Is your now then?

Somewhere around 1966 we and a friend went into a store call the "Ear Drum" off Imperial Highway in Hawthorne CA.  The store was very dark with the equipment illuminated on shelves.  A salesman yelled at us "Hey you kids get out of here", another voice said "Let them stay, they just may be future customers" They told us look but don't touch. For me, at that age the room was amazing, the gear glowing in the dim light.  The lit tubes and the area lights on the face plates are a wonderful memory.  My system has 26 tubes.

Then:
Back in the day when I barely had two cents to rub together, I scratched my hifi itch via hifi rags like stereophile et al.   My "virtual" systems favored components from Nad and Adcom.  I loved the clean looks and low profile of most of  their gear.  I  also liked Carver's stuff.

Now:  
I'm still influenced somewhat from those early years.  I still favor diminutive components with clean looks.  Sound is a major factor in the now that didn't come into play with my former "virtual" systems.  I still like the looks of the classic  Nad/Adcom/Carver components but from a performance perspective they don't fill today's needs. 

1973 Sony Str 7065,Bose 901s I got used with stands and custom made based that lifted the speakers to ear level sitting down..receiver was $350 ,Bose 901 used 2 old $315,turntable was a Technics SL 1300 with Shure 100 cart that was $350 also.Now I own Caryin 50 tube in amp $1000 ,Nad 588 tt with blue ofton cart.$900,Emovtive cr3 cd player $300.Oh speakers are Polk Lsim 707 returns ,got them for $1100 a steal.I loved my 70s unit as I do my 2021 system.But always buying vintage stuff.

Started back in 63’. My friend walked around with a transistor radio tucked in his waist band. Listening to Summertime, Summer in the City, Bill Haley…
 Then I saw a pair of MBL 111es. Then I saw a pair of VAC 170iqs, then I saw a Transrotor…
I said, f#*¥! I’m in. 

in 1962 I walked into a hi fi store in Berkeley and heard a pair of KLH 9's driven by a transformerless amp.....truly a game changing experience. Several months later, heard a pair of Quad 57 ESLs, bought a pair and listened to them for many years with true pleasure. They've gone away and now using a pair of Harbeth 40.1's which sound to me like a giant pair of Quads