AR11 in the late '70s and then a custom speaker made by alternative audio in portland oregon called LGT (little great towers)
Best "Bang for the Buck" you have owned?
Yes, the CJ ART, various Audio Research were all great...but I do remember lower priced items that gave much pleasure for their price.
In no order, The Large Advent, DQ-10, Nakamichi SR receivers, inexpensive Nordost cables, many tuners giving good vibes vis "FREE" music. Also, in a different way, the Nakamichi TM radios and SoundSpace systems.
There was a solid state ARC pre that was very good....ls-12?
And I do remember "free" listening at some friends homes/systems that were great values. I was exceedingly lucky to have a best friend that bought most of my gear when I was "moving on". It gave me the chance to listen to what I had had compared to what I currently had....at least once what I had sold to him was better than what my replacement gear was...........the old "live and learn".
In no order, The Large Advent, DQ-10, Nakamichi SR receivers, inexpensive Nordost cables, many tuners giving good vibes vis "FREE" music. Also, in a different way, the Nakamichi TM radios and SoundSpace systems.
There was a solid state ARC pre that was very good....ls-12?
And I do remember "free" listening at some friends homes/systems that were great values. I was exceedingly lucky to have a best friend that bought most of my gear when I was "moving on". It gave me the chance to listen to what I had had compared to what I currently had....at least once what I had sold to him was better than what my replacement gear was...........the old "live and learn".
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AR Turntable as I recall it was about $80, Dyna Mark III 60 watt power amps as a kit they were $80. I got two of them. The two used McIntosh 240 amps I got later, sounded a little better but cost about $400 each. I also bought two McIntosh 225s for a little less money. Phil Hale gave me a McIntosh 40 mono-block that I used for years on my "big foot" sub-woofer that I built. It is hard to beat free things. I got a new Linn Sondek from Britain's Audio T in 1977 for $250. I got a pair of Rogers LS3/5a speakers about the same time from the same source for $200 new. I still have them and they sound really good with the REL Stentor III subwoofer that I got for free from Rex. |
A Belles Research II preamp for $195 in the early 80's. Could not believe how much better it sounded than the NAD one I had. Couldn't bear to part with it after it had been in a closet for 15 years hoping my son would catch the audio bug. When I finally realized it wasn't going to happen, I traded it with my B&K 202 amp which is my second best bargain. That was from the mid 90's for $400 was going to keep it and replace the Belles for a preamp with a remote, but was able to get an incredible (3rd best) deal on a Plinius integrated 8200MKII ($1600 with a volume/mute only remote) that is now 15 years old. Can't see ever getting rid of it. 4th is a Music Hall MMF 5 in early 2000's that introduced me to the belt drive world which sounded so much cleaner and alive than a Phase Linear 8000 that cost way more than that 15 years earlier. Thankfully, that broke or else I might still have that and not know what I am missing. My Rega's since then have been unfortunately at list or within 10% of it, but I still consider them killer values. |
Bought a McIntosh MX-118 for $300 in mint condition at work (I sold HiFi and we took it on trade). Used it for 2-3 years and later flipped it for almost $2k on eBay. At the time I didn’t see much use for it as it was a lowly Pro Logic surround receiver, but it was pretty and sounded good. Probably should have kept it as a preamp. |
My first nice piece of audio gear way back when was my Marantz 2265B Also I bought a used pair ( like new) of Dunlavy SC lll that l really enjoyed!! Just recently I found a used Spectron musical MK ll class D amp to drive my Maggie's The 54 lb beast was delivered to my door for less than $900! As for my rubber band collection I get mine from the ones that hold my broccoli together |
In 1993 while stationed in Germany got a new pair of Klipschorns from the CANEX (Canadian Exchange) for 3999.99 German Mark's, or at the time, just under $2000 CDN. An American Colonel had ordered them while stationed at Frankfurt and was sent back to the US, we were having our annual electronics show and they were about to unbox them when my exwife, who happened to be our Shipper/Receiver with CANEX snagged them for me. She got the 93 slanted Hersey II's out of the divorce, Khorns were to big for her...HA... |
The AR XA table, bought new in ’69 for around eighty bucks, I believe. My first Decca cartridge, the Blue, new in ’73 for a hundred bucks or so iirc. Changed my life! QUAD ESL’s/pair of model II power amps/Dahlquist DQ-LP1 x/o, in the early 90’s, all for $800. Bedini 25/25, $400 in early 90’s. Townshend Audio Elite Rock table, $650 in early 90’s. Still have, use, and love it. Eminent Technology LFT-8b loudspeakers, $2499 five years ago. Seriously under-acknowledged and appreciated (in the U.S.A., at least. In the UK it enjoyed a very warm reception. VPI’s Harry Weisfeld also sung it’s praises.). Electron Kinetics Eagle 2A, $400 a couple of years ago (found here on Audiogon). The best woofer amp ever made? A favorite of JGH, and now I. Zeta tone arm, $500 just recently (I already had one, but for five hundred bucks?!). Great arm for Deccas/Londons. The Townshend Rock actually came with it’s armboard drilled for the Zeta. |
@nypd26 Yea! I had a B&K 125.2 I picked up and fell in love with, and sold my Adcom 535 without hesitation. They made great sounding equipment, and well worth the money used today. Hated to sell it, but did after I purchased my old Belles 400A. No slouch either, but over twice the cost of the 125.2. |
In a way, this is a difficult question since, after 50 years of upgrades, I am, thankfully, very satisfied with my system. However, it is an easy choice... Quad 57s! I joyfully lived with them for 10 years and miss them to this day. True, they are frequency limited but they draw you in in a unique and wonderful way. With the complete rebuild, they cost me about $2.5K. |
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Purchased a used Rotel amp off Ebay, went in to pick it up at a local speaker manufacturer store. Eventually talked myself into some speakers trade for a website I built him (it paid for itself in sales in three weeks). And then managed to get a great job from it. And ultimately made a friend for life and got hooked into proper hifi! Lucky sod, if your Pamela was half as hot as the couple of Pamelas I’ve known... yeah that was a freakin’ bargain allright. |
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@moofoo i have fond memories of my acurus dia-100 from the late 80’s... very well built unit, sounded great running a lovely set of spendor sp1/2's i had back then for several years... then i made a mistake and switched to totem 1’s after reading all the glowing reviews... the totems and dia were painfully harsh and sibilant... ugh... |
I have very fond memories of the Apt-Holman preamp that I owned for many years. You youngsters won’t recall it, but was a superb component that represented terrific value back in the late '70s and ’80s. It was designed by Tom Holman, the inventor of 5.1 audio and the inventor of THX motion picture sound. Read about it here: https://kenrockwell.com/audio/apt/holman-preamplifier.htm |
Walked into a local hifi shop in 1976 to check it out. Talked to the owner who had terminal cancer. He only opened the store for his bucket list. Asked him what were his favorite speakers. After spinning some Little Feat I went home with a pair, JansZen Z-410's for $240. I still use them for the front of the sorround sys with a Raal ribbon in the center. One transformer and two surrounds in 44 years +$60. |
