Which components knocked you out on first listen?


I've been listening to stereos since 1973 and I am still waiting to be truly knocked out by the sound of a component. I have sat in showrooms across the country and have been pleased by what I have heard but never truly blown away.
The closest I came was when I listened to a Meitner str-55 amp and VTL preamp a few years ago, sourced by a Linn Ikemi and Revel loudspeakers. However, I also have been moved by a
Apple computer cd drive, circa 1994 through a Creek 4040 and RA Lab speakers, estimated cost about $1,200; maybe more so than the Linn,Revel 10K system. How about you?
cody
Hi Cody, I will never forget when i combined my system with Audiogon member Jcbtubes. Well tempered reference TT, Spectral DMC 20 preamp, Spectral DMA 180 amp, and MIT best cable at that time through out the system. The speakers were a four panel ELS from Audiostatic. This was over 12 years ago. I have yet to hear a system at any price that gave a me a reproduced sound that sounded anything sounding reproduced. For what ever reason, we were never able to get the magic back of that one incredible night. A real memory maker. Just wish i could get it back.
EMC-1 MkII; Verity Audio Parsifal Encores, front-firing;
Audio Refinement Complete Integrated (simply based on their low price!); Aleph P pre; SPM speaker cables; Earthworks SRO mics.
Two....the first experience was when I was about 17 or 18 years old. I was sent on an erand by my boss to an applience store in downtown New York City, Hines & Boulet. This was 1962-63??? When I walked in the store I heard music (SOUNDS) that I had never before. It was so impressive that that was the day I was determined to follow my quest. I never foumd out what the speakers were, but I believe thay were the AR-1's.
Then in 1974-1975 I wnet over a friends home (apartment) and heard for the very first time the Infinity Servo Static 1-A's. They were driven by ARC 76A's amps on the mids and 51's on the top. The SP 3A-1 was the pre amp with a Linn/Decca arm/Decca Cartridge.......oh my!!!! What a sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!