Best purchase you've ever made

Definitely my Von Schweikerts VR 4 Gen II. Amazing speakers and...
Got 'em for a "song"

 

A Thorens TD124MKII fully restored by Schopper
a pair of Omega 7XRS loudspeakers
Audio engine D2 wireless DAC so I can stream my lossless files to my stereo. Now THAT is a game changer. The other items on my list are fantastic but they are improvements on stuff I had before.

 

For me it would be the Rega Brio 3 and my Neat Mystiques. They are both so musically engaging......

 

Bought a Thorens TD 125 deck with a SME arm and Shure V15 III for £75.00 from a record exchange shop about 10 years ago. Bargain or what!

 

Right now for me it is the PS Audio Directstream DAC that really has changed the way redbook music, (and I have way too much), sounds. Stuff that really used to sound bad is suddenly......

Also, my Linn LP 12 which I got about 15 years ago that I waited about 20 years to get, is at least tied for first place!

 

Is it just me, or there is a contradiction in terms there (none of the hassle of tubes)?

 

Simple, it's easy to set the Bias and stays dead on and because it only uses 4 output tubes it runs fairly cool.

 

Sennheiser HD600 headphones. I never knew what I was missing.

Runners up would be the Rega RP6 turntable, the Record Doctor record-cleaning machine, and the Marantz 2230 receiver.

 

Very nice! My first "real" turntable was a Luxman PD-264 that was given to me, and it was super-nice. The built-in strobe is a nice feature.

 

Perhaps, but the way it was phrased sounded like "I like all fish, but not the ones with bones".

 

OPPO PM-2 headphones. Only nine days old and I'm still getting a handle on them and what they're doing exactly. I did audition the Audeze LC-2 in the summer but it wasn't a good audition (inferior electronics and the 'phones were physically uncomfortable). I've had some dramatic steps up the hifi ladder before (PSB to ATC speakers, Pro-ject Debut turntable to Nottingham, forgotten entry level cart to Dynavector 17D3) but they were costly and expected improvements. This step up from Sennheiser HD600 to Oppo PM-2 is way beyond my expectations. My Senns were ten years old so is it possible they were completely worn out and depleted or something? I'd have to hear a new pair to know. Luxurious sounding. The primary difference is the bottom end. Good sounding music is glorious and the nasty sounding stuff is much more enjoyable. Sorry for the longish post but I'm right in the midst of a hifi honeymoon!

 

My first game-changer was a pair of Koss Portapros. Not an exaggeration to say I had never heard a pair of serious headphones before. All my previous headphones were basically $10 headphones you could get at the grocery store.

 

Very interesting.

 

Buying my future wife tickets to the first Harry Potter movie.

 

I bought a used Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated Amp with HT Bypass as an experiment to up my music listening over the AVR I have.

Best investment with great returns on sonic quality, fantastic phono pre, balls to the wall power, and allows me to have a 2 in 1 system for both HT and music.

 

Got a retipped Benz-Micro Ebony cartridge for $800 because they made a mistake on my order for a Glider. Told me to just keep the Ebony. My local dealer said it was the best deal he's ever seen

 

My Hifiman HM-901 with Minibox amp card.
Sublime sound anywhere.

 

Choosing to go steady with Vandersteen speakers, most likely...

 

You mean like 'ever' in my whole life? Too many to name.

 

Bought a girl an Absolut Bloody Mary at a bar in a Chinese restaurant in 1987
It'll be 25 years this year...
Best $3.50 I ever spent

 

Congrats! Quality is remembered, long after price is forgotten.

 

Melos sha-1 pre-amp, about 250 euros, incredible with headphones ! B&W dm4, 100 euros, in my top 5 vintage speakers.

 

Hard to pin it down to one item but like some others I have to put the RCM that I bought as a top purchase. I'm a record lover so the Okki Nokki has been just a great addition.

 

I would say my dvr ,but I only rent it form the cable company , I love CD ,SACD BR ect but this thing is the best invention any TV fan could even want

 

Yeah, it's hard for me to believe it took me so long to get one.