Topic: What was your FIRST home system?

[SpaceDisco]

As a poor college student all I've got is my parent's old system that they unloaded on me before moving out west (I go to school in GA). So here's what I'm making the most out of:

Polk Audio 10B monitors (2)
Nakamichi TA-2A amp
Denon DCM-370 5-disc changer
B&O Beogram RX2 turntable

At this point anything is an upgrade from my old Sony desk-top system.  What was your first home system like? here's to humble beginnings guys..........

[jpschust]

pioneer amp, 2 bose 201 bookshelf speakers, monster wire, some cheapo cd player, maybe a sony

[Mojowill]

Some rat shack all in one thing (CD not invented)  2 tape decks turntable(45, 33)  speaker wire was so thin it was like thread.

I've come a long way baby!

[leegeddy]

Nak CR-4A receiver
Nak OMS-3A cdplayer
Nak CR-3A cassette deck
some no name 2 way monitors.

this was back in '88 or so.

[zowie]

VM Commander 380.  I still use it now and again to stack 45's.

http://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/images/380.jpg

[Ed.]

optimus STA-3180 receiver
optimus dual cassette deck
memorex 2.1 speakers - i dunno if they're 2.1, all i know is they have a sub and two bookshelf satellite speakers

it actually cost more than the recent onkyo 6.1 system i jsut got.

my home system isn't all that great, i need to upgrade my rig before i upgrade the home system tho.

[mizary]

Kenwood ?0?0 av reciever
Kenwood dual tape deck
kenwood 6+1 cd player
bose 401's

all purchased in 1994 (xmas) with my HS graduation $$$.  I suspect my relatives would have been a little upset if they knew where the money went.  But then again...  I still have school loans I am paying off!

The tape deck and the 401's are the only items still kicking...  The cd played lasted about 4-5 years.  The reciever died about 2-3 months ago.  (I am still looking for a replacement - any ideas?  $300-500 range)

I still have the reciept in my wallet.  The same wallet it was put in 10 years ago.  The same wallet which is currently in my pocket.  Can you tell I don't like to get rid of stuff?

However before I got that my parents bought a "stereo" for all of us one xmas.  I guess it was better than nothing (it had a cd player!) but it was the worst quality I've ever seen. (it was recently thrown away)  Thank god I didn't know better back then.  At least my parents tried.  Also it's not like they had much $$$ so we were lucky to get that.  It took us FOREVER to get a vcr.  Never had AC or cable tv...  Damn... we were poor! 

--mizary

[BCostigan]

I got my first system when I was 6 or 7 years old.  Even at that age I pined for audio equipment!!  I remember spending hours looking at different stereos in the Mongomery Ward cataloge.  I bought the stereo myself with birthday money and saved allowance.  It looked similar to this beauty: 

[Nick's Picks]

my home system isn't all that great, i need to upgrade my rig before i upgrade the home system tho.

IMO, that is reverse logic.
what sense does it make to upgrade your rig if you can't hear the benefits on your stereo?

[sexymexi]

I got my first system when I was 6 or 7 years old.  Even at that age I pined for audio equipment!!  I remember spending hours looking at different stereos in the Mongomery Ward cataloge.  I bought the stereo myself with birthday money and saved allowance.  It looked similar to this beauty: 

scary, but i think i had the same thing years ago.  +T for good taste

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Technics receiver with built-in 8-track player/recorder and turntable.  The speakers came with it.  circa 1975. 

I used the red-plastic 80min 8-track blanks from radio shack to make mix tapes to listen to in my '69 econoline van.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

... I'd rather make the best recordings I possibly can, and upgrade my stereo later.  You can't go back and retape the show, you can relisten.   I imagine I'm missing something, so feel free to set me straight but this makes sense to me...

You're absolutely right IMHO. 

Make poor a recording today and when you upgrade your playback system it will sound worse.  Make a sweet recording and when you upgrade your playback system it will reveal itself.  I have masters from my first rig that sounded great at the time (and still do in the car), but are unlistenable on my current system.  I have someone elses old recordings made with C12s that actually get better with each upgrade to my playback system.

[creekfreak]

My very first was a pioneer receiver, a magnavox cd player and 2 marantz speakers.

[zhianosatch]

B&W DM302s (bookshelfs)
Denon AVR-1603 receiver
Philips CDR-785
DAT and MD decks, too