Over what period have you built up your system to where you are now?

First attempt at hi-fi was 1972 (and I will not describe how bad it was) and I am still on the journey; I still haven't found what I am looking for and not even sure I could afford it. I satisfy (most of) my cravings for upgrade through helping my wife's son on his road of discovery.

Japtimscarlet posted:

Got interested in music when I was about 12 ( 1970 )

Had a feriograph R to R lent to me by a kind ( rich) neighbour 

During the early 70's I built up a small system of amstrad 7070  tuneramp / strathearn stm4 record deck with ortofon cartridge and (my dad's ) wharfedale speakers

By about 1977 I had a nice sansui amp and tuner ..my own wharfedale speakers (Glendale's) and a sharp cassette deck

Bought my own house in the early 80's and splashed out on a new Nait 1 !!  A new rega planar 3 ...and new mission 70S speakers ...all on proper racks with naim cables. I had the best sounding hifi of all my mates ...

Skip forward 30 odd years and a lot of happy times ...

I now have 272/xpsdr into 250dr / Russell K 100's and a nice spec LP 12 / aro etc

I still have the best sounding hifi of my friend's...but that isn't hard to say these days sadly ..as they waste their money on other things!

My parents had Wharfedale GLendales when i was growing up!  They weren't too shabby either.

Since 1978 and then really taking the plunge at university with a Garrard SP25, Teleton amp and some kit speakers lashed together with lamp flex as I recall! Then skip forward to an A&R Cambridge T21 and A60 with Celestion DL4s and Pioneer cassette deck, then the Exposure amp era (culminating with 16 monos) with EPOS ES 14s, 25s and 30s, then my first LP12 in 1989 (replacing an Ariston RD80 from Laskys), then mostly Naim ever since. I’ll stop one day

Part way through I also built my own World Audio Designs 300B monoblocs but had to sell them when my 3 year old daughter insisted on removing the valves

A long progressive evolution for me. I bought my first Naim Nait 1 in the mid '80s. I still have that amplifier, but it lives upstairs now. 

Started some time around 1967 with some kit I no longer remember (including a Grundig reel to reel).  First attempts at stereo was using a couple of old valve radios, one for each channel, and a couple of speakers I found and encased.  Built my own crossover with little or no knowledge of what I was doing.  But it worked.  Then Sinclair transistor amps and preamp - tiny little amps.  And my first proper speakers - Wharfedale Denton, which I still have (and are still surprisingly good, considering).  Built a Texan 20+20 (or some such thing) amplifier kit.  Garrard turntable (it looked a little like the 301/401 but with the arm integrated into the same plinth).  then a Garrard SP25 (not sure that was any better, TBH - possibly not as good).  Changed the Texan amp for an Armstrong receiver of some sort.  Later I built a preamp from Wireless World (pretty good, it was, and I used close-tolerance components throughout), and a Bailey power amp (still have those).  Still into the Dentons.  Changed to a Pioneer PL12D turntable, with various cartridges.  Then I entered the Naim fold.  First their first speakers, using Mordaunt Short bass and Goodmans tweeters.  Excellent speakers at the time.  Then replaced the preamp and poweramp with NAC12 and NAP 120.  Now for the confession - I built a duplicate of the NAPA 120, got an active crossover and went fully active.  That lot did me for some time.  At one point I had two NAP250s, but then 4 135s, and a better preamp (but I can't remember which) followed by a NAC 282 then NAC52.  By now I had SBLs.  Oh, and Rega Planar 3 with an ADC cartridge IIRC.  Eventually a series of changes over a relatively short time.  From NAC52, 4 135s, SBLs I changed the speakers to Ovator S600, changed the 135s for a 300, and got an HDX.  Wasn't too happy with the 300 and changed to a 500.  Changed the HDX for an NDX.  Sold off the Rega.  And that is about where I am now.  Along the way have been some DAT recorders.  

For other systems I have had Nait 1, NAP90, NAC 42 driving ATC SCM10 and SCM7 - I no longer have the Nait but the ATCs are still providing sterling service (listening to the 42/90/SCM10 now).

Very lengthy for me... I started at University in 1986..... I guess my ‘serious’ phase started once I was earning... and I was introduced to my dealer who was just starting out in the early 90s ... and he has evolved with me my system ever since, with my most recent acquisition a 552 DR.... apart from one or two bum steers, each step in the journey has been highly enjoyable...

I walked into the Audio Center, Sheffield (anyone old enough to remember that? It's now Audio Images.) in '79, with £100 and an Alba UA900 amp, to try and part exchange for something better. They weren't interested in the Alba, and very much to my surprise I walked away with a Rega Planar 3, which was a revelation compared with my old Micro Seiki MB10. I bought British only from then on. I'm sure I'll be forgiven for the Stax earspeakers.

There's more in my bio, which I'm hoping to update soon.

I think it started in around 1992 at the Sound Organisation in London.  My first step into CD was with the Naim CDI.  At the time, they tried to persuade me to buy a (cheaper) TEAC, but I wanted the Naim as I suspected this would only be the first step.

I have been meaning to piece together the different changes - this is how I think it went:

Linn Axis / NAD 3020e / Harbeth

CDI / NAD 3020e / Linn Kan

CDI / NAC82 / NAP180 / Lin Kan

CDI / NAC82 / NAP180 / SBL

CD2 / NAC82 / NAP180 / SBL

CD2 / NAC52 / SNAXO2-4 / NAP250 / NAP250 / SBL

CDS3+CD555PS / NAC52 / SNAXO2-4 / NAP250 / NAP250 / SBL

CDS3+CD555PS / NAC52 / SNAXO2-4 / NAP250 / NAP250 / SBL

CDS3+CD555PS / NAC52 / SNAXO362 / NAP250 / NAP250 / NAP300 / DBL

CDS3+CD555PS / NAC552 / SNAXO362 / NAP250 / NAP250 / NAP300 / DBL

CDS3+CD555PS  / NAC552 / SNAXO362 / NAP250 /  NAP300 / NAP500 / DBL

CD555 / NAC552 / SNAXO362 / NAP250 /  NAP300 / NAP500 / DBL

CD555 / NAC552 / SNAXO362 / NAP300 / NAP500 / NAP500 / DBL

CD555 / NAC552 / SNAXO362 + DR / NAP300 / NAP500 / NAP500 / DBL

CD555 / NAC552 / SNAXO362 + DR / NAP300 / NAP500 / NAP500 / DBL + full SL

CD555 / NAC552 / SNAXO362 + DR / NAP500DR / NAP500 / NAP500 / DBL + full SL

Looking back, I think the craziness started with adding the DBLs!  The last step is due to arrive very shortly.

I remember never really liking the CDS3 until I added the 552.  I had completely forgotten about the CD2 until I went through various invoices to piece things together, I think I swapped back the CDI.  

I should also add that I have kept a few bits on the way and the second system comprises of:

CDI / NAC52 / NAP250 / Linn Kan

NAT02

What next?  DR-ing...

Present system all bought between Jan and Oct 2016!

But wholesale change in such a short time is not my norm, that largely being due to an inheritance. The components of the system I had before the present one had been aquired between 1990 and 2015,  and all the way from my start in 1969 there have been periodic upgrades, my present system having an equivalent value of abou 25-30x that of the original allowing for inflation.

In total including the present my system over 48 years has been through 2.5 integrated amps (the .5 being that it was an upgrading of a home assembled amp, with power supply and power output improved), followed by 2 preamps (N.B not using one now) and 3 power amps, 2 turntables + 1 additional arm change, 2 CD players, 1 all-in-one streamer, 2 NASs, 2 DACs and 5 pairs of speakers. Until I listed them and can see how many changes thare have been, I had been going to say that I have tended to upgrade with relatively infrequent but significant steps rather than creep with lots of small upgrades, but at 19.5 changes that is only an average of only about 2.5 years between upgrades, which seems quite frequent.

In addition to my present system I am presently experimenting with speaker modification and triamping, with additional components sourced between about 1992 and 2006, two of which are my previous two power amps., and some of which could end up in my system.

All the NAIM pieces were bought at the turn of the century in a span of six weeks, between December 1999 and January 2000. LP 12 and a Luxman tuner are leftovers from an earlier system purchased in 1980.

Since 2012

Uniti/Rega Jura

Superuniti/Rega Jura

Superuniti/Ovator S400

Superuniti/250DR/Ovator S400

272/250DR/Ovator S400

272/555DR/250DR/Ovator S400

Unitiserve since 2012 now with a NAS

Now system is perfect. Lessons learnt, go one step higher in hierarchy that you can afford.  It saves money in the long run, as less financial loss on trade ins. Also the Uniti was a “gateway drug”.

Started in 1978 - Pioneer 512D TT, Pioneer Amp and Wharfedale speakers.  

Tom-in-Amsterdam posted:

stuart posted:

Willy posted:

IIRC started around 1976. 

Willy. 

Wow I was 10 then!!! 

I was born!

Your parents may have been born about the time I had my first system at tender age of 16 in 1969! 

Generous donations of Birthday+Christmas presents + saving of earnings from  paper-rounds gave me a whopping £60, which with DIY turntable plinth, kit-form Sinclair amp and home-made speakers gave me a system that was the envy of everyone I knew - though awful sounding in some ways (most notably lack of much at the top end, though as experience was my parent’s’ wind-up 78rpm gramophone, brother’s Dansette type record player, friends’ parents’ radiograms I was unaware, as none of them had tweeters either!

I got a portable record player when I was five, in 1965, which was a popular thing to do for children in those days, probably to spare the grownup system from youthful experiments.  In 1971 I got my first cassette recorder for Christmas.  I remember learning the difference between Mic and Line inputs when I tried to hook up my recoder to Dad’s brand new Marantz receiver — my recorder lacked the Line input, so I put the mic in front of the right speaker.  That recorder died within a year, and was replaced with a Sony TC66 “Cassette-Corder” with a mono Line input.  In high school I got my first proper stereo tape deck, a JVC KD15, and used it with the Marantz in the Living Room.  Bought my first receiver at college from a friend in 1980, a Yamaha CR620 that is still singing in my brother’s family room.  Only a few more slow, deliberate steps to today’s system.

Nick

1973... loan from my dad and a trip to Comet... Rotel RA310 amp , Goodmans Minister spkrs. 2nd hand BSR turntable with shure cart , 

1975 A visit to Dixons tempted me to buy a ridiculously large pair of Marsden Hall Annex speakers. Looks to  impress, but rubbish. 

75ish B & O 1202 turntable. 

1976 ish... B & W DM2A..great speakers, but Rotel amp underpowered, aquired fab second hand Yamaha CA700. 

replaced B &O turntable with Philips GA212 and Grado cart. Pity I havent got either now, they are both collectible. 

78ish Sugden A48 mk 2...brilliant amp  and Audiomaster Image 2 speakers. Still got the speakers in bedroom system. 

1982ish, Philips TT died, replaced with Dual 502 & Nagaoka. 1984  added Marantz CD player, still playing well in office system. 

Having allways yearned after Quad gear, 1995, got the " future proof " 77 amp and cd with the big remote control, and 77 10l speakers , ..in the grey nextel finish. Shortly after, Quad change hands ( was it twice? ) and the 77 is not as future proof as intended. 

1996 Linn LP12 , Akito & K9, still spinning nicely. 

2000 ish Dynavector 10x5 added and Creek phono pre

Some years later Quad fail to repair 77 cd player on 3 occasions but very generously take it off me in PX for a 99CD. 

2006 B & W XT4 speakers added, still have the Quads in office system. 

2013 to date Nait XS2, HiCap DR, CD5Si, XT4, ASW610 sub, Chord Shawline, Atlas, Naim Wireworld, & MCRU cables fed from Isol8 Axis. 

No plans to add to or upgrade system,  but I'm sure it will happen in time. 

Missed a few things out, I still have an Akai receiver AA1010 from mid 70's still in full working order, and numerous bits of 80's peripheral gear in other systems round the house. 

The journey is never ending

Bob F 

Since 1978. First Naim component was a CD5 in 2001. Between then and today the whole system has gone Naim apart from the speakers.

Bryce Curdy posted:

Japtimscarlet posted:

Got interested in music when I was about 12 ( 1970 )

Had a feriograph R to R lent to me by a kind ( rich) neighbour 

During the early 70's I built up a small system of amstrad 7070  tuneramp / strathearn stm4 record deck with ortofon cartridge and (my dad's ) wharfedale speakers

By about 1977 I had a nice sansui amp and tuner ..my own wharfedale speakers (Glendale's) and a sharp cassette deck

Bought my own house in the early 80's and splashed out on a new Nait 1 !!  A new rega planar 3 ...and new mission 70S speakers ...all on proper racks with naim cables. I had the best sounding hifi of all my mates ...

Skip forward 30 odd years and a lot of happy times ...

I now have 272/xpsdr into 250dr / Russell K 100's and a nice spec LP 12 / aro etc

I still have the best sounding hifi of my friend's...but that isn't hard to say these days sadly ..as they waste their money on other things!

My parents had Wharfedale GLendales when i was growing up!  They weren't too shabby either.

@Bryce - Your parents must have had a better pair of Glendales than mine, as mine were horrendous.  Never in the field of human hearing have such big boxes produced so little bass.  The perils of buying mail order.

Although somewhat a departure from the OP, oher people’s itemised paths have been interesting, so I’ve done mine. Actually a few more steps than I remembered in last post. Some years are approximate:-

1969 Garrard SP25 Mk2, Shure M3D, Sinclair Project 60 with Z30 power amps, all in DIY plinth with perspex lid, Eagle FR8 in DIY reflex cab.

1971-2 Thorens TD150, Shure M75E, Larger DIY speakers (KEF B139, Eagle FR8 & KEF T15), Sinclair Project 60 amp rehoused and upgraded to Z50 power amps.

1975 Sinclair project 60 rebuilt with bridged Z50s and remote transformer.

1975 IMF TLS50 speakers

1979 Radford HD250 integrated amp (with by-passable tone controls, which is how I used it), Coral 777EX high output MC cartridge

1985 Thorens TD150 serviced and plinth upgraded, Rega RB300 arm, AT OC9(?) MC cartridge, DIY MC phono stage (Elektor magazine circuit)

1989 Sinclair CD2 CD player

1991 IMF RSPM speakers (S/H, circa 1970)

1992 Musical Fidelity The Preamp 2A + P170 power amp

2000 Shearne Audio Phase 7 CD player

2006 Musical Fidelity P270 power amp (S/H)

2007 Tag McLaren PA50 preamp (S/H) replaced faulty MF pre.

2013 Naim ND5XS (ex-dem) replaced defunct CD player

2014 Naim XP5XS (ex-dem), Zyxel NSA325 NAS

2014 Chord Hugo DAC replaced XP5XS (ND5XS remained as renderer), also effectively replaced preamp

2015 Mac Mini (S/H) with Serviio used as NAS

2015 Audirvana renderer on the Mac Mini replaced ND5XS

2016 Bryston 4Bsst2 power amp (S/H), PMC EB2i speakers (S/H), Chord Dave: replaced all

That’s it, but:

2017 but not yet incorporated as main system: started experimenting with ATC mid & better tweeter and triamping using Musical fidelity P270+2x P170 one bought S/H for the purpose), ATC EC23 & Behringer DCX2496 active XOs.

For me audio journey has started when in 1987 my father purchased first gear from Technics, later Sony and suddenly in 1997 I have got my own stereo equipment - it was Denon amplifier, CD player and Mission speakers.  In 2010 Cabridge Audio,  2012 first streamer, later Arcam and  finally  Naim (complete set) with Audiovector. 

1972: Garrard SP25 Mk 3, Audio Technica cartridge, Teleton amp & Keletron speakers.

And the bank account has been running down ever since...............

Started with Naim back in 1997 with an 82. Upgraded to a 252 a few years after. Switched cd from Linn Ikemi to a cd x2 and finally and after switching power amps first from terrible Linn 5 5103, to Arcam p7, finally switching to 3 200s for my  Audiovector sI6. Finally switching my Audiovector active filter to a Snaxo when it was modified  I think back in 2008. Currently eagerly awaiting ps 555 252 and snaxo returning back from HQ after recap and dr on the 555. As usual this has  taken  much longer than anticipated! It seems that recapping Snaxo was a bad idea since this has added at least 3 weeks to the repair time!

Claus   

1977. Thorens TD160S, A+R A60, Mordaunt Shorts.

Been changing and upgrading ever since.  Bare Sondek with Basik+ arm and K9 with Linn IndexPlus's.

CDX with NAIT and ProAc D15's.

Climbed up through the separate box ladder.

Went streamed in 2016 with ND5XS & XP5XS.

Last upgrade was to ATC SM19'S.

Upgrading speaker cable to Chord Epic

Thinking about exchanging the NAP200 for a 250 this year.

I probably started about 1976 as a school leaver and gradually found my hi fi feet trying all sorts of products. I arrived at a CDi/82/Hi/180 in the late 90’s before biting the bullet and putting my dream system on the mortgage late 2003. This has been and will remain my system as I am now retired. LP 12 added 2016 with the odd upgrade still planned if I can scrape a few pennies together...

Need to get a few bits serviced too.

Stu

Bought my first "proper" separates system when I moved with my job to Glasgow around 1977. It was a Technics Quartz Drive TT, Rotel Tuner amp and Celestion Ditton speakers all bought from Comet off Byers Rd Glasgow.

Since then I've owned various pieces from Mission, Aura, Castle, Technics, Audiolab etc. until I ended up with a Primare (CD & amp) and Spendor A5 speakers alongside my Systemdek IIX 900 turntable.

Then I attended my first audio show at the Ramada Hotel in Manchester (2011 I think) where I heard Naim for the first time i.e. one of the new streamers and was very impressed. Foolishly, I thought that I would get that wonderful lifelike sound by simply buying a naim streamer and fitting this into my existing system.

Long story short, over the last 6 years I've moved from the Primare/Spendor system via ND5XS/XP5XS to NDS/PS555/252SCDR/250DR/SL/Kudos S20s via SN2. I'm currently home demo'ing a 300DR and although my memory may not be perfect, I do believe that I'm now hearing the sound that so attracted me at that audio show 6 years ago.