Your first stereo

[myriad1973]

I know this topic has probably been covered dozens of times, but I thought this would be a fun topic to cover. What was your first stereo when you were a teenager?

Mine was a Sanyo all-in-one unit I got for X-mas in 1986. No CD, but it had a 5-band EQ, cassette, a turntable, and full range speakers! I didn't like the lack of bass output, so I put the speakers under my desk to increase the bass output. That was bass management to me at age 13.

When I was 17, I saved my money and bought a Pioneer SX-2600 receiver, the same CT-S607R that I currently have in my bedroom, and a pair of Pioneer 10" 3-way speakers which my parents have in their living room now. That was a big upgrade. I stuck with that system until I was 33 before I finally got into home theater, surround, and high resolution music.

 

[markw]

This is a good thread to start every few years.

I was in high school in the mid 60's and had been saving my lawn mowing and snow shoveling money for a few years. One day, I had my Pop take me to the local Lafayette and we came home with:

1 Lafayatte LA-224A, a 6 wpc tube stereo amp. Cost: $59.95
2 Lafayette Criterion 50 speakers, a 2 way 8" ported system, cost: $29.95 each.
1 Garrard AT-60 turntable with $.01 Pickering Cartridge. Cost : $59.96

System Price: $159.95 plus base and dustcover.

Shortly afterwards I took a few feet of shielded cable and an RCA plug and soldered it across the volume pot of a GE AC/DC AM/FM radio and ran it to the amp so I could get (mono) FM. It actiually sounded pretty dang good!!! Had I known then that that was extremely dangerous, I probably would have not done it.

 

[zumbo]

Sherwood pre-amp.(used)

Sherwood amp.(used)

Sherwood eq.(used)

Realistic 8-track.

Sansui cassette.(used)

Technics turntable.(used)

JBL studio monitors.(new)

JR-high around 1986-87.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

It was 1985...I had a boombox with a realistic linear tracking turntable hooked up to it. Then my mom bought my dad a Technics "rack system" that I blew the speakers cranking Rush's 2112 and I bought Cerwin Vega D-5's. Then I bought a HK6500 integrated amp with a JVC CD player and Cerwin Vega AT-10's that were traded in for AT-12's. I still have all of it (even the Technics system) except for the boombox and of course the AT-10's. I'm laughing as I'm typing this...my wife on the other hand...

Had I known then that that was extremely dangerous, I probably would have not done it.

You were young. Yes you would have!

I have my grandfathers Criterion VI's...I think he got hem in the 70's...I'll have to research it.

 

[zumbo]

It was 1985...I had a boombox with a realistic linear tracking turntable hooked up to it. Then my mom bought my dad a Technics "rack system" that I blew the speakers cranking Rush's 2112 and I bought Cerwin Vega D-5's. Then I bought a HK6500 integrated amp with a JVC CD player and Cerwin Vega AT-10's that were traded in for AT-12's. I still have all of it (even the Technics system) except for the boombox and of course the AT-10's. I'm laughing as I'm typing this...my wife on the other hand..

After I blew the tweets in the JBL's, I got my CV D7's which I still have today.

 

[zildjian]

Marantz 2275 receiver
http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2275.html

JBL L-100 Speakers
http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/jbl/l100.htm

Source: Dual turn table (nice turn table for those who don't remember the brand Dual)

I was a kid, so really it was my father who purchased this system, but this was my first stereo. Total system cost was $1000 in the mid 70's, purchased and shipped out of New York. This was back when the JBL "west coast sound" was all the rage. I still have the system and always will for sentimental reasons.

 

[its phillip]

My older sister bought me my first stereo (Aiwa NSX-AV720) when I was in 7th or 8th grade (12 or 13 years ago). I still have it, and use it as an alarm clock. It even came with a center speaker + surrounds (I tossed them), and has 5.1ch input and a subwoofer output :O

 

[XEagleDriver]

It was the mid 70's, my EE father offered to build with me a stereo integrated amp (shown here) to which I added:

A BIC turntable
A JVC AM/FM tuner
A JVC Cassette Deck
A pair of Jensen, 3-way, 12" woofer speakers (gutted and replaced inards with Speaker Company polypropolene drivers and a new crossover)

Served me well al through my days at USAFA (Air Force college) and during pilot training in TX.

The integrated amp and tuner are still operational in a guest bedroom!

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[KEW]

I was in high school in the mid 60's and had been saving my lawn mowing and snow shoveling money for a few years. One day, I had my Pop take me to the local Lafayette and we came home with:

1 Lafayatte LA-224A, a 6 wpc tube stereo amp. Cost: $59.95
2 Lafayette Criterion 50 speakers, a 2 way 8" ported system, cost: $29.95 each.
1 Garrard AT-60 turntable with $.01 Pickering Cartridge. Cost : $59.96

System Price: $159.95 plus base and dustcover.

Shortly afterwards I took a few feet of shielded cable and an RCA plug and soldered it across the volume pot of a GE AC/DC AM/FM radio and ran it to the amp so I could get (mono) FM. It actiually sounded pretty dang good!!! Had I known then that that was extremely dangerous, I probably would have not done it.

Nice...
I'd spend hours paging through the Lafayette catalog, but no stores anywhere close!

 

[KEW]

In Junior High (~1971), I saved up paper route money and bought a Juliette Stereophonic Cassette System. Wish I could find a picture, but even the internet has its limits!
I had noted that my dad put insulation in the cabinet of his monophonic Heathkit speaker, so I raided the rag bag to stuff my speakers and realized great improvements in those 6" full-range acoustic suspension speakers!

 

[craig7]

it pretty stupid for me to even post here but its 11pm and im bored, this was my first decent setup, only a few months ago http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=740653&postcount=1

 

[myriad1973]

It was the mid 70's, my EE father offered to build with me a stereo integrated amp (shown here) to which I added:

A BIC turntable
A JVC AM/FM tuner
A JVC Cassette Deck
A pair of Jensen, 3-way, 12" woofer speakers (gutted and replaced inards with Speaker Company polypropolene drivers and a new crossover)

Served me well al through my days at USAFA (Air Force college) and during pilot training in TX.

The integrated amp and tuner are still operational in a guest bedroom!

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

That must have been pretty cool to have your dad build you an amp from scratch. How much is the power output on it?

 

[zumbo]

it pretty stupid for me to even post here but its 11pm and im bored

Bored, with Super cross on Speed?

Main event about to start.

 

[dkane360]

Klipsch Promedia 2.1 a few years ago, then got my Behringers when they broke.

 

[XEagleDriver]

That must have been pretty cool to have your dad build you an amp from scratch. How much is the power output on it?

Myriad,

Not sure exactly, it has been a long time since we built it, or I even took a close look at the schematic. IIRC, each channel had a pair of op-amp transistors of reasonable size for their day.

It was enough to fill my cadet dorm room (lots of reflective surfaces) and cause the CQ (cadet in charge of quarters) to come down the hall and tell me to turn it down on occassion!

XEagleDriver

 

[JJMP50]

I was in high school in the mid 60's and had been saving my lawn mowing and snow shoveling money for a few years. One day, I had my Pop take me to the local Lafayette and we came home with:

1 Lafayatte LA-224A, a 6 wpc tube stereo amp. Cost: $59.95
2 Lafayette Criterion 50 speakers, a 2 way 8" ported system, cost: $29.95 each.
1 Garrard AT-60 turntable with $.01 Pickering Cartridge. Cost : $59.96

System Price: $159.95 plus base and dustcover.

Shortly afterwards I took a few feet of shielded cable and an RCA plug and soldered it across the volume pot of a GE AC/DC AM/FM radio and ran it to the amp so I could get (mono) FM. It actiually sounded pretty dang good!!! Had I known then that that was extremely dangerous, I probably would have not done it.

My first system consisted of a Lafayatte Receiver (40 wpc), AR Turntable, Criterion Speakers (resembled AR2a's) and a Sony Reel to Reel. Don't remember the model numbers. Lafayatte made some really good stuff back in the day. That receiver was stolen from my rented room when I was in college. Replaced it with a KLH receiver that was rated the same 40 wpc and that was when I learned not to trust those specs. KLH couldn't touch that Lafayatte. Next system (after college) - Technics Receiver & turntable, Sony cassette deck and, one of my favorites, a pair of Allison 2's. Those Allisons were perhaps the best speakers I've owned, although memory can play tricks and I smoked a lot of pot back in the 70's...

 

[walter duque]

Early 70's. I ended up getting 2 sets. Power amp at that time was 140X2 which was major power. I ended up driving 4 JBL L65's with them. Now they are in good hands with Rick. That was a great system. Still working after 40years.

 

[BWG707]

Back in th 70's a got a hand me down stereo. It was a Stereophonic with AM/FM, 8Track, in one unit and a separate turntable. It came with two "air suspension" speakers with I believe a single 6 1/2" or 8". I thought it sounded great. It was stolen in a breakin after about 4 years (high school) of use.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Early 70's. I ended up getting 2 sets. Power amp at that time was 140X2 which was major power. I ended up driving 4 JBL L65's with them. Now they are in good hands with Rick. That was a great system. Still working after 40years.

Rick sucks! I love the look of gear from the early '70's!

 

[Rickster71]

Early 70's. I ended up getting 2 sets. Power amp at that time was 140X2 which was major power. I ended up driving 4 JBL L65's with them. Now they are in good hands with Rick. That was a great system. Still working after 40years.

Hey Walter, those look familiar.
Thanks again; a week doesn't go by that I'm not listening to that setup. The ST-5130 has a 5-gang, 8-filter tuner and it's great for listening in on my two favorite college stations.
No background hiss on FM and very well made inside.