What was your first system, & did you like it?

My first "system" was a white and green Zenith all-in-one record player. I loved listening for hours to Hans Christian Anderson stories. It was confiscated by my Mother, however, when I learned that my finger could alter space/time by speeding-up/slowing-down the turntable revolutions (a promising recording engineer nipped in the bud!).

Technics TT w/ Pickering cartridge
Harmon Kardon receiver
JBL L 100 spkrs.

I still listen to rock music and to this day my present system still can't "rock" like this simple system.
Loud, electronic-sounding, booming bass with a lot of slam and an in-your-face sound-but boy could it play Led Zeppelin and Earth, Wind & Fire.
I wasn't listening for soundstage, high end bloom, transparency etc.-I simply enjoyed the music.
Mmmmmm...

-Lafayette Radio Integrated Amp
-Lafayette Radio Cassette Deck w/ outboard Dolby unit
-Used pair of Fisher bookshelf speakers from a camera shop's used equipment section.
-JVC TT with an Audio-Technica cart

It was OK but it didn't last long cause I was hooked. My freshman year of college (I was away from home), I hit the Tech Hi-Fi (anyone remember them?):

-Sansui AU6500 Integrated amp (still have that bad boy)
-Klipsch Heresy Speakers in unfinished birch
-Thorens TD160 Turntable
-Some huge, thick (or so I thought at the time)speaker cable
-A bunch of CTI jazz LP's engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.

That setup was satisfying in spades for many years until I was out of school and making some money.

First system: Nov.1969
Lafayette LR-500B receiver
Garrard 40B changer
Pickering cartridge
KLH 22A speakers

Second system: 1971
Dynaco SCA-80 intergrated amp
KLH-18 FM tuner
AR Turntable
Shure M91E cartridge
Dynaco A-25 speakers
Koss ESP-7 headphones

That second system was a giant leap forward!

My first “real” rig, other than a record player and then dad’s console, is still my favorite because it meant so much to me. I saved like a dog and still borrowed a couple of hundred and made payments.

Keep in mind that these were the brief days of “quad”.

Pioneer QX-747 Quad Receiver (later traded it and a couple of “bags” for a Marantz 4400)

Pioneer PL55-D Direct Drive Turntable w/Audio Technica Quad Cartridge

Pioneer CT-F9191 Cassette Deck (still have it)

ESS Satellite 4 Speakers – Four 2-ways (6” mid – 2” tweet), a 12” “Bass Reflex Sub” all run through an outboard crossover. I bet no one remembers these. Still have the sub and two of the two-ways (re-coned). The cases were covered with an EXCELLENT, and now somewhat rare variety of African Zebrawood.

Though most all has gone away, the memories will last a lifetime!