I was lucky. I was working B&W in 1979 and they gave me a pair of DM4s as a leaving present.
Not in the superleague but certainly very respectable.
I then spent years trying to match up a nice system.
I had an original Denon PMA737 amp, which, at the time was pretty reasonably priced.
NIRVANA.
My original CD player was a Technics (I cant recall the number).
But it was all a good start.
Not in the superleague but certainly very respectable.
I then spent years trying to match up a nice system.
I had an original Denon PMA737 amp, which, at the time was pretty reasonably priced.
NIRVANA.
My original CD player was a Technics (I cant recall the number).
But it was all a good start.
My first amp magically appeared in my room when I was about 5 years old -- my mother learning how to take pictures has a pic of me sitting on my dresser beside it somewhere. A friend of my father's was getting rid of his "old" equipment for something new. It was a battle worn Sansui AM/FM receiver tube amp with silver face and black plastic knobs. And it took what seemed to be a very long time to warm up compared to the flip digit clock radio my parents had in their bedroom (Lloyds!).
So my father having just got a Lloyds (!) all in-one (probably the same as what Cal Weldon's set up was mentioned above) 8-track that would go "ker-shuck" when you switched tracks, crappy crisscross wood lattice speakers, receiver amp, and cheapo turntable. This meant that this ugly, heat producing, non vinyl stickered wooden chassis could not be seen by the general public. So he decided to leave this vacuum tube gem in my bedroom hardwired with lamp cord to a couple of old 6X9 car speakers (no box).
I was warned NOT TO TOUCH PARTS INSIDE as it had no cover. Yeah, that is safe setup for a kid... but I heeded the words and didn't zap myself or burn my fingers. But man, what a glow and what heat it gave off compared to the other radios. I'd fall asleep at night listening to the radio and my father or mother would come in after work and turn it off. Well, it was mine and I loved it. I used it almost everyday -- we had a big TV with a Space Commander that went CLANK, but I liked music and the way the speaker cones would move if I turned it up, though I didn't do that too much because it would sound horrible and the tunes would not be so tuned.
I came home from school one Spring day probably I'm seven or eight by now and head to my room and something is amiss... the stereo -- MY STEREO was missing! Gone! It couldn't have fallen off in behind my low and wide dresser where it was perched since day one. The speakers were gone too!
My mother had sold it to one of the delivery boys at the restaurant my parent's owned. For $10. Back in the late 70's, that was pretty good. After being sad for a while, I ended up with a JIL Candle red digital display clock radio that was moved from the kitchen shelf instead.
After that, it literally has been a dry spell for good sound and tubeyness. Nothing remarkable for about 20 years, and it got slightly better in the last 15 or so. So here I am full circle looking to make a vacuum tube stereo (still to my father's dismay as I mentioned it once last year).
Crazy, huh?
Wish I knew which model Sansui it was though, most of it is a blur other than the name and the lack of cover. I think I'd go back and buy one now, re-cap, re-everything that might have rotted in it, and see what I've been missing all these years.
So my father having just got a Lloyds (!) all in-one (probably the same as what Cal Weldon's set up was mentioned above) 8-track that would go "ker-shuck" when you switched tracks, crappy crisscross wood lattice speakers, receiver amp, and cheapo turntable. This meant that this ugly, heat producing, non vinyl stickered wooden chassis could not be seen by the general public. So he decided to leave this vacuum tube gem in my bedroom hardwired with lamp cord to a couple of old 6X9 car speakers (no box).
I was warned NOT TO TOUCH PARTS INSIDE as it had no cover. Yeah, that is safe setup for a kid... but I heeded the words and didn't zap myself or burn my fingers. But man, what a glow and what heat it gave off compared to the other radios. I'd fall asleep at night listening to the radio and my father or mother would come in after work and turn it off. Well, it was mine and I loved it. I used it almost everyday -- we had a big TV with a Space Commander that went CLANK, but I liked music and the way the speaker cones would move if I turned it up, though I didn't do that too much because it would sound horrible and the tunes would not be so tuned.
I came home from school one Spring day probably I'm seven or eight by now and head to my room and something is amiss... the stereo -- MY STEREO was missing! Gone! It couldn't have fallen off in behind my low and wide dresser where it was perched since day one. The speakers were gone too!
My mother had sold it to one of the delivery boys at the restaurant my parent's owned. For $10. Back in the late 70's, that was pretty good. After being sad for a while, I ended up with a JIL Candle red digital display clock radio that was moved from the kitchen shelf instead.
After that, it literally has been a dry spell for good sound and tubeyness. Nothing remarkable for about 20 years, and it got slightly better in the last 15 or so. So here I am full circle looking to make a vacuum tube stereo (still to my father's dismay as I mentioned it once last year).
Crazy, huh?
Wish I knew which model Sansui it was though, most of it is a blur other than the name and the lack of cover. I think I'd go back and buy one now, re-cap, re-everything that might have rotted in it, and see what I've been missing all these years.
YES! My first system was a Hafler DH100 preamp with DH110 power amp, a Dual turntable, and a pair of Advent speakers. I think the Advents were their fist model. Was that the first mass-marketed acoustic suspension speaker? I knew it was pretty good stuff, but when I traded it all in I didn't know they would become landmarks in audio engineering history. I would love to see how that DH110 stacks up against any chipamp today.
Nice. Around the vintage you speak of Dual made a lot of nice tables. Later there was a period where they made some flimsier gear. Do you remember what the phono cartridge was?
As for the Advents, they were lovely speakers. I guess it depends on your definition of "mass-marketed" but I would have said AR, Dynaco, KEF, KLH... well, a ton of folks made and sold a lot of acoustic suspension speakers before Advent. But the "big" Advents were very good speakers, claims to historical firsts not withstanding.
Not my first gear but I still have an Akai X360 reel to reel tape recorder and a Teac A450 cassette recorder from the mid 60's.
Both were fairly high end gear at the time and a big strain on the finances of a trainee technician.
Both are still working but rarely used and only when I want to recover or transfer some old material to another medium.
I also have a pair of Wharfdale 10 inch full range speakers, also still OK.
Both were fairly high end gear at the time and a big strain on the finances of a trainee technician.
Both are still working but rarely used and only when I want to recover or transfer some old material to another medium.
I also have a pair of Wharfdale 10 inch full range speakers, also still OK.
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Fond memories of my old Altec class A mono amps, big and grey I think, bought them at a garage sale. I had them mounted in plastic milk crates, they would keep you warm in winter, and melted the crates a bit, but I didn’t mind. Then the Dynaco Mk iii that started me with some tweaking, remember using the Cursio kit on it.
Either a Grado or Ortofon phono cartridge. The statement that Advent made the fist AS speaker may have been something the sales person said. Wikipedia says Acoustic Research, also cofounded by Henry Kloss, was the first to commercialize the AS speaker.
My first gear was a Madison Fielding tube receiver -- I still have it, a gift from the uncle who first possesed it in the earliesh mid-60's. He gave it to me in the early 1970's when I got out of grad school -- I can say that it is still one of the most wonderful f.m. receivers I have ever listened to. I also have the Pioneer SX-838 which I have modded out with a lateral MOSFET output stage discussed previously. I regret that I dispensed with a KLH turntable + headphone amplifier upon which Anna Moffo revolved relentlessly.
Just remembered, I still have my first commercial speaker, an AR-4. I long ago replaced the drivers as the original foam surround failed. I use it for my wife's electric keyboard. Nice walnut, terrible particleboard flimsy construction. SOP for the time. It was originally hooked to a Knight 30W integrated (tube) and Eicho tuner. Kept the room warm in the winter.
I was very fortunate. As a teenager I had the opportunity to work with B&W. As a leaving present I was able to buy a pair of DM4 speakers at component cost price (about £45 back in 1980).
I matched the DM4s with a Denon PMA737 (Before Denon became mainstream and expensive) and with the Philips CDM1.
Pure Nirvana at the time.
Ever since then I have stayed with B&W (call it British loyalty), through DM14s then DM603s2 and DM603s3 now to a pair of 683s.
I matched the DM4s with a Denon PMA737 (Before Denon became mainstream and expensive) and with the Philips CDM1.
Pure Nirvana at the time.
Ever since then I have stayed with B&W (call it British loyalty), through DM14s then DM603s2 and DM603s3 now to a pair of 683s.
I recall shagging a number of girls in highschool days, with a Philips 312 turntable running for ambiance/ambience.
Does that count ?
Superscope receiver about 10 watts or so, pink lit dial scale, (at least it had some style), KLH model 32 speakers, Garrard record changer. I thought it was pretty good for a 16 year old's part-time earnings at the time. Used to lay on the rack in the dark and listen to King Biscuit Flower Hour. Excellent thread...good memories
Terry
Terry
I don't miss my first gear, but I miss those times, student days - great beer, Sundays spent in the University hall of residence with everyone's gear on full blast playing the Top 40 on the radio with lots of hot pizza......
You've inspired me.
Turns out my little stereo works on C batteries, so (as AA batteries are the same length) I've bought some converters so I can run it off my rechargable AAs.
Sitting out on the grass with some music and pizza sounds fun: I'll be at university in September, time has flown.
Chris
Not at all!! My first gear comprised of an ancient (and very poor quality) car stereo board (found at the local tip) which was housed in an old transistor radio case, and mated to some old RCA full range speakers (also aquired at the tip) I think 5" which were in open backed hacked together from scrap wood boxes.
The source was a hammond organ (mono) casset deck, which I bodgied a stereo tape head into, and it was very difficult to get it adjusted.
It had no bass at all (partially the speakers but also the amp, as when I finally got my 10W perfboard amp to work it had much more bass).
That system lived in the senior study at school all the way through year 12, so it got good use, but I don't miss it at all
Tony.
My first gear comprised of an ancient (and very poor quality) car stereo board (found at the local tip) which was housed in an old transistor radio case, and mated to some old RCA full range speakers (also aquired at the tip) I think 5" which were in open backed hacked together from scrap wood boxes. The source was a hammond organ (mono) casset deck, which I bodgied a stereo tape head into, and it was very difficult to get it adjusted.
It had no bass at all (partially the speakers but also the amp, as when I finally got my 10W perfboard amp to work it had much more bass).
That system lived in the senior study at school all the way through year 12, so it got good use, but I don't miss it at all
Tony.
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