What kit did you aspire to own when you were young and poor?

When you were a youth, if you can think back that far, say 18-21, what was your aspirational system?

If you were anything like me it was a load of stuff you'd seen in the magazines but never heard. And would probably never be able to afford.


This was my dream system age about 21, just out of college, broke, unemployed and unemployable:

Linn Sondek LP12 - A mate had one and I thought it was great. I didn't know anything about arms and carts then so best leave that. Don't know much more now.

Nakamichi Dragon - All those buttons! Have actually heard one since and it was excellent.

Pioneer PD91 CD player - Another slice of flagship Jap action

Big Sony ES amp. Not bothered exactly which model but must have Gibraltar chassis and large rotary volume knob.

JBL L100 'Century' Loudspeakers - other than the LP12 the only other component I had actually heard at the time, mate's dad had some.

I wonder if it would make a pretty good system even today?

https://i.imgur.com/s6aviBK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2aUWUyS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4cF1jA2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iDRnjTC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HnsG0TA.jpg

After a false step or two (thanks Mr. Sugar :rolleyes:), the first system I put together that produced something sort of resembling Hi-Fi was a Garrard SP25 III with Goldring G800 and Japanese Olson amp driving home made speakers with Eagle FR65 full range drivers.

I was realistic and didn't really lust after stuff I couldn't afford and concentrated on what was at a stretch within a reachable budget and I actually lusted after a Thorens TD150 with Audio Technica AT-1005 Mk.II arm and ADC 10E Mk.IV cart, to be used with a Ferrograph F307 or Cambridge P50 amp and Tannoy speakers.

I bought it! Got the F307, not the P50. The F307 played up and was replaced by a Rotel RA-611 that sounded excellent. The AT arm was replaced by a Decca International and the ADC was replaced by a Decca London. The speakers remained as Tannoy IIILZ's for quite a few years. I loved it and didn't really set my sights higher for a long time.

I'd still like another TD150 actually.

At the age of 16, 17 my hi-fi asperations were influenced by the father of a school chum of mine, who had what I then regarded as a wonderful system:

Collaro 2020 turntable fitted with a Garrard TP13A arm (cartridge unknown, but probably a Shure (M44-5 ?)), a Grundig tape machine (again model unknown) feeding a Leak Stereo 20 poweramp with Leak Varislope preamp. The speakers were Wharfedale SFB3s (sand filled baffles).

At age 18 I acquired my first system: a Garrard SP25/II with Shure M3D cartridge and a pair of home-built Mullard 5-10 amplifiers, feeding a pair of home-built speakers following a Wharfedale design (an approximately 1.5 cu ft distributed rear port enclosure using the Wharefedale RS8DD driver).

At that time (1968) my asperation was to have a Garrard 401/SME 3009 combination with Shure M55E cartridge, Leak solid-state amplifier (probably the Stereo 30), keeping the speakers unchanged. Later that asperation was changed to include a Cambridge P50 amplifier (which looked so 'cool' in the slim line case, as well as receiving favourable reviews).

In 1970, frustrated by the difficulty I was having in obtaining a Garrard 401 (or a Goldring G99) turntable, I acquired a Collaro 2020 (a sort of 'poor man's 301') virtually for free, removed the decidedly inferior arm and fitted an SME with Shure M55E cartridge. This remained in place until 1972 when I acquired a Thorens TD124/II, to which I fitted the SME and Shure combination. I toyed with the idea of obtaining a pair of Lowther PM6A drivers and fitting them into a pair of Lowther 'Ideal Baffles', as the first step to building a pair of Lowther Acousta folded horn enclosures; but this didn't last for long, as in 1974, I bought a pair of Quad ESLs (now know as 57s).


Of all those items, the Quads, the Thorens and the SME are still in use.

Happy Days!

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Originally Posted by walpurgis

After a false step or two (thanks Mr. Sugar :rolleyes:), the first system I put together that produced something sort of resembling Hi-Fi was a Garrard SP25 III with Goldring G800 and Japanese Olson amp driving home made speakers with Eagle FR65 full range drivers.

I was realistic and didn't really lust after stuff I couldn't afford and concentrated on what was at a stretch within a reachable budget and I actually lusted after a Thorens TD150 with Audio Technica AT-1005 Mk.II arm and ADC 10E Mk.IV cart, to be used with a Ferrograph F307 or Cambridge P50 amp and Tannoy speakers.

I bought it! Got the F307, not the P50. The F307 played up and was replaced by a Rotel RA-611 that sounded excellent. The AT arm was replaced by a Decca International and the ADC was replaced by a Decca London. The speakers remained as Tannoy IIILZ's for quite a few years. I loved it and didn't really set my sights higher for a long time.

I'd still like another TD150 actually.

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still got a ferrograph f307 upstairs. lovely old amp

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Originally Posted by struth

still got a ferrograph f307 upstairs. lovely old amp

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I ended up going through two new ones. The first hummed badly and was returned and replaced, the second one was just the same, so that went back and I opted for the Rotel RA-611 amp instead. That served me flawlessly for years and sounded better too.

A Thorens TD 150
Leak Stereo 30 +
And a pair of Lowther PM 6 speakers.
Mainly because my mum had a friend that stored this same outfit at our house, as he’d recently moved and had no room for it.


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Always wanted a nice B&O system. Never did or will now but at least got a cart lol

Full Linn Klimax system. Oh how times change...

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Originally Posted by struth

Always wanted a nice B&O system. Never did or will now but at least got a cart lol

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Why say never will?

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Originally Posted by Lawrence001

Why say never will?

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Just not going to happen now or very unlikely.

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