Amazing ''Overachieving'' products...your pick?


I have owned both expensive gear (and I do mean expensive) and ''budget'' gear. Many components are mind-boggling on a price-paid versus performance ratio. Three of my favorites are:

1. The Bedini clarifier. This gizmo just plain works. You may like - or not - the difference it makes on your cd's. In my case, it clears up a lot of fog. The cheapest upgrade to ALL my cd's.

2. The Cayin TA-30 integrated amplifier . So much performance and flexibility for so little money. Put it up against anything up to 3 times the price, musically and from a build-quality perspective. Just plain amazing.

3. The Apple i-Pod Mini. Yes, even from in an audiophile application, playing cd's (not downloaded MP3's). You can snob it but you cannot ignore it.

What are YOUR picks ?
sonicbeauty
1) Jolida JD-100. No brainer. Here's an easy recipe: juice the tubes to NOS 5751s; switch the PC to something like a Chris VenHaus Flavor 1; hit the tube pins, RCAs, and PC/IEC prongs with Walker SST; and add a bit of isolation (granite, marble, maple, points, whatever).

2) Polk SDA 1-C speakers. Yeah, I know, Polk. They don't make these anymore. From the mid-late 80s, these have crazy wide/deep soundstage with excellent imaging and voice/instrument placement, wonderful top and low end (mids could be a bit more detailed); they do need plenty of current to make them shine. They respond very well to modest or even intense tweaking. I still prefer my 1-Cs to numerous, much more expensive speakers of today.
Harvey Rosenberg's SuperIt phono stage. Wow.

The Morrison ELAD - I'm still new to it, but to get this kind of performance and build quality in a sub-$800 line stage is just outrageous.
Electrocompaniet AW-220 mono blocs and McIntosh MC-501 mono blocs.

I now have both. Both are ridiculously good. The Electro's are the more ridiculously great deal. I can't see selling either set, which is in itself ridiculous.
1. LABELS : Naim, Mapleshade, 6 Moons Sampler CD (Nothing improves the sound more than a properly recorded Software)
2. Signal Cables - value at all price points - honest dealing and great service
3. Tube Research Labs - Digital Mods for $550 - compares with CD players above $2000 - great service - super mod
4. TAD-30, TAD-60, TAD-150 Tube Integrated, Pre, Power from 2baudio.com Paul is a great guy - offers best bang for the buck products
5. Von Schweikert Speakers - VR1 - for small to medium rooms