Where Did You Start?

[Ray P]

Strangely two items from the very first proper hifi system I bought have just come up for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

My first amplifier was a Trio KA-1500

Trio KA1500.jpg (133.45 KiB) Viewed 1960 times

and my first turntable was a Sansui SR222 Mk2

Sansui SR222.jpg (102.62 KiB) Viewed 1960 times

All I need now is a pair of Celstion Ditton 15XR speakers and some QED 79strand speaker cable to recreate my first system - Hmm, I wonder how it would sound now? I'm almost tempted to buy them to find out.

What did you start your hifi life with?

[Ant]

Mi dad bought me a little system
Nad 3020i amp
Technics slps50 cd
Jpw minimonitors
The technics was his old cd player and the cables were the ones that came in the box with it. Speaker cables were some white noname stuff from richer sounds in sheffield

I was also given a couple of duplicate cds, dark side of the moon and led zep 4, a compilation cd mistakenly bought called the greatest hits of dance. Dont think he wanted 2unlimited and the prodigy... a few others.
Might explain a few things...

[Cressy Snr]

My first system was:

Dual CS505-2 turntable with Ortofon OM10 cartridge bought from Tom Jacques Hi-Fi - Wood Street Doncaster
Marantz PM350 amplifier from Quadraphenia - Bradford Row Doncaster
Wharfedale Laser 60 speakers from Grattan's mail order catalogue.

None of these shops exist anymore and neither does Grattan's mail order catalogue.

[vinylnvalves]

My old man, was into Jazz - had reels from his days in Rio and recording at a Jazz club he frequented in the 1950’s. Took me to see Alexis Korner, my Dansette never sounded right after that. Our neighbour gave me an eagle amp he had made, this with some Wilmslow Audio Seas 3 way we built was the start...... never had a commercially built speaker, from that day forth.

[shane]

My first “stereo”.

Right channel:


Left channel:


That Grundig table radio was a thing of beauty. Wish I still had it. Inherited from my Grandfather.

[pre65]

Mine was an Amstrad IC2000 amp, Garrard AP76 deck and Celestion County speakers. Bell wire was de-rigueur in them distant days.

It sounded OK to me, was late 60s - early 70s , can't remember exactly now.

CD had not been invented.

Shortly after I got an Eagle tuner.

'edit

At the same time my Dad had a Metrosound ST20, Garrard SP25 and Wharfedale Dentons.

[Ray P]

None of these shops exist anymore and neither does Grattan's mail order catalogue.

I bought the Trio, Sansui and Celestions from Comet (in Taunton) - another store that's gone.

Of course, I didn't listen to it before buying, the decision was 100% based on reviews in What HiFi. That would have been around 1980.

[Paul Barker]

Goodmans module 80 Eagle self build kit spleakers cant remember name of deck, very low grade though.

All of it was a bag of shyte. But I was happy with it. Only played records and radio. Never went on to cd’s until bought my first cd player 1996 an arcam 7 I thinkit was. Also a bag of shyte. Never improved my cd spinner, just sold it and went back to records and fm radio.

Then learned how to build valve amps. Rest you lot know.

[jack]

First decent commercial system was a Sansui AU717 and Celestion SL6 speakers.... Can't remember the cassette deck ATM but there was a Garrard 401.

Sold the Sansui many years ago. Wish I hadn't as it sounded great and they fetch big bucks now.

e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285081575594

[shane]

Now this has got me thinking. I still had the setup above when I got a job in a HiFi shop, then having a best mate who was a hi-fi reviewer meant that all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff passed through. Dahlquist DQ10s in a 12x8 bedroom was fun, driven by a gorgeous little EMI stereoscope 555 (15 Watts of el84 push-pull loveliness).
But what was the first system I bought with my own money? The first thing was a brand new Revox A77 which really did fall off the back of a lorry. Bought it back from the insurance company for £50, plugged back in a relay that had fallen out of its socket, got Dad to mend the case and re-veneer it, job’s a good’un!
Five years later I joined Heybrook so a pair of HB2s arrived soon the be replaced with HB3s, then an A&R A60 and a TT2 with a prototype Helius Orion and Denon DL103s.
That was pretty good, and lasted about 20 years.

[pre65]

First decent commercial system

Not really answering the OPs question.

First decent commercial system is a different subject.

[jack]

First decent commercial system

Not really answering the OPs question.

First decent commercial system is a different subject.

Au contraire Phillipe! It's exactly what was being asked:

Strangely two items from the very first proper hifi system I bought have just come up for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

...

What did you start your hifi life with?

[pre65]

What did you start your hifi life with?

[/quote]

See post #6

It was hi-fi at the time.

[Ant]

First one i paid for myself.

Musical fidelity a3
Musical fidelity xray
Quad 11l speakers
All bought from mooregate acoustics in sheffield which is still going but not in the same building. Bought the stands and speaker cable which was some pink biwire home theatre cable they had off them too
Dont have any of that kit any more

[Thermionic Idler]

Inherited Pioneer PL-12D and Leak 2000 receiver in late 1986, added a new Denon DRM-07 tape deck and Wharfedale Diamond II's to it.