When I was 15, my older brother gave me my first real stereo. I loved it.  It was amazing to me.  The amp was an Akai integrated, a  brushed aluminum beauty with a lot of aluminum knobs and dials. It had very cool  VU meters and a walnut case.  The turntable was equally beautiful, also Japanese.  It was a Kenwood with a granite-like finish and a very deliberate looking tonearm.  The speakers were made by Realistic, and like most speakers of that time, housed in sealed particle board b READ MORE