What are/were the best sounding cheap components you have ever had?


It is easy to like the best of the best, so to say.  However it is always satifying and memorable when an inexpensive product turns out to be very good to great. 

Some that come to mind from personal experience"

Large Advents (original)

Early Nakamichi SR receivers

Original Monster interconnects and speaker wire

Pioneer Pl-12 turntable

Shure M-95

Early Stax and Audio Technica headphones

MoFi "special" pressings

Magnum Dynalab Etude.  Yes some were better, but a real value

The Absolute Sound mag in the beginning 

Early Conrad-Johnson and Audio Research tube electronics

Early Classe integrated amps.

The original Sony Trinitrons

And there are others....but part of this hobby is enjoying the journey.

Have you had cost effective items that were successful for your enjoyment?

jusam

B&K amp and pre-amp.

Allison speakers.

In 1982, I had the first Sony CD player, the CDP-101, which was a revelation.  

jrosemd,

 

  I had the same CDP back then. Wow, I could skip tracks, pause, even program the play. The convenience was a big step from a TT. 

Bought a Heed Elixer for a few hundred bucks. Great little class A integrated with phono. Now my 19 year old daughter has it and loves it.

Picked up a Cyrus One on ebay for $500.00 and it is a fun compact class D. 

I had a Radio Shack stereo amplifier that I believe put out 3 1/2 watts a side.

My first tube phono preamp was a steal at $200 in 1987—the then new Croft Micro. I replaced all the resistors with Holco metal films, doubled up the power supply for each channel, and swapped the 12AU7 for a black plate CV5042.