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True underdog hi-fi

After selling my hi end Naim olive gear, I currently use an Edirol R1 memory recorder (bought at music stores) into Sennheiser wireless headphones. Not super HiFi, but gets me some musical enjoyment every day. An 70's HK receiver is used for radio listening.

One day I will upgrade to a Naim Unitiqute...

JohanR
 
minstrel - I assumed underdog hifi did not ever involve buying new so Im happy to factor that freebie charity Caigslist ebay side of things in

Worked for me including the Denons. I tried to buy new but Comet kept screwing up and selling me ex stock as new --- which was also faulty

so I got em for nuppence on eBay a year or two later
 
ian r said:
minstrel - I assumed underdog hifi did not ever involve buying new so Im happy to factor that freebie charity Caigslist ebay side of things in

Worked for me including the Denons. I tried to buy new but Comet kept screwing up and selling me ex stock as new --- which was also faulty

so I got em for nuppence on eBay a year or two later
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Yes its ok. I had my slighty grumpy head on. Its just that some people are mentioning clock radios. Everything from Toshiba garage systems to Ion amplifiers are being mentioned so its a bit all over the place.

Yes the used market is the true king of underdog hi fi. Ive also been given stuff for free so just thought that the thread has no real reference point for cost and sound quality.
 
Minstrel SE said:
the thread has no real reference point for cost and sound quality.
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That's the point of the thread which I alluded to at the start.

Cost is typically cheap/entry level and sound quality is very high with no pretensions of being considered 'high fidelity' which is what makes these components what they are. - underdogs.
 
Liquid said:
I'm interested to see what shouts you would make for some underdog hi-fi components.

Regardless of name, perceived provenance or price point, what items have you heard that have put a smile on your face as because they had no business being so musical in the first place?
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Best value 150 wpc amplifier on the market today is the £895 NAD C375BEE , I much prefer it to the latest expensive Quad QSP £1200, Quad Platinum £2500 all made in China. Experienced problems with both Quad amps.
 
A few years ago I was very impressed by one of the systems Audioworks was demoing at a show: budget Project deck, Sugden A21 & Focal 716. Easily better than the Accuphase CD + amp + expensive Focals they had next door, although the dancing chap told me I was deaf when I mentioned this to him.
 
Always experienced problems with Cambridge Audio , right from the original Co. P amplifier designs in the 70's, would not work with Spendor speakers they are just as bad today, I would not touch a Cambridge Audio product with a barge pole. despite rave reviews by useless reviewers. However Richer Sounds do take them back for a full refund, I have returned 4 items over the past few years.
 
Honest kit that sounds better than it has a right to, now cheap as chips and not on everyones radar?

I'd say that Aura kit fits that bill. B&W conenctions, slimline CD players & tuners both with competent sound, the speakers were not so hot (though some interesting sealed boxes..) it's the integrated amplifiers that are all worth a punt at under £100, my pick would be the "VA 80 SE X" which is IMHO a refined 40wpc with an excellent phono stage.

Just my $0.02.

Steve
 
halvis said:
I have been loaned a Thorens TD-321 deck and it is very nicely put together and sounds pretty darn great too with an SME 3009. Much easier to set up than an LP12 and far, far cheaper too, probably because it wasn't marketed as well and didn't give exotic names to base-boards and power supplies.
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I agree IMO the Thorens 321 is as good if not better than any other belt drive deck with its excellent leaf sprung suspension. I have owned Linn & Michell gyro decks etc and much prefer the Thorens 32 1 which is so easy to set up.
 
I have a rather cheap Sony compact system in my bedrom which in my opinion sound awesome for the price.
It is one of the first Sony completes with "digital S class" amplifier.
 
Don't even know if they are sold in the UK but Pioneer has a line of VERY cheap speakers designed by Andrew Jones of TAD (and once of KEF). The medium ones got written up in Stereophile but the littlest ones, which listed for $99.95/pair and then were closed out for months at $40 or $50 (including shipping!) sound excellent. At tad dark at the very top and not the punchiest sound compared to the best but very clean, terrific octave to octave balance, and a superb crossover that disappears and sounds great all over the room. They don't get nasty or spitty, sounds don't jump out, just very nice to listen to. I preferred them to Tukans not even considering cost. They're in my dining room with Mac/Beresford/72/110.

BS21 is the model number and they've been replaced by BS-22, which I expect is even better, but the list price is up to $129.95. The Absolute Sound! just gave them a rave.

$40 shipped for a pair of respectable speakers--now that is underdog hi-fi.
 
I got a Denon M30 system with Minidisc for the Conservatory a few years ago ,they are a cracking little system for the money...
 
mickyricky said:
I got a Denon M30 system with Minidisc for the Conservatory a few years ago ,they are a cracking little system for the money...
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The electronics in these little systems is surprisingly good.
Go onto a well known auction site and spend <£200 on some really nice vintage B&W, Celestion, Heybrooks etc and you'll be amazed at just how good they can sound.
 
Durmbo said:
Seems to me most of the above A&Rs, Creeks, Regas, Thorens, what have you already have established reputations. It's all sold as hi-fi, so it should sound good to most punters. Cheap doesn't have to mean nasty. As noted, mini systems can punch well above some people's expectations. A friend's Denon springs to mind: I could easily live with it myself. Certain Japanese receivers, likewise, deserve more time than they get.

I'd like to nominate my 23 year old GE clock radio. Doesn't do volume, scale, stereo, or musical choice very well, yet for years it was my benchmark for involvement. A musical champ that still sounds great.

Built in laptop audio has few champions, yet gems can be found occasionally. Here's a thumbs up to the ordinary, yet excellent, audio/hp out of my very budget Samsung. With it I have no need for an external DAC for listening. It sounds the same as my CD player as far as I care and near identical in sound to my M-Audio soundcard, which measures as flat as a DAC should and is only better in having an audibly slightly lower noise floor.

I've been pleasantly surprised by my Samsung Ace 2's hp out, too.
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My laptop's built in speakers are by Bang & olufsen, probably their best effort :D
 
I got a Denon M30 system with Minidisc for the Conservatory a few years ago ,they are a cracking little system for the money...

My ex girlfriend has one into Tannoys DC 611's - and it's much fun. As I said the original supplied Mission designed speakers are keepers for desktop or downsized use. Especially if a sub is included
 
Would like to nominate my Virtue Audio Sensation M451 Intergrated Tripath amplifier, won't bang on about it too much just to that l think it is a giant- killer.
 
Denon AVD-2000 as DAC + pre-amp sounds good to me. Anyone compared it with acclaimed stuff like M-DAC ?
 
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