Best bang-for-buck purchase you have made?

By default, it would have to be my going-on-20-years-old Technics SL-1200 turntable. I special ordered it through Circuit City for $290 when I left college (the first time :-) in the early-mid 80's, after having used the desk-mounted Technics TT's at the school radion station - long before I ever seriously entertained thoughts of one day building a high end system for myself. At the time, in my blissful ignorance, I thought it must be about the best TT one could get, but even then I thought it was a bargain for what you got, despite my lack of funds (they're around twice that much now, I think). Many thousands of records, and many thousands of dollars spent on much higher-zoot equipment later, I still do not *hear* a reason why I should need to replace it (though I have tweaked it up a bit), and it's never not worked for even a minute of that time. It's the only surviving piece of gear I still own from my first self-assembled system (based on NAD separates). No audiophile cache, and hardly the ultimate I'm sure, but that's what I call enduring value.

Tbird,

It was not a Polk for $30k, but a previous speaker
I owned & sold. I got the Polks right after I sold
other speakers, and was suprised!
Great bang (and better) for the buck.

Z, there's a story i'd like to share that is quite complimentary to Technics DD tables, but i might lose what little credibility i have with "audiophiles" if i did. I'm glad that you have enough faith in your choice and ears to mention such a product. I'd say something like this to Francisco, but he's already on the warpath defending his "baby" and doesn't need any more ammo to throw back at those that fling darts at these products : ) Sean
>

Sean, email me...I promise not to reveal anything to Francisco. :-)

BTW, I mention the product only because it's the truth. I have no doubt that, were I looking for my first TT today, having wider knowledge about what's available (and if I had never DJ'ed at that college station), I probably wouldn't ever think to even consider the 1200. I bought it out of ignorance to some degree, and in a way I keep it out of ignorance too: I've heard a few 'high end' TT's in passing, but have never really auditioned one under familiar conditions. Even if I wanted to shop around, I don't know where I'd go or what I'd do - none of the dealers near me seem to stress analog. I had to buy my last cartridge sound-unheard through the mail; I assume I'd probably be facing a similar situation for an audiophile-approved TT, and how much would that tell me on a comparitive basis about anything other than that TT vs. my present one - after I'd already bought it? A TT is one component I'd want to get brand-new, but it's also one of the few that it seems you can't comparatively audition at most dealers. So since I'm not unhappy, here I stay...

Well with me it was two Spectral 200 Class A amps in the eighties for 2000 Swissfrancs each, which would be about 3000 bucks at today's rate of exchange. I still use them to this day to drive the Stax stators in my setup and without MIT wires to boot!