Is your now then?

When I was in college from 1970-74 it was JBL Century 100 speakers. a $400 Pioneer Integrated Amp (can’t remember the model) received as a present, and a Dual turntable. I’ve tried to keep the system simple as possible, adding only a CD player and power conditioner, and upgrades of the original components and wiring.

Mike

My first "job" was working and the Pacific National Exhibition in my hometown of Vancouver, Canada. I was paid $1.17 / hour to clean up after the farm animals. I used the money ($200.00) I made to buy a pair of big German speakers. To me they were everything I was missing in my life listening to AM radio.    

I have been on this journey ever since.

First stereo was in 82, an AKAI system (turntable, tuner, dual casette, equalizer) with "Hitachi" speakers, it was a complete package and if I recall around 1100$. 

Mid sixties - friends dad had a Garrard 301, 3 X 16 inch SME arms, ortofon cartridges, Leak amplification and Wharfedales built into the room corners - 5-6 feet high.  He used to play our Dylan and Stones albums for us kids when we brought them around.  And I was off......

Have from time to time heard systems (my current one being no exception) which have to be better and surely outperformed that primal system.   One of the other systems was a million dollar set up, with several being in excess of a couple hundred grand.  Not a single one has given me the same chills!   It was the sheer musicality, I think, which I am still searching for.  But then, what do I know.

It was my fathers system… Dyna Kit Pre-amp and Amp. Very large (brand??) Speakers, an AR belt driven turntable and a Revox reel to reel.

All the switches, volume bass and treble made noise.

Simon and Garfunkel had just released Sounds of Silence and to this day, I miss the sound the crumpled tape made right at the beginning of the first track.

I must have been about 6 or 7 years old and remember spraying something on all the pots and replacing tubes on that old amp with my dad. Gosh…he would love what I’m listening to now. He’s been gone a very long time.

I’ve been hooked ever since.

The system I took to college was that Kenwood amp with the big knob and a pair of JBL L100’s. I remember that amp kept blowing the tweeters until I put a fuse on the speaker cables. I went thru those fuses like candy…!