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Having initially pursued the high-end/high-priced gear from the time I graduated college (the Acoustat Monitor speakers I had back then cost more than my car at the time), I gave up on that in 1987. Since coming back to the audio hobby in 1997, I have focused on cost effective, budget oriented gear, both for myself and in terms of what I write about (initially for Listener magazine, and for Positive Feedback since they launched online). Since no one has posted in this topic yet, I figured I would get things rolling.
Here’s a short list of a few items that I think are exceptionally good, and play way above the competition in their price range. In no particular order:
Elac Debut F5 speakers ($559/pair) - these get so much right I haven’t heard anything close at anything near their price point. Biggest issue is they need a little extra power, and may be too revealing for some of the low cost electronics they are likely to be paired up with. Unless you are looking to spend a thousands dollars or more, these are my go to speaker recommendation.
Tekton Lore ($999) - If you are looking to spend a thousand dollars on a pair of speakers, these high efficiency floor standers are my first choice. Surprisingly deep bass (measured into the mid/low 30s in my room) and an extremely dynamic presentation puts them ahead of the competition. I’ve used everything from 5 watt tube amps to 200 watt solid state amps, but it’s about the character of the amp, not the power. These do not sound like typical small, budget audiophile speakers, but play music, all types of music, with authority, and an expressiveness that only a well done high efficiency design can do. After a few years of daily use, I still get excited every time I sit down to listen
Ampsandsound chip amp ($600) - If you have high efficiency speakers that can run off of 25 watts, this amp will give many amps many times their price a run for their money. Good chip amps don’t sound like anything else, but seem to get the best parts of other technologies without their their problems. Stunning with Tekton or Zu Audio speakers.
iFi iPhono ($425) - Mike Fremer was right in his review of this phono stage (of course). Might not be as dynamic as some of the much more higher priced choices, but does little wrong, and can handle pretty much any cartridge you throw at it. Very flexible.
Morrow Audio MA1 interconnects ($49.95/meter pair) - These single strand solid core cables are a serious starting point in the world of real, high end cables. I replaced Nordost Solar Winds with these throughout my system, and love the detail and clarity they serve up. An ideal budget reference.
You may not be interested in any of these, but if someone asks about a starting point, or about setting up a system at reasonable cost, keep these in mind.
Here’s a short list of a few items that I think are exceptionally good, and play way above the competition in their price range. In no particular order:
Elac Debut F5 speakers ($559/pair) - these get so much right I haven’t heard anything close at anything near their price point. Biggest issue is they need a little extra power, and may be too revealing for some of the low cost electronics they are likely to be paired up with. Unless you are looking to spend a thousands dollars or more, these are my go to speaker recommendation.
Tekton Lore ($999) - If you are looking to spend a thousand dollars on a pair of speakers, these high efficiency floor standers are my first choice. Surprisingly deep bass (measured into the mid/low 30s in my room) and an extremely dynamic presentation puts them ahead of the competition. I’ve used everything from 5 watt tube amps to 200 watt solid state amps, but it’s about the character of the amp, not the power. These do not sound like typical small, budget audiophile speakers, but play music, all types of music, with authority, and an expressiveness that only a well done high efficiency design can do. After a few years of daily use, I still get excited every time I sit down to listen
Ampsandsound chip amp ($600) - If you have high efficiency speakers that can run off of 25 watts, this amp will give many amps many times their price a run for their money. Good chip amps don’t sound like anything else, but seem to get the best parts of other technologies without their their problems. Stunning with Tekton or Zu Audio speakers.
iFi iPhono ($425) - Mike Fremer was right in his review of this phono stage (of course). Might not be as dynamic as some of the much more higher priced choices, but does little wrong, and can handle pretty much any cartridge you throw at it. Very flexible.
Morrow Audio MA1 interconnects ($49.95/meter pair) - These single strand solid core cables are a serious starting point in the world of real, high end cables. I replaced Nordost Solar Winds with these throughout my system, and love the detail and clarity they serve up. An ideal budget reference.
You may not be interested in any of these, but if someone asks about a starting point, or about setting up a system at reasonable cost, keep these in mind.
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