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Your best ''outstanding'' products in last 5 yrs?

I have been reflecting on my biggest surprises and value-for-money purchases in the last 5 years - the ones that were truly impressive for the money, here are mine, and would like to find out about other maniac's choices! Stick to what you have actually purchased please! My top 5 (so far).

1. Yamaha AS2000 integrated amplifier.

Totally off the charts. This is an absolutely outstanding amplifier for the money - I cannot think of anything under $ 3,000.00 that is more refined, powerful, and full-featured all at once. Gracious looks and battleship build are a bonus.

2. Shanling MC-30 receiver.

It may look like a toy, but it sure isn't one. Wonderful musicality with a whopping 3 watts of power, sounds much more powerful than that. A steal at the price. Amp, cd, tuner, with the magic of tubes.

3. Yamaha AS1000 SACD player.

Only the second (along with the AS2000 amp) Yamaha component I have owned in my lifetime. Ridiculous price, amazing quality with the smoothest-operating load mechanism south of 5K. Someone told me that Yamaha's marketing mistake is that they should have invented a sister brand (like Pioneers TAD or Teac's Esoteric) for the AS series so that they could charge more. I agree, but in the meantine, the consumer wins.

4. Music Hall MMF-7 turntable.

No REGA or VPI bragging rights, but this is a BEAUTIFUL table worth every penny and more. Decoupled motor, classy acrylic plate, double-deck plinth, decent Pro-Ject tonearm, it just screams ''buy me''. Now updated to 7.1 - I listened to both, could not detect a sonic difference with the same cartrige.

5. Cambridge Audio combo of DacMagic and the new ID100 digital transport (check my review on this one). Roaming hundreds of free digital Web radio stations has become very enjoyable with not-too-shabby sound. Pocket change as far as audiophile budget goes for these 2 items.

Special mention to TT weights and their Classic model. Where else can you get a CNC-machined product from an avionics supplier for 60 bucks?

That's it for now - after mega-buck tube amps, cables, preamps and cd players - these top 5 are it for me, and have given me a break in my pocketbook with no regrets.

Let's hear your choices!
sonicbeauty
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
+1 on the Marantz PM8004. If you only have $1K for an amp, have middling (70 wpc) power requirements, and need the highest end experience at that price, this one will do it. You can actually pair it with $10K speakers (e.g., SF Cremona M) and it will *own* them.

Consider the tone shaping and good MM phono stage bonuses,
triode
263 posts
 
1) the Omega upgrade (18 ohm Alnico magnet midrange and tweeter drivers, and new constantly charged crossover for the tweeter) for my series 3 Avantgarde Duos raised sensitivity from 103dB to 107dB and gave even more unforced detail and musical soul. Somehow, through alchemy I do not understand, it also improved the bass performance - more filigree and better match to the mids in the upper bass/lower mids power region.
2) AMR CD-77.1 CD player with isosynchronous USB DAC and switched non-oversampling filter options for the TDA1541 chipset. Bombproof build quality, superb attention to detail (for example, the shipping case is better made than some "high end" components I've had in the past), NOS tube output stage and the most detailed yet musical presentation I've heard from any digital source - truly a CDP for analog lovers.
3) Cary SLP-05 line stage, with my fave NOS Sylvania 6SN7s. A heavenly meeting between soul and accuracy, at a reasonable price.
gumbydammit
186 posts
 
I must qualify this with "bang for the buck," but that said, My Emotiva D/A XDA-1, Bought for 199.00 delivered.

Not an Elgar, but better than anything under 1500 that I tried.

Since it is a preamp, I thought I would throw it in here.
Not much of a risk either, since it sells for 150 used and has a 5 year warranty.

Mine has been in place for year or so and isn't going anywhere.
dmacg
22 posts
 
With out a doubt the best "value for the money" I have found in audio is the NHT Classic Three speaker. For $900.00 a pair, I have compared them to some of the most respected speakers up to $5000.00 a pair. I also think that there dsp controlled B-12d subwoofer mated to them creates for $1800.00 a speaker that out performs any thing I have heard at $4/5000.00. I know it sounds insane. I came across them a year and a half ago looking through the front covers of Absolute Sound Magazine. In April (?) 2007 ( I think) they got the cover with the caption " The Best $1000.00 Speakers" and that peaked my intrest. I bought a pair on a lark..... My $6000.00 B&W Diamonds are long gone and I'm rich. You have to hear them to believe them, I kid you not...
petieboy12003's avatar
petieboy12003
66 posts
 
Wow this one is easy.
Phasure NOS1 768kHz DAC with matching XXhighend software and highend computer !!
Gota mention the Teo liquid mkII and High Fidelity cables too.
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