Your first speakers... what were they?

[Todd Anderson]

Curious to read about everyone's first "real" pair of stereo speakers!

Mine was a pair of Genesis Physics 22's. I bought them in 1988... still in High School! If I'm not mistaken, Genesis had gone out of business and I purchased them from a guy that had bought their overstock.

I sure wish I had known more about audio at the time. I don't think I ever set them up correctly ;-) I'd love to bring a pair back to life, just to give them a proper evaluation and see what they're capable of.

I ran them with an Onkyo amp - can't remember the model. What I do remember is that I took them to college and blew the crossover networks on them multiple times my freshman year. We were driving them too hard, apparently. Ultimately, I gave up on them and bought a cheap pair of Kenwood floorstanders at a mom and pop shop in Wooster, Ohio. They took a beating, too, but never cracked.

All-in-all, those Genesis 44's probably lasted about 3 years in my hands. They were great looking speakers. Sadly, I have no memory of what I ultimately did with them. I think I may have sold them back to the gentleman that sold them to me... but I can't imagine I had the $$ to ship them back!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

My first speaker was not a pair since it antedated stereo. It was a GE 12" DuoCone in a RiverEdge bass reflex cabinet.
My first stereo pair was Weathers Book Shelf speakers. They were each the size and shape of a large dictionary with gold-colored mesh grill as the spine and contained a single 9"x3" full range(?) driver. I used these with a University dual VC 12" woofer (and E-V crossovers), a Harman-Kardon integrated amp and a Weathers TT (built from a kit).

 

[Sonnie Parker]

EPI 320 (1984 ... not 100% positive on the model, but I do remember an 8" woofer that kept bottoming out).

 

[Todd Anderson]

EPI 320 (1984 ... not 100% positive on the model, but I do remember an 8" woofer that kept bottoming out).

Funny how the little annoyances sear themselves into your memory, but the important details slip away

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Funny how the little annoyances sear themselves into your memory, but the important details slip away

Yeah... back then I had no idea about detail, imaging, sound stage, etc... it was how loud would it play before bottoming out.

I had a pair of Infinity speakers for about 2 days that I ordered from Crutchfield that flat out cranked, but Angie made me send them back. She there wasn't any since in spending that kind of money on something that played that loud. An NAD Power Tracker 2200 powered the speakers... 100wpc.

 

[SRW1000]

First real speakers? PSB 50 MII, back in the 1990s.

Before that it was some junk stereo-in-a-box system that I had bought cheap from Best (not Best Buy), but the PSBs were actually pretty nice speakers. I still have them boxed up in the basement.

 

[Head_Unit]

MY first speakers, as opposed to speakers which I used which were my parents (white Advents), were some I built. 15" pro woofers + mid and HF horns. Purpose: to drown out anyone in my entire dorm while sounding good (=fun!). That was achieved, then wildly exceeded when a rich new roommate bought a Carver touring sound amp to power them. Things were actually kept quiet-we didn't turn it up that often, and nobody else dared for fear of off my roommate who would then turn the volume to 11 and go take a long shower. Those speakers were somewhat bright but not screechingly so, and though I don't run horns now I still love a well done horn's sharp transient response.

 

[what bass]

I purchased my first real system aside from a plastic all-in-one component stereo at the PX while stationed in Geissen Germany. I had a pair of Cerwin Vega AT-80s and a pair of Pioneer towers, dont recall the model but they had dual 15" bass reflex woofer setup. Drove them through a Pioneer separates setup with 15 band graphic EQ and 4 Ch power amp. I wont claim it was the best but it would wake the dead.
Being young and not concerned about hearing damage at the time. Ahhhhhh the good times.

 

[gatestick]

My first speakers were some Fisher 15 inch towers. I purchased them in 6th grade. I only had them for a few months and my parents sold them. I don't remember to many details about them, other than I really liked them.

After tech school I got a pair of infinity sm-150. They were fantastic party speakers. I actually recently got them back but the 15 inch driver surrounds were rotted out. I attempted to repair them but only 1 worked out. I would like to get them going again but I don't think the cost is worth it. I also can't get myself to get rid of them for sentimental reasons. Maybe someday I will hear them play again.

 

[a_p]

1998 Infinity RS3 bookshelf + Infinity CC3 center channel. Paid $400 for all. Bookshelfs were ok for the price, recessed midrange, boomy upper bass, average sensitivity... dustcap dried and cracked open on one of them. Center channel was bad, very narrow soundstage, no bass, boxy sound. Still have them, gonna donate to goodwill or sell for $20 on craigslist