Giantkiller components

Used: Speaks; ATC SCM 7, Int. amp; Onix (British) A-60, CD; CEC, cables; LAT International or Signal Cable.

Front end: Mac G4 Laptop

Rip CD's uncompressed to Hard Drive.

DAC: Apogee USB Mini-Dac

Speakers: Mackie HR824 Bi-Amped Powered Speakers

Amazing synergy, hard drive makes a great source partnered with Apogee Dac and bi-amped Mackies. There is some kind of synergy between these components. This is a seriously accurate and musical system, sounds better than systems costing quite a bit more. No need for pre-amp as DAC has volume control, no need for speaker cables as the amps are internally bi-amped. Run XLR Balanced line level cables from DAC to speakers. Have to hear it to believe it. I use it for a second system, but man is it enjoyable!

$1000 is too much (that would make for a $3K system). Let's make it interesting ... let's set the bar at the $500 range ($1.5K system) and for new components.

Amps: NAD C320BEE ($400 new).

Speakers: NHT SB2 ($400 new); Omega Loudspeakers Super 3 ($540 new);

CD players: Music Hall MMF CD25 ($540 new)

Cables & Interconnects: Signal Cable; Better Cables

Regards, Rich

Magnepan speakers. krell 300i intergrated amp, Transcendent sound Grounded Grid Pre. EVS DAC or modified players. Also add Quad ESLs (which I haven't heard, but within their SPL handling are supposed to have a midrange than rivals pretty much everything). I also like the Gyro SE table for a little over a grand used (with or without arm). Also modified Regas are pretty good. Origin Live arms are $1k are pretty good too, but I haven't heard them. Not sure if any of this is "giant killer" though. But if nothing it's solid value. Probably anything that is giant killer is probably modified and not factory stock. Everyone has to cut corners somewhere to keep costs in line.

Though you can't expect to just pick and choose from our list of giant killer components and expect to assemble a system that has synergy or even meets your listening tastes or expectations. Fair warning.