Best purchase you've ever made

My best purchase was a combination of mic, fiberglass, and wood that I used to build treatments to tune my room. Best upgrade I could ever make.

Tied for second is the 16.5 and Vinyl Flat. Both are necessities.

 

I buy 50% or better new vinyl and it almost always goes on the 16.5 before a spin. Case in point, I bought Lazeretto and I was in a hurry to hear it. It sounded horrible on the first listen, boarderline defective. A quick scrub and it is quiet as it should be.

 

In life: my wife's wedding ring
In audio: ARC Reference 5SE, Modwright Oppo 105

 

JRiver Media Center software was just what I needed for computer audio. Computer audio is a real transformation in how I select and listen to music.

 

Audio Note UK Oto Line SE integrated amplifier.

 

Used, but in great condition, Technics 1200 MK2 for 200-bucks.

It's ease-of-use, durability, and sound made getting into vinyl a no-brainer.

 

For me it would be this...



The Musical Fidelity X-10V3. Adds the right amount of tube sweetness without raising the room temperature by 20 degrees.

 

Walked into an outstanding GW one day, a little 'gold mine' by my house, and there they were, sitting on the floor... 1970 AS-100 (exactly like ARs or KLHs in design - acoustic suspension (not ported)) speakers in minty condition with $9.98 marked on top of both. I couldn't believe it really. I asked the lady, is it $9.98 for both or each? She said both... so I got them. Couldn't believe my luck. I just needed a pair of speakers for the garage anyway so they didn't have to be perfect.

Got them home, that took 8 minutes in the car, and plugged them into the living room stereo, and it was like WOW! Needless to say, they are still in the living room system! They sound that good! Total 'sleepers', not many folks even know about them.

Then I saw someone selling just 'one' on eBay for $30 plus $30 shipping (they are very 'heavy'). Done deal, spare parts if ever required. When I plugged in the eBay 'one' it sounded wonderful too but the cab was kinda beat up, who cares, I wanted the parts inside the cabinet. Most Excellent.

One AlNiCo woofer and one super sensitive adjustable tweet.

Nice find! Why someone would take these little jems to the GW is beyond me, but I'm not complaining! The only thing I can figure out is that they, whoever they are, didn't like the VERY 1970 looking 3-D cloth grill, which I think looks great! It certainly 'looks' 1970. haha.

Not the 'best' stereo purchase I've ever made but certainly one of the more memoriable ones!


Best Purchase? I've had many... but I knew exactly what I wanted and I've had the 'time to wait', no hurry at all - even if it took 9 years, to find them. I've been really lucky really. But I've 'searched'.

 

AT150MLX

 

Fender american standard strat suburst finish. That and this fleece from EMS its indesructable going on 12 years.

 

I could say that best purchase was the turntable in the first place, and after that Okki Nokki.
But maybe the best deal was second hand Rega Apollo-R CD-player. Seller had owned it only 6months and sold it for 450€ which is roughly half the retail price in Finland.

 

Two vintage buys: a Pioneer SX-1250 for about $300, to which I added another couple bills for recapping - and which is the sweet-sounding backbone of my analog rig. Also a garage sale Marantz 2230 for all of $40, which so far has needed zero work. Two pieces which will remain with me for all time!

 

I'm buying a Croft amp on Friday. I really hope it'll be my best purchase. it'll certainly be the most expensive.

 

There's been a few good ones, but I'll narrow it down to three:-

Sansui AU-217 £33 serviced and delivered
Mission 752 £80
Cambridge Audio 752BD £500 - Black Friday deal

All of these blew me away for various reasons but the Cambridge is the latest arrival. Sporting a Wolfson WM8740 DAC, it's one very civilised listen but best of all it presents all formats very well regardless of type. Native DSD with my amp too, also HDCD which is a nice to have as well. Delighted with this piece, blows the corresponding Marantz UD7007 out of the water.

 

Celestion SL6si bookshelf speakers- Too bad I never had the true power back then to make them really sing.
Magnepan 1.6 w/Skiing Ninja x-overs- Bought them off of TonePub. The wife may hate their size but they are in the cave.

 

My Yamaha A-S500 for about $250, brand new.

 

the LFD zero [on order, should be with me in a week or so] after finding out via a home demo [or two] just how well it suits the Harbeth's

really do recommend any Harbeth owners to check this combo out.

 

It´s either my Tannoy Arden speakers or my Threshold S200, I can´t decide.
By the way my Kenwood Supreme 700 C is not far behind.

 

My best purchase has been a McIntosh MA-6100. granted, I just got this on Saturday and may be in the honeymoon phase, but its been a not subtle at all improvement.

I've been using a Pioneer sx-680 with an Art DJ phono pre for quite some time. The amp has been finicky, but functional, but I know I wasn't doing my turntable justice with this set-up. I've been researching lots of budget integrated amp options, and checking Craigslist daily, but nothing had come up that was decent and affordable for me. Finally this McIntosh popped up at a fair price ($490). I called the guy and took a chance on an hour drive out to the 'burbs to check it out. Its in great shape with glass faceplate intact and blemish free and even has the original walnut cabinet and owners manuals. More importantly, it works and sounds great.

Nearly everything has improved with this upgrade; more power, better imaging, more clarity, better phono stage. Its hard to say if the phone pre, the amp, or the combination of the two is making the biggest difference, but at this point I don't really care because it sounds so great.

Next up, time upgrade the speakers

 

Luxman PD-284 turntable. Picked it up last year from a Kijiji ad for $125! I have now officially stopped looking for another turntable.

 

My $399.00 Denon D-M39S Micro System.
http://usa.denon.com/us/product/compactsystems/allinonesystems/microcomponentsystem

 

I'm strangely regretful that I unloaded my really nice Denon three-head horizontal tape deck even though I know that if it were still around I would never play it. The two of us made a lot of fun mixtapes together [sniffle].

 

My Guru Audio Juniors. We're going to be a temporary solution at first. They are not going anywhere. They seem to defy physics.

 

My Modwright SWL 9.0SE preamp + factory upgrades.

 

My PSB Image T6 speakers. $1100 NIB and all the midrange clarity, high end air / sparkle, dead solid imaging, and slamming bass I set out to find. A true 3-way system with dual ported 6-1/2" woofers. Picked them over speakers at more than 2.5X the cost during 2 weeks of auditions.