your first system-

1995. I was living in Allentown, New Jersey at the time.

I decided I wanted to ditch the Kenwood integrated amp and get a true hifi system. I was just starting my career in design so I didn’t have a lot of money. Luckily the local stereo retailer took trade ins. I had recently bought a Paradigm passive subwoofer from them and decided to trade it back in with some recently acquired Infinity speakers from a big box retailer.

I came home with a Carver TFM-15 amp and two Paradigm 2-way monitor series speakers with 8" speakers. My CD player could go directly into the Carver and I could use the the 2 gain knobs for volume control.

I was expecting sooooo much when I first played a CD on it and...I was entirely underwhelmed. There was a lot to learn.

I still have the amp...it went a good 20+ years before needing service. It’s now my garage system. With a good preamp in front of it, it sounds pretty good I must say.

My first system was two mismatched Sherwood tube amps ( kits, one 15 watts the other 25 watts) a Garrard TT and a pair of speakers with 8” drivers, I built into some bookshelves in my bedroom.

All the best.

JD

Marantz speakers, Sanyo turntable, AT cartridge, Pioneer receiver, can't remember specific models.

1990 the year I graduated college. A pair of Def Tech BP10’s, a gorgeous built like a tank Pioneer Elite receiver and a Sony ES 5 CD carousel. Purchased from my first experience with a high end retailer called The Listening Room in Scarsdale, NY.

I still have the BP10’s in my storage room and I gave the Elite receiver and Sony carousel away in 2018 to our movers. I wasn’t using them for years but They both still worked 28 years later.