What was your first ever hifi

[insider9]

My first was Technics SL-CH530. Not sure how it would fare now. It was perfectly adequate for what I've listened to in mid 90's.

It would go loud it would play rock/metal/grunge well. And it would drive my neighbours mad. That last one was (mostly) unintended consequence of the first point. That's all what mattered.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Aiwa 5 CD Changer with Bass Boost

That was something like mine, it had a record player on it too. Sorry no CD just record and tape players.

 

[Lord Fluken]

My first system was a panasonic all in one in 82/83 bought using paperround money.

First set of separates

Rega Planar 2 with AT95 cartridge

Technics cd player (MASH? technology)

Yamaha cassette deck

Rotel amp

Celestian DL6 speakers

Tandy interconnects

Freebie 79 strand speaker cable provided for buying the cd, amp and speakers all from Bartletts HiFi

 

[Blacksabbath25]

god ! that's going back some Tandy the shop which is no longer

 

[Gazzip]

As majorfubar said, it depends on your definition of hifi... I went from Alba midi to a Pioneer separates "compact hifi" system in 1990, which I guess was my first really step. I worked in Curry's as a Saturday assistant at the time so this was quickly "swapped" for a Technics of a similar ilk.

I guess that for me the first system build I did in 1992 was my first proper hifi, and it was by no means budget!. This was:

Pioneer PD73 CDP > Linn Basic with Akito Arm > Nakamich CD2 > Pioneer A400 amp > Kef C75 Loudspeakers > Target equipment stand > AudioQuest Midnight 2 speaker cable and AudioQuest Quartz interconnect (CDP only).

I really want to rebuild this system out of curiosity, and I think it could be done for about £800 nowadays (without turntable) if buying off eBay. Alas a lack of space constains me...

 

[Samd]

RT 909 Open Reel, CT F1250 Cassette Recorder, PL L1000 Tangential Arm, SA 9900 Int Amp all feeding into some speakers or other - can't remember the model.

 

[wilro15]

Mine was a Goodmans amplifier, CD player, tuner AND speakers. An Argos special!

 

[trevorok]

mine was an Amsrad ex330 amp / trio kd 330 turntable / and whalfdale 3xp speakers all 3 units still being used by family still today was a good sound despite the amp majic

 

[tonky]

Sansui SR222 MkII turntable with Grado F3E+ cartridge.

NAD 3020 amplifier.

Celestion County loudspeakers.

Sennheiser HD414 headphones.

Second-hand (very second-hand even then) Sony ST-88 tuner...

Technics cassette deck. (Can't remember which model.)

Great kit for the price at that time - state of the art - Sansui SR222 - Nad 3020 - Ceelestion County - sennheiser

tonky

 

[Diamond Joe]

Mine was an Akai AM-U3 amp, a Sharp cassette deck (model unknown), an Akai AT-S210L tuner, a Technics turntable (model unknown) a pair of Wharfedale Laser 30 speakers and a pair of Sennheiser HD414s (I secretly yearned for the 420s my mate had though). It all sounded great after my dad's Ultra (remember them?) record player and lasted a good few years before I thought about upgrading it *dirol*

 

[Diamond Joe]

Whadaya know, I found the Sharp on Google pics, it was an RT-10 FWIW.

 

[Electro]

My first HiFi if you can call it that was a Sanyo music centre.

My first separates system was an Amstrad turntable with an IC 2000 amp solarvox speakers.

To be honest the Sanyo sounded better. *biggrin*

Sanyo music centre - I thought that was a well known show jumping horse ridden by the well known wrestler Harvey (two fingers) Smith.

Ridiculous horse names - getting past the tv advertising rules

Happy days! tonky

I couldn't afford to feed a horse at that time so I settled for one of these .*biggrin*

 

[tonky]

My first HiFi if you can call it that was a Sanyo music centre.

My first separates system was an Amstrad turntable with an IC 2000 amp solarvox speakers.

To be honest the Sanyo sounded better. *biggrin*

Sanyo music centre - I thought that was a well known show jumping horse ridden by the well known wrestler Harvey (two fingers) Smith.

Ridiculous horse names - getting past the tv advertising rules

Happy days! tonky

 

[jonathanRD]

In 1986 when I first starting working full-time a work colleague offered to sell their Alba hifi system for £50. So I picked it up, got it home and quickly realised it was sh**! so promptly returned it and got my money back.

Soon after I purchased a Technics amp and turntable along with a pair of Wharefdale Mach 3 speakers. Then followed up by addding a Technics tuner, cassette deck and hifi cabinet.

I could give the model numbers too, as I still have all the items and they still all work perfectly. Why have I kept them? I thought they might come in handy one day, although I still use the tuner and the turntable occasionally (one day I will get a new one). Only recently have I removed the cassette deck. *smile*

 

[chelstondave]

As a 15 year old I bought cheap from Comet an Amstrad 8000 amp, solavox PR25 speakers and a truly dreadful Strathearn turntable which I believe was a government initiative to help Northern Irelands economy a la the De Lorean that had even less success

 

[MajorFubar]

RT 909 Open Reel, CT F1250 Cassette Recorder, PL L1000 Tangential Arm, SA 9900 Int Amp all feeding into some speakers or other - can't remember the model.

That was your first!? Jesus.

 

[MrReaper182]

An early Sony 90's ES stereo amp which I brought from a car boot sale in 2005 for 50 quid. I still own the amp and she still she works. I will never part with her as she started me off on this crazy hi-fi journey.

 

[nopiano]

First Hi-Fi was a pair of Sennheiser HD-414 headphones, which had received a glowing review in Which? magazine, and came with 2-pin DIN speaker plugs. This enabled me to enjoy better sound from a type of radiogram thing we had with separate speakers (can't remember the brand, but I know it had a BSR deck and ceramic cartridge).

My first system was:-

Pioneer PL-12D turntable with Shure M75ED cartridge

Tandberg TR200 receiver, just 15 watts per channel but decent quality and preset FM stations.

Acoustic Research AR4xa speakers, in teak with natural cloth grilles.

Thin grey flex to connect the speakers, as the wire had to go under the carpet.

Watts dust bug.

After a year I added a Leak 2001 cassette deck, allegedly made by Nakamichi.

 

[Daz B]

My first hifi was a Sansui Turntable, amp and turntable bought from Laskeys in Southampton. The speakers were like there own brand I think. This was back in 1985.
The cassette deck stopped working 1 year to the day after purchasing.

 

[Gazzip]

An early Sony 90's ES stereo amp which I brought from a car boot sale in 2005 for 50 quid. I still own the amp and she still she works. I will never part with her as she started me off on this crazy hi-fi journey.

Is all of your hifi of the fairer sex? Just been reading about your recent lady purchase on another thread... *biggrin*

 

[paulkebab]

a stereo valve amp I ripped out of an old stereogram, something like 9 WPC coupled up to a single play BSR turntable, with a pair of Elac 6" drivers and small tweeters in home made boxes. Sounded quite good TBH especially as it was all free and I enjoyed it for a few years. Or, the first complete upgrade which was a Goldring Lenco GL78 turntable with Goldring cart, an Amstrad (ewww) 5000 tuner/amp - the predecessor to the amazingly good 5050 unit with bass, treble AND midrange controls, a Hitachi D230 cassette, soon upped to an Aiwa AD1250 which was a wedge shape with its own dust cover driving a pair of Celestion 'quite large bookshelf' speakers.

 

[MrReaper182]

An early Sony 90's ES stereo amp which I brought from a car boot sale in 2005 for 50 quid. I still own the amp and she still she works. I will never part with her as she started me off on this crazy hi-fi journey.

Is all of your hifi of the fairer sex? Just been reading about your recent lady purchase on another thread... *biggrin*

Looks are just as important as sound quality to me when it comes to hi-fi. All my hi-fi is as beautiful as a sexy lady.

 

[Gazzip]

An early Sony 90's ES stereo amp which I brought from a car boot sale in 2005 for 50 quid. I still own the amp and she still she works. I will never part with her as she started me off on this crazy hi-fi journey.

Is all of your hifi of the fairer sex? Just been reading about your recent lady purchase on another thread... *biggrin*

Looks are just as important as sound quality to me when it comes to hi-fi. All my hi-fi is as beautiful as a sexy lady.

Nothing wrong with that viewpoint my friend, so long as you are only sticking interconnects and banana plugs in to its rear. Anything more than that... *stop*

 

[MrReaper182]

An early Sony 90's ES stereo amp which I brought from a car boot sale in 2005 for 50 quid. I still own the amp and she still she works. I will never part with her as she started me off on this crazy hi-fi journey.

Is all of your hifi of the fairer sex? Just been reading about your recent lady purchase on another thread... *biggrin*

Looks are just as important as sound quality to me when it comes to hi-fi. All my hi-fi is as beautiful as a sexy lady.

Nothing wrong with that viewpoint my friend, so long as you are only sticking interconnects and banana plugs in to its rear. Anything more than that... *stop*

Haha haha. Have you seen my profile pic? I'm a good looking male so I don't need to that.

 

[Gray]

But tonky:

Glad someone remembers the Alba UA900! (Googling the image bought up only one, very poor picture)

My JVC KD-21 was (still is) very much square - big attraction: LED level meter (one row only, to cover both channels) in addition to the analogue meters. I've also still got an Ortofon VMS20E Mk2 in storage.

And chebby:

What can we say about that old 3020 NAD other than that it is surely the all-time best budget buy?

I remember thinking that it was a revelation - sold it for £60 back in the 80's (not much less than I paid for it)

Not long ago, I wired a new TV to a 3020 amp for an 85 year old bloke. It was the first version (with the horizontal connection panel) - he'd been using it daily since purchase in 1979 / 80 (?)

That's value for money.