Ok, I know we are all Roony’s here showing off our latest systems, but what was your first proper hi-fi system, and do you have any photos. I happened to be looking through some old photos and came across these, be about 1978-80. First photo shows Thorens TD160, Hadcock Arm with Lentek Entré Moving Coil Cartridge. Boothroyd Stuart Meridian 103D, and out of shot were a pair of Tannoy Cheviot speakers. Second photo shows upgrade!? to IMF TLS 50 Mk2’s Transmission Line Speakers, boy did they have some bass! Just headphones now.
These are terrific!
And a great idea - but maybe create a separate thread for it?
Was the new camera used to take that photo?
I think it was. Not that teenagers would recognise one now! I wonder how that system would compare to today’s offerings?
Probably a good idea to separate the historical systems into a separate thread - since these will predate Roon… Will do it.
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Here’s my first setup (in my parent’s home) Quad 33 + 303 and FM Tuner, Goldring Lenco GL75 turntable with a Goldring Lenco cartridge, Revox A77 and KEF Concord speakers (not in shot). Shot in 1969.
By the time I had my flat in Twickenham, I had replaced the Kefs with a pair of Quad ESL57s and the turntable with a Thorens TD150 Linn Sondek LP12 and SME arm with a Shure cartridge. This photo was taken in 1978.
The Quad preamp and amp became the Quad 44 + 405 combo before finally being replaced with the Quad Artera Link and Artera Stereo combo that I have today. The turntable went once CDs came in, but I still have the Quad ESL57s. They will turn 50 in May September this year…
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Oh this brings back a lot of memories. First real set up definitely in parents home. The GL75 came highly recommended but I could never get it to perform well. The arm would not track choral music in particular without distortion, despite trying a variety of cartridges. Moved to a second hand Thorens TD150 which was better, and even better still with an SME arm which I added in about 1977. But even that wasn’t great on inner grooves until I loosened the lateral bearing a little. Once CDs became available I sold all of my LPs and put the turntable in the loft. Eventually I gave it to a colleague - probably could have sold it for a decent amount now!
Bought my Quad 303 in 1978 second hand from a mate at the BBC where I worked in Film dubbing back then. I still have it, and had it rebuilt by Amplabs in the UK some years ago. Very good service there. It still drives my Spendor BC1 set up. I bought those second hand in 1979 I think. Before those I had Kef Kit 3 - which were Kef Concertos but you built the cabinets yourself to save money! Also had a Revox but a B77.
Even back in those days I longed for a multi room setup. The BBC had a ‘ring main’ system feeding every programme to every studio. You just turned the selector switch to whatever station or local output you wanted to listen to. I tried various ways of achieving that at home as the years went by. Roon has eventually made it pretty straightforward.
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Ignore that 
I don’t have any pictures, but my first stereo rig (bought with my own money) was a Craig 8 track tape player out of my Dad’s 1965 El Camino hooked to a 12 Volt trickle charger and playing into automotive speakers in my bedroom. I thought I was in heaven listening to Live at Leeds, the Moody Blues, and Woodstock.
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This is from 2002
On the shorter Apollo stand is (was) a Micromega top loading CD transport, to the right and up a (flimsy) shelf a Trichord Pulsar One DAC and separate PSU. Below is the crossover unit for the Celestion SL600si/6000 speakers. Powering them were two Dussun V8i stereo amps. A lonely Sony cassette deck gathered dust on the top shelf
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Alas no photos !!
At university it was Sinclair build it yourself amps , 1971 I got my first real speaker , Wharfdale Lintons.
I really started when I was living in Ealing (1973), turntable Thorens TD150 mostly on headphones Stax SR3 believe it or not also with a Revox A77. The amp was an Armstrong ?? the speakers were Kef Concertos
I moved to Quad when I moved to Brentwood in 1976. 33 / 405 then the 405 upgraded by Quad to 405II and the 44 and FM4 . Speakers by that time were Celef PE1.
Various cassette decks came and went notable was the Yamaha TC 800 (the sloped one), then the Nakamchi 600 another sloped one , followed rapidly by the Nakamichi 582 finally the Nakamichi CR7e. I kept the A77 but rarely used it once I got the CR7e
I had a cash windfall in 1986 and splashed out on LP12/Ittok/Troika and Quad ESL62 which along with the Quad amps were the mainstay for many years. As I see above Appolo stands they were incredibly sturdy.
The first CD player was a Marantz CD94 (?) . The decision to emigrate to South Africa changed my listening habits . The movers couldn’t find room for my 1500 LP’s so I bit the bullet and sold off the vinyl and traded the LP12 in against a Linn Karik CD player which stayed with me until I gave up media in 2013
The Quad ESL62 had a checkered history here , Johannesburg is at 1700m and our winters are extremely dry . The Quads simply didn’t work , they blew little pin pricks in the membranes. The move to Cape Town reprieved them and I had them repaired and back for another 7 years. The return to JHB in 2005 was the end they lasted 2 weeks before they blew again.
We renovated the house in 2006 and laid in underfloor 5.1 cabling and went 5.1 AV with Quad 21 speakers. 2 channel hi fi really stopped here, Finally we moved to a soundbar and the speakers went (WAF !!)
Finally we completely downsized and I went headphones only. The Sennheiser HD800 being my retirement present from my wife (as long as I didn’t sing along 
)
Now I have a Naim Uniti Atom HE with Focal Clear Mg., HiFi Man Arya and the trusty HD800’s
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I had various “all in one” systems in high school and early college. But in 1980 I acquired my first “better quality” system. I purchased a used Nikko Alpha II amplifier, Nikko Beta II preamplifier, and Nikko Gamma I tuner (see pics, not mine but identical). The prior owner had built a very nice wood cabinet that the 3 units were installed in. I had a new Technics Quartz SLQ2 Direct Drive turntable with Shure V15 Type IV cartridge. I can’t recall the brand of the speakers (floor standers about 30” x 16”). In about 1987 I added a CD player. I used this system from 1980 until 2005! At some point after the early iPods came out, I digitized a few CDs and connected my iPod to the AUX in. Later, I connected an old windows laptop, connected to WIFI to a USB connected cheap DAC, connected to the AUX in of the Nikko preamp and was streaming internet radio, etc.
I still have the Nikko Gamma I tuner connected to my main system (it works well, but rarely listen to local terrestrial FM).
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As a teen I had 2 all in one hifi systems. First a Philips with from top to bottom → turntable, FM/AM tuner, dual tape deck and a CD player. After that a Telefunken with from top to bottom a 5 disc CD changer, FM/AM tuner and dual tape deck.
After that I bought my first receiver, which I still have in storage. And it still works after about 25 years. It’s a Philips FR966.
After the Philips I went with a Harmon Kardon set. Receiver, DVD player and 5.1 speaker set. Which lasted me for about 20 years.
The HK’s finally got replaced 4 years ago with this
Marantz MCR612, Cambridge Audio CXN V2, el cheapo Pioneer bluray player, my old 32 inch TV and a pair of Dali Spektor 2’s. The Dali’s I still have in storage, their stands I am still using with my current setup.
Currently I own a Cambridge Audio set (CXA81, CXN V2, CXC V2 and two FIIO K11 R2R DAC’s). The FIIO’s are sitting between the amplifier and both the network streamer and CD transport.
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In a time long before wife and children (and smartphones for taking quick photos) 
From around the age of 10 I had a single deck tape player. It served its purpose playing the copies of Iron Maiden my step-brother would make for me.
At the age of 13 (1993), I used money saved from various jobs to buy an old 1980’s all in one system with 4 speakers. I forget the make. I converted the broken turntable wiring to take a line input from a Matsui CD player from Tandy. This system lasted me 3 years and begun my absolute love for music and my CD collection grew huge.
I had the following from 1996;
Philips CD-720 (CD player)
Sony TA-FE230 (IIRC) (amplifier)
Mission 731 (speakers)
The Sony amp got swapped out for a Rotel RA-971 mk2. I hated this amp because of the split dial volume/balance knob. Swapped it out for a NAD 312.
The missions got swapped out for several pairs from Technics, Castle, wharfedale and Acoustic Energy.
Big change came around 2003.
Cyrus CD6 (CD player)
Cyrus Pre X (pre-amp)
2 of Cyrus Smartpower (power amps - mono 110wpc)
B&W 703 (speakers)
Also had two Numark turntables
Additionally, some cinema equipment arrived
Sony DVD player. No idea of the model.
Arcam AVR300 (7.1 cinema amp)
In use with the above setup with a speaker selector switch to switch between amps. For surround speakers I had an Acoustic Energy speakers. IIRC I had 2 sets of floor standing speakers for the side and rear speakers.
In 2007/8 along came the wife 
Due to various commitments (her) my system(s) didn’t fit in with life, holidays and lots of steamy passion.
Then kids 
Big speakers and babies. Something needed to be sacrificed. It turns out it’s frowned upon to sacrifice kids 
.
I turned to streaming services and headphones. Remained this way until 2020 - Pandemic. I was working hard in and around London during this. Only going home at weekends.
Purchased some newer Wharfedale 9.1’s. Pulled out the Cyrus Pre/Power amps. After a few weeks one of the power amps died. I switched to using the remaining power amp in stereo (60wpc) but it then failed. Got a horrible amp from SMSL.
I used Volumio on a RPi and used Tidal Connect.
In 2020/2021 I discovered Roon.
The End
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I would be fascinated to learn how many of us have gone the headphone only route
My decision was driven by getting ready to sell the house , wife thought the techy look of multiple speakers (however sexy I thought they looked) was a downer for potential buyers. That and perpetual discussions on what constituted a reasonable volume of 1970’s rock.
Covid came along and we never did sell the house
To be honest my headphone system is first rate (to me) and I get to upgrade , ie buy a new pair, occasionaly so I am happy at 100% headphones.
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I love encapsulating my head with headphones and escaping the humdrum of the world. It’s a very personal experience. I do a lot of headphone listening at home, mainly using my B&O Portal (wireless) headphones with the supplied dongle. Sounds bloody marvellous.
Before Roon I had a Audioquest Dragonfly Black and a pair of AKG headphones. Paired with an iPhone and Tidal. Thank goodness for the Apple CKK.
Headphones have never been a thing here. I’ve always been single, so no girlfriend or wife with different opinions 
I’ve had headphones almost since the beginning of having a system, but I very, very rarely bother with them. There’s a Grado SR80e languishing on my desk as I write. The only headphones that ever got serious use were those that came with my Sony Walkman when I was out roller skating in the park - and that was 50 years ago…
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Love the photos!