Your first system

[Richiebuoy]

What was your first system (perhaps this should be in "Past Masters") mine was an Amstrad :eek: (ok thats the "Past Masters" theory out)

As a 14 year old I got an Amstrad :eek: system for Christmas, ok it didn't sound too good but I didn't know that at the time..... but it looked good !!! ok it didn't but I didn't know that either at the time....

What was your first system ?

[myles]

I had a Fidelity Turntable/tuner/cassette player in silver for a few years, with some 'orrible speakers.
It didn't look good, and on reflection didn't perform very well either!

[istari_knight]

When I was 14 my older brother passed his old system on to me... It was a Technics belt drive turntable [cant remember the model] NAD 3020A, NAD 4020 tuner & Wharfedale Linton 3XP speakers :eyebrows:

Sounded good at the time with the loudness button on!

[Gromit]

In 1979...

Sansui SR222 Mk2
Ortofon FF15E

Sugden A21

Celestion Ditton 15's hooked up with good old QED 79 strand.

:)

[hoopsontoast]

First proper system (after some Sharp all-in-one thing)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6514893983_33dddb2914_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/6514893983/)
pict0105a (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/6514893983/) by RSdesignUK (http://www.flickr.com/people/hoopsontoast/), on Flickr

Technics component system and Tannoy DC1000's did me up until the first year of Uni when I discovered hifi forums.....

[StuN]

Ahhh, now that would be in 1972 with a Thorens TD124 II, an SME 3012 and a Pickering (V15?) cartridge. All went into a Linsley Hood amp and some home made speakers with Richard Allen 3" and 8" RSDD drivers. Wasn't the best, but it sounded pretty good.

[Tim]

I had a few mix n' match cast off's, Dansette, Ferguson music centre and such like, but my first 'proper' system owned solely and bought by me was;

Pioneer PL12D turntable
Trio KA-3500 amplifier
JR 149 speakers

[kenworthy100]

Binatone Ghetto blaster and a cheap record deck, absolute rubbish.

First proper system Dual CS505/2, Nad 3020A, Celestion Ditton 33.

[.mus]

Very first? 1985, one of these badboys:

http://imthatold.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/fisherprice.jpg

(I was 3)

First 'sort of proper'? Some years later, in 2002...

One of these (http://www.alesis.com/ra300).

Two of these (http://www.primalgear.com/tannoymon008.html).

One of these (http://www.zikinf.com/_gfx/matos/dyn/large/stanton-magnetics-smx-501.jpg).

And two of these (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CVHGMRPML.jpg) :D

[John]

A mini Trio system which I used to love
My first separate system
AE109
Myriad integrated and power amp T40 and T60 a Pioneer CD player and Trio Turntable (no idea what models)
It started me on a serious of upgrades as I was so unhappy with the sound

[baron]

I had one of these in about 1972


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLiNgiByPr0/TYOYpsUVGUI/AAAAAAAABF0/6kPAGba1zDY/s1600/DSC00197.jpg

http://ebid.s3.amazonaws.com/upload_big/6/6/5/1312665228-28461-0.jpg

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sony_radio_kassetten_recorder_2.html

[shane]

Left channel was one of these:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/images/radio/grundig/grundig_majestic_3028_usa_export_58058.jpg

right channel was one of these:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjQwWDQ4MA==/$T2eC16ZHJGIE9nnWrP1CBQ7FWU1U4w~~60_35.JPG

Sounded absolutely amazing at the time!

[daytona600]

found a sony music centre lying at the side of the road for collection by the binmen
when i was 12 out on my paper round . Direct drive turntable , Fm tuner and nice big 3way
floorstanders , sounded really good , soon i wanted to upgrade

saved up from my 3 part times jobs , 14 bought
dual cs505 , nad3020a & Jr149s great little system
then at 16 bought my dream a LP12

[Effem]

My first system was a Pioneer PL12D, a Rotel RA-310 amplifier and a pair of Wharfedale Lintons in kit form, joined shortly afterwards by an Akai 4000DS reel to reel. All bought brand new from Laskys after wearing my eyes out for weeks avidly reading the magazine reviews :eyebrows:

[Wakefield Turntables]

First serious system was

Quad 77 preamp
Quad 77 power amp x2
Linn LP12 (Lingo/trampolin)
Quad 22 L speakers
Nordost SPM speaker cable
Creek OBH8 phonostage

Loved the setup and would quite happily own again.

[synsei]

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/FIDELITY-RECORD-PLAYER-RADIO-Unit-Audio-Three-Music-Master-Vintage-1973-Advert-/00/s/MTMwN1gxMDM1/$(KGrHqJHJFUFDyp0qUHYBQ9(KMFqGg~~60_12.JPG

Mine was the posh one with the radio... :lol: This was followed shortly thereafter by a Sony HMP-70 music system which was the first stereo I bought for myself:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0c1nx2c2mY0/T-hozNN_zzI/AAAAAAAACqE/rSKZPqtZDW8/s1600/Sony+HMP-70+2.JPG

It wasn't bad for what it was and it only cost me 70 quid as it was an ex-dem unit ;)

[AlfaGTV]

A old Arena amp with a built in Garrard turntable!
http://www.ollars.net/hififorum/Arena_Garrard_sv.jpg
After my first summerjob i bought a Luxman 210 system, L-210 amp, T-210L tuner, cassette deck and a PD-190 turntable and some Swedish built speakers that have very much similarities with Snell E/III, even though they were some 7-9 yers ahead.
Regards Mike

[dantheman91]

Mine was

Celestion ditton 15 xr
Denon cd
Kenwood reciever

[julesd68]

Dual CS 514 turntable
Marantz amp
Wharfedale Diamonds

The Diamonds were outstanding and kept going through several deck / amp upgrades.

[Rothchild]

When I was about 17 I went out and bought:

Arcam Alpha One CDP - still have but the transport is flakey
Marantz PM40SE - Dead and binned :-(
TDL NFM - finally blew up all the drivers but still have the cabs in the loft (PM me if you want to give them a good home, I'm never getting round to sorting them out) To this day I still find myself hankering after some proper TDL Transmission Lines (even though I have PMCs which are also TL designs)

[Hydie]

Mine was: Sansui SR222 MkII with ADC QLM 36 Mk III cart and ADC headshell, Sansui AU217 MkII and Celef Domestic 2 Super on Target stands. :lol:

[walpurgis]

About 1971. Garrard SP25 Mk.III (unknown cartridge), ghastly Amstrad 8000 Mk.II, EMI 450 elliptical drive units in home built cabinets.

I soon realised it was total crap and bought a Japanese made Olson amplifier from Tandy, and got a pair of Eagle FR65 drivers for my cabinets, along with a Shure M75 EJ for the SP25, this was all a huge improvement.

Next system was a Conniosseur BD1 and Audio Technica AT1005 arm with an ADC 10E Mk.IV cartridge, a Ferrograph F307 amp and a pair of Tannoy IIILZ speakers. Now we're talking!

It's been a steady upward climb since and I'm very happy with what I have now (and yes, I'm still using Tannoys).

[Xaval]

My 1st system as in, paid with my hard earned cash, was comprised of a Luxman 311, AMC CDM7 and Epos 11. Wallet was left crying (could barely buy a new CD lol) but boy was I happy for quite some time!

[brian2957]

Around 1983 . Dual CS505 turntable , Optonica amp and Castle Clyde speakers . Loved it :)

[Ob_]

81 or 82 - Dual CS 505-1, forget the amp (possibly a JVC Receiver) Omar wendover Speakers. All bought from the hifi shop in Farnham. The speakers got modded and the amp upgraded to a Creek a couple of years later.

[RichB]

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjgyWDEwMjQ=/$(KGrHqF,!rMFEOjO)qfiBRF8RhiBnw~~48_79.JPG

A matsui music centre bought by my parents for christmas when I was 12 years old. It was an expensive gift for us and I was the only kid in school to have anything like it. Copied hundreds of tapes and LPs for my mates on this. Love affair with music started here. Thanks mum and dad.

[icehockeyboy]

First serious system was

Quad 77 preamp
Quad 77 power amp x2
Linn LP12 (Lingo/trampolin)
Quad 22 L speakers
Nordost SPM speaker cable
Creek OBH8 phonostage

Loved the setup and would quite happily own again.

Can't have been THAT long ago!

Having dabbled with a Garrard SP 25 Mk 3 I think, into a Steepletone "convertible" mono amp, convertible in as much as if you bought a second identical amp, you could place them in such a way as to allow a long spindle device that went through one amp into the other, to control the volume of both simultaneously, giving you a stereo set up, although I can't recall what the terminations were on them to achieve this!
Anyway, this powered a single 12" Fane full range speaker that I had a cabinet made for.

After this foray, my first "real" set up was a Thorens TD 150 AB (Arm and Base ) a Goldring G800 cartridge, which I strangely upgraded to a G800 E (elliptical ) and then to a G800 Super E, why on earth I didn't just go to a Super E when I needed to replace the 800 stylus I will never know! :scratch:
This went into a Leak Stereo 30 Plus, and into a pair of ubiquitous Wharfedale Super Lintons.

At the time I loved it, and still miss the bouncing arm if anyone moved or farted near the deck! :lol:

[steveledzep]

Bought when I was 14 from the local farmer whose cars I used to clean at weekends. Thorens TD150 MkI and Cambridge P40, £50 the pair !! Speakers were a Wharfedale Glendale kit and I made the cabinets in the woodwork class in school.

[icehockeyboy]

About 1971. Garrard SP25 Mk.III (unknown cartridge), ghastly Amstrad 8000 Mk.II, EMI 450 elliptical drive units in home built cabinets.

I soon realised it was crap

).

See my L & M thread, it looks like your system may have come from there! :)

[walpurgis]

See my L & M thread, it looks like your system may have come from there! :)

I did. The Teleton SAQ 206 and SAQ 307 of the day were actually quite decent little amps and should not be mentioned in the same breathe as the Amsturds.

[Rare Bird]

Hi Geoff
I never like that 'SAQ206', '307', 'GA202' etc etc type styling, i'm more the older 'SAQ 203' typer man :eyebrows:

[Rare Bird]

I'm very guilty of owning a JVC 'JAS11' whilst at school

:sofa:

[walpurgis]

Hi Geoff
I never like that 'SAQ206', '307', 'GA202' etc etc type styling, i'm more the older 'SAQ 203' typer man :eyebrows:

Had a couple of those too. Crystal/ceramic only on phono if I recall. I see you mention the GA202, that was not a bad sounding little amp. Unfortunately it usually got matched to a dodgy cheap Garrard or BSR deck and a pair of Dentons or Ministers.

[stewartwen]

My very first system was, Garrard SP25Mk 1, Stereosound integrated amp, Wharfedale Unit Two l/s these came as a kit, and I built the l/s cabs myself...................the turntable was quickly replaced by a 401, which I still use to this day and I was given a Sugden unipivot with a Goldring G800 Super E..........................heady days..........

[Rare Bird]

Is that the Connoisseur 'SAU4' arm Stewart? Nice little arm those.

[icehockeyboy]

I did. The Teleton SAQ 206 and SAQ 307 of the day were actually quite decent little amps and should not be mentioned in the same breathe as the Amsturds.
Very true, I had one of the Teleton tuners, nice unit.

So did yours actually come from an L & M supplies then, which one?

[Beobloke]

My first record player was an Amstrad RP10. I was so convinced of its superiority that my next upgrade was to the mighty Amstrad TS56 tower system! This was followed by my brother-in-law's old Bush Audiosystem 1500 music centre but my first move into separates was when my father bought a complete new Yamaha system when CD arrived and bequeathed me:

Hitachi PS-17 turntable
Eagle International TSA-151 amplifier
Eagle International AA-8 tuner
Eagle International AA-20 speakers
Technics RS-263US cassette deck.

Nice system and the cassette deck made great recordings. Subsequently, however, I found out that its azimuth was off and it was running too fast, hence any cassettes I have left from that era now sound muffled and slow!

One day I'll buy a cheap spare deck, set it up so these sound right and re-copy them but there aren't enough hours in the day, frankly...

[Rare Bird]

Eagle TSA-151 amplifier is on my list of wants :eyebrows:

[twickers]

My first separates system consisted of a JVC integrated amp, Pioneer PL-12d tuntable, Jamo D265 speakers, Howland West graphic equaliser and an Aiwa adwx200 cassette player. I remember the aiwa had a programmable memory function on deck A that never seemed to work properly.

[icehockeyboy]

Eagle TSA-151 amplifier is on my list of wants :eyebrows:
I remember the Eagle ads in the Mag at the time........" To boost the trumpet.....slide the 4th control upwards"
Paraphrased, but it was extolling the virtue of its 5 band built in equaliser.

[walpurgis]

Very true, I had one of the Teleton tuners, nice unit.

So did yours actually come from an L & M supplies then, which one?

No the Amsturd came from Laskys if I recall and I had Teletons from various places. The best amp I had in the seventies was definitely my Rotel RB611, it was a step up soundwise on the Ferrograph I'd been using.

[shabby64]

Amstrad EX333 receiver

Binatone 01-6764 cassette deck

Wharfedale Chevin XP2 Speakers

http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/03/64/260545/10764750.jpg

All bought new from a Comet warehouse in the late 70s

[walpurgis]

Amstrad EX333 receiver

Binatone 01-6764 cassette deck

Wharfedale Chevin XP2 Speakers

All bought new from a Comet warehouse in the late 70s

At least the receiver was not actually made by Amstrad and the little Chevins were better than the Dentons, I'd sooner not comment on the Binatone.

[Alex_UK]

In 1985, with my first pay packet - (from Rumbelows) what I thought at the time was the coolest system ever - a Sharp midi system with linear tracking turntable which played BOTH SIDES of the record without having to change it over! (Of course this meant the platter was the same size as the record label, so the playing surface of the record was entirely unsupported...) It was crap, although I didn't realise until I inherited my Garrard 401 (itself consigned as "crap" at the time!) and put together my first "proper" system...

[MartinT]

In 1976 or so (after the parents' Dansette)...

Connoisseur BD-1 turntable in my own plinth with SME 3009-II Improved arm and Shure M55E cartridge
Linsley-Hood cassette deck (kit)
Linsley-Hood 75W amp (kit)
Cambridge R40 transmission line speakers (built from end of line cabinets)

[Eremite]

Put together in the mid to late 1970's:

A&R A60 Amplifier
Tangent TM1 Speakers
Pioneer CTF-4040 Cassette Deck
Pioneer PL-518 Record Deck.

It was all put together from recommendations or reviews; no auditioning :doh:

Did sound pretty good, though, after my parents' mono quad system. The single ESL57 really didn't do Led Zeppelin all that well...

[Macca]

An Aiwa midi system bought with savings from my Saturday job at Gateway. The turntable was a seperate unit. Not a bad sound apart from the speakers which used full range drivers - except they weren't. Then discovered Richer Sounds and bought a Fisher 'Studio Standard' (except it wasn't) amp, Fisher speakers and a Tensai belt drive deck, £120 the lot. Got it home set it up fired up Brothers in Arms (which was new then) - ah! Bass, treble, the bits in between - well some of them. Added a JVC tape deck a few months later. Like being in the recording studio!

[walpurgis]

In 1976 or so (after the parents' Dansette)...

Connoisseur BD-1 turntable in my own plinth with SME 3009-II Improved arm and Shure M55E cartridge
Linsley-Hood cassette deck (kit)
Linsley-Hood 75W amp (kit)
Cambridge R40 transmission line speakers (built from end of line cabinets)

That was a pretty damn good system for a young feller (apart from the M55E)

[dowser]

Matsui midi system with massive Amstrad speakers as an upgrade :)

Then moved to top of range Aiwa midi system, then bought my first separates; NAD 3130, Mission 737r, Ariston Q-Deck & first technics CDP.

Richard

[Barry]

After a "Dansette" type record player whose name I can't remember, it was (in 1969):

Garrard SP25 Mk. II with Shure M3D cartridge

Home built Mullard valve preamp

Pair of home built Mullard 5-10 valve amps

Pair of home built Wharfdale design distributed port speakers, using a Wharfdale RS8DD drive unit; 24" x 10" x 8".


Then in 1970/71 the Garrard deck was replaced by a Collaro 2020 idler drive, fitted with an SME arm and Shure M55E cartridge. Home made preamp replaced by a Sugden C51 and the 5-10s repalced by a 'chinese copy' of the power amp circuits of the Sugden A21.

Collaro deck replaced by a Thorens TD124/II in 1972, speakers replaced by Quad '57s in 1974 and amplification replaced by Quad in 1977.

[Rare Bird]

Um i think one of the big mistakes in my life regarding Hi-Fi was sticking to British Equipment.

[walpurgis]

Um i think one of the big mistakes in my life regarding Hi-Fi was sticking to British Equipment.

I've never really cared where stuff comes from or what it looks like. I only care what it sounds like.

[Richard Kimber]

My first was Quad 33/303 and ESL57s with Dual turntable

- Richard

[Rare Bird]

I've never really cared where stuff comes from or what it looks like.

I used to Geoff but not anymore.I'll admit some of the best sounding amps to my ears have been Japanese & certainly the most reliable.This 1970 National Panasonic 'SA70' amp im using sounds excellent, shame about the sliders but i get by ok with em.. :)

[MartinT]

That was a pretty damn good system for a young feller (apart from the M55E)

It was indeed, Geoff. Agreed about the M55E, too - that was a pretty coarse cartridge. A little later, a friend gave me his Ultimo, the early brand name for Dynavector. That started me on my long love of DV.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$T2eC16J,!yEE9s5jDZuiBQ1,80172!~~60_35.JPG

[walpurgis]

Pretty sure my early 10X had Ultimo on it. Strangely, that's the only Dynavector I've owned.

[Richiebuoy]

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u612/Richiebuoy/amstrad-tp12-vintage-turntable-5_zps39433def.jpg

The Amstrad TP 12....The forerunner to the Mitchell Giro deck...... perhaps :)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Yup - looks almost identical and, no doubt, the engineering is of a similar exemplary standard!

[Rare Bird]

:lol:

[hifi_dave]

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u612/Richiebuoy/amstrad-tp12-vintage-turntable-5_zps39433def.jpg

The Amstrad TP 12....The forerunner to the Mitchell Giro deck...... perhaps :)

No, it was made by Rega and was a more 'funky' version of their Planet.

[Audioman]

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u612/Richiebuoy/amstrad-tp12-vintage-turntable-5_zps39433def.jpg

The Amstrad TP 12....The forerunner to the Mitchell Giro deck...... perhaps :)

Roy Gandy had little knowledge in terms of a scientific approach to TT design in those days. In this respect I can't imagine John Mitchell coming up with anything as basic as that. Search out the Mitchell Focus for the Gyro's roots. Best thing about the Rega Planet and derivatives was the Acos sourced arm.

[f1eng]

I had already been making recordings and had a reel to reel tape recorder. When I got my first job I bought a Garrard SL75 record deck, a ceramic cartridge and wired it in mono into the microphone input of my mono valve tape recorder and listened to it via the monitor system. Then I could listen to records of my own choice!
I upgraded when I had earned enough to build myself a heathkit amp and a pair of open baffle speakers using Wharfedale 8" RS/DD drive units.
Then I had stereo :-)

[Theotherlarryb]

I had a Creek 5050 integrated...built like a tank. Boughht second hand from Radfords Bath with the best part of my student loan :)

Loved that thing, would probably still have it now if some git hadn't nicked it in my third year.

[cwarchc]

My first "proper" system that I had was:
Manticore Mantra
ONIX amp, which I still have
Heybrook HB1's
followed by a Marantz CD75 cd player

[Ninanina]

Started at age 20. It was a complete Technics separates system. I thought it was great at the time ......:doh:

[The Black Adder]

This was mine:

Denon D250 system... Great sounding little thing.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Denon%20D-250/ResizeofDSC03072.jpg

I did this thread ages ago with some of my history.
http://www.theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12250&highlight=denon+d250


Joe

[MartinT]

Thanks for that trip down memory lane, Joe. Truly great photography, too.

[Stratmangler]

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u612/Richiebuoy/amstrad-tp12-vintage-turntable-5_zps39433def.jpg

The Amstrad TP 12....The forerunner to the Mitchell Giro deck...... perhaps :)

I was dead impressed by the looks of this beast when I were a lad :)
No forerunner to the Gyro though :eyebrows:

[keiths]

I was dead impressed by the looks of this beast when I were a lad :)
No forerunner to the Gyro though :eyebrows:

Me too. I remember the adverts for these in the magazines at the time had lots of pseudo-technical prose outlining its features. Stuff like 'trilaterally counterbalanced' or whatever.

Cheers,
Keith

[synsei]

Looks like it could have been a Rega design... :eyebrows:

[Rare Bird]

You can't beat a good old Tri-lateral equiponderous turntable :eyebrows:

[Stratmangler]

You can't beat a good old Tri-lateral equiponderous turntable :eyebrows:

:rfl:

[Richiebuoy]

And audio grade plastic......

[The Grand Wazoo]

Ah yes, but has it been Lenco strobe tested?

[MartinT]

I should hope so :lol:

[Richiebuoy]

I suppose the main thing is that it goes round and round :)