Sjofn HiFi The Clue speakers. Except for a very persnickety Stereophile reviewer, these were resoundingly praised all around the internet. $1k/pair. At RMAF they used to be hooked up to a Hegel H70, Hegel DAC and I think it was a low-fi Onkyo CD player and blow away everyone who came in the room. Placement against a wall and correct toe in is part of the buy-in, but their sound was just wildly good. People were coming in the room from Magico's presentation, shaking their heads that The Clue could be as good or better than Magico's monitors. I currently have two pair stacked, inverted (with a spacer) and wired in parallel to a Hegel H160, Hegel CDP4A and Rega P10 (waiting on new phono pre at the moment). I'm not sure what would get me to set these speakers aside when doing a cost/benefit analysis.
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I bought a used Marantz 250 for $99 in approx 1996. It beat the socks off the Adcom GFA-535 I’d been using for the prior six years. When I later upgraded from the Marantz to a McCormack DNA 0.5 Deluxe, I could barely hear a difference. The main improvement with the McCormack is that it didn’t billow acrid smoke. |
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Seanheis1 This one is easy, Eminent Technology LFT8B speakers. Made in Florida by a brilliant audio designer named Bruce Thigpen who holds 7 patents (I believe) for his various designs. These speakers have planar magnetic midrange and tweeter panels with a low Q 8” dynamic woofer in a sealed enclosure. In my opinion they have the best midrange of any speaker I have ever heard (including Quad esl57’s). Here’s the punchline.... they sell for $2500.00 pair! Scot |
A pair of Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones for my wife!!! So I come out of my listening room/office and my much better half is lying on the couch with her hands over her ears. Under them was a pair of cheap headphones attached by a cord to the new Sony receiver we had just bought. “You need to get me noise canceling head phones if your going to listen when I’m watching tv” OK no problem! Best $400 I ever spent on audio!!! She is very happy and I listen as loud and long as I want! Happy wife = :-) https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/noise_cancelling_headphones.html |
The best dac in the world, ratio price/ sound quality, the Starting Point Systems NOS dac, TDA 1543, with internal batteries...For 20 bucks on Ebay...If you dont want to buy the Denafrips Terminator it is the deal... It is completely minimalistic design, then low noise...And with my audio system there is no perceptible limitations on all counts, details, dynamics, holographic soundstaging etc... A dac is the most difficult piece of gear to buy... It is easy to buy low cost used or vintage top speakers, same thing for an amplifier... But a dac which is top musical quality? ( not a cheap microscope) Try to find another one at your own risk or try it.... :) |
@mechans Mine have the D130 (15") woofer with the bullet tweeter and N2400 x-overs. I did the work myself. Found a crossover diagram online with the parts values. Parts express has all you need. You could also use mundorf or other exotic parts if desired. I replaced the tweeter level controls with new ones too. It's needed! Modern parts are smaller and fit well in the boxes. I was able to remove the original parts and wiring without any cutting and save them. Not a difficult job. |
I have two similar pairs of JBLS 1959s (my fathers) and 1964 bought in mint cond for $400 one is the 15 inch Mid Woofer the 64s have the 12 inch (D131). I want to upgrade the crossovers who did the work and what do you think did the most good.The sensitivity easily equals my Klipsch Heresys and approaches my Las Scalas (Yes I own a lot of speakers) I also have cheap but Gold series Tannoys, VSA VR2s and Focal Electras etc. . You can drive the Klipsch with a fraction of a watt but be aware that a lot of that volume comes from those powerful squawkers. You’ll want more power to drive the woofer to the same levels -really. Your new crossovers may take care of that |
Stupidly good? For the sound quality? For the flexible capabilities and functionalities? Yes the Sansui Au 7700 amplifier.... you can drive anything with the highest level of quality, and even equalize it... Stupidly good for the price? Yes bought for 20 bucks in a bid on Ebay a Dac almost impossible to beat, StartingPoint Systems NOS battery dac… So good that ends my quest... I apologize to all... I realise I had already wrote about them here …. I suffer from Alzheimer it seems... |
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The Bluesound Node 2 is a great value and so is the Parks Puffin when talking about new products at MSRP. Some good deals I've come across... Perhaps the best was a pair of Klipsch CF-2 V1 speakers for $75. I picked up a vintage JVC QL-Y66F direct drive turntable with a Stanton 981 HZS cartridge for $545 about a month ago. |
Starting Point Systems Dac NOS tda 1543... Minimalistic design with an internal battery that I charge with an external one...This dac paid few bucks on ebay is the best of my purchase in audio... Reason why ? try to get a very good dac at low cost... Practically impossible except this one....By the way some want to upgrade from it without knowing that the apparent limitation of this dac is not his own but most of the times the noisy audio system where it is embedded...Trust me almost all system are noisy even the costly one unbeknown to the owner... I know that because mine is cleaner, after my long time experiment with the noise floor... |
Cambridge Audio CXU HD! Very good as a transport for CD's and SACD's (out plays all others I have had), and stunning for DVD's and Blu Ray's. At $700.00 it is a steal. Musically, from Glen Gould to Clapton it is excellent. Rest of system: Chord DAC, Mark Levinson 380s pre-amp., Wired for Sound 4 channel amp., Emerald Physics CS-2 Speakers (bi-amped). Cords by Analysis Plus. |
Without a doubt , best bang for the buck, get what ya paid for product I've purchased in a long time is the Rupert Neve Designs RNHP Precision. Headphone Amp. This amp sounds amazing with my Grado RS2e ! Made in USA , built like a tank, has XLR/TRS combo, RCA, and 1/8 mini inputs . Built and feels like an heirloom product. I am hearing content , textures , and spatial cues I have never heard in CDs I've played a hundred times. It's spooky how it puts things in space like they are way beyond your head. . Best $500 spent in a long , long time. |
In general I don't like Klipsch speakers, but 40 years ago I developed a fondness for Cornwalls. I stumbled upon a pair (last year) of Cornwalls (circa 1978) #1 and #2 off the line that year, then raw birch, now freshly walnut veneered, with a new pair of woofers installed (from Klipsch) for $800. the pair. The crossovers had had the oil caps replaced. What joy, and for an old classical music listener they make me smile! |