1984, just received my student grant so I put it to good use and bought:

NAD 3020A
Dual 515 Turntable
Omar Wendover speakers

Within a week I was cursing myself for not spending the extra £30 on a Dual 505.

Variety of entry-level Sony separates with Mission speakers.

NAD3020
Thorens TD150 + LVX
Wharfedale Diamond MK1s

Student

Sansui SR222MkIV with Nagoka MP11
Sansui AUD22X Amplifier
Wilmslow Audio Kit Speakers

First Paid Employment

Revolver with Nagoka MP11
Rotel 820BX
Wilmslow Audio Kit Speakers

First paid employment:

Sony PST1 direct-drive turntable
Goodmans tuner-amp
Goodmans RB35 speakers (in a room that was way too small for them.

Variety of entry-level Sony separates with Mission speakers.

exactly the same as me!! little mission 760iSE's with some big brushed aluminium fronted 70's sony seperates.

i still have the little missions..amazing little speakers.

1976: a girlfriends older sisters system

Garrard SP25 Goldring G800 cartridge
Videotone Minimax
Eagle amp of some sort

- as she wanted "a receiver thingy in one box with a radio"
She charged me £10 for the lot... :)

Another student grant job (those were the days!):

TD160
A&R A60
AR18

All still in active service in my 'B' system, almost thirty years later.

1998 - gf bought us technics amp/ technics cd/ tannoy mercury m1 speakers. Lasted nicely till cd player started playing up in 2005.

1979...

Sansui SR222 Mk2
Ortofon FF15E/LMG1 headshell
Sugden A21
Celestion Ditton 15 hooked up with QED 79 Strand.

I was in friggin' hifi heaven. :)

Pioneer PL12D with Shure M75ED
Yamaha CA610 amp
Home brew speakers, based on B200 and Audax 25mm

Powered many a student party.....

exactly the same as me!! little mission 760iSE's with some big brushed aluminium fronted 70's sony seperates.

i still have the little missions..amazing little speakers.

It was a different era for me. I was at school still, but after the 70's. ;)

Mission 702e - click (http://i9.ebayimg.com/05/i/06/0e/5f/86_1_b.JPG)
My main Sony source was MiniDisc - click (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~mk7y-ksk/md7.0/sony/mds-je520/mds-je520.jpg) - I cycled home with this under my arm!
I was also partial to the AV amps too - Sony QS STR930 (http://www.homecinemachoice.com/reviews/hccreviews/Amplifiers/Sony/SonySTR-DB930.jpg)

By Sixth Form I started building a Cyrus system.

During the first 2yrs of Uni I became a box-swapper -I think I had 10 amps last year!

Now I am more settled with the simple AVI active speakers.

By graduation I hope to have kicked the HiFi habit so that I stop wasting time and money! :)

First Paid Employment (had to wait for 3 years to afford):

Rega planar 3
A&R cambridge A60
Heybrook HB2

Jean-Christophe

1990 - Whilst at tech College at age 18. Partly bought cheaply from a mate that was moving on to a bus, partly bought new from Salisbury Hi Fi. Funding sources unspecified ;-)

Leak Delta Amp, Technics T/T (some kind of fully automatic button operated 1210), AT 110E, Yamaha NS10's and a Sony CDP-990

Sounded Damn fine. Until one of the amp channels died after about 3 months.

1970- 13 years old and saved up lunch money and earnings from mowing yards:

Dual 1215 turntable w\Shure V15 III cartridge

Heathkit 15WPC tube integrated amp circa 1962

BIC Formula 4 speakers (wretched, beyond ghastly, bought from hifi mag review, never did that again)

cant remember the year, but,

marantz cd 46
harmon kardon hk610 amp
mission 731 speakers
qed qudos cable.

loved it!! :D

Mid '60's, still at school, part-time work in a petrol station allowed me to convert a two speaker mono radiogram to stereo by the addition of a BSR deck and ceramic cartridge, and a Northcourt 5W valve amp. I thought it was brilliant. Within 6 months, and a few visits to the local Hi Fi shop it was a Garrard deck, Shure cartridge, homemade Sinclair amp and homemade speakers with Elac units - now that was good!

40 yrs later and still at it, but no DIY components anymore, and it still sounds good. I wonder what the future has in store?

Tillman

In about 1973 or 1974, Dual 1209 (?), Shure something nasty, maybe M75ED, home-made amp, horrible home-made speakers. My first power amp used to die fairly often; it was based on an RCA handbook design.

About 1998 I reckon

Marantz CD67 OSE
Rotel RC971? pre
Rotel RB9?? power
Maudaunt Short 25i floor standers (still got somewhere!)

Later swapped the single Power amp with a bloke at work for two of the previous model power amps and used them as monos, was very happy until I discovered forums and ebay.

Goldring Lenco GL75/Shure M75-EJ (replaced Garrard AP76/M75-ED) in 1975
Armstrong 621 amp - motorboated from new so replaced with
Lustraphone LP100 amp - lovely, sweet sound and good styling
Audiomaster Image 1's which became Image 2's (designed by Robin [Epos] Marshall with hideously complex crossover - he learned valuable lessons from these)
Sony TC366 reel to reel

1968:
Elac-Miracord turntable, Pickering cartridge
Fisher 500T integrated amp and tuner
Utah speakers (not sure which model)
Never did like it as well as a friend's cheaper tube-based H.H. Scott system.

About 1989/90

Systemdek 2S biscuit tin with heavy alloy platter and steel feet.
Roksan Tabriz
Shure v15

Rotel rc850/rb850

JBL TLX floorstanders

I was 19 and my neighbours hated us!

would be about the same time:

NAD3130
Ariston Q deck
Wharfedale Diamond 3s
technics cassette deck and cdp

1978

A&R A60E amp and Tangent RS4 speakers from Billy Vee
Michel Focus One with Hadcock GH228 and Sonus Blue Label from Subjective Audio
Aiwa AD 1800 cassette deck from somewhere on Picadilly Circus (?KJ Leisuresound?) All funded with a summers job working graveyard shift making 4k RAM chips at the ITT factory in Sidcup.

And in 1979 got an Entre One/Lentek Pre-preamp on my summers dole money- also purchased from Billy Vee.

Late 90s I think

PT LPT Akito Ortofon Quartz
Pioneer A400
Wharfdale Delta 30s left over from a midi system

I later added an Arcam alpha something CD and Meridian 203

1986, 2nd year uni, funded by a summer as a lab tech on a sewage plant: Pioneer A22 amp, Diamond 2 speakers and...an Aiwa cassette deck while I worked out whether to buy CD or LP. 22 years on I still have both formats.:rolleyes:

1978, age 15, bought second hand as a job lot with a bit of money from a will:

Goldring Lenco GL75 / Shure M75EJ
Quad FM3
Quad 33 / 303
Hitachi D-550 cassette deck
Jim Rogers JR149 speakers

All set up with no skill whatsoever and the cheapest cables known to man. I'd love to hear it again, it helped me discover much of my favourite music.

Tony.

Nakamichi BX-100 cassette deck
Harman Kardon HK340 receiver
Bang & Olufsen RL60 speakers

1974, age 7. My dad bought a B&O system and sorted out a system for me to stop me playing with it. Can't remember what it was exactly, but it was some kind of idler wheel turntable, a big valve amp, and some floorstanding speakers (that I think my dodgy uncle later admitted to nicking from a school). It was fabulous until the turntable died when I was in my teens and the amp and speakers were donated to a local school.

First hifi purchase was when I was heading off to uni. Bought a secondhand Technics SLP2 off a mate who had to have the latest model, an Arcam Delta 90 amp and Arcam 2 speakers. Still got the speakers in my bedroom.

Heath

1971 still at school

Pioneer PL12D
Rotel RA 611
Thorpe Grenville Speakers (I think that was Comet's own thing. Big boxes large oval cone with tweeter on centre line in front of it.)

Seriously good sounds in my room.

Although lots of upgrades have happened (now active system), the original amp and deck are at my brother in law's where they get regular use. Not bad for around the £60 I paid for them.

Biggest memory of it was not wanting to buy on the never never so the deck was bought first. Months went by and then the amp and the cheapest set of headphones I could get. More months and then the speakers. Bliss.

1982:

Dual 505-1
Yamaha CR-840 receiver
Boston A40

Carl

Edit; Just recalled I bought this record the same day to test drive my shiny new system - ah memories!

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drj000/j023/j02359x93nv.jpg

1980 - Akai "separates" from my Mum's catalogue. Doubt it was really hifi but it was great fun!
And it had a graphic equalizer.

Cheers

Rich

A Thorens 150 TT plus Sony integrated amp & (large!) speakers, bought in Bedford in 1971; I don't know the model appellation but I do know they are still in use ( except the TT) with my godson

My first system comprised of;

1. Dual 505 Mk2 (wood plinth)
2. arcam alpha
3. Celestion DL4

very nice memories still have amp and speakers, my brother has the turntable (in loft!)

1993, been working for 8 years by this time and had forgotten all about music, forgotten all about the only thing that made the school years bareable!

Just like the scene from the blues brothers, the one when Jake receives a 'beam of light' THE BAND!?? the band? the band THE BAND!!!

I needed something to cheer me up that summer so I did what I always did, splurged on toys!

A JVC XLZ777 CD player secondhand from the Friday-Ad
A Technics SUV45 amplifier secondhand from Bowers&Wilkens in Littlehampton Road
A pair of JPW sonata speakers from the Friday-Ad

I was a cheapskate then and nothing has changed in that regard :D

It sounded great though, at least that is my memory, oh oh!

Denon something-or-other CD player, old Pioneer whatever record player (the one that used to be THE budget choice once upon a time) Rotel RA-921 amp, Mission 780s.

I added a Marantz (52 MkII, IIRC) CD player later, and I remember the system with affection. It was quite musically satisfying and served me well for years. The Mission speakers were horribly unreliable though, always blowing drive units. They were essentially ultra-cheap shit with a clever cabinet design.

HK

Am I the only one (so far) to have a (1980)
NAD3020 amp
Misson 700's speakers
Trio ? record deck
I then got an Ariston SDR 190E (I think it was in 1982).

I am probably the only one to still have the Nad and Misson's running - Very nice they are too in my Garage (listened to them tonight in fact) with a Yamaha tuner as a source.

Systekdek IIX900 / RB250 / Goldring 1022

Marantz PM40SE

B&W DM610's on Target HS20's

Mid 70s - still in Grammar School! And working a Saturday job to pay for it. After a series of upgrades I arrived at what I consider to be my first proper HiFi"

Thorens TD150/Hadcock 228 Unipivot/AKG P7E
New Acoustic Dimension (NAD) 3020 - the original one with blue VU meters and a wooden sleeve
JR149 loudspeakers
Akai GXC-710D Cassette Deck

This set up saw me right through Uni when I went Linn/Meridian/Celef/Nak

At school, 1985
Garrard SP25 TT
Decca cassette deck
Cambridge Audio P50 amp
some car speakers in big boxes, most of which came from jumble sales

First system I actually bought was, by 1989 while doing some part time work while in 6th form

Ariston Q-deck TT with Goldring Epic II
Philips CD373 cdp
Aiwa AD-R460 cassette deck
Marantz PM35 Amp
B&W DM100i speakers

B&W's soon became Castle Trents, and the Aiwa lasted exactly 14 months before it lost output on one channel and needed a new reversible head assembly at fantastic cost....

Cheers

Started in 1989 with:

Rega Planar 3 / Elys
Musical Fidelity A1
Musical Fidelity Reference 2
Home made interconnects
NACA5 speaker cable

Big jump in sound quality came when the Ref 2s were replaced by a big, easy to drive and highly efficient set of home made floorstanders. This really allowed the A1 to shine.

Chris

Made my first real Hi-fi purchase in '2001 - before then i was listening through earphones and computer speakers from portable cd players. I had the real intention to explore this category soon after a visit to an apparently good friend of my dad's. He had 30 grands worth of Mark Levinson setup in his living room with a HUGE pair of Cello speakers. I was completely clueless but was amazed at its performance & at the time i felt like it opened up a new chapter of my life. my girlfriend thought i had gone mad when i became obsessed! Then i visited the hi-fi specialists (kind of unusual for a 16 year old to do really) but that time i had no spare cash/income to finance any purchase. I lusted owning a setup of my own for 2 years then I went to college, had my own space & student loan and i made my first purchase ever:

Linn Nexus
Cambridge Audio D-500SE
Musical Fidelity A120
w/Chord Cobra interconnects & QED silver cables

this setup meant alot to me at the time as it was my first (Hifi cherry popped lol) & the first time i enjoyed listening to all my cds again.


Then i went home one summer, saw my dad's setup (the one that's always been there - the one i hadn't even paid attention to until then!) A Musical Fidelity A200 paired with the Rogers LS3/5a. I can't say how I would compare my setup to his, all i know is that his had they were 'BBC' monitor speakers, knew nothing about them, plus they look old, & on paper the Linn Nexus is more superior plus i fully tested my room for the best speaker placement for the Nexus & the Ku stone stands contributed big time holding the speakers to the ground. I must admit that I was very surprised especially by the vocal & the strings the LS3/5a produce, its clarity & tonality is fantastic! I bought better interconnects & cables for this setup because I felt they much deserve my attention ( i went all van den hul ). I re-listened to most of my CDs. was mesmerized by that & honestly quite speechless for some time! I envy my dad's system and the fact that his mates recommended these equipment to him, he didn't even know he had a system with such potential! In fact he was so busy that he hadn't took notice the upgrades & adjustments i made, he doesn't listen to them enough.

In 2005 I decided to go all vinyl from that point on, I still kept my Cds & Cd player but felt the urge to move away from the idea of digital sound read off tiny bumps on a CD & remastered cds.... I went & bought my Pro-ject Xpression with its standard cartridge but soon upgraded to a Grado gold MM then the Ortofon 2m blue. I sold my Nexus and used some money i yielded from investments to purchase my own Rogers LS3/5a, i personally think they sound very different from the ones i listened to before simply because of the different production year & had different amount of usage ( the millage was different from my dad's). I became deeply obsessed with the idea of the perfect pair, I considered building my own pair from scratch but at the end I bought a pair from Stirling Broadcast (their LS3/5a v2) - brand new pair this time i decided to break-em in myself & discover all the magic as time goes by.

I've always wanted to purchase a full Linn system to get a different perspective of things I hear their acktiv systems is a must own - but for some reason, i never felt the intention to make a purchase after auditioning them.

I recently bought a pair of Rogers studio 3 but was somewhat dissapointed by them. I'll probably p/x them with some JR149 or Spendor BC1 soon, I'm thinking of purchasing the Gyrodec se or perhaps an audiomeca to fulfil my lust for better vinyl sound.

Harris

Posted this before but here goes

1970 I was a Student & my system at that time was a Garrard SP25 (later changed in 1974 to Connoisseur BD2 & arm ~ £25 second hand from a fellow student ~ real arm & leg stuff then) with a Rogers Ravensbrook amp & DIY version of the Wharfedale Lintons ~ Over the years I changed the amp & speakers a few times but I still use the same Connoisseur deck (with a new cartridge ~ currently AT 440MLa)

Although having tried numerous amps I have since gone back to using a 70's amp to play music through .. to my mind & ears it offers what I want - ie enjoyment.

Sometimes progress means going backwards.

Ariston Q Deck w/Linn Basik cart

Harman Kardon 430 Receiver

3D Acoustics Cube speakers

NAD 4325 cd player



MoFi

Student grant + working a 'sandwich course' with holidays at the factory! =

Rega Planar 3 (mail order from somewhere near Brighton as there was a waiting list!)
A&R 77 (?) Cartridge
A&R A60 (Paul Green HiFi, Bath)
Heybrook HB2 (Paul Green HiFi, Bath)

Probably around 1980?

1995:
Sony M12 CDP/speakers nicked from my Sony midi system
JVC amp
Pro Walkman
Bell wire and cheap 4gang

Got me through my final year at uni, and got upgraded in 1996 with a Pioneer PDS703 stable platter CDP, my mate's Pioneer CT447 cassette deck (Pro Walkman died :() and a second-hand Pioneer tuner, and some JPW Gold Monitors on stands. A lot less fuss than my more-recent systems and sometimes I wonder why I bothered moving on from it!

1972/3
Lenco GL75/ Shure M75EJ
Quad 33/303
Monitor Audio MA7s

Went onto a Tanscriptors Reference/SME/ V15
Yamaha TC800GL Ski Slope cassette deck
Quad 33/405
Quad ELS 57. (Should have stopped there and then)

Biggest regret selling the 57s even though they were over 17 years old.

Late Eighties - all purchased 2nd hand

NAD 3020 Amp (with matching tuner and tape desk - sorry can't remember model)
Mission 700 speakers
Technics MASH CD Player

...and top-notch Tandy interconnects :D

~Phil.

Can't remember the exact year think it was 1997:

Arcam Alpha 7 CDP
Marantz PM66SE
KEF Cresta 2's

Happy days :)

Lefty

About 1992 when I was 16. Saved up as much as I could with birthdays, xmas, jobs etc

Denon PMA860 amp
Rotel RCD-965BX CD player
Tannoy 603??

At the time I thought it was soooo good :p, still much better than my dad's Matsui job at the time.

Around 1979

Trio K1033 t/t & Ortofon VMS20 cart
NAD 3030
Wharfedale Denton 2

Sounded crap. Got Mission 710's for my 21st birthday a year later. Made some wobbly stands and was happy for three years (new stylus only). Then I bought a 2nd hand LP12 and it's been financial ruin ever since...

1987

NAD7020 (cheap receiver and 3020 amp in one box)
Denon DRW ???? tape deck
Yamaha CDX510
Goodman Maxim2's

Funded by summer job just prior to leaving for Uni.

Around 1979

Trio K1033 t/t & Ortofon VMS20 cart


I had one of those, but with a Sansui AU317 Mk2 and a pair of Monitor Audio MA5s. this would be about 1986, I was 19 and they were hand me downs from my Dad, who had just "upgraded" to a Philips CDP, an Arcam Delta 60 amp and some other MA floor standers of some sort. Frankly I think I got the better deal. It sounded great.

Thorens TD 166/Ortofon VMS30
Rotel RA840BX
Tannoy Mercury
Aiwa ADF220

And as I remember I was not unhappy with it! :-)

first proper summer job 1975: Quad 33/303, Conossieur BD-1 with SME 3009 Imp and Ortofon VMS20, KEF Coda, Pioneer CT-F2121 cassette deck
next year added: Yamaha CT-610 tuner
(also had two Ericsson (yes, that Ericsson) 100 W mono amps with EL-154 output tubes, but could never sort out the line output tranny stuff)

I was given a Sony seperates (but still all in one) system by my grandparents. I got more and more interested in how they worked so I took them to pieces, in the end there was just transformer from the amp but thats how I got started in building hifi from scratch and learning what each part on the pcb does and why.

Don't start taking apart your kit, but curiosity goes a long way in hifi :)

Acoustic Research XA turntable
Shure M75ED cartridge
Sansui AU505 amp
Acoustic Research AR4xa speakers

Probably not mainstream hi-fi at the time, I guess about 1972.

First LP played on it - 'Cream Live at the Fillmore, mono'

How that takes me back.

doesn't really count, denon dl10 iirc separates with b+w dm601 iirc

First proppa system,

rega planet

thorens td 160 iirc

cyrus 2

psx ps

royd minstrels

that made some sweet music oh the memories all rose tinted

For my preferences and expectations on audio reproduction, my current system is my first serious one: Leben CS-600, Vandersteen 1C, 47 Labs Shigaraki transport and DAC.

I'm not referring to financial considerations, of course. The reason being: before this I had a serious Naim system by the time I jumped off their upgrade gravy train: 200-202-HC2-CDX2-NAPSC2-Hiline.

Naim didn't make the grade *by my expectations*. But then hi end is all about learning, experiencing and evolving, eh? And before Naim, it was a semi-serious mishmash of things like Densen, Creek and Alchemist amps, Rega cd players, etc.

LOL...got really low expectations myself;-) Seriously slumming it with an aging olive system since '95...still sends goose-bumps up my arms.

LOL...got really low expectations myself;-) Seriously slumming it with an aging olive system since '95...still sends goose-bumps up my arms.

Which is why hi fi is all about my fi. I have nothing against Naim (other than the too-high cost over here in America thanks to our shit dollar). And it does some things really well. But I didn't initially grasp their emphasis on the "attack" thing. Over time going up the chain from 5i to the midlevel, I did come to know this experientially.

For some, Naim's sonic signature, is the ticket. For me, it's more about flow, laid back, transparency and color. I think you'd find my system boring but to each his own. Owning Naim is what defined what I want musically. And I can tell you there's more than one way to get those goose bumps ...

Edit: actually, I confess that I do have one thing against Naim. I think they could engineer more smoothness and other "round earth" attributes into their components and still retain that timing and flow. To my ears, at least, my current system does this. But others may disagree.

To whit: Avondale has carved quite a niche exploiting that fact by all accounts, although I've never heard their mods and gear for myself so who knows.

I doubt I'd find your rig boring. I'm an old tube fan/user from way back when. I'll bet your new rig has some of the old salisbury attributes as well;-)

circa 1979,

NAD 7020
Snell type Q's w/stands
Denon CD player
Rotel turntable
Tandberg tape deck

still miss the tapes the Tandberg created for the car and friends...
those were the days...no money but having decent sound made it alright...
390amx:p

1985 - University Student Flat

AR EB-101 turntable with Rega RB300 arm
Pioneer SA-9800 integrated amp
AR 94 2.5-way loudspeakers

James

1978

- Era turntable (actually not HiFi, but I thought so at that time) with Stanton 681 EEE cart.
- Technichs receiver, quickly traded for a Kenwood/Trio 7100 amp.
- Chartwell LS3/5a's. I still have them, but they are currently resting.

JohanR

Birthday money and Saturday job aged ~ 14/15

Pioneer PL512 with Ortofon F15S/ADC headshell. Fitted cartridge my self. So what I didn't know what overhang and alignment was.

Sansui R50 receiver.

Goodman RB20 speakers

JVC tapedeck.

University and given money for a car,well became

Rega planar 3/AR P77

Creek 4140

Heybrook HB1

Actually kept all the early stuff and swapped it all for an old LP12/Ittok/Asak
and sold the Rega to my flatmate.

Still got the LP12 21 years later but unrecognisable from original and currently boxed to save it from the attentions of a wandering 14 month old.

Keith

First stereo system was bought in April 1979 right around the day of the Desert One rescue attempt fiasco of the Iranian hostages.

The system was a Pioneer SX-780 receiver (which I just brought back to life last weekend after 20 years of silence), a Pioneer PL-400 turntable and a CTF-500 cassette deck, also by Pioneer. And of course a pair of Pioneer Project 120 speakers.

What I REALLY wanted was a system offered by an elite stereophile boutique in my hometown of Kenosha that offered a Harman Kardon hk340 receiver and a Conisseur turntable and a line of speakers I have forgotten. I still want an hk340 just for the name and looks of it. Beautiful unit but the old Pioneer isn't bad either. The hk remains something of an unobtained first love.

The Pioneer was interesting because after a few years it began to operate intermittently and then quit altogether. About 2 months ago I searched the web for fixes as this must have been a chronic problem. Over the years I met several people at college, parties or work who also had or knew of someone with the same unit and similar problems. I found my fix on an audiophile web site and it worked perfectly. The system sounds as good as ever and after fixing it my son wanted to see an actual vinyl LP played on the turntable so we rocked the house to some classics from Blondie and Devo.

Sansui SR222, Nad 3020, Kef Concords, paid for by paper round money!

Late 80s, not long working but some spare cash due to still living at home rent-free :)

Cyrus amp (I think it was a 2)
Tannoy E11 speakers - still going strong at a mates place last time I checked
Some horrid Technics CD player, swiftly offloaded and replaced with an Ariston Q-deck

The start of a slippery and expensive slope

LP12 basik k9 nytech CA252 (still going strong at my brothers) RS 56 strand summat and kan 1's

Bloody rocked it did!

I was a 22 student and had been longing for a proper stereo for at least 3 years. When the time finally came:

1. Pioneer belt driven semi-auto TT with Grace F-8L (TT ok; Grace great!)
2. Pioneer 828 receiver (quite nice actually)
3. Servolinear III (astonishing speakers from Modesto, CA -- way ahead of their time)

Today I live with two systems, each wonderful in its own way...but the pleasure of that first system remains clear in my memory.

WTS

1972 or thereabouts after a Garrard SP25 and Sinclair P605 with homebuilt speakers.

Pioneer PL12D
ADC VLM
Ferrograph F307
Acoustic Research AR6

Bought in stages from '77 to '78 (1st year university and first industrial training) :-

Micro Sieki Belt Drive Turntable
JVC JAS31 amp (still in box in loft)
RAM 150 speakers (stil used in 2nd system)

Added a Technics cassette deck a few years later then a Pioneer tuner. Had all this for quite a few years before I 'accidentally' bought a Nak BX300e and started on the upgrade path.

CHE

STD 305D/Hadcock GH 228 Unipoise/Supex SD 900 e super/ Meridian M 101 MC Pre/TVA 1X Powewr/Pro 9 T/L Speakers... Typica 80's sound... not accurate it had some boogie factor..but what did I know back then, chasing accuracy for years and get less and less involved with the music..the most stunningly clean and "accurate" I got was Garrard 401, Mayware Formula 4, Ortofon Kontrapunkt A, NVA P50 Pre, NVA TDS Momos, Mangeplanar MG 3.3 R's....utterly in involving in every way, got rid of the Maggies, using cheapo Klipsch KG3's with BK Sub. Not strictly Hi-Fi any more, but more involvement..maybe I am just a lo fi person, who knows. Oh and another point whilst I am here, why do other peoples systems usually sound better than anything I have had in some way or another?? maybe I listen different when at my friends, more relaxed, not listening for that elusive "something".????

Starting while at school with an ITT ST20 music centre.

In 1988, as a student:

-Dual CS5000 / Ortofon OM20
-TEAC V455X cassette deck (*)
-Cyrus One
-leftover speakers from the ITT

In an intermediate stage I had the turntable
removed from the ITT, with the CS5000 feeding
its cables straight into the music center's belly.





(* Its dbx allowed me to make utterly crappy utterly noise-free
recordings off the ITT's utterly crappy turntable)

Circa 1989:

Leak Delta amp and turntable (with at95e cartridge), Yamaha NS10 speakers, (all , apart from the cartridge, gratis from a recording studio) and a Sony CDP 990 CD Player (£300 from Salisbury hi-fi).

Sansui SR222, Nad 3020, Kef Concords, paid for by paper round money!

That was the exact system a freind at school had, big warm substantial sound, totally wasted on the crap we used to spin on it!

1980:

Goldring Lenco GL78 / Ortofon FF15E MkII
Sansui 310 Receiver
Wharfedale Shelton XP2 Speakers

The turntable and amp were hand me downs from my dad. I had the speakers for Christmas from my Grandparents.

I was 12 ;-)

Moved from a Prinzsound Stereo (SP25) IN 75, to PL112D,M95ED,shiny Rotel amp 2x18 watts per ch, WOW! Goodmans RB20,soon changed to RB35,larger,with a mid unit,so had to be better.

I think it was Thorens TD166 turntable with ADC cart. With Quad 33/303 amps using Rogers LS1 speakers. I got the Thorens & cart and both the Quad amps brand new for less than £300 from my local hi-fi shop, which was an amazing bargain in 1982 ish.

Dual 710, Ortofon VMS20, various home made amps and speakers, circa 1976.

Cartridge swapped to Stanton 881, various amp/speaker rebuilds in late 1970s.

Upgrade to Rega 3/Grace 707/Supex 900 is about 1980.

Briefly lived with borrowed Naim amps in 1980, revised home made ones thoroughly trounced them. Eventually replaced home made speakers with bought ones (NZ brand, nobody would have heard of) in about 1982.

mine was a piano cassette player with a speaker I found in a skip wired of the back of terminals on the back off the resident loudspeaker.

mine was a piano cassette player with a speaker I found in a skip wired of the back of terminals on the back off the resident loudspeaker.

Luxury! And you try and tell the young people of today that.... :D

:cool:

PS: Difficult to convey a broad Yorkshire accent in a forum post...

thanks - we got up before we went to bed too and if...............

Probably about 8 or 9 years ago just after I left school.

Marantz PM57
Rotel RCD955AX
B&W 601s2

Dave

First one on leaving school; Garrard sp25/Goldring G850, Leak Delta 30, Richard Allan Pavanes.
Then 18 months later PL12D/Ortofon M15E Super for a bit replaced with Technics 120/SME 3009 11, Goodmans 110 reciever, Tannoy 12" Monitor Golds in corner Yorks.

Hi

Garrard SP25/Goldring cartridge with some Technics amp and cassette deck, latter had the cassette held at about 45 degrees, speakers were Omar monitors. All except TT bought from B&B hifi in about 1979.

Technics stuff swapped for a radio control car (PB International ?) from Maidenhead RC models and replaced with Crimson Electrik 510/520 (probably from Billy Vee) and a Rega Planar 3 and AT31E from Reading Cassette & Hifi.

It all sounded really good to me - rose tinted ear muffs are great.

Graham

you a souf londoner graham?

Hi John

I'm not but my parents are, well SW London to be precise. I was born in Windsor (sounds more posh than it is !).

Any reason ??

Graham

it was the billy vee reference ( I'm local)