Your best HiFi bargain?

[savvypaul]

Textured Victorian patterned wallpaper painted with a matt emulsion. Transformed the room acoustics and it was getting done, anyway.

I had a squeezebox touch for around 10 years in different systems. I thought it was a bargain, even at RRP. Sold it on eBay for a similar amount.

Lencos can still be good value and, with the right plinth and a half decent arm, can rival a similarly treated 401.

Other things that can still be bargains and quite widely found include some 1980s / 1990s cd players, and large pre 1980s Goodman's and Wharfedale speakers. All of the above can be modded / updated fairly easily too.

 

[Beobloke]

That's some serious bargains, the Leak stands out in particular.

The TL/10 was nothing special, but I liked the Troughline. It was a Mk1 though, so could not be easily converted to stereo and only tuned up to 104MHz, so I sold it on.

It’s the Beogram 4000 that still haunts me. It was mint, the cartridge was fine and it only needed a new arm drive belt. I serviced it, sold it for £90 and was delighted.

Then Haden Boardman did a vintage feature on it in Hi-Fi World barely a few months later. Values shot up to £500 overnight and are still climbing. I have a Beogram 4002 but it’s not quite the same, however to buy another 4000 in the same condition as that one I owned would probably cost me £1000+ today.

 

[Turn it up!]

Most of us have probably bought and sold something that went up in value later. I've not had any hifi do this but certainly with watches. Makes me wonder is there any hifi I currently own going up in value, perhaps the John Howes Quad IIs I bought about a decade ago. Then again this Denon system bought for £25 might feature in some film or Netflix teen drama and become a style classic. Then again maybe not...

 

[Dogwithnotail]

I’ve had a few.. 1st CD player bought in 1990 was a Meridian McD-pro for £75 out of the local paper.
Tannoy Arden’s for £300.
Oracle Delphi with Koetsu Arm & black cartridge £300.
Cheapest deal…. Thorens TD125 with SME 111 found abandoned in a Tesco car park. Nearly stepped on it getting out of the car.

 

[JezR]

One of my Lowther drive units had to go back to the menders due to rubbing and all my other speakers are in storage, dam and blast.

A stopgap was needed so I bought the Q Acoustics 3050 in the classifieds here for £150 delivered, they're currently for sale at Richer Sounds for £400.

These are my first pair of Q Acoustics and I think they sound fantastic, a real bargain indeed, very happy.

 

[DomT]

My Michell Focus S. I paid £179 for it in 1984 and it is still playing great music. Cost per play is very very good value. Unlike others though I don’t think I have ever come across anything else that was absolutely a bargain. Very jealous of the likes of @Beobloke

 

[lee1975]

I got a fully working pioneer a300r precision from a car boot sale for £10 lol. Sold it for a fair bit more after have a few months with it.

 

[Turn it up!]

I’ve had a few.. 1st CD player bought in 1990 was a Meridian McD-pro for £75 out of the local paper.
Tannoy Arden’s for £300.
Oracle Delphi with Koetsu Arm & black cartridge £300.
Cheapest deal…. Thorens TD125 with SME 111 found abandoned in a Tesco car park. Nearly stepped on it getting out of the car.

Ouch, Ardens for £300?! That's a bargain. What kind of age /condition were they?

 

[bigrod]

I picked up a Pioneer TT for £20 on a car boot because I recognised the Acos Lustre GST 1 on it

 

[Lawrence001]

Cheapest deal…. Thorens TD125 with SME 111 found abandoned in a Tesco car park. Nearly stepped on it getting out of the car.

Unless that was 20 years ago it had to be stolen and dumped surely?

 

[Chumpchops]

Squeezebox Touch. Bought first one new for £250 when they first came out, bought most recent SBT used from a member here for £50. Bargain.

Even without messing with PSUs, external DACs etc, the SBT and Squeezebox server opened up the world of streaming, internet radio, and music services, and has had a huge influence on what I listen to and where I listen to it these days.

A humble SBT or LMS SW player plugged rca into any old amp or powered speakers is still a good listening experience and represents amazing value.

I discovered Radio Paradise via the Squeezebox system, and that has led me to much new music.

 

[DIB]

Squeezebox Touch. Bought first one new for £250 when they first came out, bought most recent SBT used from a member here for £50. Bargain.

Even without messing with PSUs, external DACs etc, the SBT and Squeezebox server opened up the world of streaming, internet radio, and music services, and has had a huge influence on what I listen to and where I listen to it these days.

A humble SBT or LMS SW player plugged rca into any old amp or powered speakers is still a good listening experience and represents amazing value.

I discovered Radio Paradise via the Squeezebox system, and that has led me to much new music.

I agree fantastic piece of kit for the money.

 

[Ady]

If paying half of the retail price is considered a bargain, then my Townshend Seismic Isolation Speaker Platforms.
Cheers Ady

 

[audio_PHIL_e]

Arcam Alpha from eBay but I think I've posted before about it

 

[uzzy]

Decca Gold second hand for £60 in 1978 .. been rebuilt and retipped over the years and still my cartridge of choice (and when it comes to rebuild retip time only costs £300 ish to get it done).
Hafler DH200 bought second hand in 1979 for £200 and still in use (that is 43 years use with no recapping) now that has to be a bargain in anyones books - how many in here are using an amp they bought over 40 years ago?
Most recent bargain was Michell & Johnson Streamer for £149 new (they sold them all off at less than half the previous selling price) and as I only use a streamer for internet radio that was a bargain.
In fact being the boring old fart I am I believe every item in my hifi system was a total bargain as it brings much pleasure to my ears daily

 

[hifinutt]

some proac 125 for a silly price . they sounded pretty good for the silly price
and a bel canto c5i which was a bargain and sounds far better than you would think

 

[Alvolake]

My blue belt for my LP12. A poor man´s Karousel for 25 quid. ( A linn original costs 50 quid). The improvement it gave to my mid-fi Norton PSU /Ittok LVIII and A&R P77 combo Linn apparently (I´m assuming) by lowering the motor to bearing noise floor has to be heard to be believed. Same thing happened in the case of a mate with similar set-up but Heed PSU and Troika. Others on pfm with karousel and Radikal not so enthusiastic. so maybe it depends and I struck lucky.

 

[SMEagol]

Clearaudio Reference TT with Souther Triquartz linear tonearm and Clearaudio Gamma cartridge. £2k.

I should have kept that. (Does sad face... ) Have I won the thread?

 

[lazycat]

I should have kept that. (Does sad face... ) Have I won the thread?

No. You sold it. Back of the queue.

 

[Dogwithnotail]

Ouch, Ardens for £300?! That's a bargain. What kind of age /condition were they?

They were near mint. It was the mid 90s so they weren’t as fashionable as rated as they are now.