickly became enthralled with what happened in the music as well.

It's pretty incredible to think that in that eight to ten year span, I've gone from scavenging for audio as a young college kid to now having five figure amps and speakers seemingly all over the house. << I hope this doesn't come across as bold. I literally just realized the transition thanks to this thread.

[sharkmouth]

Buying a set of Polk SR5250 and SR104 for my Camaro when I was in my early 20's. The 5250's were $900 components and the 104 was a $300 subwoofer, both of which were built to be the transcendental car audio speakers for sound quality. I still enjoy feeling the music, but I quickly became enthralled with what happened in the music as well.

It's pretty incredible to think that in that eight to ten year span, I've gone from scavenging for audio as a young college kid to now having five figure amps and speakers seemingly all over the house. << I hope this doesn't come across as bold. I literally just realized the transition thanks to this thread.

Perzackery... that pretty much sums up my line of thought with this thread. It pays to use the mirror every now & then instead of chasing our tails .... or tales ....

[jdandy]

My first exposure to great sound in the home happened back around 1962. I was a paperboy delivering the Palm Beach Post and the Palm Beach Times morning and evening six days a week, as well as the Sunday paper. My paper route consisted of about 50 homes. Each week I collected payment for my paper route on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. One Saturday morning I knock on the door of a customer's home to collect the weekly payment and could hear music through the door. When the man opened the door the music sounded like a live band was in the house. I remember asking him if that was live music and being told it was a record playing on his sound system. He invited me in for a few minutes to look at and listen to what was a mono sound system, a large (the size of a desk) JBL floor standing speaker with a 15' woofer and compression driver and horn (I had no idea what any of that was at the time), a Garrard turntable, and a Fisher 400 tube receiver. I had never heard such authentic sound reproduction in my life. I was immediately bitten by the audiophile bug, thinking then that someday I would have a sound system that good. I was completely astonished at the sound of that mono JBL and Fisher based sound system. Quite frankly, I have never recovered. Six years later I purchased my first high-end system. The sound system belonged to a friend who was moving back to Seattle and did not want to take the setup with him. I bought the whole system which consisted of a pair of Altec Voice Of The Theater speakers, a pair of McIntosh MC30 mono tube amplifiers, a Dynaco PAS3 tube preamplifier and FM-3 tuner, along with a Dual 1019 turntable and Shure V15 Type II moving magnet cartridge. Man, I was in heaven.

My enthusiasm for audio and music reproduction has never diminished in all these years. From my first sound system until now I have never been without a quality sound system in my home. Here it is 50 years since that first system and I am still deeply immersed in high-end audio. It has, and will continue to be, a lifelong and satisfying adventure for me.

[Mr Peabody]

Quite the nice first system.

My first exposure to great sound in the home happened back around 1962. I was a paperboy delivering the Palm Beach Post and the Palm Beach Times morning and evening six days a week, as well as the Sunday paper. My paper route consisted of about 50 homes. Each week I collected payment for my paper route on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. One Saturday morning I knock on the door of a customer's home to collect the weekly payment and could hear music through the door. When the man opened the door the music sounded like a live band was in the house. I remember asking him if that was live music and being told it was a record playing on his sound system. He invited me in for a few minutes to look at and listen to what was a mono sound system, a large (the size of a desk) JBL floor standing speaker with a 15' woofer and compression driver and horn (I had no idea what any of that was at the time), a Garrard turntable, and a Fisher 400 tube receiver. I had never heard such authentic sound reproduction in my life. I was immediately bitten by the audiophile bug, thinking then that someday I would have a sound system that good. I was completely astonished at the sound of that mono JBL and Fisher based sound system. Quite frankly, I have never recovered. Six years later I purchased my first high-end system. The sound system belonged to a friend who was moving back to Seattle and did not want to take the setup with him. I bought the whole system which consisted of a pair of Altec Voice Of The Theater speakers, a pair of McIntosh MC30 mono tube amplifiers, a Dynaco PAS3 tube preamplifier and FM-3 tuner, along with a Dual 1019 turntable and Shure V15 Type II moving coil cartridge. Man, I was in heaven.

My enthusiasm for audio and music reproduction has never diminished in all these years. From my first sound system until now I have never been without a quality sound system in my home. Here it is 50 years since that first system and I am still deeply immersed in high-end audio. It has, and will continue to be, a lifelong and satisfying adventure for me.

[Mikado463]

Cool story Dan ! my only thrill when I was a paper boy was once a lady came to the door in her nightie...........

[jdandy]

Quite the nice first system.

Brian.......It certainly was a nice first system. I moved a couple of times and found it difficult to find friends willing to help me move the Altecs, not to mention you need a fairly large room for those speakers. Initially I had the Voice Of The Theater speakers in an old Victorian home in San Francisco with 10' ceilings. The room was about 16' x 24' which worked quite well. After two years I sold the Altecs and purchased a pair of Altec Valencia speakers. Much more manageable. I traded the McIntosh MC30 mono tube amps and purchased a McIntosh MA230 integrated amplifier. The MA230 and the Valencia's made sweet music together.

[Mike B.]

I got a Magnavox suitcase style stereo for a high school graduation gift. I listened to it though college. A friend came back from the service with a setup consisting of a pair of University speakers, large Teac reel to reel, and a Sansui receiver. That started it for me.

[jdandy]

I got a Magnavox suitcase style stereo for a high school graduation gift. I listened to it though college. A friend came back from the service with a setup consisting of a pair of University speakers, large Teac reel to reel, and a Sansui receiver. That started it for me.

Mike.......This was my first "sound system" as a young teenager. It was a Philco record player, circa 1960. I kept it in my bedroom.

Hey, you've got to start somewhere, right?

[Randy Myers]

I had enjoyed good systems, Pioneer integrated amp, turntable, etc., Burhoe speakers and loved them. But what took me from enjoying good music and gear to being an audiophile was a Nakamichi tape deck and KEF speakers. Boy those KEF's would eat Pioneer, Sony, etc., amps alive, forcing me to get into better amps ... Hafler, McIntosh, Audionics, etc....

[Mortsnets]

Linn LP12 turntable
Denon 103 cartridge
Chartwell LS3/5a speakers
Audionics CC2 amplifier
I think the step up was Denon, can't remember the preamp.

[Cincy2]

For me the journey began in 1993 at a specialty audio store in Atlanta. I wandered in looking for speakers for my new big screen. It was early on a Saturday right after they opened so I was the only person in the store. The owner helped me with some suggestions then asked me if I'd like to hear his stereo system. We adjourned to his "high end" listening room where he had B&W Matrix speakers, an old Krell KSA250, Levinson 30.5 transport, 36 DAC and 38 pre-amp all connected with Transparent cables and interconnects. I was floored. I was a music lover since child birth and couldn't believe the sound I was hearing. I left that day having purchased most of his demo set up. The rest is history.

Cincy

[Shadowfax]

My oldest brother was always building and tweaking Hafler, Dynaco, and Heathkits on the kitchen table to be played thru various AR speakers when done. He eventually worked with David Hafler helping him tweak the circuitry in his products and kits for a while.

Once I went too Soundex (now closed) I was introduced to everything else. I also would use Alpine or Blaupunkt head units and MB Quart or other good speakers in every car I could.

[rbbert]

Klipschorns with a LaScala center, Marantz tube electronics and an Empire 'table, with (I think) an ADC ZLM cartridge, Fall '70.

[Shadowfax]

This was my first Hifi, I used to record Don Kirshners Rock Concert from the TV to the casstte

[Ritmo]

This was my first Hifi, I used to record Don Kirshners Rock Concert from the TV to the casstte

Funny, I remember those units.

[Ritmo]

For me it started with my father’s stereo in the late 60’s. He had a Dual or Garard TT with a Fisher receiver and a acoustic research speakers. As he upgraded, I was able to “inherit” or “lever” some of his old gear. Like some others here, I worked in a stereo store over summer and winter college breaks.

While I’ve been in the hobby for over 40 years, I’ve had several periods in which I walked away from it all. In 1998 I sold my Linn LP-12 and my vinyl collection. That same year I sold my Magnepan 2.5Rs, Aragon 24K and 4004 and Esoteric CD player. Moved to video/home theater for a few years - Denon AVR, Laserdisc, B&W Nautilus speakers and Velodine speakers - to this day I regret that move but such is life.

In 2005, I came back to the channel world and have been updating and enjoying music more than ever before.

[João Miguel]

For me was the first amp that i’ve bought with my money, the NAD 3020. At the time we had the Sony stereo in the living room, and in my room was an old white all in one TT, receiver and amp, can’t remember the brand but I think it was German. I’ve connected the NAD to the speakers of that system and a audiophile was born.

[petek]

It seems in my youth I never got to enjoy anything but the cheaper off the shelf component. Then I went straight into the beginnings of home theater.
It has been fairly recently (within the last 4 or 5 years) that I was sitting in my office at home staring at the same 100 or so records I amassed in the late 70s to mid 80s and thought I ought to do something with them. So got out my old Technics SBL-2, bought a Realistic receiver on e-bay, went to Sound Gallery and got a set of Advent Smallers.

Then I said wow this could probably sound better---got a Project Debut Carbon with Ortofon Red. Then...oh let me get a beefier amp and some modern speakers. Off to MusicDirect for a Luxman 505uX and some Epos Elan 15s. Then oh wow the cart could be better. Denon Moving coil here I come. About the same time I decided dual sealed SVS subs would be a grand idea---and it was.

Next it was John Freeman of The Magnolias and his reconditioned Pioneer vintage tables that caught my eye. Had to have one. Oh and while feeling the nostalgia how about a 3 head Kenwood too.

Meanwhile I was amassing records like no tomorrow and quickly accumulated a thousand or so.

So it was let's get a "high end" (to me) turntable....I got a C Sharp by EAT from AA with the black Quintet Ortofon installed. Love Jozefina and her company and I imagine I will be "needing" a set of her "88" tubes next year. The EAT was the 1st upgrade that made me say WOW. And of course the Spin Clean changed to a Nitty Gritty.

And of course who hasn't had their lustful eyes and heart set on some blue metered and tubed McIntosh gear? I hooked right up with AC in NY for the preamp. Used that baby and then said ok that is awesome, need the amps. And off to find a dealer in Lake Travis (Austin) who in a month or so had me some monoblocks. And that has been the next upgrade to allow me to say WOW.

I am pretty happy now and am trying out some Cullen Cables and a Dectet this weekend that I am sure I will enjoy.

I almost forgot discovering Tidal and the Dragonfly a few or so months back. It can be stellar too. A real toss up between the best stuff on Tidal and a well mastered and sound engineered (I like sounds that are separated throughout the sound field) and noise free record.

Up to 1300 records now and I am hoping that I can keep resisting trying out different speakers. Right now there are no SOUND reason(s) (haha) to.

So short story is every upgrade made a difference especially and initially the Luxman Integrated, but the EAT, the subs, and the Mcs have really made the WOW factor.

[nicoff]

[Kingsrule]

1972 I was selling audio at Playback in Ft.Wayne, IN. I thought I knew everything about hi-fi. Phase Linear was king. A regular customer says to me after a few months of us bantering "u don't know anything about good sound". Get a Saturday off and I'll show you. So I did. He takes me to Gary Warzden's house/store in Indianapolis. WTF is this? Guys sell out of a house?. We go in. System is Quad ESL's, pre-amp and power amp. Funny looking, half sized, kinda like weird. What are these speakers? TT is a Linn Sondek, SME arm (I think) and Ortofon M15E Super. Needle drops and I'm stunned......and hooked forever.......

[still-one]

Easy, It was when I heard Dahlquist DQ-10's paired with GAS Ampzilla. They were my last purchase before I got married. Had to get them in under the wire. The Nakamichi 610 came so after. Loved all those knobs and buttons.

[GSOphile]

I remember going into a fancy appliance store in Charlotte in the 50s and seeing component systems for the first time. I remember they sold JBL and Bozak speaker lines but don't recall the electronics, etc - may have been some Bogen. My frame of reference was various floor console systems where Magnavox et al were popular. WOW!! The component systems were ear openers for sure. My first system was a mono JBL/Bogen system. I couldn't afford stereo at the time.

[UltraFast69]

My father had a cabinet piece that was a costly item from my understanding that contained a turn table, tuner, and stereo speakers. It was made of a dark wood, like a Walnut or Mahogany and beautifully finished, but it was big. The speakers blended in on each end and the top cover was recessed so it served as a table on each end of the speakers. When you lifted the lid, it had a turn table and tuner, and a slot for record albums.

My father joked when my divorced him that he had the most expensive stereo since he had to buy it twice; originally and from her. He still had this and his third wife did something with it having no idea. Anyway, that's a whole different story.

Later he sourced a Marantz Tuner, the one where you could spin the needle across the stations and some big JBL speakers. I forget what the turntable was and then a cassette tape deck. This system kicked it to another whole level.

[Batty]

In 1986 I walked into a hifi store in Glasgow, Scotland because I wanted to buy real hifi instead of the pioneer stuff I had, sat down and listened to A Townshend Elite Rock mkII, with RB250 arm and Denon DL110, the amp was a Mission Cyrus 2 and PSX power supply and the speakers were Heybrook HB2r, had to get a loan from the bank, bought the lot and went back 3 months later for the Cyrus tuner.

I still have the TT and tonearm in my main system.