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What was your first 'hi-end' system?

Late 1980's-

Magnepan SMGa
Adcom GFA-545
Adcom GTP-500II
Thorens TD-166 Mk. IV
Shure V15 Type 5 MR
Technics CD player, model unknown

Within 3 years that morphed into the following

Magnepan MG2.6R
Bryston 4B
Bryston .5B
Rega Planar 3
Linn K9
Cal Icon

zavato
dpatterson
105 posts
 
Late 70's in college
Marantz 1060 Integrated
Garrard Zero 100 Table with Shure cart
Large Advents
strateahed
305 posts
 
@Dpatterson, in the 70's I had almost the same system ... except TT (don't remember cart). That was some great sound!
pryso
1,977 posts
 
This will give away my age. While in college in 1966 I built ST-70, PAS-3, and FM-3 Dynakits, to go with AR-4 speakers and a Dual 1009 w/ Empire cartridge. That system might be MOR today but at that time it was not far below Macs and Marantz.

Actually I expect with appropriate maintenance and new tubes it would still be quite musically satisfying today.
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
@Dpatterson, a friend of mine had the 1060 with a pair of large Advents that sounded great! I loved that little blue light on the 1060. I eventually ended up owning about a dozen of the '70's Marantz units over the years. Tuners, receivers, amps, loved them all. Still have a 2252 receiver in my basement system where I switch out various speakers...JBL 166's, large Advents, Wharfdales, Cerwin Vegas...still like the vintage sound.
rwbadley's avatar
rwbadley
143 posts
 
Back in about 1975 I had a Stromberg-Carlson integrated tube amp hooked to some very large plywood boxes with 18" Radio Shack guitar speakers inside. No tweeters.

The source was a Gerrard TT with a nickel taped to the top end of the tone arm. This gave more bass and helped keep the needle in the groove while playing to death my Rolling Stones Honky Tonk woman 45 rpm record. I eventually bought Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti and Doobie Bros Captain and Me LP's

This system was a vast upgrade over what most of my contemporaries had at the time. 'hi end' for sure ;-)
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