janikphoto
Lunatic Member
So many great systems here... and to think, they were all under a hundred bucks?!?
Your Best $100 System
- Thread starter MCM_Fan
- Start date
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Wow, those are GREAT speaker scores. I'd love to have either. Other than the Diatones and the Boston sub, all my speakers finds at Goodwill have been bookshelf speakers. Guess I'll have to start checking the local Habitat for Humanity.
Definitely. I listen to my "cheap" gear every day. I've been rotating through my various Goodwill receivers and speakers in my bedroom system as I figure out what to give to who. For a while, it was the NAD 7120 and Polk RTI28s, but I have that system to my girlfriend. This morning, it was a Sansui 221 driving a pair of Linn Index speakers. I always listen to music when I work out in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.
Kudos, everyone! I'm jealous. I have never been able to put together a system for $100, especially not separates like many of the amazing systems here. I've had some good scores - speakers for between $15 and $40, a Sansui TU-717 for $15 (plus $5 gas to go get it) But to do an honest comparison, you have to factor in the cost of time to hit lots of garage sales and thrift store visits.
Anyway, the thrift stores hereabouts are pretty savvy - I rarely see anything of value on my infrequent visits.
By the way, the Marantz 1060 is gorgeous, as is the photography. Care to share how you took the photo? I suck at photographing gear and would like to become better.
Anyway, the thrift stores hereabouts are pretty savvy - I rarely see anything of value on my infrequent visits.
By the way, the Marantz 1060 is gorgeous, as is the photography. Care to share how you took the photo? I suck at photographing gear and would like to become better.
I have a couple of Marantz 1060s but the knobs are silver. Is it because of the lighting that buttons on your marantz are gold, or they are indeed gold. Are they the orginal gold knobs or you replaced the knobs?Dozens of 'em over the years. Here's a current setup:
Marantz model 1060 integrated - $15 + $2 or so for 6 replacement caps on the power amp board.
B&W DM-302 speakers - $4
Philips Magnavox FD-1010 CDP - Don't remember, maybe $8?
Does free count? If so, I got the following gear from a friend's grandfather's estate:
H.H. Scott 299A
H.H. Scott FM/AM Tuner (I think model 350?)
Garrard 301
JBL Signature Speaker (I am not sure what model) with Stephens Fr 120 and 5KT drivers
Acousti-Craft cabinet containing what I believe belongs in the the JBL cabinet- D123 and model 075
All in all it is around $3000 worth of stuff.
As for what I have actually paid for, I haven't really found any fantastic deals. I usually keep one or two components of a package deal and sell the rest for profit. I
H.H. Scott 299A
H.H. Scott FM/AM Tuner (I think model 350?)
Garrard 301
JBL Signature Speaker (I am not sure what model) with Stephens Fr 120 and 5KT drivers
Acousti-Craft cabinet containing what I believe belongs in the the JBL cabinet- D123 and model 075
All in all it is around $3000 worth of stuff.
As for what I have actually paid for, I haven't really found any fantastic deals. I usually keep one or two components of a package deal and sell the rest for profit. I
bustedguild
Active Member
Though not fully operational at the moment, this year's good find setup:
Fisher KX-200 integrated - free at the dump
Altec 846A's and accompanying matching console with a Dual 1019 (I'll disregard the Altec 711b receiver for this system) - $100
Currently need to do a full restore on the Fisher. The Altecs and console in in mid-refinish as there was ample water staining and finish damage to the tops of everything. Mouse turds in the console were just a bonus...
Fisher KX-200 integrated - free at the dump
Altec 846A's and accompanying matching console with a Dual 1019 (I'll disregard the Altec 711b receiver for this system) - $100
Currently need to do a full restore on the Fisher. The Altecs and console in in mid-refinish as there was ample water staining and finish damage to the tops of everything. Mouse turds in the console were just a bonus...
chicks
Lunatic Member
My system was $105.
Denon PMA 860 Integrated from Goodwill... $35
a/d/s L1090... $70 From a Garbage Route Customer
Denon DVM-3700 DVD using as CD Player...Free Garbage Find
2nd System was $75
Audionics of Oregon PZ3 amp...Free from a friend
Advent 300 Reciever as Preamp Free Garbage Find
Denon CDR W1500 Free Garbage Find
Mission 765i Speakers $75
Opus
Denon PMA 860 Integrated from Goodwill... $35
a/d/s L1090... $70 From a Garbage Route Customer
Denon DVM-3700 DVD using as CD Player...Free Garbage Find
2nd System was $75
Audionics of Oregon PZ3 amp...Free from a friend
Advent 300 Reciever as Preamp Free Garbage Find
Denon CDR W1500 Free Garbage Find
Mission 765i Speakers $75
Opus
cnolanh
Ad astra
My best $100 system:
ADS L710 speakers — free from a friend clearing out his house; one replacement tweeter cost me $50
Yamaha CR-840 receiver — $10 at church rummage sale
Sony CDP-CA7ES CD player — $25 from Craigslist
[alternative speakers: Soliloquy SAT5 monitors — $60 from friend]
Another approach:
ADS L710 speakers — free (before putting the correct 3/4" tweeter in, one had a 1" ADS tweeter, but they worked fine)
Adcom GFA-535 power amp — $50 from Craigslist
Phase Linear 3300 Series II preamp — $5 from church rummage sale
Sony CDP-CA7ES CD player — $25 from Craigslist
ADS L710 speakers — free from a friend clearing out his house; one replacement tweeter cost me $50
Yamaha CR-840 receiver — $10 at church rummage sale
Sony CDP-CA7ES CD player — $25 from Craigslist
[alternative speakers: Soliloquy SAT5 monitors — $60 from friend]
Another approach:
ADS L710 speakers — free (before putting the correct 3/4" tweeter in, one had a 1" ADS tweeter, but they worked fine)
Adcom GFA-535 power amp — $50 from Craigslist
Phase Linear 3300 Series II preamp — $5 from church rummage sale
Sony CDP-CA7ES CD player — $25 from Craigslist
SoundsAlike
Super Member
I once scored a Audio Research SP9 pre and a Counterpoint SA-(i forget model number) power amp for $50 each
soundmotor
super modified
Sparkie
Active Member
My favorite 100 buck system would be my Mitsubishi/Diatone M-P01/M-F01/M-A01 compact system driving my Klipsch Heresys. I keep thinking i can sell the Diatone stack but then i listen to it and damn if this tiny unit doesn't sound as good if not better then my much larger more expensive equipment. It kinda makes me mad but i forgive the little sucker every time.
smartin53
Well-Known Member
LOL I wasn't at Thule when I said that! We had tons of good thrift stores in the DC area but yet never scored back then.Not being at Thule?
I actually found some epic old RCA tube amp gear at Thule but because of the way it was designed (and its utter size) I could never make use of it. Filled classic green equipment racks from top to bottom with tons of supporting equipment and was very proprietary. Looked to have been decommissioned in the 80s when they stood up the newer phased array radar we use today there. I should have at least pulled the tubes...plenty of 12AX* tubes that I could have kept in reserve. It was probably worth a fortune too. It was meant for the PA systems in my buildings when it was designed in the 50s. There was also some industrial solid state Altec stuff that was installed inline later on also but there was no feasible way of turning it into an amp for home audio.
I did get lots of cool other things though. Best one is the old rotary phone module pulled out of one of the BMEWS consoles.
smartin53
Well-Known Member
Oh I forgot I got these guys too from the old PA system. They aren't HIFI by any means but they still work and I plan to use them in my garage sound setup. I saved the main mounting brackets so I just need something to bolt into a 2x4 and I'm good.
432HzBob
Lunatic Member
Luxman R1120a
Dynaco A25
Dual CS 721, with Pickering XSV3000 and original (bent but working) D3000 style
Pioneer PDR-609 cd recorder (no remote)
All within a year or so
All for <C-Note
All ridden home on a bike at least 4 miles from where it was discovered.
All cleaned up well and worked.
Latest find was a Technics SL-1600 cord cut and left for dead...mint shape, on a dumpster pile behind an "electronics" store tht just needed a belt.
....... and a Shure V15 II, all original packaging and a busted original needle.
The simple $25 Jico sounds really sweet on it now! .
.......Save that story for the next < $100 thread,.
All speaker wire, replaced lamps, replaced needles/, wood oil, polish, lube, soldering and a solder gun-severed tuning cord later all considered extravagant extras
Dynaco A25
Dual CS 721, with Pickering XSV3000 and original (bent but working) D3000 style
Pioneer PDR-609 cd recorder (no remote)
All within a year or so
All for <C-Note
All ridden home on a bike at least 4 miles from where it was discovered.
All cleaned up well and worked.
Latest find was a Technics SL-1600 cord cut and left for dead...mint shape, on a dumpster pile behind an "electronics" store tht just needed a belt.
....... and a Shure V15 II, all original packaging and a busted original needle.
The simple $25 Jico sounds really sweet on it now! .
.......Save that story for the next < $100 thread,.
All speaker wire, replaced lamps, replaced needles/, wood oil, polish, lube, soldering and a solder gun-severed tuning cord later all considered extravagant extras
432HzBob
Lunatic Member
Purrrty!Just the lighting. It's silver.
432HzBob
Lunatic Member
Just raw luck I'd say.
Then there's the stuff you wiff on because you don;t have room in a small place....
Like the Cerwin Vega D-8's that just need foaming
432HzBob
Lunatic Member
I suppose this is the latest $<100 latenight quiet sounds, behind the Oscar Madison couch lazy setup.
The All-Scott low power rig pieced together somehow.
Brother found the 200B at a yard sale in Lauderdale and gifted it to me as it "wasn't loud enough for his place". The Indestructable Huxtable we call it.
The LC-21 Pre bought from a guy in town that runs a small pasta joint and "just didn't need it, I prefer my McIntosh Pre just a little bit more and sold it for $40. I wiffed on the EPI 100's as have no room at the casa.
The 342b is solid state off the Bay from an Estate for $25, has a real nice sounding FM and phono section.
A plasticky-but-sturdy late 80's 100W Scott SS integrated coming just for a little more Oomph and a Scott TT on shelf off to side.
Already had all the wood cases and decided it's fun to play around with tubes you find and hear the differences.
Great for headphone listening.
Hardest part is finding a real efficient set of small speakers that a tiny 12/18 watts sound great on.
The All-Scott low power rig pieced together somehow.
Brother found the 200B at a yard sale in Lauderdale and gifted it to me as it "wasn't loud enough for his place". The Indestructable Huxtable we call it.
The LC-21 Pre bought from a guy in town that runs a small pasta joint and "just didn't need it, I prefer my McIntosh Pre just a little bit more and sold it for $40. I wiffed on the EPI 100's as have no room at the casa.
The 342b is solid state off the Bay from an Estate for $25, has a real nice sounding FM and phono section.
A plasticky-but-sturdy late 80's 100W Scott SS integrated coming just for a little more Oomph and a Scott TT on shelf off to side.
Already had all the wood cases and decided it's fun to play around with tubes you find and hear the differences.
Great for headphone listening.
Hardest part is finding a real efficient set of small speakers that a tiny 12/18 watts sound great on.