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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
mrdecibel
3,065 posts
 
I think Noel Lee's original Monster Cable and Steve McCormack's Mod Squad tip toes are two products that started the trend in tweaks, which we all know, as audiophiles, can really take a system to new heights.
ehoehn
169 posts
 
SAS 11A and Monarchy Se-250's
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Mrdecibel: Both your picks certainly should be included. However, the single ended "shotgun"--type interconnect which put Monster on the map (if that's what you are referring to), was actually invented by Bruce Brisson, who parted ways with Noel early on and started MIT, which he still owns today.

In fact Bruce is the one who first put arrows on the Monster single ended cable. Not to indicate the direction of signal flow as many think, but to indicate which end of the (at the time) patented "floating shield" was connected to ground!

After that, it became fashionable to put (otherwise meaningless) arrows on every kind of audio/speaker/power cable made ;--))
.
mrdecibel
3,065 posts
 
Nsgarch. Point is well taken. However, it was Noel Lee and the 12 gauge speaker wire which started the whole wire thing and put Monster on the map. Interconnects came afterwards.
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
MrdB, are you referring to the big fat transparent zip-cord, but with the coarse and fine wires inside? That too was a Brisson design (time aligned.)
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