Which components knocked you out on first listen?

Back in 1976, I heard a pair of Frasier loudspeakers (model unknown but they were about the size of small refrigerators). They were driven by a 350 wpc Phase Linear amp and Phase Linear auto correlation preamp. Dunno what kind of turntable and cartridge. For the first time, it seemed like the musicians were in the room with me. It started me down the audio path in one listen.

When I first had to do something pro, this was my first experience - back in college. I boggled at how life-like and artifact free that first master was.

In no particular order, and over the course of 33 years:

1/ Dahlquist DQ10 speaker in 1975. Amplification was Audio Research Dual-76A with ARC SP3a1 preamp. In the context of what was known in 1975, this speaker was a revelation.

2/ Julius Futterman-constructed hand-wired mono tube amps. Speakers were Quad ESL and preamp was Audio Research SP3a1. Still sensational.

3/ New York Audio Labs NCP-2 preamp

4/ McIntosh MC1201 power amps (one of the few amps to shove a speaker crossover out of the way of the music, if you know what I mean). Mac MC501s are nearly as effective.

5/ Audiopax 88 power amps. Want to hear new details on recordings you've been listening to for 30 or 40 years? Buy these amps.

6/ Souther Engineering Linear Tracking Tonearm

7/ Audio Physics Virgo & VAC Avatar integrated tube amp together -- simple and heavenly

8/ Zu Definition loudspeakers - just about the end of the road.

9/ KR Kronzilla amps - BLAM!

10/ Denon DL103D phono cartridge - doing things right since about 1964.

Phil

Component that "Knocked Me Out" the first time was the tube radio in a 1953 Pontiac that hit me in the head when I was trying to swap the OZ3 regulator.

After I woke up it sounded great! Best of all, that evening I could listen with my girl at the Mansfield drive in during intermission when they had nothing great going on the screen.

You all remember that don't you?

When I listened to my Jadis JA-500 monoblocks at a dealer's, I was astonished with their clarity, hsoundstage and three dimensionality. In an extensive evaluation session, the Jadis was compared with 6 or 7 other top notch amps. The differences were so hugely obvious that no other amp stayed for more than 10 minutes. I thought the Jadis amps knocked me down, and I ended up buying the pair and continue to live with them.

GD