Best Component Ever, for the money

NAD 3020 integrated amp.

Since the best value item I have ever purchased is not eligible for nomination on this thread, I nominate my second choice, the N.E.A.R. 50Me II loudspeaker. I purchased mine new for $1,600 in the Rosewood finish with some very slight blemishes. My brother purchased a black ash pair new for $1,200. They are no longer in production, and these were closeout prices. They are transparent, dynamic, with very good frequency response, and also possess excellent spatial rendering qualities. Truly excellent performance and value. I'd also like to mention Atma-Sphere electronics. They are not inexpensive, but I believe they offer exceptional value for their performance level. God bless.

Thiel 3.6, a model that has been in existence 9 years with no upgrade - could easily sell for 2 1/2 times IMHO.

I'd agree with Jim on this one. I bought one new back in 1981 or 2 for $189.00 and it was a mindblower. A couple of years ago I took a trip down memory lane and bought a used one for $50.00, I put some AudioQuest pre-jumpers in and this little guy still holds it's own. Great phono stage (Thomlison Holman design) and it could drive any speaker on the planet. Dollar for Dollar the best of all time IMO.

Best deal(s)? I bought an Aragon X5 HT amp, Soundstage preamp and cables for $4,000, split them up and sold them the next week on eBay for $6,700 -- then used the profit towards a Sony SCD-1 my highest end piece. Net result of this was the Sony SCD-1 for $400! Best deal dollar wise? A Marantz 14EX on Audiogon for $1800 after selling my Marantz SR18 for $1600 -- cost of upgrade was $200. Folks, the road to high end bliss is a well-traded one on audiogon and eBay.