[max190]

I'm curious what the rest of you think was the best money you ever spent on your audio habit. Could be a piece of equipment. Could be a piece of music. Could be something you no longer even own. What was it? And how much did you spend

The $450 I spent on acoustic treatments from TheFoamFactory, Gik, and Sonex.  Best ROI I have ever made.

[BrassEar]

Sony Playstation 1 that I picked up at a garage sale for $10.

[Derockster]

NAIM NAIT 2
SPENDOR SP 100

[Mortsnets]

Top Ten:

Sennheiser HD-40 headphones $40?? new
Used them until they physically fell apart.  Most headphones sounded weird, these sounded like cheap speakers!

Advent 400 radio $125 new
I remember hearing Elvis Costello on KSAN thru that little white speaker RADIO RADIO

Advent 300 receiver $225 new (below list of $269.95)
from Pacific Stereo in Walnut Creek on N. Main, still works!

Wharfedale Diamond speakers $200? new
The original with no number after the name.  Not very hifi compared to modern speakers but I thought they were great at the time.  Used until the woofers fell out.

NAD 3020B $200?
Still works!

Celestion 3 speakers $300 new (expensive!)
These made my Wharfedales seem muddled.  Still work!

Grado SR60 Headphones $69 new
Real hifi.  My cd player was totally unlistenable through these.

Rega Planet CDP $500 new with 100% trade-in from Rotel CDP (most expensive component ever)
After Sony, Magnavox, Phillips, Rotel, this was the first CD player I could listen to.

AH! Tjoeb '99 CDP $450 new (eventually with Russian "Rocket" tubes)
Second CD Player I could listen to.  Bought based on Dick Olsher review.  He was right.

Dynaco A35 Speakers $150 restored with 6 month warranty
Bought out of curiosity, all the vintage folk seemed to agree on its merits.  Now I agree.

Tivoli PAL radio $150 new
I take it on vacation, it works during a power outage.

RA Labs Mini Reference speakers $145 slightly used
Bought sight unseen from rec.audio.marketplace because Marlon Feld said so.

GE SuperRadio $69 now belongs to my 4 year old son now and he loves it

ok top 13

[denjo]

Bryston B100-PH/DAC
Amp, preamp, DAC and phono in one neat chassis

Harbeth SHL5
Brit speakers, absolutely non-fatiguing

Audiolab 8000 T Tuner
Another Brit product. Very analog sounding.

SB3
Amazing technology, marked the end of CDPs for me

[satfrat]

Up to this point for me in my system, hands down the Locus Design Axis USB cable. The Axis totally redefined my computer audio system and I do mean totally. I got to audition this cable, no strings attached and after 3 days i knew I would be paying the $459. But I waited for 3 weeks just so I wouldn't be jumping on 1st impressions,,, I do that alot.

I just paid the bill yesterday after doing A/B comparisons with my Kimber USB cable this week. Going back to the Kimber was like taking the Gibson headers/Magnaflow high flow catalytic converters/Borla catback exhaust system off my Dodge Magnum and going back to stock. It won't happen on my car and it's not happening with my audio system.

Cheers,
Robin

[thunderbrick]

Garage sale, classified ads and salvation experiences: I used to work across the street from a Salvation Army store where I scored an all-original Dynaco Stereo 70 and PAS preamp for $25/pr, and a Cal Audio CD player for $25.  Scott 299 integrated at a church rummage sale for $20. A mint pair of large Klipsch's at a country auction for $45.   Conrad-Johnson preamp and early Thiels for $300 in rural east Texas. And like a dummy passed on a nice set of Dynaco A-25s at a buddy's garage sale for $25. 
Best money I ever spent really applies to what I still have, which is my Moscode 300 Maxi, and my two pair of Sequerra ribbon tweets for my stacked DQ-10s.

I don't have the $$$ to get too serious about this stuff, but as we all know the hunt is lots of fun.

[JerryM]

A five digit serial number Selmer saxophone Mark VI for my son. Cost just a tad over six grand. The single best audio investment I've ever made.

Great Topic. 

Have fun,
Jerry

[Scott F.]

Here are a few of mine that come to mind.

A mid-60's Fisher console stereo that I liberated seven 12AX7 Telefunken smooth plates out of - $25

A home built stereo stereo cabinet that housed a HH Scott 299d complete with a full set of Scott (Amperex) EL84's and Mullard driver tubes. Within the same cabinet was the Scott 330 tubed tuner (more Mullards), a Dual 1229 with a Shure V15t3 and a pair of Lafayette Goodman 15" coaxes - $150 bartered down from $200

My pair of Lowther PM2As bartered for some moonlighted engineering work.

A quad of Telefunken EL84s found at a flea market for $.25 each

A box full of 80 pieces of pristine vinyl. In it there was nine MoFi's and three Nautilus 1/2 speed masters - $60

A box full of LPs that had an immaculate copy of Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced (mono) and two Furtwanglers on the WALP label - $.25 each

Most of the rest of my vinyl collection that I bought at assorted flea markets and yard sales at $1.00 each

[Rasta]

The money spent on good therapy!   

[JerryM]

The money spent on good therapy!   

And divorce lawyers...

[timind]

The Resolution Audio CD-50 I won on ebay a few years ago for less than $500. The sellers pics made it look like a 5 or 6 but a little cleaning and it's a solid 8. As for sonics, the best digital I have heard to date. This player will be my main source until it dies.

[Rocket]

Hi Guys,

I recently purchased a used bel canto pre1 for $550US and 2 x N.E.W. 20.1's for about $1200US.  Getting some pretty good sound from this combination.  I bought a new Son of Ampzilla amp for $3K and list was $6k.



Mind you i've dumped quite a bit of money on some other gear though.

Regards

Rod

[Zero]

Totem Acoustic Sttaf

- The only speakers (or piece of audio equipment) that I've held onto since I got into this crazy hobby.

[mjosef]

Entrance fee($25.) in support of WFMU annual Record Fair...once in, its like being a kid in a candy store. I find music from all over the map for a dollar or less.
I have music I picked up from last year Fair that I haven't listened to yet...guess I may be saying the same about this year's purchases the same time next year...  

[hdspeakerman]

When I got out of college and got a job my first paycheck went for McIntosh C26 and MC2100.  Still have them and still use them.  Only one repair on the amp - the switch that takes it from stereo to mono.  Still my favorite! $1000

[Vapor Audio]

This is an easy question for me.  Best money spent was on my measurement gear, for measuring and designing speakers. 

Honorable mentions to the Squeezebox and GIK room treatments.

[S Clark]

This is an easy question for me.  Best money spent was on my measurement gear, for measuring and designing speakers. 

What do you use?

Scott

[Vapor Audio]

This is an easy question for me.  Best money spent was on my measurement gear, for measuring and designing speakers. 

What do you use?

Scott

Behringer ECM8000 that's been calibrated, M-Audio Audiophile USB soundcard, and Behringer mixer for mic phantom power.  For a long time I used a free copy of ARTA for measurements, still do because it works well and is so easy to use.  But also now have a copy of Soundeasy. 

[drphoto]

I too picked up a Dyna ST-70 for $25 in a junk shop, back in the late 80's when I was on the road w/ my band.

Maybe one of the drawbacks of eBay and the internet, is everyone now knows what stuff is worth.  I keep hoping I'll run across some vintage Fender guitar amp for next to nothing, because the owner thinks no one is going to want that 'old piece of junk'.  Ain't gonna' happen. 

As of late, I was thrilled that I was able to pick up one of the Aiwa XC-35/MSB Dac combos modded by Stan Warren. This was one of more highly regarded digital front ends from a few years ago. I learned about it from Eric Hider at the first Marblefest, and found one on Agon shortly thereafter. Mine was built by Stan for a friend of his and supposedly was an all out effort. Not the last word in transparency, but a very smooth sounding rig, especially for $900.