Best values in audio gear for the budget minded audiophile

[caesar]

Here is a list of gear that will get you 95-97% of the price no object stuff at a small fraction of the price:

- Conrad Johnson Premier 350 - as good as a SS amp can get. Find it used occasionally at $4-5K.
- VTL 750 Monoblocks - monster tube amps that drive anything and sound SCARY REAL. Find them used at under $10K.
- Used Soundlabs - can be had for less than $10K used. If you got the space, there's nothing better.
- Ayre c5 mp - A great value. As good as anything under $10K. You can find a different flavor, but you won't do better unless you get the Meridian, dCS, or Playback designs. Find it used for $3500-$4000.
- Running Springs Haley power conditioner. Smokes just about anything out there other than the newer RS models. Find it used for $500-$750.

Please keep the list growing.

 

[DaveyF]

How about an ARC D70 mk 1 or 2 or a D115.. the D70 can be had for less than a $1K right now..

 

[flez007]

Some top of mind options:

Naim nait3
B&W CDM1
Rega Planar3
NAD integrateds
Jolida tubed gear
Oppo Universal player
Paradigm Ref10x
Kimber 8TC cables
Kimber PBJ IC cables

 

[DWR]

Caesar I am afraid your idea of budget minded and mine are two different things. Amps or preamps at the 10k price point are not budget minded components to me. Davey and flez are more in the ballpark of my idea of budget minded components, more around the 1k price point. Granted you are not going to get the performance of the 10k pieces but some of us will never attain the resources to afford 10k components, myself being one of them. My idea of budget minded is pieces like I have built my system out of, Jolida tube amp, Conrad Johnson preamp, Geddes speakers, Aural Thrills phono preamp, VPI Scoutmaster turntable. Laugh if you will at this system, but it brings me many hours of enjoyment. And people wonder why the high end is failing????

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

If one can afford $50K+ systems, then I suppose this is a nice budget-minded one. I, OTOH, nearly choked at those "budget" prices, and unless I win the lottery they ain't gonna see the inside of my house any time soon.

John

 

[DaveyF]

DWR, just because the current price of a piece of gear is very low, doesn't mean it may not be still competitive with far pricier/more modern gear. I have AB'ed the ARC against $10K and more dollar amps and it still holds its own; in many cases being superior to the more expensive newer gear! Some classic pieces from the past can be VERY hard to beat even today. IMHO, the ARC amps form this era (80's D series)and some of the Mac gear as well as some of the older Rowland and Krell gear can actually be better than some of the newer, more expensive, hyped pieces.
i truly think that one should listen to a piece of gear, whatever the price is,preferably in your own system/room; before one can come to a value judgement.

 

[DWR]

I absolutely agree with you on the point of listening to the equipment in your own room and system before making any judgement on that piece of equipment. And I don't dispute your first point either, my fault I shouldn't generalize like that, my CJ PV-14 which I just had modified has been one of my best budget purchases ever.

 

[rblnr]

VMPS speakers. Compete with and often embarrass a lot of more expensive stuff.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Caesar I am afraid your idea of budget minded and mine are two different things. Amps or preamps at the 10k price point are not budget minded components to me. Davey and flez are more in the ballpark of my idea of budget minded components, more around the 1k price point. Granted you are not going to get the performance of the 10k pieces but some of us will never attain the resources to afford 10k components, myself being one of them. My idea of budget minded is pieces like I have built my system out of, Jolida tube amp, Conrad Johnson preamp, Geddes speakers, Aural Thrills phono preamp, VPI Scoutmaster turntable. Laugh if you will at this system, but it brings me many hours of enjoyment. And people wonder why the high end is failing????

I would agree with all of the above except for the part I have bolded. Take any $10k (or more) amp with good measurements, as opposed to a $10k amp designed to color the signal, and you will easily be able to find a $2k (or less) amp that will be indistinguishable from it in a blind test. There may be exceptions, but I'd bet they'd be very rare.

P

ON EDIT: I just checked. Make it <$3k. But that kind of money will only be necessary for particularly difficult speakers requiring very high current. Speakers that are an easy load? Less. Quite a bit less.

 

[DWR]

Yes I see your point P. Like I said in my earlier post sometimes I generalize too much.

 

[caesar]

The purpose of this post was to get a list of gear that delivers as much as possible in musical enjoyment per dollar spent. I should have been clearer on it. A budget is a budget whether you own Google or whether you own the local hot dog stand. The point is to get as much value as possible - no matter how much you spend. In no way was this thread meant to start "class warfare" conversations. Please keep posting your suggestions at all price points coming so folks can try the gear and decide for themselves.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

The purpose of this post was to get a list of gear that delivers as much as possible in musical enjoyment per dollar spent. I should have been clearer on it. A budget is a budget whether you own Google or whether you own the local hot dog stand. The point is to get as much value as possible - no matter how much you spend. In no way was this thread meant to start "class warfare" conversations. Please keep posting your suggestions at all price points coming so folks can try the gear and decide for themselves.

No class warfare intended. My suggestions - if you intend to drive very difficult speakers, Bryston or Cambridge Audio power amps, both at <$3,000 are raging good values. If your speakers reasonable enough to be driven by less than intimidatingly high current and a hundred watts instead of a couple of hundred, look at the integrated amps from both of those companies. By the time you pass by the preamps, you'll save another grand or more. I don't think you'll get an audible improvement in many thousands of dollars, unless it is a purely subjective one. That's value.

P

 

[Robh3606]

Anyone care to add DIY to this conversation. You can get some great value if you are willing to but some effort forth. A good example are the Nelson Pass amps or DIY speakers where you can clone current models provided you can get enough information.

Rob

 

[FrantzM]

The purpose of this post was to get a list of gear that delivers as much as possible in musical enjoyment per dollar spent. I should have been clearer on it. A budget is a budget whether you own Google or whether you own the local hot dog stand. The point is to get as much value as possible - no matter how much you spend. In no way was this thread meant to start "class warfare" conversations. Please keep posting your suggestions at all price points coming so folks can try the gear and decide for themselves.

Caeasar

Once anyone sees the term "budget" in a phrase they assume rightly that is synonymous with modest as in reduced. I sincerely don't find many of your list "budget" ... Are they good vakue? That is debatable .. Are they "budget" as many in Norh America understand the term? No

Now coming back to P posts.. Bryston remains a good value, especially used. I am not yet convinced that the earlier Krell weren't superior to the current ones which makes amps such as the KSA-200 or the KMA-160 monoblocks very interesting alternatives if one has to drive difficult speakers.. The choice is large once one focus on used and look off the beaten path. Looking for brands such as Antique Sound Labs, Perreault, BEL, Plinius ...

 

[naturephoto1]

Anyone care to add DIY to this conversation. You can get some great value if you are willing to but some effort forth. A good example are the Nelson Pass amps or DIY speakers where you can clone current models provided you can get enough information.

Rob

I presume you are speaking of the Nelson Pass First Watt amp clones. At this point, I was able to purchase a demo of the new First Watt M2 amp. I am quite pleased with the amp. I would say that it is an extremely good value for cost, what it is, and it sounds great. But, if you could purchase a really good clone (that performed like the original) of the amp and could get by with the low power (25 watts Class A) that would be an extraordinary deal.

Rich

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Anyone care to add DIY to this conversation. You can get some great value if you are willing to but some effort forth. A good example are the Nelson Pass amps or DIY speakers where you can clone current models provided you can get enough information.

Rob

Likwitz Orions - a great diy value that will compete at the very top of the game. Linwitz Plutos - a ridiculous value that will do it at a few less spls and a bit less bass response for a fraction of the great value that is the Orion. Seriously goofy-looking, though.

P

 

[Gregadd]

Wiithout a doubt the Martin Logan CLS 1. Available for around $1k. Disclaimer I have a pair for sale.