AVS Forum Special Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Huntersville, NC
Posts: 2,152
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 103 Post(s)
Liked: 125
Oh, my. The amazing part is that I actually remember this!
In 1977 I purchased my first home stereo, I was 20 years old.
It was a Radio Shack:
STA-2000 Receiver
Radio Shack LAB-400 Turntable
Realistic Mach One speakers.
I loved that system and would have been fine if not for reading articles in Stereo Review, and Audio. So, of course, I realized that the weak point was those boom-boxes masquerading as speakers.
So, on a Presidents Day Sale in 1980 I went to Tech Hifi, in Hanover, MA. I purchased a brand-new pair of AR-12 speakers. My world was forever changed. I kept those as my main speakers until 1993! Then started an odyssey of speaker choices, most better that the old AR's, but lacked the staying power. Polk LS-50's. Really liked these, but when I moved to a house with huge vaulted ceilings, the sound just got lost. Tried Def Tech BP30's. Meh. NHT VT2s. Loved the NHT sound. Kept those for almost 10 years. Had some Green Mountain Audio Europas for a few years. Amazing speakers, far and away the best I had ever owned. Then suffered a financial downturn, and had to sell off everything and start fresh.
Now listening to a pair of Energy RC-10's, which are a fine little monitor, but I have the upgrade itch.
For electronics, I kept that old Realistic receiver for over 10 years, it was a truly quality unit, manufactured by Pioneer I believe. I upgraded to a Carver Receiver, very nice, but the damn speaker switch relays broke at least 3 times. I still have it, and would really like to find someone to go through it and get it working again. I then went with Adcom separates, Marantz separates, Parasound separates. A Cayin TA-30 Tube integrated that was pretty magical. After the re-fresh, I wound up with a Pioneer VSX-1018 AV receiver, which I still use today, and I am very happy with it. Just because I simply have to have a little bit of "audiophilia", the left and right main go through a very nice Creek EVO 50 integrated amp with home theater bypass.
I also have a Rythmik L12 sub, Logitech Squeezebox for streaming, Project Carbon DC turntable.
And always looking at the next upgrade......................................:wink :