Pictures of your earliest setups

2

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  • aprazer402
    aprazer402 Posts: 3,149
    edited July 2020
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    First pic is from 1972 in Monterey, Ca. Second one is from 1974. Speakers not in picture were AR 2Ax's or I might still have had KLH 5's.w59r3tsvplmb.jpgcyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    Nice Elac Miracord turntable. Those were/are good (for vintage). Rat Shack sold those in the 70's.
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,792
    Jim! @Jimbo18 How's life on the west side of the lake?
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,306
    lightman1 wrote: »
    Jim! @Jimbo18 How's life on the west side of the lake?

    Secret code for ....how's my moonshine
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited July 2020
    xschop wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Heh -- there's even a Shakira CD in there :p I found that one at the ol' Harvard town dump, though (i.e., no money was spent to acquire that one).
    ____________________

    I would have left that one in it's final resting place there.

    Hey -- it's got nice cover art. :|
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited July 2020
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    First pic is from 1972 in Monterey, Ca. Second one is from 1974. Speakers not in picture were AR 2Ax's or I might still have had KLH 5's.w59r3tsvplmb.jpgcyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    Cool :)
    I don't recognize that reel to reel deck -- AKAI autoreverse?
    I actually am not sure about the amp, either. AKAI? JVC? Onkyo?
    TT appears to be a Miracord (?)
    The first receiver's a Kenwood(?).

    I am chagrined that I am drawing so much of a blank on such classic hardware :/


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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited July 2020
    OK -- got the amp! B)
    Well, maybe not the precise model -- this is from a Japanese site, so maybe the Japanese home market equivalent. :)

    cyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    Victor (JVC) JA-S8

    https://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/amp/ja-s8.html
    fnlai8s92tli.png
    tpcxsx3vadie.png
    fn08uac9uvcz.png

    Pretty beefy piece of kit for those days! :)

    Just the thing for listening to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. B)
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    First pic is from 1972 in Monterey, Ca. Second one is from 1974. Speakers not in picture were AR 2Ax's or I might still have had KLH 5's.w59r3tsvplmb.jpgcyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    That’s awesome Jim, thank you for sharing.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    Guessin' the tt is an Miracord 50 family member -- Made in Germany (ELAC), they were sold in the US by Benjamin in those days, and were typically (and awkwardly) labeled ELAC Benjamin Miracord :p

    q53xl8zbnvrx.png

    Good ol' Radio Shack sold Miracord changers, too (for quite a few years).

    zkx7sbuy4hhd.png
    http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1974/h032.html

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    edited July 2020
    I am having too much fun and drinking too much coffee.

    AKAI GX-260D... :)

    cyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    maw8wsxv9me1.png

    amirite? ;)
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,336
    lightman1 wrote: »
    Jim! @Jimbo18 How's life on the west side of the lake?

    Not bad, not bad. Trying to stay healthy. On furlough right now and I may turn it into retirement. And yes, that does look like my RtR. I flaked out on me after about a year or so, though. Lost a solder or something for the Play button. Sounded great while it lasted.
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,336
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    OK -- got the amp! B)
    Well, maybe not the precise model -- this is from a Japanese site, so maybe the Japanese home market equivalent. :)

    cyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    Victor (JVC) JA-S8

    https://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/amp/ja-s8.html
    fnlai8s92tli.png
    tpcxsx3vadie.png
    fn08uac9uvcz.png

    Pretty beefy piece of kit for those days! :)

    Just the thing for listening to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. B)

    Yes, it was a JVC amp. Can't remember the model, but it was only about 35wpc or so, but plenty for the speakers I used it with. I think I bought it at Stereo West in Monterey, Ca, but it may have been in the on base PX (I was AF but it was an army post that I was at).

    I am pretty sure I was recording the album when the photo was taken.
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,336
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    First pic is from 1972 in Monterey, Ca. Second one is from 1974. Speakers not in picture were AR 2Ax's or I might still have had KLH 5's.w59r3tsvplmb.jpgcyavs4mavcw7.jpg

    Cool :)
    I don't recognize that reel to reel deck -- AKAI autoreverse?
    I actually am not sure about the amp, either. AKAI? JVC? Onkyo?
    TT appears to be a Miracord (?)
    The first receiver's a Kenwood(?).

    I am chagrined that I am drawing so much of a blank on such classic hardware :/


    Very good guesses. I am pretty sure I got the Kenwood, my first real receiver, because it had a lot of buttons and dials. I got it used from a stereo store. I sold it to someone and then got the JVC amp.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    u0091igswcps.jpeg
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    sol0jili2e00.jpeg
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    3704kk3e2d49.jpeg
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    bb9i7l9toq23.jpeg
    f7vf2qr3e08t.jpeg
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Awesome Mantis.
    Love the Lsim setup. Beautiful
    Was my drool gear back in the day.
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  • smglbrth
    smglbrth Posts: 1,474
    No pics, Philips FA-960 integrated, Onkyo TA something tuner, Onkyo TA-2600 tape deck, Hitachi DA 009 CDP, Polk RTA 8t's. Still have 8t's...
    Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me
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  • BinKY188_5
    BinKY188_5 Posts: 134
    No pics, Pioneer SX-580 receiver, Pioneer PL-518 turntable, Shure M91HE cartridge, along with some store brand speakers (I think made by Pioneer). I bought this with grass mowing, leaf raking, snow shoveling money when I just turned 13. I gave the PL-518 with a Shure V15 Type III to a buddy and he still has it.
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,570
    edited July 2020
    gl18wembdvdj.jpeg

    One of my favorite set ups.

    Med school.
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,570
    Found more pics from the vault

    I miss those days

    bsn4xwvltftb.jpeg
    du3n37ukgzq3.jpeg
    v5jwp871g65o.jpeg
    8lbmctyvq41k.jpeg
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • scubalab
    scubalab Posts: 3,103
    Cool thread Joe! Some amazing early setups!

    Anyone else playing "Where's Waldo" looking for Optimus Prime in Trey's timeline of photos?

    I don't have any pics of my first 'stereo'... had to call the photographer with the wooden camera and the black drape back then.
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Joey, you had all that gear being strained through a Monster power center. Whew. Like drinking chunky tomato soup thru a coffee stirrer. Lol

    Great pics!
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,570
    joecoulson wrote: »
    Joey, you had all that gear being strained through a Monster power center. Whew. Like drinking chunky tomato soup thru a coffee stirrer. Lol

    Great pics!

    It was either that or suffer the power spikes at the dormitory!
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    The camera hadn't been invented yet when I had my first rig.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Come on, I know you got something...
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Here is one from my childhood. Dad had the Sony setup (sorry don’t know models) but we had the C-64 hooked up along side.
    Those were the days. Circa 1983

    ap10zuvhf4v2.jpeg
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,909
    That's a very Euro-looking TV (?).

    The Sony looks to be a "Superscope" branded 'compact' (?).
    Superscope was Sony's importer (for some product lines) in the 60s and even 70s.

    The Commodore is cool. B)
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Yes. Good eye Mark. That picture is from my childhood in Birmingham England.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,754
    You are old Joe but you dance better than Tom so it's cool
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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