Pioneer SX-525 receiver, BSR 310AXE turntable and house brand speakers with crappy drivers and almost no crossover. I started college and met someone who was working at the store where I ended up working and almost immediately started to mod the speakers because I realized mine sucked. They were OK for a while, but...

A few months after I started working at the store, I bought a Sony TA-4650 integrated amp (one of the VFet models) and used the receiver for its tuner. I traded the receiver even up for a pair of Altec 418B drivers, which I sold to a bar owner for half of what I paid for the whole stereo. I wouldn't mind having those drivers now.

Since then, I have blazed through equipment at a pretty good rate and made a decent profit on it. I really wish I could have fit the EV 30W woofers & cabinets into my house- those were spectacular!