What was your first 'hi-end' system?

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 ;-)

1970 - 1975 back in University

-- JBL L88 speakers (identical to the foam cube grill JBL L100s w/o the midrange third speaker)
-- the original MARANTZ 2245 receiver
-- ELAC MIRACORD TT with Shure V15 cartridge

(geez... I think that General Washington entertained the troops at Valley Forge with the same kit ..)

OK....good for its time; but looking back now, none of this fare served up back then would remotely qualify as "hi-end" based on today's available modestly priced gear. "Vintage" as referred to today does not necessarily (rarely) mean "Good".

It was a heavily coloured "California sound" with the treble/midrange/bass controls cranked over; tailored for 60s and 70s LP rock albums in the U dorm with an acrid smell of Maui Wowwee floating down the hallways mixed in with a whiff of stale beer.

1970 or something KLH Model 20 system...the one without the tuner. Killed.

A lovely simple system:

Kenwood LO7C
Advent Powered Loudspeakers
Sony PSX75

Then a friend got an LP12 and it was all over for me.

When I was 6 in 1978 I got a big Philips 'tube' stereo recorder from my Dad. I remember the smell of the tubes when I started it.