Is your now then?

1970 Lafayette LA-950 integrated (have repurchased for nostalgia), Garrard 40B, Criterion 100B speakers … tremendous improvements over suitcase stereo and portable 5” Aiwa R2R.

Thinking of recreating that strictly for nostalgia, but probably won’t. I’ve already recreated my college/post-college system (ca 1978 JVC integrated, Pioneer table, Polk Mon7) partially for nostalgia but also respectable SQ … I could listen as only system if necessary.

Nothing holds a candle to modern system wrt SQ.

A technics tt,pioneer receiver, parallex speakers was my first system in the early 70s.After many different configurations over the years I'm very happy with CDs, a tube amp,and Zu speakers.I'm feeling that 70s live concert vibe again. Totally satisfied.

I remember a baby grand piano ,behind it was a jades amplifier, and two speakers on stands , the setup was simple, no rack , Many people  in the building were talking about Victor , with a new invention that would make cd, sound better .   Many years later I called him , his company was fanfare int. I purchased a audio  valve  , second hand from a store, and he was nice enough to send me the literature I needed. 

Inscrutable, we had a Lafayette store in our neighborhood for a short time when I was a kid, Really had no sense of high end audio, but seeing inside all this electronic equipment brought about sense of wonder. As an adolescent, good friend purchased a Lafayette receiver,  best memory of that, Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf played over and over.

My first exposure to the high end sound was in a stereo sales shop in the mall. Perruex amps driving large ADS towers with Teac reel to reels. Wow that sound coming from those speakers! Tight bass, quick, dynamic. I never heard percussion so good. The smooth sounding equipment was the Yamaha line. It was 1981. The salesman played Crime of the Century from Supertramp on Mobile Fidelity half-speed master recording and it was amazing. Anyway, that started it all. I just got my ADS L1590 Towers restored by the tech that does them now. He used to work in the factory long ago.