2. misc-audio
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How cheap can you go and still be happy with the sound?

I would think many guys on this forum are spoilt by the gear they have and never listen anymore on cheap rigs.

I was listening recently on my younger daughter’s PC audio rig and got reminded again of how good it sounds. There is a fairly high level of clarity, detail, tonal balance and great bass in this rig.

 

- Yamaha HS8 powered monitors: $700 to $800

- Yamaha WXC-50 MusicCast streamer+dac+preamp: $450, often found on A4L for around $300

- Audioquest Powerquest PQ3 (was around $200 or so)

 

IMO, this would qualify as a high quality (sonically) charity price hifi rig for any younger or older person w.r.t small room nearfield or midfield listening.

 

What is the cheapest rig that has brought you happiness these days?

 

deep_333
bassdude
501 posts
 

The price of your equipment bears little relationship to the sound it may produce. While it may be a "general principal" that the more the equipment cost the better it will sound... it... does not mean there are no exceptions - there are many!

I bought a $700 Class D. Audio amp a few years ago (SDS-470C Class D Audio Power Amplifier - 300 watts / channel at 8 ohms), and it drives my $1000 Maggie LRS+ speakers to "audio Nirvana."

That’s about as "cheap" as you can get for great sound! Though, I am using a Bryston BDP & BDA as the source.

bottomzone
20 posts
 

Regardless of how much or how little your system costs, as long as it sounds good to YOU, that's all that matters!!!

immatthewj
2,314 posts
 

The price of your equipment bears little relationship to the sound it may produce

That has not been my experience(s).

ghdprentice
7,291 posts
 

@immatthewj

 

+1

 

nor mine.

jetter
3,052 posts
 

I think you would be surprised at the incredible systems that some people can put together at a reasonable price.  Systems that can sound rather magical.  

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