Just like the title says. I was doing some thinking and I was surprised once I sat down to how many different pairs I've had over the past few years:

1) Cheap Sony Towers, unknown model, sealed 10" woofer, AWFUl sound but good for $100 and no money!
2) Infinity bookshelves (can't remember, about $400/pr in 1997)
3) Paradigm Monitor 3's
4) Paradigm Studio 20's
5) Paradigm Studio 100's (moved the 20's to surround)
6) B&W 804's
7) No speaker upgrade for a loooong time. So far, lol.


My subwoofer progression is even more fun.

1) RCA 8" 50 watt. That poor little subwoofer took an awful beating.
2) Yamaha YST-120? 2 8" drivers, 120 watts. Sounded okay, wouldn't play loud or deep.
3) Definitive Technology PF15TL. College subwoofer bliss for a while.
4) Velodyne HGS-12 -nice.
5) Dual Shiva in an EBS alignment -water heater.
6) Dual Shiva in a modified EBS alignment (closer to a sealed design)
7) Dual PR'd Tumult Very Nice.
8) ??? :) Probably a slightly different alignment of the Tumult, a little higher tuning of the PR's as they're tuned LOW right now.


Anyway, thought it might be fun. All this happened over the last 8-10 years. Prior to that I only had stuff like mini systems.

-C

Speakers - Cambridge audio satelites, Energy Take 5, Energy Exls-26, Dynaudio Audience 42. ------> Updated Dynaudio's to Aperion 632-IW to accommodate my new front projector system :D (gain video and loose out on audio (but not as bad as i thought))

Subs - Energy 10 Xls, Energy 12 Xls, SVS pc plus 25-31

Speakers- Bose AM7, Paradigm Studio 20, Soliloquy 5.0s, ?????

Sub- Definitive Technology Powerfield 15

I actually rotate the Paradigms and Soliloquy back and forth in my small HT. The soliloquy's are more musical speakers sounding better with Light Rock, Jazz. The Paradigms have more slam better with Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Rolling Stones. The next set of speakers needs to do both. Don't know what those are yet, but I like the new Studio V3 and the B&W 700 Series.

Regards,

Charlie

--Sold the Bose to a friend who uses them as rear channel in a 6.1 setup.

This is really going back:

1. Avid 103's with Marantz 16 receiver and Thorenz TT (High School)
2. Ultralinears Model (?) with SAE electronics, Technics TT (College)
3. Spendor SP1 with Hafler Amp, NAD Pre-amp, Linn - LP 12 TT, Rega RB 300 arm, Grado Sig. cartridge, Yamaha CD (1st gen)
4. Maggies - 2.6R - Acoustat Pre, Aragon Pre, Aragon Amp, Elite CD, Linn - LP 12...
5. B&W 804 - Denon AVR 5700, Elite DVD, Velodyne HG 10 (simplified life)
6. Energy Veritas 2.2i with Anthem AVM 30, Anthem MCA 50, Denon DVD 2910, Velodyne HG 10 (simplicity was not good enough)

Musica

1. Pioneer 3-way Tower/floor speakers
2. Fisher Tower/Floor Speakers
3. Sony mini hifi system
4. Polk Audio RTi6's, CSi5, Fxi3's, R15's, PSW303 sub
5. JM-Lab Cobalt 816 S's, CC 800 S

6. AV123 Rockets RS760's, Bigfoot Center RSC200, & RSS300 Dipole's.

1978-Realistic Mach-1s. 15" woofer, horn mid and tweeter. Lots of booming and shrieking!
1979-AR12s. Nirvana for a long time. Great, neutral speakers that really shaped my music tastes for all time. Flat, non-exagerated bass.
1992-Cambridge Soundworks original Ensemble. Really great sub/sat system,and one of the first.
1992-KEF Q50s. Lasted less than a week. Awful speakers, Uni-Q not ready for prime time for sure! I bought these after auditioning and falling in love with KEF 104.2s. I tried to save money, and sure regretted it.
1992-Traded the KEFs for Polk LS-70's. (104.2s were gone-demos). I really liked these speakers.
1994-much bigger house, so went with Def Tech BP20s, CLR, and BP1s for surround. Really nice HT speakers, filled the room nicely. Not so great for music.
1997-NHT VT2s. Super Ones for center and surround. Really great for HT. Quite good for music also, although in retrospect I should have gone for the 2.9s, much better for music.
2004-Green Mountain Audio Europas. Bought sight unheard after reading many user reviews that told me I would like the basic sound. These might just be keepers for many years, unless I upgrade to the GMA Callistos. The Europas are on the ugly side, but are frankly the sweetest sounding speakers I have ever heard. I got a great deal at $700 used ($999 new), but they need good, heavy stands, I paid $250 for some NOS Osiris stands, which look great, and are beefy enough to support the 43lb weight of the Europas.
Whewww. :p

1987: Panasonic stereo thing
1988: Yamaha Towers
1991: Cambridge Soundworks sub/sat system
1994: Monitor Audio bookshelves
*BIG GAP*
2001: Paradigm Atoms (cc-70, micros in back, PDR-10 sub)
2002: Paradigm Monitor 5s (minis in back, SVS 20-39, CC-370)
2003: Paradigm Monitor 11s
2003: Paradigm Studio 100s (20s in back, studio cc, SVS PB12-ISD/2)
*DIVORCE* HT gear fall down, go boom
2004: Magnepan MMGs
2005: Magnepan MMGs with MMG-Ws in back
2005: Von Schweikert VR-1s (just to play with)

Current System as of March 2006
DeVore Fidelity Super 8s
Butler Audio 5150 hybrid amp
Denon 2900 Universal Player
Outlaw Audio 950 pre/pro

By the way, even though I never expected it to be, I actually consider going from the Studio/100s to the Maggie MMGs an UPGRADE. Even though the MMGs were 1/3 the price of the 'digms, I fell in love with them.

I went from the Advent sub/sat system that I bought in college in the mid 90's to the Dynaudio Focus 220, 200C, and 140 that my wife so awesomely agreed for me to get.

I gave the Advent sub/sat to my old roommate before getting married.

Not sure if I'd get a progression correct, but I can say that the first real speakers I had were a pair of NHT SuperZeroes/NHT sub powered by an NAD integrated and CD back in '94 or so. Sweet. I eventually added a cheap Audiosource DPL processor/amp, another Zero at center, and NHT dipoles at surround. All sourced from an oh-so-cool Sony Hifi VHS. ;)

I've had a few speakers since, but probably the best I've had have been the Magnepan MMG's. My Spica TC-60's powered by Quicksilver EL-34 monos did many things really nicely, but I like the MMG's overall.

1. Polk Model 10A's ~1980
2. JBL 4311B ~1982
3. Rogers LS3 5A's ~1983
4. Linn SARA's ~1987
5. Linn SARA's w/ Vandersteen Sub ~1995
6. Vandersteen 1C ~1997 to present

Hmmm.....
Some cheap things that came with an old turn table
Radio Shack 2 way
Soundesign with am/fm/8-track/turntable
Small Optimus bookshelfs
Kenwood KLA-500 or something like that
Bose 601
Aiwa part of bookshelf system
Infinity
Mitsubishi M-FS10
Monitor Audio Silver 5i
Kenwood KS-505HT
RBH MC's
RBH Signatures
and other that I can no longer recall

Starting around 1960...main systems, only
Single GE 2-way mono speaker system (nice walnut cabinet!)
Various homemade reflex cabinets
AR4ax
Large Advents
Gale GS401C (starting to get real serious here...)
Dahlquist DQ-10s
Acoustat Model 3s
Apogee Divas
M&K 2B/V2B system
Kef 107s
Fosgate Audionics HT speaker system
Citation 7000 HT speaker system
Triad Gold LCR system, Platinum PowerSub
Triad Platinum LCRs and Platinum PowerSub
Triad Gold Monitors and dual Gold PowerSubs

That isn't very many speaker systems for 46 years, because *most* of them were really good and I kept them for years at a time. This doesn't count speakers brought home for evaluation...the list would be endless...

1968 - Zenith Stereo with 9" oval drivers that were detachable.
You know the "portable" stereo where the speaker swing out on hinges
and the turntable swivels down.
1973 - Altec 3-ways. Disappointed I can't remember the model, Big woofer.
Ah did some searching, Altec Segovias. Oiled walnut baby.
1980 - Harbeth HL MkIIs. Still have 'em.
1992 - Harbeth HL-P3ES. Still have 'em.
2002 - Ellis Audio 1801b. Still have 'em.
2006 - Salk HT2(3). Still have 'em :D

Radio Shack bookshelf
Jensen 3 way bookshelf
Large Advent bookshelf
Dynaco 25 bookshelf
Polk S4 bookshelf - still have
BIC 52 bookshelf & center.
JBL P40 bookshelf and PS120 powered sub - still have
Energy C-1 bookshelf - still have
Boston CR-85, CR-55, CRC- still have them

92: Pioneer 3-way towers (12", ~5", 2.5") - junior high
94: Polk S6 2-way largish bookshelf speakers - early High School
96: Paradigm Titan 2-way bookshelf speakers - late High School
01: B&W CDM-2SE 2-way bookshelf speakers
03: Dynaudio 42 2-way bookshelf speakers

The Titans are now the rear surround channels in a friend's system. The CDM-2SEs are the mains in that same system.

Currently, I run 4 Dynaudio 42 bookshelf speakers and a Dynaudio 42C in one system, and 2 Dyn 42s, a Dyn 42C, and 4 Monitor Audio BFX surrounds in my other system.

Yikes. A walk down memory lane! Let's see:

Utah corner speakers
A variety of Radio Shack and Layfayette speakers
KLH 18
Empire (they were octagonal with a marble top that served as a coffee table)
Rectilinear
Advent (Large)
AR5
AR3a
Altec Lansing Stonehenge with M&K sub
Dahlquist DQ10 with matching dual subs
Polk 600, then Polk 800 with Polk 350 then 450 sub
Klipsch RF5 with first Velodyne CHT 12, then dual SVS 20-39's

....and I wonder where all my money went. The Polks and Klipsch with their associated subs as listed above are all still in use in various rooms.

Petergaryr,

Interesting evolution from the DQ10s to Polk to Klipsch. Was this a transition from HE audio to mostly HT? BTW, the DQ10s used to be one of my favorite all time speakers along with the Maggies, Quads and the B&W 801 Matrix series.

Cheers!

Mike

27" tv speakers :)
Aiwa shelf system
Sony shelf system
Unknown bookshelves
Monitor Audio RS6 last year

I don't know if the word "progression" really applies in my case, with all the trading around I have done. In order of quality not chronology I have owned or own:
$15/pair KLH's
Rat Shack Optimus bookshelves (Not as bad as you might expect.)
Paradigm Atom's
Polk Monitor 40's (Good speakers, but I had my Def Tech's for comparison.)
Boston A60's (Wonderful speakers. Kept them for many years.)
Athena F1's (Absolutely awesome for the price.)
Def Tech BP8b's (Insanely great. My HT mains for the foreseeable future.)
Def Tech BP10b's (Even better than the 8's. The last speakers that I will buy for my 2-channel system unless and until I can spend upwards of $5000/pair. They are that good.)

I also have had Athena WS 15's for surround (very good for monopoles.) and currently have Klipsch S1's (excellent, but may eventually upgrade to Def Tech's.) My center is a Def Tech Mythos 7 and I have had the Klipsch C2.

I had a Sony $100 sub that was absolute junk. I now have the Athena AS-P400 which is better than the AS-P4000 (I also have one of those just sitting in a closet.)

Mine is pretty short:
Magnavox boom box->Klipsch KG 3.5->Paradigm Monitor 5->??

I am looking right now at Vandersteen 2ce Sigs and Spendor S5es to repace those questionmarks. :)

When I first started out I had old and I mean old pioneer floor standing speakers. Then I built a little pio/def tech HT around them. A Def Tech clr jr, polk RT3's and Def Tech Powerfield 15. The I went to the Def Tech pro400's. Later I went to a C/L/R 1000. Then I would call it the next phase. I went to JM Labs SW900. A big step up. Then later a CC-901 center. And finally a pair of JM Labs 927Be's. My polk surrounds have been with me from the start.

SPEAKERS
1) Fisher boombox
2) Pioneer 12" three way(honk boxes),
3) Boston Acoustics HD10
4) Homemade 6.5" woofer, 1" tweeter, and 10" passive
5) Dynaudio Audience 72
6) Dynaudio Audience 42

AMPS/RECEIVERS
1) Fisher boombox
2) Pioneer SX737 (old silver beast)
3) Parasound HCA-1000A (used SX737 as pre)
4) NAD 917 pre/tunner
5) Parasound PLD-1100 pre
6) Bryston 4B-SST

Nice amp Pete. I have the 4b-ST.

Here's my list :

If I only had more money .... :rolleyes:

1986-1991 Cerwin Vega
1991 - 2000 Polk Audio Monitor 5B
2000 - 2005 Polk Audio RT2000p (5Bs rear) - 5Bs are much nicer speakers
2003 - 2005 Polk Audio CS400i (Center)
2005 - JM Lab Electra CC900 (Center)
2005 - JM Lab Electra 936
2005 - Totem Mites (office)

geddy nice speakers. As I said I have the 927's. I could not pass up that tweeter. But the 936's are very nice speakers indeed.

Starting around 1970

DIYs using JBL D-140 woofers and RS horn tweeters-later junked RS tweets and used Celestion compression drivers on EV 8-HD horns and Motorola piezo tweets

DIYs using 12" coaxial Utahs

Dynaco A-25s

Stacked double A-25s

Some small KLHs

Klipsh LaScalas

DIY Hoge subwoofer from Audio Magazine article-12 cubic feet, 15" CTS woofer

DIY EV Eliminator basshorns and Altec 802-511 treble

DIY--Peerless 5" woofers and KO-10-DTs domes

Magnepan MG-Is

More Klipsch LaScalas

DIYs using 8" Audax bextrene woofs and Peerless KO-10-DT domes

DIYs using 8" Dynaudio woofs and Dynaudio tweets

B&W something or others, small

DIY dipole using 6-6x9 car speakers on an open baffle, Motorola piezo tweets

DIYs using 12" Madisound woofer and Altec 806-811 treble

Klipsch Cornwalls

Cornwalls modded with Altec 806-511 treble

Cornwalls traded for Altec 605As

DIY-modded Peavey FH-1 basshorns and Altec 902-511 treble

DIY -JBL 4560 basshorns with Altec 515B drivers, JBL 2420 on McCauley lenses treble

Radio Shack-RCA mini-speakers

DIY-Altec A5 bassbins with various Altec, JBL and Edgar horn and driver combinations, settled on pure Altec A5 with 288K-1005 treble

Klipsch Heresys

KRK-ST-6s

Altec 890C Boleros

1961 Heathkit AS-21s (Altec 9844 studio monitor in fancy cabinet)

Sonic Impact stick-on speakers

A set of Altec A7-500s are being shipped to me from Anaheim as we speak.

In use now are four systems; one using the AS-21s, one the Altec 605s, one the Altec Boleros and one the KRKs.

I've used lots of other stuff too, much experimenting, much forgotten.

Sharp minisystem
Sony Poop in a rack with 12" towers+ KLH surrounds+KLH Sub
Sony 12" towers with Audiosource speakers+Sub
Sony 12" towers, with Audiosource center + small sony surrounds
Sony 12" Towers, with Audiosource center + Infinity US-1s
Athena AS-F2s with AS-C1s+ Infinity US-1s+ HSU Sub
4x Athena AS-F2s with AS-C1+HSU Sub
4x Athena AS-F2s with custom Athena AS-F2 center channel + HSU Sub

I actually have 10 athena speakers+ 2 Kenwood Sovereign receivers. I am looking for a kenwood Mx-5000 amp, so that I can run 7.1(Since my amp processes 7.1 but does not have 7 amps, lame)

Petergaryr,

Interesting evolution from the DQ10s to Polk to Klipsch. Was this a transition from HE audio to mostly HT? BTW, the DQ10s used to be one of my favorite all time speakers along with the Maggies, Quads and the B&W 801 Matrix series.

Cheers!

Mike

I had the Dahlquists for years and they were one of the best time aligned speakers. The DQ10s in their day were great, but a bit on the large side. I was powering them with a Carver Sonic Hologarphy pre-amp into a Phase Linear 700 amp. Unfortunately, the drivers started to break down about the time I was getting into home theater.

The challenge of getting 5.1 (well, now 7.1 speakers) into a living room, and stay married, led me down the Polk/Klipsch path.

1. Altec Lansing Power Cube (2.1 system)
2. Klipsch Promedia 2x 2.1 (4.2 system)
3. Klipsch Promedia 5.1
4. Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 (BestBuy upgrade due to faulty 5.1)
5. B&W DM 602 S3 + Cambridge Audio Azur 540A
6. B&W N805 + Rotel RB-1075, Rotel RC-1075 + ACI Titan
7. + ACI Maestro + Rotel RCD-1072

AR (Can't remember the model)
Wharfedale
Mission 780 Argonauts
DefTech PF12TL
B&W CDM 7NT's, 1 NT's, CNT
Von Schweikert VR1's

1979-1984:
2 pair Advent/1(lots of boomy bass)

1984-1991:
Spica TC50(not much bass)(still own them)

1991-2006:
Mirage M3
Mirage 260
Mirage Center Channel

Wow! In 27 years I've only had 3 different speakers.
I need to go buy something.

-Some old Sony's with 12 inch woofers (yeah, I thought they were the coolest).
-Bose (yeah I know)...don't remember the model but they were tower speakers with two bass woofers.
-Canton LE103
-Canton Ergo 900DC
-Onix Rocket 550MKII
-Onix Rocket 750 Signature
-Vandersteen 2CE Signature (I am keeping these forever!!!! :D)

Speakers
AIWA HTiB 5.1 speakers - still have
Sony SS-MF315, 3 way towers with 6.5" woofers - still have
Onkyo HTiB - sold with my house
Mirage omni 250, CC, 50, and FX

Subs
AIWA 8" - still have
Onkyo 10"
Mirage S12 - returned because of problems.
Paradigm PS-1000

1991-1998:Pioneer CS-G403 stereo speakers
1998-2001: Klipsch RF-3's, Center and surrounds
2001-2002: PSB Goldi, 6i center, Energy Veritas 2.0R surrounds
2002-2006: Polk LSi 25's, C, FX
2006- : Monitor Audio Gold Reference 60's, C, FX

I've come a long way, baby! :)

1980-1989 Realistic Mach One (I actually still think these are not too bad for Radio Shack)
1989-2006 DCM Time Window Threes (now in basement rec. room)
2006 DCM Time Window Sevens

Subs
1990 Klipsch SW-12
2005 SVS 20-39 CS+

Sansui sp-100's
Kef 103.3's (still have)
Aerial 7b's (still have)
Aerial LR5's in a 5.1 Aerial system (using in total bliss)

Not a bad history going back 35 years required only 4 lines and I still own 3 of my arsenal. I'm very loyal to my speakers :D

Wow,where to start?

Mid 70's-no name speakers with a lovely dbx 15" sub that went boom,boom(still have the sub in the garage.

late 70's-ADS mains(dont remember the model) with the dbx sub
80-Advent prodigy 2's with the DBX sub
mid 80's-used DCM timeframe
early 90's through 200)?-timeframes plus the prodigy 2's for matrix surround.
2004-Magnepan MMG,MMGW,MMGC
2005 Magnepan 3.6's and an IB sub

Large Advents -- adequate sound when mounted on 'Best' stands. Well, sort of.
Small Advents -- when combined with the Large Advents, it's like "surround".
Sold'em all.

Snell E-IV's -- a huge leap up in quality. Metal dome tweeters that'll make your ears bleed.
Snell CR.5 -- Nuts, need a center channel 2 years later.
Snell SR.5 -- and surrounds, too.
Velodyne FSR-12 -- sure, a sub. Why not?
Sold all the Snells, kept the Velo.

ACI Panorama front L/R -- OMG, I didn't know this was possible! Let alone in my family room!
ACI Sapphire surrounds -- Better than my old Snell E-IVs!
ACI Essence center -- audible, accurate dialogue. Cool!
Current system. Sonic bliss... for now.

1969 - EPIs
1973 - JBL L55s
1979 - JBL L212s (includes the B212 sub)
1991 - added Realistic minius 7 for prologic surrounds in small LR
1997 - used the minius 7s as center and L55s for surrounds in new larger LR
1998 - Infinity center
1999 - added another L55 and used the 3 L55s for the front, with the L212s for surrounds
2002 - 2003 built 3 L212s for front
2003 - added two JBL/Revel sub1500s
2004 - added another complete L212 system for back surrounds and fourth sub
2005 - connected the two B212 subs to the main L/R L212s to run them as "large"with the sub1500s @ the mid-points of side walls connected to the receiver. That is the best setup yet.

4D----L 212s eh? That's very interesting, I knew the speaker had a cult.

EPI 90's
Spica TC50's
Velodyne's original 12"
Celestion SL700's
Infinity original Modulus
B&W 801's
Apogee Centaur Majors and Minors
Quad ESL63 USA L&R, ESL63 center [on it's side] 2 pair quad 10L's surrounds. With a pair of DIY subs with dual 12" in each.

Since going to a larger 116" wide screen I've been trying to replace the Quads and of the several quality speakers I've tried the 5 NHT M6's I have are the most likely candidate but I seem to be addicted to the Quads and they may have to stay.

1975-77 - small Advents
1977 - 83 - large Advents
1983 - 2003 - AR9LS
2003 - 2005 - Onkyo HTIB with sub
2005 - present - Rocket 1ks with bigfoot and MkII 250 in rear, and SVS PB12+/2 for sub.

Just sold ARs and Large Advents today for $100, very depressed now. :(

1994-2005: Gerrard Bookshelf speakers (??)
2005.1: Onkyo HTIB
2005.2 : Polk R50/R15/CS1 with PSW10 Sub, Athena AS-B1 bedroom
2005.3 -2006: Axiom M22/QS8/VP150 w/ 2 Rocket ULW-10 subs (kept Athenas only)

GE Stereo with separate speakers
Electro Voice speakers that came with my "California Sound Company" stereo system
Technics speakers (were actually decent-had tweeter mounted separately on top of box.)
Dahlquist DQ10 - a friend traded me his old pair and turned me into an "audiophile"
Paradigm 60s (a mistep compared to the DQ10s)
MG 2.7QR
PSB Goldi

4D----L 212s eh? That's very interesting, I knew the speaker had a cult.
They are still being sold and bought all over the world.
Currently I'm in the process of building Coupled-charged crossovers for the main L/R L212s. Those xovers use twice the caps(Solens) @ twice the size, in series pairs, that are connected at the common point, of each pair, to the positive side of a 9V battery. That keeps the signal from going below zero, which eliminates the cap's phase shift distortion.
After I build those, I'll build at least one more for the center L212.

Greg Timbers, JBL's chief engineer, first developed the CC xovers back in the mid '80's for the L250, when they were upgraded to the 250Ti, also using Titanium tweeters.

Stereo
1969 - Heathkit JBL (14" 2 way)
1974 - Dual stacked Advents (+ Phase Linear 400 amp)
1980 - Infinity Column II towers

Home Theater
1998 - Bose 701 & 301 (what can I say - I'd been out of the loop)
2002 - M&K 750's
2004 - Onix Ref 2's (still have in family room)
2006 - Dali MS-5, CS-4, RS-3, Phantom

Subs
1998 - Polk 300 watt (still have in office)
2001 - Infinity HPS-1000
2004 - Dual PC-Ultras (still have - LFE)
2006 - Onix UFW-12 (family room)
2006 - Velodyne DD-15 (Sub L/R)

Chris,

Good thread it brings back fond memories. Thank you.

1976 Bose 301
1980 Infinity RS III
1983 Infinity RS IIIb
1986 Kef and B & W bookshelf spk
1987 - present Martin Logan Cls
1993 - present Rogers LS3/5A
2000 - present Rel Stratta III sub
2004 - present PMC Tb2, Dynaudio contour S1.4

Vin

Speakers:
1971 - Sansui speakers (huge, full-range front speakers - I want to say SP 140s but I really can't remember the model number and large, end-table surrounds with one upward firing and one downward firing 12" speaker in each) with a Sansui QRX 6500 4-channel receiver (used in small living rooms)
1990 - Same speakers but added a Pioneer 5-channel receiver and a cheap Pioneer center channel (small living room)
1995 - Wife took entire system (divorce 8^) so I bought Cambridge Soundworks - front L & R were sub/sat 2-piece speakers, rears were dipole/bipole surrounds and a CenterStage center speaker powered by a mid-line Pioneer 5.1 receiver
1999 - Upgraded receiver to 7.1 mid-line Pioneer and added rear surround speakers, also dipole/bipole by Cambridge Soundworks (amazing for a 10' X 13' music room)
2004 - Listened to a pair of Magnepan MG 12s and was hooked...
2004 - Present Magnepan MG 1.6s for front and modified (crossover and fuse bypass) MG 10s (the historical predecessor of the 1.6) for the rear, running phantom center because I can't find a center with a good timbre match for the 1.6s powered by B&K amps (one dual mono for the front and a stereo amp for the rear) at 350 watts per channel into 4 ohms

Subs:
Pre-1995 - none, was happy with the low end on the Sansui full-range behemoths
1995 - Hsu VTF-2
2004 - Hsu VTF-3 MK II

At this point I find myself in an odd sort of dilemma. You see, I am now entirely satisfied with both my HT system and my stereo system. Most people would call this a good thing, but in my case it means I have to find a new hobby (or, heaven forbid, actually start saving money!)

HT system: Def Tech BP10b's (main), BP8b's (surround), Mythos 7 (center), no sub, Yamaha electronics.
Stereo system: Athena AS-F1's (original, not .2), AS-P400 sub (again the original, not the newer P4000), Onkyo electronics.

Cambridge Soundworks has an extremely liberal upgrade policy that I kinda took advantage of early on. Each of those upgrades was getting full value for the previous return.
1. Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble II
2. Cambridge Soundworks MC200
3. CSW MC300
4. CSW M50
5. CSW M60
6. CSW M80
7. Polk LSi7
8. M&K 850
9. Monitor Audio Gold GR10

I listed my mains which were part of a 5.1 system.

Most people would call this a good thing, but in my case it means I have to find a new hobby (or, heaven forbid, actually start saving money!)

I couldn't stand it if I actually started saving money... I do not feel right with out my lone little credit card maxed out, even. :D

So far, to prevent a horrible situation like saving money from developing, I have a complete multiple sub system, 42" 1080P LCD TV, and an SLI computer lined up for before Christmas (in that order). ;)

Unknown turntable - I grew up listening to Starwars and Hobbit records (they were printed)
Aiwa bookshelf system. Dual tape decks with remote eject and track skip!
Onkyo HTiB
Next: Tannoy Eyris DC-1

neat thread, and good idea to the OP.

here's the progression of my system:

1. Kenwood Mini-system (the dorm system)
2. JBL ARC 90s, picked up cheap, hooked up to the kenwood minisystem. Eventually fried the Kenwood minisystem.
3. Bought an HK AVR40 for the ARC90s.
4. Replaced ARC90s with Infinity Kappa 5.1 sII.
5. Added Ininity BU2 sub.
6. Replaced HK AVR40 with Onkyo TXDS-838.
7. Traded BU2 sub for Velodyne model ??? ($600 model)
8. Added Infinity Kappa 6.1 sII, moved 5.1s to rear, and added Kappa Center.
9. Added an old Carver two channel amp to front channels.
10. Upgraded old Carver amp to Onkyo M504 for fronts
11. Added Bryston 7BNRBs to fronts, moved M504 to rear.
12. Replaced Onkyo TXDS838 with Onkyo TXDS989.
13. Added a 4BST (bridged) to center channel, replaced M504 with Bryston 4BST for rears.
14. Replaced Velodyne Sub with HSU VTF3MKII
15. Replaced Kappa 6.1s and Center with Gallo Reference 3.1s and Gallo Ref Center, and added Gallo SA Amp to biamp fronts.

Future planned steps:
1. Replace Kappa 5.1s with Gallo Reference AVs for surrounds.
2. Add another pair of Gallo Reference AVs for 7.1 setup.
3. Add Bryston 6BSST and Bryston Crossover, remove Gallo SA Amp, unbridge 4BST on Center, so I have front biamped with a 7BNRB on the main connections, and a crossed over 6BSST on the lower connections on the fronts, 6BSST also driving the center, and the 4BSTs running surrounds and rear surrounds.
4. Add another VTF3MKII, or upgrade to dual something else?
5. Replace Onkyo TXDS989 with ??? preamp? Maybe Parasound Halo or something like that?
6. Retire and enjoy the system (yeah, right...)

80's - Magnavox boombox
early 90's - Technics receiver/Bose 201 mains/Pioneer surrounds
late 90's - same receiver/Cerwin-Vega DX-7 mains/Bose 201 surrounds
2000 - 2006 - H/K avr7000 same speakers + Infinity CC + Cerwin-Vega sub
2006 - ? same receiver/Aperion 532/533 speakers/SVS sub.

1975 - Radio Shack (turntable, 8-track) w/ speakers

1981- Onkyo Receiver(not sure what model) probably would be a fine stereo receiver today.
Bose 301 speakers (Fine speakers at the time)

1995 - Onkyo surround reciever w/ JBL center channel

1998 - Paradigm mini monitors, Paradigm cc170, Paradigm ADP 350
Denon 4800 reciever (good machine)

2000 - Paradigm monitor 7's

2002 - Paradigm studio 40's, Studio cc, Studio ADPs

2004 - Sherwood Newcastle P965, Sherbourne 7/2100 7 channel amp, Denon 2200 DVD player

Now looking to upgrade speakers once again.

JCPenny something er other (blowed up)
Radio Slack something with a horn in it. (blowed up)
Dad's Advents (blown with guitar amp)
Dad's homemade 15" adjustable port subwoofer (made in 1966 with 12watt tube amp and crossover, still have and it still works!)
noname bookshelf (blowed up real good with guitar amp)
Jenson triaxles, car speakers.. in the living room (blown with guitar amp)
Pioneer 3-way with 12" woofer (left 'em somewhere, bad roomate)
Realistic minispeaker things w/ 3.5"woofer, not too bad (blown)
Peavey hornloaded PA speakers with 15" woofer (giutar amp didn't phase these so they lived to be redeployed as an actual PA system)

(right in here some where is when I stopped plugging my giutar amp into my stereo. Don't let anyone tell you guitar players are stupid, I did eventually figure things out)

Klipsch KG3.5's and KG 2.5's (still have as my stunt system)
Velodyne FSX12 Sub (still use)
Aerial Model 6's and CC3B Center (ahhh... I'm felling much better now)

1984 Homebuilt 5'6" tall 3'6" wide with horn tweeters, horn mid and 15" woofer that I later sold to a bar.

1987 Polk Audio SDA CRS+ (Still have)

1991 Cerwin Vega 1215 (Still have)

2005 Klipsch KSW-12 sub (Sold)

2006 Velodyne DD-18

2006 Paradigm Signature S8 + C5

2006 Paradigm Signature S4 rears.

Next: Undecided between S4/ADP for side surrounds.

mid 80's Dad's old Pioneer speakers, 2 pair (he bought them around 1970 I think)
1988 Pioneer 3 way's with the 15" woof to rock the dorm with. Added some little Infinities to the rear and got a Pio surround amp.

1989 Paradigm 5se replaced the Pioneer 3 ways (straight up trade basically)

1998 The Infinity rears succumbed to woofer rot and passed on, the Pioneer surround receiver went to a friend, and was replaced by Nakamichi Receiver 2 from another friend.

2004: Paradigm Atoms and Pio 1014 enter the system

2005: Studio 20s front and rear, Adp-470s sides.

2006: Looking for an amp. :)

Fun thread! I don't have this kind of history with audio, but it's a cool read. I've always been a bigtime movie guy, but haven't learned to understand and appreciate audio until recent years.

If you want a laugh, here's my progression as best as I can remember it. I've only just ordered my first set of "real" speakers. Judging from this thread I'm in for an expensive and obsessive habit. :)

1) Advent of the CD...so 1980-something. Realistic stereo system with "tower" speakers covered in ridiculous foam grills (so I have no idea about the drivers) that felt like empty cardboard boxes (and sounded about as good). These are the kind of speakers that come with a receiver that includes an equilizer where pairs of the sliders move together...but it *looks* like you can adjust a bunch of frequencies. The amp even felt like an empty cardboard box.

2) Zenith Allegro 2000's. I have no idea where these (I think) 1970's hand me downs came from. They were free, and they sounded more like a real speaker than the Realistic toys.

3) 5.1 system based on laserdisc and Dolby ProLogic (all Pioneer sources). A 12" downward firing sub and a center both by Olympus, I think. Little bookshelf type monitors by some other goofy company. Purchased at Radio Shack of all places when no one knew a thing about this stuff in general. But whoa! The sound is like...around you! Move out of that house.

4) New place, Sony 5.1 HTiB complete with a set of 5 tiny "plasticubes" and a tiny front-firing "subwoofer" if you can call it that. But again, whoa, now it's discrere!

5) Aquired two Hsu STF-2 subwoofers for a grand total of $300 in an amazing couldn't-pass-it bargain. I learn what a sub is really supposed to sound like and realize fully how incredibly terrible everything else I have is. Shakers go in to support the subs at really low frequencies. The effect is sweet.

6) A friend donates a pair of Sony bookshelves. Two plasticubes get replaced. Tonal match is nightmarish, but at this point it's just funny to try it.

7) Same friend donates a horrendous (but LOUD, hehe) pair of HUGE honkin' Fischers with enormous woofers. I stick them in as mains because at this point the absurdity is amusing.

8) Return of the Zenith Allegro's. I stick one in as a center...and holy cow at least I can hear dialog. Tonal mismatch across the entire soundstage is earsplittingly bad. This is an audio frankenstien monster from hell.

9) Upgrade to a 7.1 receiver while searching for "real" speakers. Displaced Sony platicubes find a new home as a back pair.

10) Ordered a full 7.1 set of Ascends. CMT-340SE's across the front, HTM-200's in the back. Looking forward to finally really having speakers. I'm sure the difference is going to be nothing short of staggering.

Step 11 is get some walls up in that basement, which has been in "prototype" mode for far too long. At least now I'll have something worthy of being somewhere other than in a storage cellar.

1970s: Sansui system speakers from JC Penney
1980s: Rogersound Labs Mini Monitors + Onkyo 40w sub
1990s: Was more into car audio
2000s: Ascend Classics + Hsu VTF3

1. Hsu Ventriloquist
2. Athena Point 5 MK IIs
3. Athena AS-F2s, AS-C1, AS-R1s, SVS 25-31CS
4. Plan on getting Ascend Acoustics CMT-340SE mains and center, HTM-200s, keeping the sub.

1. ESS LS8's stereo only
2. Added ESS AMT-1d and NHT VT1C center for complete surround sound.
3. Got NHT VS1.2 monitor with Atlantic Tech sub.
4. Got pair of NHT VT1.2's to replace VS1.2a fronts.
5. Got pair of NHT VT2's moved the VT1.2's to the rear and used a VS2a for center (added an SVS PB2ISD in place of the Atlantic sub).

Then just recently I replaced everything but the sub with 2 pair of Proac Studio 140's and the Proac Reference CC1.

1. Sony bookshelf stereo
2. JBL HSL? bookshelfs
3. Acoustic Research AR5's
Acoustic Research AR4c for center
Used the JBl's for surrounds
4. RBH 441 SE for center
RBH 66SE's for surrounds
5. Saving for RBH 661 SE's or 1266SE for fronts

I have been using my Marantz Imperial 5G speakers with the matching 2230 receiver pretty much daily for over 30 years. They have served through Dual LP changer, Philips cassette changer, (yes, an Optimus 8-track), Pioneer CD cartride changer, various TV's & VCR's, Magnavox LD player, Pioneer DVD/LD 919, Rio MP3 player, ReplayTV PVR's (one is NOT enough) and a Gateway 901x Media Center PC. I know I will cry when the receiver finally dies. (It also drives a pair of Pioneer 15" in the solarium and little Bose wall-mounts in the kitchen --- yeah I know that's not supposed to work with the ohms and all but it has, for about the last 20 years).

I now also have a media room with Infocus X1, GreyWolf screen, Panasonic XR55 (and have move the DVD/LD here) with Athena Point 5 Surround Speakers, Dayton 12" sub and I am on the lookout just the right Front L/R pair of speakers to fill it out.

I feel kind of embarrassed after seeing everybody's list. During the 80's I "thought" I had a great setup (for the time it probably was) I was single and I had NAD amp and receiver and Spectrum speakers which I really liked. This was circa 1990. :rolleyes: Now I am married and have kids going to private school :( for good or bad.....I am sitting here with a 2.0 system/small house great RPTV - Hitachi 57" and I am fanatical about movies and I am missing the "entire" experience..... I am scrimping for the HSU Ventriloquist system with the STF-2.. :rolleyes: If I have to kill myself I will get a 5.1....

T

1. Sony tower speakers that, for some reason, sounded good to me at the time.
2. Some BSR speakers that produced sound out the top and front. Very good actually.
3. EFE T-36 and C-22, and T-22 speakers in my media room that I decided would be my last speakers. And I got some EFE DIY speakers for my living room system.
4. Got a chance to upgrade my T-36's to EFE T-60's so that is what I have now. But the T-36's were really great speakers and it was by no means a necessary upgrade. Icing on the cake, so to speak. I don't think I will ever need to upgrade my speakers at this point.

Acoustic Research in the 80's
Klipsch in the 90's
Paradigm Studio's today
I am tickled pink because these are the right speakers for the room with my equipment. My next upgrade (10+ years) may be B&W 8 series (as I like them now) or who knows. The digm's just keep sounding better and better.

1969 - Parents Curtis Mathis console
'70's - Rectilinear III's
'80's - Bose 301's, 901's (hung from the ceiling with chains)
'90's - Klipsch SP-1's, still used in family room HT
'00's - Polk Lsi15's
Infinity Intermezzo 4.1t's
Totem Forests, still used in 2ch system
Athena AS-F2's, stil used in bedroom system
RBH T-2p, T-1 center, 2 pairs 66se surrounds, DD-12 sub

Done for now...

John

1) Cerwin Vega VS150
2) Sony Dream System HTIB
3) Paradigm Signature S8, C5, ADP and Servo

Quite the jump I must say :)

1.) BIC micropoint system

2.)Paradigm Mini Monitors

3.)Kef KHT 9000ACE

4.)CAT 3.7S44 Coronado-Sequoia


Dan

...

FISHER 12" 3 way
B&W DM7
Vandersteen 2c
VMPS minitower
VMPS 626
VMPS TWRII
Madisound DIY4? nice wedge cabinet w/Dynaudio drivers
Klipsch RB75
future looking for RF7?

1991 - Fisher 3 Way - 1" tweet, 3" mid, and 15" woof - all heavy duty construction paper and a graph badge that stated 20 hz - 20khz FR.
1993 - Cerwin Vegas - also 3 ways with a 15" woofer, I am bass happy.
1994 - B.I.C. something or other - little boogers that sounded great to a kid
2004 - PSB Image 25's - music never sounded so good
2006 - B&W 804S and HTM4 - Audio Bliss

1972- crummy Lloyds speakers that came with a Lloyds tuner/turntable/8 track

1977- crummy Soundesign speakers that came with a Soundesign tuner/8 track

1980- BSR 3 ways

1987- Cerwin Vega 3 ways -I thought I had really arrived, until I melted a voice coil one fine summer day listening to Master of Puppets at concert level, which lead to:

1991- Klipsch KG 4's

1995- added Klipsch KV2 and KG .5's

2006- Mission m73i's front and rear, and Mission m7c2 center -lost spl, gained detail and imaging (Missions are a really nice speaker for the financially challenged btw)

2007/2008?- Wharfedale Evo, Quad L, Tannoy Eyris, or the incredible, once in a lifetime deal that I am constantly looking for on audiogon and ebay

I'm 15, so my history is rather short.

1. terrible free computer speakers - discarded after six months, age 10.
2. 90$ altec lansing computer speakers - age 11, crummy, but seperated mids and tweeter.
3. Logitech Z-5500, more computer speakers, but far closer to actual hi-fi..
4. Finally, real speakers, age 15. I managed to get a beautiful old pair of Thiel CS2 in teak and power them off an old kenwood (soon to be ideally upgraded to an outlaw RR2150).

5. Sometime in the future - Magnepan 1.6 QR.

I started with some cheap Jensens from Best Buy circa 1992 (?), and kept those until I graduated from college. After getting my first post-college job I cought the audio "bug", and built a stereo system around a pair of Paradigm Atoms. I then moved on to Titans, Mini Monitors, Phantoms, Studio 20s, and Reference Active 20s (all from Paradigm). Also had a pair of NHT Super Ones and Sound Dynamics 300ti mixed in there somewhere -- and probably a few others that I've forgotten.

Then I bought a used pair of Swans 2.1s, which led me to AV123. I've since built a system around AV123's Rocket series -- RS750 fronts, RSC200 center, RS250 rears. And I recently acquired a pair of AV123's Strata Minis for a separate 2-channel system.

I'd probably have moved on to ID manufacturers sooner, but when I started there really weren't any ID manufacturers. The Internet was primarily a venue for Gopher (remember gopherspace, archie, and veronica?) and newsgroups -- with some use of FTP to distribute articles or reviews as *.txt files. The "web" came later, with Mosaic and Netscape 0.6. :)

First sub was a used NHT SW2Pi -- a 10-inch passive subwoofer with external 150W amp/crossover. That was shortly before I got the Rockets from AV123, IIRC. I then upgraded to a custom 15-inch Adire Tempest-based sub with a cabinet made by Acoustic Visions, and then to a Hsu VTF3-Mk2 and finally to a Hsu VTF3-HO.

Still need to sell at least one pair of extra speakers and one of the subs... :)

Kef 101.1's , Kef 105.2's, backward to some polk M3's, and now heading to something ID , in a mtm under $200/copy.
Very strange.

I don't think my memory can go back that far...

Panasonic
Kenwood
Pioneer
Sony
Sansui
JBL
Acoustic Research
Cerwin Vegas
Polk
Infinity
Presently own Klipsch

I'm 15, so my history is rather short.

1. terrible free computer speakers - discarded after six months, age 10.
2. 90$ altec lansing computer speakers - age 11, crummy, but seperated mids and tweeter.
3. Logitech Z-5500, more computer speakers, but far closer to actual hi-fi..
4. Finally, real speakers, age 15. I managed to get a beautiful old pair of Thiel CS2 in teak and power them off an old kenwood (soon to be ideally upgraded to an outlaw RR2150).

5. Sometime in the future - Magnepan 1.6 QR.

You are started down a dangerous path. Stop now while you still have your youth, otherwise you will experience a lifetime obsession tracking down the Ultimate Home System, a mythological beast.

Actually, I started when I was 12 and haven't regretted a moment. If you can manage a system of that quality at 15, I can only imagine where you will be later in life...... :eek:

Well, I ditched many of the pursuits of the average teen in favor of getting equipement. XBOX 360 vs Thiel CS2? No contest for me.

2005: Athena AS-B1
2006: Insignia NS-B2111
2006: Energy Veritas 2.4i

mid-70's-mid 80's Fisher hi-fi and Panasonic rack system aside:

Main speakers only
1. mid-80's-1992 Old pair of JBL's handed down from Dad (forgot model)
2. 92-95 Tannoy Mercury
3. 95-99 TDL Super Compact Monitor
4. 99-01 NHT VT1.2
5. 01-06 NHT SB3
6. 06-present Athena S3/P3

not exactly my memory Lane,but just thought i would post few cents of words.
I had these for2 months now, and i think they sound great.! for the money.
they were on sale.

Sony SS-MF550H Towers L-R
Sony SS-CR550H Center Ch.
Along with a yamaha yst 215 subwoofer.

Price tag on tower for pair was $150
Price tag on Center Speaker was $100
Yamaha price tag got it on ebay for $100 new condition.

anyway,they sound great. when i got them all tune in. good performance. but little bit bright. but thats ok. :)

1984 - 2005 Speakers that were on the TV
2005 - 2007 Logitech Z-5500
2007 - Present Ascend 340se L/C/R (surrounds coming later)

Looks like I'm more of a videophile

1985 Kenwood 3-Way 12inch towers (crap, part of a rack system)
1989 Cerwin Vega 10 inchers (big bass)
1992 Advent Heritage (better than you'd think)
1995 Paradigm Monitor 5 (really good with a used M&K V1B sub)
2006 Paradigm Monitor 9V5 (excellent, still have M&K sub)

Nothing like a stroll down memory lane!

1. EPI 100s (I think): fell out of a 3rd floor dorm window in the 1970s and still work today in my mother's system!

2. DCM Time Windows (original version I think): bought used and still anchor my 2nd HT room. Mirage center and surrounds with Velo sub for that theater.

3. Main theater: Thiel CS2.3s, SCS3 center, Powerpoint surrounds. Current sub is B&W ASW 2500, but I am actively pursuing a new sub. ?JL Audio Fantom 113, Thiel SS2, REL Britannia?

Hopefully, this will be the last speaker upgrade for quite a while!

I've been around for a much shorter time (23 yrs) than most of the users that have posted here already (except for the 15 year old), so most of my list will be decidedly "low-fi" --- let's see--

1) Unknown brand shelf system from way back (before CD's). Had the little slider bars to adust the EQ, and didn't play anything under 140hz or so.

2)Panasonic 50w x2 shelf system. It's still in the family, but I would never touch it now.

3) Altec Lansing PC 2.1 system. It sounded really good to me, as all I'd ever heard home theater wise at this point was my parents' Bose Accoustimass 10 system :rolleyes: (which they still use). It lives with my parents' computer now.

4) Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 system - my first surround set-up - sounded really good for the price, but was hampered by a very bad quality Creative Decoder designed for use with PC speakers. Sub amp started to slowly die around the end of 2006. Maybe I'll salvage the 8" drivers for an ultra cheap DIY sub in the future?

*uses Sony MDR-XD400 headphones to fill in gap* <--not audiophile quality necessarily, but the best sounding "speakers" I have ever owned

5) (To be completed this week, hopefully) First *real* system! :D
-Denon 2307CI; Onix x-ls x4, x-cs center; HSU VTF 2.3.

onix's are due to arrive this week :D - the very bright klipsch system sats are filling in until then. I'll (hopefully) eventually be going 7.1 if I can find another used satin-black x-ls pair :cool:

1987- Radio Shack somethings plugged into my Walkman

1989- Fisher Boombox

1992- Denon 2 channel integrated amp and CD changer/Cerwin Vega 10" woofers (1st 2yrs of college)

1994- Kept amp and cd changer (which I still have to this day) but changed to larger JBL's (for parties in the apartment complex)

1997- Denon AVR of some sort (1600?) with Mirage bookshelf speakers

1999- Dental School started with the same receiver but added Klipsch SS.5 for surounds, KLF Platinum center, JBL piece o' doodoo sub

2002- Upgraded receiver last 2 yrs of dental school to 5.1 DD Denon AVR and aquired Klipsch KLF10 and KLF7 center and Hsu VTF2 sub to go with my ss.5s (I thought this was the system I would use for years).

2004- Get a job, HD TV, and new house.......all big speakers must go according to wife. Sell the Mirage, Klipsch, and KLF center. Step up to Denon 3805, Mirage Omnisats, Velodyne SPLII, Denon 3910

2006- 2 years later, my wife is still not happy with my little omnisat "footballs" on the wall so I decide to sell most of that system and take a step down last year. Keep the 3910, but sell the omnisats and get a Sony STR-d600, DVD player, and Polk RM10 5.1 system (she thinks it sounds fine, I don't)

2007- Basement getting finished and need my HT/music system. Add Focal Profile 918's, 908CC, and 4 Polk LC60i in-ceiling speakers for 7.2 system. All this controlled by AVM50 with Emotiva MPS-1. Subs still the Velodyne and HSU, but might sell and get a JL Fathom 113 or a Martin Logan Descent. Have to see how the little subs sound in their new home.

Some crappy overprice RatShack bookshelves to go with my decent Sony SAWM 100 subwoofer
Polk R40s as stereo pair on top of my desk
5.1 system with Polk R40s as fronts now, CSi20 and R15s
Sony sub is sold
Polk Audio SDA SRS 2s
Carver Amazings Platinum MkIV

~move from apartment to house, form seperate 2 channel and HT systems~

SDAs are sold
Sunfire True Sub is purchased
Polk CSi20 and R15s sold
Polk RTi70s and CSi40 purchased

A Pair of Q Force Mini Speakers (they only cost a dollar at the dollar tree) They soundeed tinny

A pair of Fullrange speakers each made by 2 different manufactures one was an emerson and one was a yorx (I threw em away)

A pair of CASIO fullrange surround sound satilite Speakers (tinny sound)

A Pair of LLOYDS widerange speakers (Quite a bit more bassy than the other fullrangers I got) (threw em a way)

A pair of GPX/yorx Front ported Fullrange bookshelf speakers , which sound pretty deep and rich for what they are almost as good as a pair of two way speakers but they dont have the oomph a pair of speakers with woofers would. (still have them)

A big Emerson Centre channel speaker to bring up the bass (I still have it)

A pair of 2 way RCA bookshelf speakers which sound pretty good Bu they arn't as tall as my
somewhat vintage Emerson All in one stereo and it looks kind of funny (size issues)

Hmmm...

Early 70's Fischer bookshelves (brother is presently using as surrounds)

Criterion (Layfette Radio Electronics) monsters

Bang and Olufsen Red line 60's (Had these a long time. Kids put fun and $ on hold for a good time.

Paradigm monitor 7

Paradigm Studio 60

Cheers!

*L* Great thread.

1978-84 - Advent/1 - got me through high school. I still miss those...
1984-89? Onkyos - Can't remember the model - 3-ways, with 12 or 15-inch woofer. In retrospect, not a great purchase, but they got me through college.
1989-today - AR M6s and AR M1s - I've rally enjoyed these and got a LOT of use out of these. But they are now in the process of being retired.
2006 - Energy RC-70s w/ Energy S12.3 - Still in the boxes. I'll be installing them in the couple of weeks when the new theater space is complete.

OK I had to so some thinking to remember all this (the memory starts fading after 40) ;)
Speakers:
Late 70's - Realisitic Quadrophonic setup (hand me down from my Dad)
Early 80's - some angular generic speakers bought at Pacific Stereo (first system I bought with my own money)
Late 80's - Klipsch Heresy II's (x4) still had the quadrophonic bug
Late 80's- Klipsch center channel (finally got a surround sound decoder)
Early 90's - Energy Connoisseur C-6
Mid 90's - NHT VS-2 (x5) First true HT system
Late 90's - M&K S-125s and Infinity (powered monitors (rears) and quadropoles (side surrounds)) (7.1 system) (tried something new, went back to the NHTs)
2000 - moved into a new house and built a dedicated HT in the basement
2000 - Energy Take 5 system (master bedrooms need surround sound too!)
2003 - Def Tech BP 2002TL, BP2004TL, CLR 2500, BP2X, UIW BP/A (new HT system) and Magnepan MMGs (dedicated stereo system)

2004 - Energy AC-300 (x5) (living room surround system)
2007 - Athena system (my oldest son wanted an HT system)
2007 - Mission M31s, M70 and M7c1i (new bedroom system)
2007 - B&W 604 towers and center channel (inherited)

Subwoofers:
Mid 90's - Velodyne 1012x
Mid 90's - BIC 100 watt 10"
Late 90's - M&K MX125 Mk II
2000 - Energy 8" (part of the Take 5 system)
2002 - HSU TN 1225HO
2003 - SVS 16-46
2007 - Velodyne F1800X/R (inherited)

Fun thread - love to stroll down memory lane

Late 60's (High School) - Wharfdale 8" speakers in RJ enclosures (hand me down from Dad)

Early 70's (College) - Allied Electronics 3-way coaxials in Lafayette DIY enclosures

Added KLH 6's (another hand me down from Dad - after I blowed up the tweeters on summer vacation, he bought some Bozaks & I replaced the tweets) - ran all 4 off a Heathkit amp.

1978 - Quantum leap time - Magnepan MG-2's with DIY sub - 15" Altec driver in 14 cu ft folded path box, design from a 1952 Jensen technical paper, usable output down to 10 Hz - still set up and active in the basement

1987 - Mission 70II replaced Maggies due to WAF in new house but still used the big sub (for a while)

1990 - NHT SW-1 passive sub (WAF), big box went to the basement with the Maggies

1992 - Added Polk CS-100 center

1995 - M&K MX70-B replaced NHT sub

1997? - Embarassing as it may be ... due to reconfiguration of the room and WAF (again), no room for the Missions so I had to resort to ... arghhh ... Blose HT setup, single cubes, at least it was cheap as an open box at BB - but I did keep the Polk center & M&K sub in the mix

2002 - M&K K-5's for fronts - compact enough to dump the Blose (huzzah!) - Rat Shack Optimus 7's for surrounds (5.1), good visual match to M&K's (all in white) and sound fine for surround

2005 - New receiver, added 2 more Optimus's for 7.1

2006 - Polk CS2 center to replace CS-100

Also have some Infinity RS-1000's that were surrounds at one time for remote speakers through the house, Missions are in service in the dining room, and the KLH's are still cranking in the basement at the other end from the Maggies.

Pretty happy with the M&K/Polk combo, especially with the new center - plays plenty loud & clear for movies & TV and sounds good for general music - if I really want to listen critically I'll go down and fire up the Maggies. A bigger sub for the HT setup would be nice but the M&K does a pretty respectable job for a compact box (WAF, although with the latest room setup I could fit something bigger).

Yikes. A walk down memory lane! Let's see:

Utah corner speakers
A variety of Radio Shack and Layfayette speakers
KLH 18
Empire (they were octagonal with a marble top that served as a coffee table)
Rectilinear
Advent (Large)
AR5
AR3a
Altec Lansing Stonehenge with M&K sub
Dahlquist DQ10 with matching dual subs
Polk 600, then Polk 800 with Polk 350 then 450 sub
Klipsch RF5 with first Velodyne CHT 12, then dual SVS 20-39's

....and I wonder where all my money went. The Polks and Klipsch with their associated subs as listed above are all still in use in various rooms.

Might as well do an update to the list. Last month I added B&W CM 7s as part of a "music only" system.

Here's my relatively short list:
~1989: Dad's hand-me-downs. Don't remember much about the system. Analogue amp and the speaker grill weren't removeable. 70's era. Got me from grade 5-9.
1994: JVC 2-channel receiver and massive KLH floorstanders. Dual 10/12" woofers. Shook themselves apart sometime in college. First time I spent money on equipment. Grade 9.
1997: Cambridge Soundworks 4.1 computer speakers added. Still have 3 computers later.
2001: Graduate college. Dump the JVC and KLH. Get a Pioneer HTIB that I found impressive at the time.
2006: Find HTIB really lacking. Pick up Onkyo 604, Polk Monitor 60s, Polk CSi3, Polk PSW10 sub(free), Pios go to rear. Wife not happy.
2009+? Finish Grad School and get the system I really want (TBD). Probably piss off wife again.

Why is the wife not happy?

Here is my list:

1997 - Two Channels Bose 201's Series III with a stereo onkyo receiver.

2001 - Two Channels Bose 201's Series IV with the same onkyo receiver.

2003 - 5.1 System - Bose 201's series IV, Bose VCS-10 center channel, Bose 161 rear speakers, Yamaha YST-215 sub with a Yamaha HTR-5660 85 watts per channel.

2003 two days later - 5.1 - Bose 201's series IV, Athena WS-60 center channel(I couldn't stand the Bose vcs-10), Bose 161 rear speakers, Yamaha YST-215 sub

2007 - Finally realize that Bose Blose and buy a real system! I now have ERA Design 4 mains an ERA Design 4 center channel with ERA Design 3 surrounds, and a Yamaha YST-215 sub. Bought a used Yamaha HTR-5790 110 watts per channel for $150 on Ebay. I sold my Bose speakers and the old Yamaha receiver for almost as much as I paid for the ERA speakers. Now that is a deal if I have ever heard of one!

Present day - I am looking to add an external amp to push the super Inificient ERA speakers. I might buy a used Carver AV-505, used Rotel 976, or a new Emotiva LPA-1 amp. I am also looking to replace the yamaha sub with a used Hsu sub probably.

Finish Grad School and get the system I really want (TBD). Probably piss off wife again.

:D

Why is the wife not happy?

She was perfectly happy with the Pioneer HTIB. I got an awesome deal, the Onkyo, Monitor 60s, CSi3, and sub for less than $1K. I thought she'd be happy with the money I saved. Instead she viewed it as money wasted. As angry as she was, she's somewhat agreed to letting me upgrade the rears from the HTIB fronts. Probably Polk RTi4 off ebay or something like that.

1968 - Sony 3 piece compact $200 (paper route money)

1972 - Custom 2.1 system with Electro-Voice satellites w/ SP8B 8" woofers and T35 horn
tweeters with a single CTS 18" woofer in a refrigerator sized cabinet powered by
(3) Southwest tech 60 watt mono amps and controlled by a Sony STC-7000
preamp/tuner and records played on a BIC turntable and a Shure V-15 III
phono cartridge.

1978- Sony SSU-3000 loudspeakers added to my collection. Sony as well as all
other mass produced stereo manufacturers direct their design teams every
5-10 years to produce some excellent equipment in amongst the so-so
junk. The SSU-4000 and SSU-3000 loudspeakers were awsome for their
time. They had a 10" aluminum cast framed woofer with a 4" domed cone
midrange with a fancy difuser and a 1" titanium dome tweeter in a real walnut
3 ft high bass reflex 70 lb cabinet.

1980- EPI 100 plus

1981- Advent (smaller bookshelf)

1982- JBL L62

1984-1994 - Many loudspeaker projects made. Too many to tell about. Towers
and subwoofers oh my.

1986- Design Acoustics PS-6

1988- Celestion DL-4

1992- Parasound HCA800II power amps (pair)

1994- Yamaha preamp, Yamaha tuner, Yamaha CD player, Onkyo m-504 power
amp, Acoustat 1100 electrostatic loudspeakers and a Yamaha YST-SW200
subwoofer

1996- Acoustic research M1 loudspeakers

2000- Mission M772 loudspeakers in rosewood (sweet)

2005- Sony DA3000ES reciever, Mission M73 fronts, Mission M7c2 center, Mission
M7ds rear.

2006- Mission V-60 for personal 2 channel nirvana.

2007- Mission M-64i upgrade for my HT.

1972 - Custom Electro-Voice satallites w/ SP8B 8" woofers and T35 horn
tweeters with a CTS 18" woofer in a refrigerator sized cabinet powered by
(3) Southwest tech 60 watt mono amps

Glad to hear someone else around here remembers SWTPC - I used one of those 60 watt puppies for my freezer sized 15" sub - worked great, still running today!

Hmmm.....
Some cheap things that came with an old turn table
Radio Shack 2 way
Soundesign with am/fm/8-track/turntable
Small Optimus bookshelfs
Kenwood KLA-500 or something like that
Bose 601
Aiwa part of bookshelf system
Infinity
Mitsubishi M-FS10
Monitor Audio Silver 5i
Kenwood KS-505HT
RBH MC's
RBH Signatures
and other that I can no longer recall

That soundesign better not have been the one that I'm going to get at a consigment store in a few weeks to add to my big stack of Vintage gear... :cool:

1970s era Realistic Receiver and speakers. (Still use them out in the shop)

Late 80s DBX Soundfield 5 (Anybody remember these?) Purchased via mail order from DAK electronics. Big monster towers with 12 inch woofers that are still in use as my front speakers in a hodge-podge 5.1 system consisting of a JBL N-center, JBL 12" Sub and atlantic technology Bipole surrounds.

Next month: Pioneer Elite VSX 81 and Aperion 5.1 system (533 towers for fronts)

1983 - Family tape cassette player
1984 - Sony "Walkman"
1986 - Some wierd ~Boom Box~ with dual tape cassette.
1888 - dbx sat + sub speakers
1990 - dbx 5 way towers (dbx is some kind of mail order speaker company) These lasted until my wife who was then my girlfriend put her head through one of the woofers and I blew out one of the ribbon tweeters

1995 - 1999 period of abject poverty with no speakers other than the very tiny crappy speakers hooked up to my computer

1999 Klipsch Promedia 4.1
2001 Creative Gigaworks S750
2005 Logitech Z5500
2006 AV123 X-LS , Polk R15, Polk Csi 25
2007 Dana 630

1983 - Family tape cassette player
1984 - Sony "Walkman"
1986 - Some wierd ~Boom Box~ with dual tape cassette.
1888 - dbx sat + sub speakers
1990 - dbx 5 way towers (dbx is some kind of mail order speaker company) These lasted until my wife who was then my girlfriend put her head through one of the woofers and I blew out one of the ribbon tweeters

1995 - 1999 period of abject poverty with no speakers other than the very tiny crappy speakers hooked up to my computer

1999 Klipsch Promedia 4.1
2001 Creative Gigaworks S750
2005 Logitech Z5500
2006 AV123 X-LS , Polk R15, Polk Csi 25
2007 Dana 630


How did she get her head into the woofer?!! :D

Sony Towers -> Athena Point 5 -> Athena B1 bookshelves -> Swan 5.1's

Sony SubWoofer - > SVS Cylinder -> Mirage S12

1990 - dbx 5 way towers (dbx is some kind of mail order speaker company) These lasted until my wife who was then my girlfriend put her head through one of the woofers and I blew out one of the ribbon tweeters



Didn't I hear about this on Dr. Laura?? Could you elaborate a bit? :confused:

I won't even mention the junk I started with but just start on the good stuff. I did not buy pairs, all were matching 5.0 speakers.:
1. M&K 750 THX speakers
2. M&K S-80 system
3. M&K S-85 system
4. M&K S-125 system
5. M&K S-100B system
6. Behringer powered monitors
7. Axiom epic 80 system
8. Magnepan MMg system(6 of them)
9. M&K S-250 system
10. Klipsch THX ultra 2 system
11. M&K S-5000 THX system
12. JTR triple 8's.
I have been thru even more amps and processors.

Subs:
M&K MX-70b
M&K MX-90
M&K MX-5000
SVS 16-46 cs+
Added another 16-46CS +
Bought pb10 and 16-46 cs
SVS PB12/plus/2
Klipsch THX ultra 2 subs(2 of them)
Madison folded horns
Madison dual cab subs
I have the 2 horns and the 2 dual cab subs as we speak(or type).

Didn't I hear about this on Dr. Laura?? Could you elaborate a bit? :confused:

The tweeter was blown because I was pushing the amp too hard and it was clipping - boom - no more tweeter.

The woofer? Well we were partying [hard] in college and my girlfriend (now wife) was sitting near the speaker. She fell over for some reason long forgotten and her head went into the speaker which was close to the wall and to make a long story short she ripped the cone of the woofer.

Sorry that wasn't as exciting as you all hoped. :D

The tweeter was blown because I was pushing the amp too hard and it was clipping - boom - no more tweeter.

The woofer? Well we were partying [hard] in college and my girlfriend (now wife) was sitting near the speaker. She fell over for some reason long forgotten and her head went into the speaker which was close to the wall and to make a long story short she ripped the cone of the woofer.

Sorry that wasn't as exciting as you all hoped. :D

I thought her head got in there for another reason!

I thought she was examining your bass port! :D

1979 DLK 1.5s
1992 Cerwin Vega ??
2000 Bose accoustimass
2003 Polk RTI
2005 NHT classic's
2007 Tyler Acoustics

1. Sony 4-speaker stereo system
2. Athena Technologies AS-F1 w/ AS-P400
3. Athena Point 5 system
4. Boston Acoustics Micro System
5. Boston acoustics VR 975
6. Boston acoustics CR-75
7. Boston Acoustics VR-M50
8. Swans Diva 4.1
9. Boston Acoustics VR-960
10. Boston Acoustics VR3
11. Back to VR-960

VR3's were simply too much for the room they're in.

Main set-up
1. Radio Shack Optimus Pro LX-8...My cousin now has these, I really didn't realize how good these where until they were gone. Truly awesome imaging & gigantic soundstage.
2. Monitor Audio Radius 5.1 (R90, R180, R360)...I loved the R90 & R360, however, the R180 was weak, and I had my fill of 5.1.
3. Infinity Alpha 20...Fantastic speakers that my brother now has. I won an eBay auction for a pair of factory refubs for $97!
4. Mission M32i...Slightly better bass & imaging than the Alpha 20. I got them for $175 at Amazon.com when Mission was being closed-out.
5. Boston Acoustic CR77...Another eBay victory for $122, a very solid performer, accurate, but I liked the M32i better, and kept them until...
6. Infinity Beta 20...I'm not sure they're better than the M32i, but the Beta 20 had a different kind of sound than the Missions, and I was ready for a change. I purchased them from a seller at audiogon.com for $150. Bass seems a bit warmer & enveloping than the M32i, the M32i had a certain crispness & snap, both appealing, but different.

Supplemental
Polk R15 (With my brother)
Mission M70
Cerwin-Vega! CLS6 (For Sale)
Tekton Design Fostex 4.5
Merril Zigmahornets (Coming Soon)

On my short-list
Monitor Audio GS10
Paradigm Studio 20 v.4
B&W 685
AV123 X-LS SWG

1970's to Present:

BIC Venturi Formula 6
Marantz Imperial 7
Dalquist DQ 10 with single bass module
DIY 1
DIY 2
McIntosh XRT 22
B&W Nautilus 802
Aerial Acoustics 10T
Von Schweikert VR-4SR

My "progression" has come full circle. I am back to the Def Tech BP10bs that I started with 7 years ago. I still prefer them to everything else I have tried from then to now.

Pulliamm,
The same thing has happened to me. I started with ADA equipment and M&K speakers, I tried so many different amps and processors with different speakers. I now have ADA and M&K again, just their higher levels. I think I have finally found a replacement for M&K though.

For our HT:
Early 90s - KEF 104s and KEF 100 (center)
2007 - KEF 205/2 (front) and KEF 202/2c (center)

KEF Q series for surrounds in our HT (might upgrade to newer KEF Reference).

I also have KEF Q series in other rooms as well as in wall KEF....

Guess I'm a KEF Guy :)

I've had the same Aiwa bookshelf system since high school (~15 years). After using it for Cds and radio for the first 12 years of it's life, it was moved under the computer desk to pull a third duty as PC speakers.

Earier this year, we replaced our old 27" TV with a projector. Had I paid a little more attention during the research phase of the purchasing decision, I may have realized that projectors do not have built-in speakers, as TVs do.

So, the first step was sending stereo sound fromt he DVD player to the Aiwa. Not bad, but the little shelf system only had one Aux input, so I bought an Onkyo receiver and used the Aiwa speakers with that. My brother found an old RCA shelf system in the back of his closet, so I appropriated those speakers to use as rears with teh surround sound receiver. Much better.

We then took a 6x9 from an old car audio system, pu it in a box, and hooked it up as a center. Even better.

Finally broke down last month and got a pair of Polk RTi6's anda CSi3 to go across the front. SO. MUCH. BETTER.

The plan going forward is to get a pair of RTi8's or RTi10's for the front, and move the RTi6's to the back. HAve to wait for finances to improve a bit, though. Hopefully they won't all be gone by the time I can afford them. :(

First stereo system (college): Technics 2 way floor standers. (1978).
Replaced with Acoustat 2+2 Electrostatic panels (1984).
Replaced with Revel F30's (& C30) (2001).

1st HT, was back in 1996
I got Circuit City stuff - Infinity speaker book shelf's with a 10" DCM sub and an Onkyo receiver (979 I think). I got a 35" Tube TV.

Then switched to a DCM 12" and still completely unsatisfied.

Then found a real audio store and got a Mirage 8" that blew the others out of the water.

That satisfied me for a few years, then I got some Wharfedale towers that were awesome in comparison from UBID dot com. It was their Studio type line. Now my dad has those.

I moved into a real house and got a larger HT budget and got some RBH 661-SE's in a 5 channel system with the same Onkyo receiver. I got 2 RBH 1010-SEP's for the subs which blew away almost everything I had heard. I expanded shortly after to a Theta processor and Sherbourne 7200 7 x 200 watt 120 lb amp. Mean beastly thing that I still use today.

I found little difference in the audio section so sold that and just got an Outlaw Audio 990, which wasn't as tweakable, but sounded just as good. I then added 2 more 661-SE's for a 7.1 channel system. I got a projector in this system - Infocus.

I then moved into yet another house and got used all the old equipment, but the projector. I replaced the Infocus with a Mitsu HD1000U. Much better IMO especially for the money, but I'm much more of an audiophile than a videophile anyways.

I just upgraded my mains and center to RBH T-1/Reference line and center is a 661'SE/Reference. It sounds incredible! Now I just need to fix some nulls in the room.

Sony Transistor radio
Sony walkman headphones
Paisley Bookshelf.
Energy Bookshelf
Energy Reference 22
Mission Cyrus 753
Magnepan Mg12

Over rougly 25 yrs

Over 4 years since i got into this hobby
- Polk smallest size satellites
- Polk RM series Satellites
- Polk Rti Series Bookshelves and Dipoles/Bipoles
- Energy Connoisseur Bookshelves and Dipoles
- Energy Veritas
- Dali Helicon's currently and hopefully for a long time :D

Canton towers
Mission Monitors with (no-name) Sub
Thiel 3.6
B&W 802 N

with a brand new set of Aerial 9's in boxes

Bose Acoustimas - 1994
Tannoy (Dont Remember)
BnW 803
Aerial LR5
Aerial 20T's - This month (I am done with speaker upgrades)

Too many to list:

A few personal notables---

Fisher towers (circa mid '80s --- first real attempt to get back into audio after great exposure during college years in the mid '70s with mostly Marantz equipment.).

Pioneer 303's (circa early '90s --- typical wide box style...still have in storage...kept me subless for a number of years).

Wharfedale Emerald 97's (2002 --- 4 towers and CC).

Emerald 97's are so good with my listening preferences, I still won't be upgrading for a very long time.

Main L/R only:

Polk Monitor 4a
Paradigm Mini-MkIII
Paradigm Studio 20
Paradigm Studio 40
ACI Sapphire
Paradigm Studio 100 real wood (current A/V room system)
Energy RC-30 (current Living Room system)

In 1975 I owned a set of Pioneer Tower type speakers, can't remember the model number but do remember they sounded pretty good.

Around 1978 i purchased a set of Infimity Qb's Excellet sounding speaker for its day.

In the mid 80's I bought the first set of Bose AM 5's the day they went of the market. They sounded sweet then and still do today. I have added a set of Bose 201 Series IV's and a bose VCS 10 to compliment my HT and a Yamaha YST SW 315 subwoofer.

1982 - Sony Receiver - I had it for week and sold it.
1982 - HK Receiver - Still have it, not working right now
------ MCS (JC Penney) 3-way linear phase speakers
------ Technics Cassette
1984 - Technics CD Player
1985 - Boston Acoustic A60's (Currently my L & R Theater Speakers)
1991 - Carver HR732 Receiver (Whole House Sound)
------ Carver 5 Disc Changer
------ Boston Acoustics T970 Tower Speakers (Great Room Speakers)
1995 - Yamaha Home Theater Receiver - (Detached Garage Tunes)
------ Paradigm Micros FL & FR (Bedroom Theater)
------ Paradigm CC50 Center (Bedroom Theater)
------ Yamaha YST150 Subwoofer (Theater sub)
1998 - Denon AVR 1400 (Not currently being used)
------ Panasonic 5 disc DVD changer w/DD processor (Not currently being used)
------ Advent Bi-wireable rear surrounds (Not currently being used)
2003 - Yamaha Home Theater in a Box (Receiver & sub in Bedroom Theater)
----- One set of speakers used in Kitchen for whole house sound.
2005 - Paradigm Micros (Theater Rears)
2007 - Toshiba HD-A2
------ HK AVR 247
------ Paradigm CC290

Considering purchasing a power amp - used HK or Carver, or new NAD 272 and using Denon 1400 as pre-amp for whole house sound.

Looking at an Outlaw Sub for theater to replace the old Yamaha, and a set of Boston Acoustic VR2's or Paradigm Monitor 7's to replace the BA A60's in the theater.

Not too many steps for me

Yorx mini system
Radioshack 8" sealed 2-way and cheap KLH center/surround
Aiwa mini towers 2-way and Sony 2way center and surrounds
And here is the big step - B&W 683, HTM61, DS6 Love these, they'll be around for a while.

Sub: Passive 15" DAK - Had for many years, pretty decent
Velodyne SPL1200R (would have been bigger but for WAF)

I went from a pair of Infinity bookshelves that I had from middle school all through high school and then when I was like 22 and had my first real job I bought my M&K setup. First the L/R S-125 then a year later I bought the center S-125 on sale. A few years later I bought the SS-150 surrounds on eBay and the SVS 16-46pci online. Now, if I can only track down another pair of SS-150s on eBay

Wow this brings back memories,
Built my first set in High School woodshop, 3way 12” Radio Shack woofers
Next I moved to Sony 3way 12”
Then Sony 5.1 in a box from Sears
Polk Audio RM7200 5.1 set and 2 Polk Audio R30 floor standers.
Polk Audio RTi10, CSi5, reused the 4-RM7200 satellites & subwoofer.
So that’s my journey from 1980 to Current setup:
Paradigm Studio 100v4, CC690v4 center, MiniVee 8” sub, 4-FXi3 surrounds, working on replacing them next.

1978 - Empire Royal Grenadier 9000 - A friend of the family still has these. I remember as a kid going over to his house for family Xmas, New year's parties and he'd crank them. Great speakers and really beautiful cabinets. They look like furniture and conceal well. Marble tops with a 15" down firing woofer.

1982 - Infinity RS Kappa - my dad's system based on Tandberg components, he'd let me use it as a kid.

1986 - Sony can't remember the model, part of a rack system, I saved up for my first stereo which my dad picked up as a demo model from Service Merchandise.

1991 - Radioshack Minimus, used in college since they were small.

1998 - AR 310HO (my dad still has these), AR312HO, CS50, and the matching 15" sub. Awesome for the money. Got these new from an online auction back when online auctions first started. I think the website was called onsale.com then became newegg.com.

2005 - Revel F50a - simply amazing - the best speakers I've ever heard. Sold due to limited space. Superb built, superb sound, superb everything!! It was hard parting with these.

2007 - Canton Karat 703DC, 705 center, AS300 sub - Just got these recently. Impressive sound for the size, these are bookshelves but they are 3-way!! A very full sound with good separation of bass, mid, and treble. Build quality is superb.

1979- MCS series 3 Way
1990- Bose 301's
1997- Pioneer prologic theater in a box
2000- Sony theater in a box 5.1 100 watt sub
2007- Sunfire CRM-2's CRM-2C and 2 Sunfire Super Juniors :D

Started about 12 years ago

Cambridge Sound computer speakers + sub.
Polk RT10s + Sony center channel + Pio avr (dont remember model #s)
JBL sub and 5 satellites (dont remember model #)
Yamaha HTR 5935 HTIB
Sony STR DE197 + 2 Sony bookshelf speakers
Bose Acoustimass system :eek: (had it for 2 days)
Yamaha 661 avr
Def Tech PM 1000s (4) + Def Tech PC1000
Def Tech BP7006s (2) + Def Tech CLR2300
Mirage Omni S8 sub
Onkyo 805 avr
HSU VTF 2.3 sub

I won't bore you with the progression (although not that long), but it ends with Klipschorns as mains.

Most recent last:

$5 clock radio
Basic CD/Cassette boom box
Technics stereo receiver w/ garage sale bookshelf speakers
Upgrade to pair of Polk R30's
Denon AVR 3808CI, 2xParadigm Millenia 300, 1xRel T1, 2xSnell SR.5

Looks like a fun thread. Thanks or resurrecting it. My speaker progression is as follows:
1974 - Utah WD-90's - anyone remember these?
1977 - Avid 102's
1981 - ADS L-520 - still have them and in great condition
2003 - Klipsch RF-15, RC-25, RB-15, RW12 (Home Theater bug sets in)
2008 - Wharfedale Diamond 9.6, Diamond 9.CM, Diamond 9.2, RW12
2010 - Vienna Acoustics Bach Grand, Theatro Grand, Diamond 9.2 and still have the Klipsch RW12 sub.

Vienna's by far my favorite followed by the ADS L-520's. Guess thats why I still own the ADS - can't seem to give them up.

Well i never knew anything about sound, except that i liked it loud. Always played my music loud. My first system has got to be credited to my first car.
--1987 Jeep Wagoneer, no idea what was in it, but i fell in love listening to music in that thing
--Ok so after that i joined the military and got my first HTIB solution from sony with 5.1 tiny satelites and unpowered sub(this was main HT)
--Got a logitech z-680 5.1 system that i listened to music on through my computer
--Found a refurb onkyo tx-sr605 for a good price and used the satelites from my sony system
--Got a brand new Velodyne VRP-10 on discount at circuit city going out of business sale
--Woot 4xEnergy C-100's with Energy C-C100, now i had a system
--Just picked up two Energy RC-50's for mains with 7.1 off the C-100's

So the breakdown
-Sony HTIB
-Energy C-100's
-Energy RC-50's

Do speakers that came with my Kmart Soundesign system count? ;) I don't even know if I can remember my first stand alone speaker system... Lets see...

Some 10 or 12" JBL 3-ways... (don't remember model)
10" 3-way 100 watt Pioneers (don't remember model)
Optimus 15" 2-way (don't remember model number, early 90's)
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/optimus-2-way.jpg

DIY 15" 3-ways with Mach II horn tweeter, Realistic soft some mid, and the 15" woofer from the 2-ways above (also stole the bass port out of them, heh). I made these from left over scraps from a new home construction when I was around 13 years old. My first attempt at DIY, lol.
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/firstdiy.jpg

Another DIY 15" 3-ways with Mach II horn tweeter, Realistic soft some mid as above, but with that crappy Realistic 15" Poly woofer. Wish I could find the old polaroids of these as I actually bought high grade 3/4" nicely finish plywood and carefully planned out construction and they came out mint looking. I still have and use the T-square I bought to make these speakers. ;)

DIY 12" 3-ways with Realistic 12" dual voice coil sub, same soft dome mid and Mach II tweeter as above - The dual voice coil paper cone sounded much better than that crappy 15" Poly woofer but neither seemed to handle much power

Optimus Mach II (these where pretty good for Radio Shack specials, actually. Gonna buy the next set I find on Craigslist for nostalgia, hehe)
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/machII.jpg

Cerwin Vega VS-150 (had these babies for a 14 year stretch!)
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/vega15.jpg

B&W 683/684/685
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/BWandCerwinVegas.jpg http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/BW683042.jpg

B&W 804S
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/BW600800.jpg http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/Electronics/Sound%20System/BW-New-Room-1small.jpg

Didn't list center speakers and funny when I owned speakers with 15" woofers I used to mock narrow towers with small woofers and look at the total 180 I did when it comes to what types of speakers I prefer now, heh...

Subs...

Sony HTIB 100 watter, lol.
Velodyne MicroVee (only for a day, burned out and dealer replaced with the
MiniVee)
Velodyne MiniVee
Sunfire Signature EQ (I always wanted one of those little Sunfires)

This was my first actual first sound system my parents bought me though:
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x106/emig5m/not%20mine/win-pics-dual-cassete-deck.jpg

Yea I remember jamming out to my Micheal Jackson, Twisted Sister, and Quiet Riot cassettes and that thing back in the early/mid 80's, hehe.

What is the make and model of that red boom box? There were a lot back then that had a similar design. Notably Panasonic and Sharp. Sears had a line that was made by someone else. I LOVE them things!