Components I would have died for when I was a wee pup

Avantgarde Trios. I still remember hearing the Who's "Live at Leeds" through them. The amps shredded my ears, but it was certainly memorable, and I always wondered what the AGs would sound like with a friendlier amp. I found out years later, and again, it was quite the experience. Even back then, the cost was astronomical, though!

Back in the late 70's/early 80's I worked in the high end audio business.  We used to say that we hoped that, some day, we'd be able to afford to buy the equipment we sold to others.

I wished for McIntosh separates (C32/MC2205/MR78), Revox turntable, Nakamichi 1000 cassette deck, B&W 800 speakers...and a good home for those components.

****what did you have in your cross hairs when you started out?****

At 18?  The pic next to your moniker is about it 😉

But, seriously, stacked Quad 57's/Sequerra ribbons/Levinson ML2's.

lynott82 posts12-31-2016 10:19amAvantgarde Trios. I still remember hearing the Who’s "Live at Leeds" through them. The amps shredded my ears, but it was certainly memorable, and I always wondered what the AGs would sound like with a friendlier amp. I found out years later, and again, it was quite the experience. Even back then, the cost was astronomical, though!

Lynott, you must’ve met REAL good sale pitcher to spend on your first system near-fortune! I was also in dedicated Avantgarde room (obviously to fulfill my curiosity to innovative speaker design in 90’s) and after audition I had my ears ringin’ for the WHOLE week. The most expensive Trios obviously sounded the MOST terrible and ringin’ with upper mids dominating the whole spectrum and unfortunately there’s no ’right amp’ for’m. Such deep lack of tonal balance I haven’t heard in any speaker at all. Similar effect I heard when I placed the clock radio in the corner of completely empty room and turned the volume all the way up till clipping!
The best sound in Avantgarde listening room was out of Solo the least expensive speaker($4k back than?), but unfortunately it’s out of production today. T

Those Vandersteen 2a's were my grail-which I thankfully got 34 years later in the form of 3a sigs.
Dahlquist 10's, Maggies, and a brief fling with Shahanian obelisks also piqued my interest. I was obsessed with speakers, as you can see.  
Funny that I wasn't thinking about amps/preamps. I guess not having discretionary income actually saved me from a load of frustration.