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

Bose VCS-10 Center Channel Speaker, small, inexpensive

Only small fit, and it did not cost much, around $100. new. Surprisingly Good Sound

here’s one

New arrangement, bit more room replaced it with a Klipsch

Norh le amp monoblocks $400.I still have them.

Gifts, yard sales, inheritances, not the same as buying 'less costly' new and it sounded great.

Then there is unintended LUCK.

I needed a front loading TT for the Garage Shop system to stack stuff, keep dual cassette in for nostalgia and home made tapes. Sony PS FL-1, P mount.

I planned on getting it, converting the P mount with a 1/2" adapter so I could buy a better advanced stylus cartridge for it.

Darn thing arrived with a P Mount Shibata! AT 485U (didn't know they made them).

got what I wanted by pure luck

most similar I can find is this modified version, AT body, bonded shibata tip

This is great stuff but what it makes me want to weep for is all the stuff in the last 50 years I've either left behind or given away to kids, step kids, grandkids, storage spaces never saw again and etc. Klipsch speakers, Tannoy speakers, old subs, cheap power conditioners, cables, cords and connects I may have paid a fortune for. o and a Krell 2250 I traded to Peachtree for $900. Do I miss it, I dunno I never had a Pre that worked with it anyway. Another trip down memory lane-Peace Out Bros,

A speaker system that I still have in my bedroom is the Fulton FMI 80’s. I use it with vintage Harmon-Kardon 430 twin-powered receiver…it’s still very musical.