The first stereo you personally owned?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Krankenstien, Nov 4, 2017.

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  1. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    A green GE plastic "suitcase" with changer and detachable stereo speakers. Got it for Christmas 1968 along with a copy of the Beatles "White Album".
     
  2. james

    james Summon The Queen

    Location:
    Annapolis
    I was 14 (in 1994 or so) and had gotten hold of some hi-fi magazines and became interested. My parents asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told them I wanted a stereo. I was hoping for something like Paradigm speakers and a Yamaha receiver, but instead, they gave me a hand me down Technics console:

    [​IMG]

    That one, minus the turntable.

    I don't think I hid my disappointment well, which of course makes me feel like a massive dickhead now. Thinking of them hauling that stuff from a friends house and being all excited to blow my mind with a big stereo, only to have me sit there wishing it was high end gear, is depressing.
     
  3. That was my "second" full system I had when I was in my mid teens. I had a MCS badged version very like that.
     
    james likes this.
  4. james

    james Summon The Queen

    Location:
    Annapolis
    nice. my power button eventually failed. in my wisdom, i used a thumbtack to wedge between the power button and it's surrounding metal (plastic?) to keep it pushed in.

    eventually i took it to college with me. about a week before my 21st birthday, we were having a house party and I had the speakers outside. apparently it was late and I forgot they were on. the police show up and I get an underage drinking citation instead of disturbing the peace.
     
    Larry C. McGinnis III likes this.
  5. csgreene

    csgreene Forum Resident

    Location:
    Idaho, USA
    [​IMG] I think it was something pretty close to this GE suitcase stereo. I really don't recall as it was well over a half a century ago.
     
    Manimal likes this.
  6. William K

    William K Forum Resident

    Location:
    NW Indiana
    Mine was an Allied from Radio Shack, I sure wish I could remember the model number but I have no idea. I used to love perusing Allieds old catalogs dreaming about the gear.
     
  7. swvahokie

    swvahokie Forum Resident

    1976 Dual TT with Empire cart. Sherwood 26 watt reciever, EPI 120's. Cant remember the model number of the Dual and Sherwood. Best Christmas present I ever got.
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018
  8. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    :) My Pioneer system in the mid to late 70's ruined me too!
    -Bill
     
  9. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    A kenwood job from Circuit City in 1990 or so with Cerwin Vega VS 120 speakers. Never had one as a teenager, just jammed whatever was in the living room, usually cheap big box store stuff.
     
  10. csgreene

    csgreene Forum Resident

    Location:
    Idaho, USA
    I have to add, shortly after I bought the little suitcase stereo I posted above, a family friend who was as much of an audiophile as one could be in the 60's gave my mom his old home build console (walnut) that he had loaded with McIntosh tube gear as he bought a bunch of new gear. I recall it had 15" drivers and the whole thing got very hot. Sounded good but required more maintenance than my mom could afford (divorced, going to college, and teaching Headstart). We were pretty broke for a few years but that console was impressive. Too bad the performance was so spotty.

    My own first real system was something I must have bought from Pacific Stereo who advertised in the LA times and literally sold from a garage in my area of LA. I couldn't tell you if you put a gun to my head what it was but it included a receiver, Garrard turntable, and some pretty cheap speakers. Probably the $200 starter system from 1968/9.
     
  11. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time...

    Location:
    Chicago
  12. loudinny

    loudinny Forum Resident

    First real setup.....

    Sony PS1350 belt drive turntable
    Maranta Imperial 5G speakers
    Pioneer SX535 receiver

    Christmas gift from my parents age 13
     
  13. loudinny

    loudinny Forum Resident

    Attached photo...
    [​IMG]
     
    Larry C. McGinnis III likes this.
  14. Subagent

    Subagent down the rabbit hole, they argue over esoterica

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    It was a Christmas present from my parents, around about 1973. Lloyd's, with a BSR turntable and junk speakers. My older brother, who always helped steer the parents away from junk gifts, was off at college by then. Most of the units that I can find Googling have a built-in 8 track. Mine did not (no regrets there). I believe this was the exact model, though my dustcover fit better:
    [​IMG]

    It served its purpose, letting me play my tunes and listen to FM. But it really was a piece of crap-- right down to the penny taped to the head shell.
     
  15. arcamsono

    arcamsono Senior Member

    Location:
    MN
    Infinity monitor jrs. Sony 7065 .Philip's 312 .Beautiful for 76. That stereo was the story of my life for decades.
     
  16. arcamsono

    arcamsono Senior Member

    Location:
    MN
    Worth every penny
     
    Doug Sclar likes this.
  17. arcamsono

    arcamsono Senior Member

    Location:
    MN
    $1200 for me
     
  18. McGuy

    McGuy All Mc, all the time...

    Location:
    Chicago
    My first "audiophile" setup, if you can call it that, was when I was at University of Wisconsin - Madison. I was a genius and obtained a credit card...idiot. Jammed it up with an NAD integrated and CD player with ADS (?) speakers.
     
  19. Mitsuman

    Mitsuman Diamond Tone Junkie

    Location:
    Missouri
    Technics SA-5370 receiver
    Altec 891A speakers
    Pioneer PL-112 TT with a Pickering or an ADC XLM cartridge ( I truly can't remember as I know I owned both at the same time. Hey, it was 40 years ago! LOL)
    Technics RS-631 cassette deck
    Koss Pro4 AAA headphones
     
  20. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I am going to take this to mean, the first stereo I bought myself, as I guess the ones my folks gave me weren't really mine.

    Mine would be the Magnavox Quad receiver:
    [​IMG]

    I can't remember the exact turntable, but it was a BSRsomething like this:
    [​IMG]
     
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  21. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    If we step up to when we really jumped in to the "high end" (lol). That would be my senior year when I upgraded to the Kenwood KA-3500, EPI 10, and a Philips 312 with a Sonus cartridge. To be honest I would still be happy with this little system in the bedroom today. What's even more curious is that I bought it all from the same guy I bought my ARC gear from 35+ year later!
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  22. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Kenwood KA300 amp (25wpc) :

    [​IMG]

    Sansui P50 TT :

    [​IMG]

    Technics SB-K30 speakers (8¨ woofers) :

    [​IMG]
     
  23. Wasabi

    Wasabi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lutz, FL
    My first real stereo was (mid 80s):
    -Yamaha R9 receiver
    -Yamaha GE60 EQ
    -Yamaha CD1000? CD player
    -Polk Audio SDA CRS+ speakers (still have them and they sound awesome)
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018
  24. Tim Irvine

    Tim Irvine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, Texas
    My parents got me a stereo with speakers that also worked as the lid but unclipped and could be positioned. I don’t recall the brand. I enjoyed it but not nearly as much as my dad’s system which, although mono, was amazing. First one I bought was a Spectrasonic receiver (Pacific Stereo house brand), large Advents, a Thorens TD150, and an M91ed. It was a sweet system.
     
  25. TeacFan

    TeacFan Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Arcadia, Ca.
    A Sony compact stereo with a Sony "tall" AM/FM tuner addition. Purchased at the sacred store -Dow Radio on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. Spent more time and $$ in that place.
     
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