Personal speaker evolution

I've tended to hang on to speakers for a fair amount of time, and have only submerged myself into the audio pursuit in the last couple of years, but here's what I remember..1) Sears brand plastic turntable with supplied plastic cube speakers; owned as child. Speakers now long gone after having bit the dust when, as a teenager, I hooked up my high-wattage amplifier to them and cranked it 'til they started smoking (literally). Good fun!2) Pioneer (?) generic speakers for first hi-fi in high school days.3) Two pairs (for pre-HT 'surround sound') of Altec Lansing speakers through one of my dads trade deals. The model name escapes me. Loud, clean sound that impressed me at the time. Don't know what I'd think about them now.4) Allison floorstanders (forgot the model); nicely finished - upwards firing driver. Great sound! My first foray into the audiophile waters.5) KEF 103/3 Reference series...owned for many years until my more recent acquisition.6) Castle Acoustics Howard S2

Not that this was to become a contest, but it seems that Ljgj is the clear winner so far! So Ljgj, how much are tickets to your audio museum? This has been an interesting thread with no "right" or "wrong" opinions. Speakers, like other gear when upgraded created such a incredible revelation as to how much better audio can get, especially when fired up for the first time. For the record, I bought my "FINAL" speakers 6 pairs ago. At least I didn't buy any Bose along the way.

cheers, Paul

Cal Hi-Fi house brand 3-way, 12", bought as part of a complete system in 1968 for $500

EPI 150, new, ~$200-$300
ESS Heil Towers, new, $ ?
Yamaha NS-1000 (new, $1,000--what was I thinking?)
Quad ESL-57 (used, $500)
Avalon Eclipse ($7200--what the hell was I thinking?)
Spendor SP 1/2 (used, ~$1450)
ProAc Response 2.5 (used, ~$2500)

Paul Woodward: I USED but NEVER BOUGHT Bose! I was too poor during law school to have anything so had to accept the 301s as loaners for the 3 yrs I cracked the big books. I have to confess, though: I thought they sounded FINE! I had a big beer keg party after our first-year exams and my sister broke her ankle dancing to the cranked up 301's!! I'm not lying, this was 1981 and I was playing the Stones Tattoo You and Emotional Discharge (or whatever it was called), and the poor girl danced till she dropped. It was a great party and mostly due to the Bose's (well, maybe something to do w/the keg).

Mine will be a fairly long list, but to the best of my ability I will list in order what I have owned. Some of these I owned at the same time.

RCA table top turntable with "HI Fi speaker"
Curtis Mathis Console with Gerrard Turntable
Bozak 301
Bozak Concerto
Bozak Concert Grand
KLH model 9
JBL S7R (vertical) with dual 15" woofers
Crown ESR
ESS Transtatic
Snell Type A
Essence 10B
Vandersteen 2C
Vandersteen 4
Vandersteen 4A
X-Static
Soundlab A1
Soundlab U1

I would like to add to the list, speakers that I had on loan (due to my affiliation in the business) or were Rep. samples.

Infinity 1001
Braun monitors
ESS Transtatic
Infinity Servo Static
Linn Isobaric