My first system, 1966, was an AR turntable, AR speakers and a Dynaco SCA-35 integrated I built from a kit. Great memories of that setup, it was playing almost constantly for several years. Added a Tandberg reel-to-reel at some point later.
What did you own in the 60's?
Here is one for the more mature folks here.
My first component system was a XAM 20 watt receiver, a Garrard 40B turntable with a 1 cent Grado cartridge, & a pair of XAM speakers with single 8" "full range" speakers. It was the house brand of EJ Korvette, a discount department store on Long Island. I probably would have done better if I could have talked my dad into going to Lafayette, but it was a longer trip.
I replaced the Garrard with a $91 AR XA in 1969. It was obvious that turntables sounded different, even to a 16 year old! I don't recall reading that in Stereo Review!
My first component system was a XAM 20 watt receiver, a Garrard 40B turntable with a 1 cent Grado cartridge, & a pair of XAM speakers with single 8" "full range" speakers. It was the house brand of EJ Korvette, a discount department store on Long Island. I probably would have done better if I could have talked my dad into going to Lafayette, but it was a longer trip.
I replaced the Garrard with a $91 AR XA in 1969. It was obvious that turntables sounded different, even to a 16 year old! I don't recall reading that in Stereo Review!
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I love you guys, (and gal)! (I just turned 50 this year, so I was feeling really old, but you've reminded me that I am not so old for an Audiophile!) In 1960, my turntable was one of those kid's turntables that had a kind of a slide projector that pulled the strips of slides in, and when played with the appropriate record, not only told a story, but showed pictures that were timed to coincide with the story. (Pretty cool technology for the time.) And of course it also worked as a regular turntable, albeit with dubious sound quality, and for all I know, it played in mono. Although, for a kid, it sounded fine. I did not have a stereo turntable until I borrowed the family portable turntable that we got when I was about 13 or 14, (which would have been about 1974 or so). I did not get my own stereo until I was out of college, and had a job at age 20, (1980). (And of course it was the standard Japanese receiver, turntable and speakers). But from then on, I was pretty much hooked, and have upgraded my rig on a semi-regular basis since then, (say every 5 or so years). |
ca. 1969- Radio Shack 20 wpc receiver, 8" speakers, RS/Garrard TT. Cart was included, so I used the penny to keep it from skipping! Then a family friend went to 'Nam and sent me back a Pioneer SX-1000 TW and I got a pair of Advents and an AR TT! Boy did we have a high old time listening to tunes.... |
In 1969 I talked my Mom into buying me one of those all in one stereos from Korvette's in greater Chicagoland without my Dad knowing about it. I think it cost about $300. I thought it was great. Well, when my Dad found out about it he threw a fit and back it went for a refund, after barely a record was played. But then he says, "We'll get you a REAL stereo" and down to Allied Radio we went (Western Ave, I think). We walked out with an Allied turntable (low end Garrard) with an Empire cartridge, Sansui AU555A integrated, a pair of Fisher 12" 3-ways ($100 for the first speaker and 1 cent for the second) and a small Crown FM tuner. Then he amazed me by hooking it all up without reading any directions (a trait that I inherited)! I guess I was lucky! PS. I think he kind of regretted it when I went out and got Led Zepplin II. That's when he got me some cheap Koss headphones. |
EJ Korvettes Urban Legend see http://www.snopes.com/business/names/ejkorvette.asp From the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s My parents had a really cheap KLH system. But they had pretty cool taste in music--mostly bebop jazz. I, however, gravitated towards their Beatles records. |
I didn't have stereo gear in the 60'S.Just a Panasonic clock radio.To busy chasing the ladies and enjoying the tunes on my AM radio in my 1963 Ford Falcon.I did get some Radio Shack gear in the 70's..as a matter of fact I still have the STA 225 Shack Receiver in the Garage..AaHHHH the 60's what a great time to be young...Almost made it to Woodstock in 1969..I didn't want to leave the Falcon parked on the NY Thruway and walk the rest of the way,so headed back to Jersey. |
My system was a Realistic 9 transistor radio I received as a Xmas gift in 1966 - just about right for a 7-year-old. 1966 solid state wasn't ideal for music perhaps and the 2" paper driver wasn't exactly SOTA, but it brought the 1967 Red Sox "impossible dream" season as close as I could have wanted :) |
a pilot intergrated w/ 7591 tubes ( I remember the number cause I bunt my fingers pretty bad taking a bad one out ) a garrard changer i think was a model a- something, and a pair of jensen 10" 3 ways .now about forty years later .god knows how many systems , houses and an x- wivfs, girlfriends , kids grand-kids ect > worked all the way up to my dream amp the fisher sa1000 . wish I had the cash back then ...but what a ride getting to this point .spending thousands on high end gear all through the 70's 80's and 90's ending up with a 300.00 amp from the 60's .god I love this addiction !! |
A $500 system bundle from Cal Hi-Fi consisting of a Dual turntable with Stanton 681 cart, a Fisher AM/FM solid state receiver, and a pair of unbranded 3-way large bookshelves with 10" or 12" woofers. It sucked, but I was a teenager and enjoyed my music back then as much or more than I have since. If I had had guidance from someone in the know, I might have ended up with AR and Dynaco gear at about that price, but I didn't. |
Dua1 1019, Shure V15 cartridge, Dynakit PAS3, Dynakit Stereo 70, Knight/EV 15TRX in bass reflex enclosures. My first system was two Lafyette kit 8 watt tube mono amps, Lafayette/Goodmans 8" three way drivers in Lafayette kit enclosures,a Glaser-Steers automaatic turntable with platter which stopped when record dropped, Shure md3 carttidge which lacked output for the Lafayette tube amps,so had to add the Dynakit Pas3 preamp I have been at this hobby ever since. Strange how some items go up in value. The Goodmans are now selling for #300 a pair on Ebay, not bad for $15.00 drivers. Same for the Dynakit Pas 3. But then look at the current value of the Marantz 7! |
1960's system: stacked quad esls, mac c22 pre, quad mono tube amps., thorens td 124, w ortofon arm and cartridge. cables were generic. that system has given me more pleasure than any system i have owned or heard since 1967. i defy someone to present a stereo system that will beat it, with the exception of 6, or 8 quad esls. |
