What was your first "hi-end" component ?

[Randy Myers]

Nakamichi deck... Hafler kit amps (built several of these, got pretty good with them)... then the KEF 104aB... and life changed...

[nicoff]

Nakamichi ZX-7, bought new in 1983, I still own it.

[saabstory95]

Greetings! I'm somewhere between new & occasional drop-in.
My start in hi-fi was around 1980 & still in high school.
-NAD 3020, Sequerra Met-7's, a Nak 480Z (with Dolby C NR! ), & a Denon TT / Signet TK-7.

It was a sweet rig at the time started and through more than a few upgrades I often wonder how there was so much magic for so little money.

I've never been very good at parting with gear & that definitely strains the WAF. Though I did sell that system to fund my "upgrades" & ended up buying the 3020 back from my cousin & it's still in the closet as -up

[Mahalo]

A Denon 3808.

[tdh888]

Hi guys ,

My first post here at the vintage section . My first high end component was a Michell GyroDec together w/ the Odyssey RP1 XG tonearm given by my Dad as a present for getting good grades in my second year of medical school (1986) . Our family equipment back then consisted of the SAE Preamp model 3000, Phase Linear Model 700 C , Nakamichi 700 ZXE Casette deck and JBL L65 Speakers .

[pete6737]

B&W 803 Matrix speakers. Used them from 1997 to 2013!

[AudioGremlin]

My first component/s was the Garrard 301 turntable quickly followed by an SME 3009 arm with a Shure cartridge (can't remember which one). Had to wait until I could afford a Leak Varislope preamp with a Leak 150w stereo power amplifier. The speakers Wharfdale Teesdale came even later which had an upwards facing tweeter looking at a downward facing metal dispersion cone. Perhaps you can tell I'm now in my 70's ☺

[John49]

Originally Posted by AudioGremlin

My first component/s was the Garrard 301 turntable quickly followed by an SME 3009 arm with a Shure cartridge (can't remember which one). Had to wait until I could afford a Leak Varislope preamp with a Leak 150w stereo power amplifier. The speakers Wharfdale Teesdale came even later which had an upwards facing tweeter looking at a downward facing metal dispersion cone. Perhaps you can tell I'm now in my 70's ☺

Some grand old names from my past too.

[M-D-Z]

I wont bother to list any of my pre-71 hi-fi pieces, not because I choose, or wish to forget them, but due to the simple fact that I actually have forgotten them.

As a musician (drummer), I have been variously disappointed by the persistently frustrating degree to which professionally processed music has failed, and continues in its failure to adequately deliver a believably live musical event upon playback.

Consequently, "hi-end" simply means to me how successful any combination of media (and it's matching playback devices) are at recreating a compelling sonic facsimile of the captured original performance.

The first time I found myself (my ears) properly satisfied, and while at that time spending within strict money restraints, had to my perceptions acquired a significant proportion of that goal, which was accomplished with the following stereo equipment. And still this first success took several years finally to cobble up something into one complete "set".

So no, obviously not truly "hi-end" by most people's standards even then, but it made me happy enough for a good little while.

First the rcvrs: Sansui Eight Deluxe loved this "engineer's receiver"!
Soon traded up to a Sansui 9090DB
Then a Sansui G-9000 as the new spkrs (below) craved more power.
The new speakers: ESS AMT 1a Monitors
Cassette deck: Nakamichi 600 MkII (blk)
R2R: TEAC A-3340S Simul-sync, four trk-1/4"
TT: Dual 504 with Audio Technica AT-13Ea

Of all this, what I wish I had kept most was the ESS and the Eight Deluxe!

[Diapason]

My first real foray into high end was when I upgraded my Arcam amp to an Audio Innovations Series 500. I couldn't believe I'd finally got a valve amp! It's still in use 20-odd years later, driving my SF Signums. Shouldn't work, but the combo sounds gorgeous.

Of course, I'm still not actually sure I've ever possessed TRUE high end...