What were some of your early Hi-End audio gear/influences?

When I was dropping out of high school to start college early (Spring semester, I had my classes picked out, was all set) there was a ridiculous couple of weeks I had to wait for my paperwork to go through...lame but meh...so I hung out in the library reading piles of New Yorkers and whatever hifi mags were around in '68...I think that's what got me into hifi, although I was already a working musician building little PA systems for myself. Soon after I scored my first Real Good system...a KLH Model 20 compact thing that sounded great, mostly due to the speakers...had that sucker for years.

Without a doubt, the big Infinity 9 kappas powered by Sumo, i think. 
I had never heard a wall of sound like that before.  Definitely left a print in my head. 

Thinking back to my early days of being an audiophile.....was going to Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.   There was a stereo store - HiFi Haven that was run by "Jerry"..   It was more of a club than a store.  Wonder what happened to Jerry....real nice guy.

I, like most of you, remember the Advents and Mr. Kloss.  My journey lead me down the path of Dahlquist, Martin Logan, Magnepan etc.

This is not a speaker, but the Magnum Dynalab MD-208 receiver was such a superb product and value. 

I should ad, the Advent 300 receiver was another eye/ear opener.