"Giant Killer" The things legends are made of.

When I started this thread I had no listening experience and while I hope to someday hear many of the suggested items I am glad to report that the Odyssey gear that came so highly recomended would have to be on my list of Giant Killers so far. I was very pleased with this first step toward Hi Fi.
Not only do these products sound great they are very well made with great care and attention to detail. The carefully selected components have a look and feel of the highest quality. With the 20 year warantee to boot, I will use my Odyssey gear to measure other modestly priced equipment.

Next to try is the Audio refinement CD and Intergrated combo. I will keep looking for a used bargain on these. Thanks to the audio club being started in Cleveland, I will finally be able to hear what others have put together.

Thanks for all the input, It has been great.
Andy

The legend in its own lifetime, LS3/5a.

B&W advertised their 6 series speakers having "Voice coils of God" its actually the LS3/5a's which posesses it. They have also been compared to the planars but not having the larger than life size presentation, which the planers have been criticised for. Chartwells 15 Ohm version are the most sought after LS3/5a's even today.

Placette Remote Volume Control ($1,000). For single source and with proper impedance matches between source and amp this passive preamplifier will be competitve with any preamplifier at any price. Mine replace a CAT SL1 -- a great preamplifier, but more than I needed in my system.

The NAD 3020 integrated amp had a retail price of $175 when new. It's phono stage was quite good at the time and offered amazing details and dynamics for a small 20WPC amplifier. It sounded too good for its pricetag.

The Airtech MG-1 Air Bearing Linear Tracking Tonearm. This Linear tracker costs a mere $699 and performs comparably well with tonearms costing 3X as much.

Denon DL103 Moving Coil cartridge. This forty year old design is still around for one simple reason. It's good--very good. I've found only subtle differences when compared side by side with cartridges costing $1500. For my opinion, the differences are not enough to justify the difference in pricetag.