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

Easy. The current Sangea HDT-20 HD radio fm tuner. Unbelievable sound with attached indoor antenna for under $200!

@chowkwan: are you sure about the $750 price for the ET LFT-8? It’s price at introduction 30 years ago (!) was to the best of my knowledge $1500/pr, increasing slightly when the -8A was introduced with improvements, and again when the -8b appeared. The -8b finally settled at a stable price of $2499’pr for years (what I paid for mine), and has now crept up to $2800. In the opinion of more than a few (Harry Wesifeld of VPI, Robert E. Greene of TAS---yes, there ARE persons of integrity at the mag, a number of UK reviewers, and myself. Reviews available on the ET website), the best speaker value on the market..

Then there is the new -8c, which incorporates a new dipole woofer, woofer amplification, and an active x/o with DSP (beating Magnepan to market with same), selling for $3900. The new woofer/amp/DSP is available separately for current -8b owners (a simple bolt-on replacement for the -8b's passive sealed woofer), at a price of $1500/pr.

While the ET-8 IS inefficient (mid-80’s), its modulus of impedance is quite different from that of Magnepans. The woofer and magnetic-planar panel present a fairly even load of 8 ohms to the amplifier, the m-p panel alone (when bi-amping) an almost purely-resistive 11 ohms, great for tube amps. Magnepans in contrast are a 3-4 ohm load, which is why they prefer solid state.

No matter what cheap stuff you buy, over time, the cheepnis [ha ha]  will come to your attention.   And you will know you got what you pay for.

1. Crown PL-1 Power Amp $400

2. Crown SL - 1 Preamp $600 with adjustable separate external MM phone preamp.

Building JBL Laners from the JBL blueprints and Buying the LE 14A, Le20,LE5H mid components. Total speaker cost under $700. 

Sennheiser hd580 and hd650 headphones.

Schiit modi multibit dac

Zu mission rca ic's, $25 new off eBay

Onix Ref 1 speakers, $400

Belles Soloist 5 Amp, $400

Creek  Classic 5350SE Amp, free! Needed repair.