Really Inexpensive Systems That Sounded Great?


I think there is a big difference between "cheap" and inexpensive. I have blown money on "cheap" cables and immediately regretted it when my ears started bleeding from the brightness in my digital components. I also don’t mean "bargains" like the time I scored $2000 speakers for $200 on Craigslist, that is basically luck.

I am talking about inexpensive (less than $1500) for a system that sounded really great to you.

I fell into a whole house audio system from DTS Play-Fi because I wanted to try and compare different brands. I picked up Play-Fi amps, preamps and active speakers made by Polk, Paradigm, Klipsch, Onkyo and DefTech all for less than $1000 a pop. For what it is, whole house audio/casual listening it sounds great.

What inexpensive great sounding systems have you tried?

 

kota1

I too have a bunch of expensive and inexpensive stuff. Some is Schiit gear, a Aegir amp, a Freya n preamp and now a latest spec Gungnir DAC. I also hav e an $8000 SS integrated amp and a $5000 tube integrated amp and to my years the Schiit and at a cost of a fifth and a third of my other amps the Schiit combo sounds at least as good. I have seven pairs of speakers going from $700 to $3500 and they all sound fantastic with my sources and amps. With the stuff I have I could put a combination of gear together that costs less than $3000 that will blow you away. I also use the Genelec powered monitors that were reviewed in Stereophile with the Freya preamp and a $1200 Burson DAC that at around $3500 is my favorite system. It is that good. So inexpensive equipment with the right synergy can play with way more expensive stuff. As a 65 year old audiophile I have either owned it or heard it so I know of what I speak. One of the best systems I have ever heard was back in the nineties when a friend who didn’t have a job and could spend his time tweaking the system had a pair of inexpensive PSB towers , two small asl tube monos ($200) and a modified pioneer GD transforms cd player. Most musically engaging system I have ever heard besides my Genelec system. 

I've been enjoying listening to our living room / tv system comprised of Raspberry Pi 4 source, HDMI out to tv, tv optical digital out to a Nuforce DDA-120 integrated and a pair of Polk R300 speakers.

Playing Qobuz at 16/44.1 (limited by what the TV will pass thru), it sounds good enough to definitely hold my attention.

RPi 4 was about $100 (running Raspberry Pi OS and Qobuz in the Chromium browser), DDA-120 was I think $275 used, and Speakers were $100/pair on sale.

The Nu-Force DDa-120 has gotten rave reviews and that sounds like a MUCH better way to listen to TV. Can you run the Pi via USB into the amp?

Mac C26 and Mac2100 bought 30 years ago at auction for under $400, recently re capped pre and well maintained amp. 

Polk Lsim 707 towers for $400 off Craigslist in immaculate condition, replaced my 27 y/o Acoustat spectra

Sony RCD W500C used $100

Sony PS LX5, Grado cartridge (looking for upgraded tt) $125

JDS Atom headphone amp for $80 with Sennheiser HD 518 (my wife goes to bed early)

Room is 16 x24 with 9' ceilings. 

I can and have listened all day and never get tired of the Polks. About $1200 all together.

The Nu-Force DDa-120 has gotten rave reviews and that sounds like a MUCH better way to listen to TV. Can you run the Pi via USB into the amp?

Yes, I have tried connecting the Pi directly to the DDA-120 with USB.  But I read a quote from someone at NuForce that said it sounds best using the optical input.  Plus the USB is supposedly limited to 24/96.