Ever Bought an Audio Product that was Stupid Good for the Money?


This is the place to share. Please no shills. 
seanheis1
Oppo UDP-203 Blu Ray player.
I read the reviews and was wondering - how good could it be? Well - it is. Beautiful sound on CDs and SACDs, not as harsh as my previous middle of the road SONY player. Fast operation and load times on Blu Rays and DVDs. Solid build quality and beautiful very basic design.
A true audiophile performer for $550.

Don't make fun of me but the best audio money I have ever spent was for a store return JVC RX-302 I bought 27 years ago for $40 that I have used to power my garage audio system, I use compressed air to blow the dust off every year and it keeps on ticking. I scratch build RC model aircraft and spend a lot of time in the garage. This thing should have died decades ago!
LFD LE V+ integrated amplifier.  About $4K, better than almost anything I've ever heard, regardless of price.  The original B&W Nautilus 805's, which can be had for about $1000 - $1500 now also qualify, if you can find a decent pair.  I auditioned the new Diamond 805's and didn't like them nearly as much as my originals. 

I also love the AR Ref 75 amplifier (in both amp only and integrated amp forms) but I think these don't qualify as "stupid good for the money".  They're expensive for a reason.  The PS Audio DirectStream DAC is amazing but also isn't cheap.  Maybe the Junior version? 
My Snell Type B's. Used at $766.00 I heard a pair of $38,000 Magico's the other day. I preferred my Snells! Joe
Back in the mid-1980's, when I was first learning the audiophile equipment ropes, I needed an amp. So many choices, most of them crazy expensive; others seemed to push unrealistically high output power ratings for cheap money (that didn't appeal either). One of the big audio magazines gave an extremely favorable review to the new Adcom amp--handsome black thing, heavy, 200 wpc. I bought it (think list price was $500 or $600...not cheap money then).

Well, it was pretty good. Surprisingly good, in fact. 1-2 yrs later, after upgrading my preamp and main power amps to all-tube designs (used), I took a chance and had the Adcom modded by a company then earning great reviews for doing that w/various mfrs' gear (forget the name). Think the mod was ~$200.

Got the Adcom back, put it in the system, and damned if the bass (already pretty good) had become astoundingly good! That was perfect for me, because what I used this amp for after that was driving the subs built into my big Vandersteen 4 speakers.

That Adcom was my first "high end" purchase, and it worked out from day-1 to the day I sold it to a friend (and regretted it later!).