I wish I knew. I was 17 in 1970, my interest in music was then focused on playing the guitar in an amateur band and on my ‘serious’ studies. I surely had a system of some sort, but it must have been a cheap, just stereo one.
If I were 17 today I’d have missed being 17 when the Beatles broke, the dawn of progressive rock, going out to buy the new CS&N album, the new Yes or EL&P ones… Sorry, I wouldn’t want to live it all again now - it’s enough to have reached the point where I am without the sadness of listening to music on a phone and ignoring the innocent pleasure of finally having the money for a Shure M75DII.
Back then, I would not have wasted money on sideways moves.
Now, I would be confused…particularly if I listened to MP3 standard and then happened to listen to what we are all listening to…wow, where did all that genuine music come from! I have been duped.
As I see the question has been updated to ask if you were 17 today.
Well firstly, I might have just discovered this song by Sharon Van Etten
Secondly, a friend with a Naim system has two daughters around the target age, one over and one under. The older one, listens to her music on her phone. The younger one, who recently turned 16 has a vinyl-based system fronted by a Rega 1 and has aspirations to work towards a “proper” hi-fi. I suspect I might have followed the path of my friends younger daughter. But who knows, I might be prioritising my photography over hi-fi and got a decent camera before a decent hi-fi this time around.
I’m sure a Uniti and the option to buy some ‘proper’ speakers would seem like a big step into “Hi-Fi” for today’s youngsters. Definitely a few steps up on the consumer convenience kit most of their friends would have.
On the other hand it won’t come cheap so as a stepping stone it’d be a more budget amp / DAC combination, still with some ‘proper’ speakers of course. The Cyrus One Cast might be a very good start.
If I was starting out today at 16/17… I would get the best headphones I could afford (probably much saving from weekend job over many months)… such as high performance magnetic planars, and get a high performance headphone amp such as DAC/Preamp Benchmark HP A4 or cheaper less performant equivalent … and I would then have a stream source and suspect tape/turntable to explore alternate sources. I would probably also have a quality wireless speaker for those other moments….
I would get speakers and bigger amps later when I had the space.
My son who likes music, albeit not quite as addicted to music as me, he is more into films, certainly appreciates what quality headphones and headphone amp delivers (Empyreans plus DAVE for example) , but was not totally convinced of my 552 I am sad to say.
The question has changed.
If I was 20 today and got a similar windfall (in today’s money) as I did back then, I would get an Atom HE and the best headphones I could afford.
Then I’d save up and get all the other bits and pieces - a decent support, a turntable and phono stage and some active speakers.
It’s true! I do almost all of my listening through my excellent head-fi set up.
Yesterday though I spent the evening listening to some of my 13 year old daughter’s music together through the Uniti 1 and Ruark Prelude 2’s that I have for AV duties. It was very companionable and got me thinking about an amp and speakers upgrade, but to get anywhere close to my Violectric V281 and Meze Audio Empyreans would be very expensive indeed.
If I could rewind, like others have said, I’d never have done so many “sideways” moves.
Was one JVC amp actually any better than the £10 cheaper one it replaced? (no) Was the NAD truly so much better than the JVC? (Only a little)
I should have simply gone straight to the Nait 2 which I eventually bought. But then, I shouldn’t have bought the Nait 2, as only a matter of weeks later, I traded that for a 72 / 140. At least I kept that for quite a while!
If I had a windfall then definitely something like the Atom HE and a decent pair of headphones. With of course some capable powered loudspeakers for when girlfriends/mates turn up.
When I was sixteen my parents bought me a Fidelity Stereo Record Player - I could tell it was stereo it had two speakers, it was also just about the time my musical tastes were changing .
I remember it very fondly .
For a seventeen year old today , this is the sort of thing
I guess if I were 17 today, assuming the same resources relatively as when I was 17, I’d have recently assembled a system based on the best I could do with £900 (estimated current value of the £60 I did spend in 1970 when I was 16) making the money go furthest using such DIY as possible. Probably based around streaming, I imagine as a whizz-kid with computers I’d have a streamer based on a something like a Raspberry Pi etc, maybe using a dragonfly DAC. Amplification I don’t know as I have no idea of current low cost offerings, though very possibly assembled from modules such as available low cost from the far East. I suspect Class D may feature. Speakers would be DIY to give best performance for the very limited budget. I guess I’d be mainly into online streaming as a cheaper way to access the music I’d like, though I also suspect I’d have found sources of downloading without paying…
I’d then have my eye on upgrading towards the best sound I’d perceive possible, based at least initially on whatever hifi internet reviews and info sources I had discovered. However by my 17th birthday improvement would likely already be identified as a priority, because although great compared to the (probably) earbud-only music I’d have heard before, I’d realise that better was possible especially at the bass end, so better design would already be under way, saving up for the drivers.
However, I imagine that first system would sound better than the one I had at age 17, not least being free from the SP25 TT’s idler wheel rumble!
Back in the day - 70’s - 80’s - even upto mid 90’s - something to play your music was a priority for a young person. Along with maybe a car?
These days, maybe a laptop and/or a phone is a first priority for a 17 year old …
My choice would be :
(1) Apple MacBook Air and the latest Apple iPhone (synchronised).
(2) The wonderful Sennheiser Momentum wireless headphones
(3) A subscription to any of Apple Music / Qobuz / Tidal.
Great design. Wonderfully simple. Music absolutely anywhere…
Having a positive experience of this same solution recently, I wonder how this might compare to ( my first system of ) Sansui SR222 mkii, c/w Dynavector cart / NAD 3020 / Monitor Audio speakers…
Reflecting on my last post, it assumes I would be able to get a job such as a paper round to save best part of £500 over the year to my 16th birthday, to add to the birthday and Christmas present money I requested as alternative to presents from family that year. It also assumes that I wouldn’t have a stronger pull to spend on a better phone etc.
Those Denons are remarkable, fairly well mannered and yet pretty dynamic and enjoyable, not the best for resolution but not bad either. They are truly exceptional for the price… However, the electronics WAY outperforms the speakers, so don’t buy the Denon speakers; instead get a pair of QAcoustic 20s, and as you correctly say get better speaker cable.
With half decent speaker cable and a set of QAcoustic 20s, that would be one option (but CD only).
I started off with my brother’s hifi (who is 15 years older). Of course it was a classic system from the 80’s with an integrated, cassette deck, tuner and later a cd player.
Today i would probably recommend starting with headphones. Chord Mojo and Sennheiser HD650 should get you going for a while. Plenty of choices and for less than 1k and you really can get a portable, high quality playback system.
If going with speakers definitely active speakers with HDMI ARC. Kef LS50 Wireless, previous generation should suit most.
The question is: Do you mean:
A) Taking ourselves as we were then, transported to the current time as the 17 year old we were then
or
B) As having the same basic personality but with the social and educational conditions that now exist.
For me it would largely depend on circumstances influencing my healthcare.
Case A)
I’d have the time to pursue a DIY route as you outline (although probably still a Class AB amp - it’s very difficult to get Class D to sound both clean AND dynamic), but I’d still be living with a lot of unresolved problems.
Case B)
One route would have given me much less available time and I’d be likely to have the Denon as above, but with may fewer deep seated problems.
In my Ex’s other house (a holiday let) we have a s/h Denon D-M40 with a Chromecast Audio (into the digital input), a s/h pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s and s/h Audioquest 4/14 speaker cables on s/h Nexus 5 stands. It’s astonishing the sound quality and flexibility you can get for less than £250.
The Chromecast Audio, when used into the digital input of the Denon is much better than the analogue out from the CCA, and allows guests to very simply send music to it from a phone or tablet.
