What are/were the best sounding cheap components you have ever had?

If my memory would serve a bit better, I am sure that there are more than this. I found that the Superphon revelation preamp to be just amazing back in the day. Since I bought it used and payed not a lot for it, then it becomes one of my most memorable buys. A little later in time, I purchased on ear headphones that were open backed. Damned if I can remember the brand and model, but for $100 they were such a step up from the Koss pro4 A phones before them. 

 Interestingly, a long-ago company by the name of Speaker Lab, had speakers that I bought, not as the usual kit that they offered but plug-n-play instead. The reason that I found it interesting is that I considered them to sound better than the previous set of Speaker Lab K-horns (in a kit no less) that cost so much more. No, you couldn't beat the monster bass of folded horns, but the rest played in neat.

  I found during my hobby as an audiophile that kits in general could be great or greatly disappointing. I am usually willing to take the chance and as far as price is concerned, they can be unbeatable. This of course, would not extend in just any case for me, since if there was ever offered a turntable kit, I would quickly pass!

 I look forward to future responses guys. What was your best (cheap) date in hi-fi? 

jrosemd,

  I had the same CDP back then. Wow, I could skip tracks, pause, even program the play. The convenience was a big step from a TT. 

Cheap chinsy. Yes, it is out there. Price conscious, inexpensive, less costly. It is all out there, but to demean and then ask for recommendations is a left-handed compliment at best. "Where did you get that suit, JC Penny? You look great in it." That is how some people come across, maybe not even realizing it. Then there are the mean people. But mostly, as I notice grammar, spelling, intent, 'opportunity', etc. it reminds me just how poorly we may be expressing ourselves. 

 The intent in this thread is simple enough. What component comes to mind that didn't cost what you thought that it should, that also sounded beyond your expectations?

 You get what you pay for is true enough so much of the time, yet there have been notable exceptions.

A friend of mine in FL buys 'bargains' quite often. Some of his methods bother me though, i.e. to go to a hospice where they do have sales from the people who once lived there. I would gladly give more than the product is worth, but not to 'steal a deal'. Just something morbid about that. Or waiting until the end of the day so that the garage sale attendant will more likely settle on a lower price. The irony of it all is that he lives in an RV and has to rent a storage unit to keep his bargains.

 Yes, this is a bit off topic, yet do we tend to bend this way at times?