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Amazing ''Overachieving'' products...your pick?

I have owned both expensive gear (and I do mean expensive) and ''budget'' gear. Many components are mind-boggling on a price-paid versus performance ratio. Three of my favorites are:

1. The Bedini clarifier. This gizmo just plain works. You may like - or not - the difference it makes on your cd's. In my case, it clears up a lot of fog. The cheapest upgrade to ALL my cd's.

2. The Cayin TA-30 integrated amplifier . So much performance and flexibility for so little money. Put it up against anything up to 3 times the price, musically and from a build-quality perspective. Just plain amazing.

3. The Apple i-Pod Mini. Yes, even from in an audiophile application, playing cd's (not downloaded MP3's). You can snob it but you cannot ignore it.

What are YOUR picks ?
sonicbeauty
76doublebass's avatar
76doublebass
254 posts
 
Mc1 Hafler 101 Music Concept moded.Outstanding value for the money.Also RAM Labs Moving Coil Head Amp which I use to own .I wish I still had it.Rodger Modjeski's RM-3 I beleive
was the name of it.
bat21
21 posts
 
Musical Fidelity, Marantz SACD's, Bryston, bel Canto, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, PSB, McIntosh, VTL, Yamaha (recvrs), REL subs, PS Audio (pwr stuff), JM Lab, Classe, some Krell (SACD Std).

Match up seperates from above and WOW. You can compete.
sbrtoy
122 posts
 
Gallo Ref 3
Bel Canto Evo 4 Gen 2 Bridged
Musical Surroundings Phonomena
Synergistic Alpha Sterling IC's
Shunyata Hydra 2 or 4
Apple Ipod, esp. 60gb (size for uncompressed audio)
djbnh
39 posts
 
1) Jolida JD-100. No brainer. Here's an easy recipe: juice the tubes to NOS 5751s; switch the PC to something like a Chris VenHaus Flavor 1; hit the tube pins, RCAs, and PC/IEC prongs with Walker SST; and add a bit of isolation (granite, marble, maple, points, whatever).

2) Polk SDA 1-C speakers. Yeah, I know, Polk. They don't make these anymore. From the mid-late 80s, these have crazy wide/deep soundstage with excellent imaging and voice/instrument placement, wonderful top and low end (mids could be a bit more detailed); they do need plenty of current to make them shine. They respond very well to modest or even intense tweaking. I still prefer my 1-Cs to numerous, much more expensive speakers of today.
gliderguider's avatar
gliderguider
294 posts
 
Harvey Rosenberg's SuperIt phono stage. Wow.

The Morrison ELAD - I'm still new to it, but to get this kind of performance and build quality in a sub-$800 line stage is just outrageous.
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