i'm new to the "nice speaker" arena, so my current ascend setup is my first really great system. i do remember when i got my first major boombox of sorts, though. it was about 8 years ago, i got decent RCA combo unit that had four speakers (two mains, and two crappy little "surrounds"). eventually, the cd changer on the system crapped out, and that is when i started to get the itch to upgrade my system.
i started off with buying a sony es line 5-disc changer that i ran through the auxiliary input on the RCA. this got me interested in going with a component system, and i hijacked my mom's old kenwood stereo receiver and turntable (i had a couple 7"s from various shows i had been to) and started using that instead of the RCA unit. i eventually got my own receiver and turntable, "traded" my mom her old receiver and turntable for her cassette deck, and then started upgrading my speakers. it's been a hell of a run so far and i've enjoyed every second of it.
CMT-340SE2 Mains & Center, CBM-170SE Surrounds, Rythmik F15, Emotiva XMC-1, Emotiva XPA-5