Funny to see this thread going so long but thought the Adcom starting thread was amusing.
Since that Panasonic LP/Tape console thing some punk roommate left behind in '83, or that JVC Boombox I plugged that BIC 'table I stole from my cousin doesn't count, my first real piece of equipment was a 20 year old NAD integrated that was given to me('92) and I fronted with a Dual turntable with a Denon DL-165. I worked in the record store in a place that also sold high-end audio and my real entree was when I walked up to the audio guys and asked if they could repair the volume knob on my NAD. When they heard what I had (they asked if I had separates or an integrated - I called it the NAD "one piece amp thing")they started selling me on the idea of new equipment, and separates, but it was when they said that I could get "Cleaner Sound" that I was hooked. I couldn't believe it, here I was, this big record collector and I wasn't getting "clean sound", wotta chump. I started reading Stereophile to find out what I was missing, which was a lot, and that was the beginning.
After spending a coupla months reading, talking, listening - getting the audio thing down, the first amp I bought myself was the Adcom GFA-555 MkII. I enjoyed this piece very much, from everything I had heard previous in my life this was heaven. It had power and could play loud, the Stooges never sounded so good. Later a pair of Mark Levinson Prototype 25 Watt monoblocks ended up at our stereo shop that were donated to an art auction by old friends of his (along with a pair of Klipsch speakers they had been paired with). These were old and and in need of repair so working equipment replaced these at the auction and the monoblocks were repaired at our shop(rewired with Kimber Silver and new power cords made from Kimber wire). With classical music they were so much more detailed than the Adcom that I sold the Adcom and bought the Levinsons.
Later I decided to buy a new amp and bought a Sonic Frontiers Power 2 SE and this amp is stunning. It sounds great and my only gripe is the heat. Which possibly might be enough to get me to change amps to something solid state and cooler. Not to diss the SF at all, I love this amp but as this thread shows, we like to make changes......
