AOS-recommended SPPV products - just an idea for a sticky?
I got the inspiration for this idea from reading the Klotz / MS Audio thread. I'd like to start a list of products & manufacturers that produce or have designed fantastic products at amazingly good value for money. So here's my nominations
AMPLIFIERS
£100 - £500
* Croft Mircobasic Preamplifier - The only amp where you get a MM phonostage probably worth more than the amp!! Fantastic value if you can get 2nd hand.
CABLES
INTERCONNECTS
<£100
* Belden 19364 shielded cable - Fantastic no nonsense cable that simply does the job done.
* Yannis Tome (www.backbeat.co.uk) - An amazing guy who produces amazing cables. His tonearm cable displaced a Nordost cable at 4 times the cost.
* Mark Grant G1000HD - Starts at £50 and highly recommended over many forums, crops up regular on 2nd hand market for less cash. An AOS favourite.
* Flasback's Premiere range - Prices start at £43 per meter and a few AOSer's seem to like these with Quad/Naim gear.
* Pure AV (White version) - Sold at pound shops! Screened cables, pure copper, gold plated RCA's. Less than £10 would cost considerably more to better.
* The Klotz MC5000 / MS Audio RCA IC's - Two products when combines produces an excellent set of IC's. Very good SPPV.
CARTRDIGES (MC)
£100 TO £500
* Denon 103 (+Variants) - Widely recognised all over the world as an MC that punches well above its weight. Very tweekable and massive Internet following.
DACs
£100 - £500
* Bushmaster II / Caiman II DAC - Beresford Audio, these come up quite regular and offer excellect SPPV, even better with SFW upgrades and battery powered PSU.
* IQ-Audio DAC - Nominated by Marco who says, "SPPV doesn't really get much better than with that!"
* The Raspberry Pi - Very well respected piece of kit used by many AOSer's.
HEAD-AMPS
<£100
* Little Bear T20 - A headamp, goldplated RCA's, PSU, tightly matched resistors&caps (within 5%), from China £20!! Would probably cost £75-100 from UK.
PHONOSTAGE
* Arkless Electronics 640P - Widely sort phonostage starting at £185. Rarely crops up and widely recognised as being extremely good SPPV.
SPEAKERS
* RFC Extrinsic Tannoy Cross Overs - Fantastic Tannoy speaker designs and Reference grade XO's are simply superb.
STREAMING DEVICES
<£100
* Chromecast - A few AOSers have commented on the quality of this device, it's portability and its incredibly low price.
TONEARMS
<£500
* Jelco SA-750D - Another tonearm that is widely seen across a multiude of forums as good value for money. Prices vary between £400 - 475 brand new.
TURNTABLE ADD-ONS
<£100
* Ebony Armboards - Magna Audio AKA Speedy Steve! His ebony armboard was a very cheap and effective upgrade for my 1210.
* The Analog Audio Crystal Mat - Harking back to the 70's when the big Jap TT's had glass platter mats, for me this is the best 1210 platter mat available.