Where did you buy your first audio gear?

@bgross

Left with JBL, 4311s, Crown PL2 and SL2 power & pre, SAE 180 EQ and a Denon, DP35F w/Micro Acoustics 3002 cart. I dropped everything I came home with in that one shot, lol - I was 22yo. Been on the wheel ever since

what a great thread, and what fun to harken back to those times

at tech hifi circa 1980 that was the top tier we had to sell - crown and sae gear in particular...

... and i loved that microacoustics 2002e cart on my micro seiki tt, went through numerous styli  ... electret condenser model with that loooong cantilever, super light, fast tactile sound

so many weekend mornings started with al jarreau, tower of power, michael franks, the crusaders spinning ...

Audio Warehouse. Sharonville, OH . Harmon Kardon 50w receiver, Sanyo tape deck, RtR bookshelf's, Dual Turntable, not sure of the cartridge, 1980. 

I first audio serious audio was purchased off my boss when I was working in Iron Mountain, MI.  I was there to build the new County Replacement Hospital, Dickenson County Memorial.  I bought his Harmon & Kardon integrated, and a pair of DCS bookshelf speakers.  I next bought a Sony CD player from Crutchfield.  I traded that all in, and bought a stack of NAD, which I thought was the greatest stuff.  Hey, when you're 24, and just getting into it, it was!  Hah.  Those were the good old days.  I should have stopped there.  My mania has spread, or rather gotten worse - DOH!  🤣

Pioneer SX-750 receiver, BIC turntable, and Bose 301 Series II bookshelf speakers. Purchased at Pacific Stereo, Pomona, California, February 1980. Receiver was nothing but problems and BIC turntable was crummy. Replaced them three months later with a McIntosh MA600 integrated amplifier and a McIntosh MR74 AM/FM tuner, and also a Dual turntable. What a difference! I still have the tuner to this day. I gave away my Pacific Stereo purchases. They were junk...you do get what you pay for.

One of those Rent To Own places, about 40 years ago. It was a Sansui rack system. I added a Pioneer CD player the second year they came out. I also swapped out the speakers for a pair of JBL 80t's. This wasn't exactly high end but I was only 17 at the time. Last I knew the Sansui rack was still playing for the folks I sold it to.