What is the cheapest system (less than 500 euros/dollars) that surprised you with its sound quality?

[Jmudrick]

A big wow for me was using powered JBL LSR305 speakers. About $300 for the pair at the time. Add any of the good $200 or less DACs or DAC/Pre or audio recording interfaces and you have damn good sound. It has its deficiencies, but what it does was eye opening versus other gear at the time. The improved Mk II version can be had for $258 the pair now. I purchased some for monitor speakers to use in recording, but they were far better than I expected. I took them around to audiophile friends who had very expensive systems. They didn't better those, but all who heard them were left shaking their heads at how good they were for so cheap.

Catch some on a bit of a sale and you'd have money left over for a good enough DAC and some of the even more surprising LSR308's. Complete system for $500 that could not be touched not so long ago for even thrice the money. Hearing these two were part of my experience that convinced me Harman's speaker guidelines were really onto something.

Same experience with the JBL. Completely changed my direction as an audiophile.

 

[Rednaxela]

I gave you a chance, but nothing …
now you will go straight to my ignore list

In your nineteenth contribution here? That's fast.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

All the Echo Dots have impressed me with their ability.

 

[recycle]

In your nineteenth contribution here? That's fast.

View attachment 284201

You are right about my 19 posts in here, but I'm sensitive and I recognize attitude very quickly in people. The point is that when there is arrogance there can be no dialogue and it is therefore useless to communicate further

 

[Hollywood_Bob]

In 1981 my brother pushed me into buying some speakers.

My brother had 5 Ohm F speakers and McIntosh amps, and a steady job and a house.

I had no money, I was a student, and finances were very shaky, and the same with living accommodations.

I paid $300 for a pair of used 1978 Rogers LS3/5A speakers. I ate noodles for a year afterwards.

In my tiny student garret, they sounded better than the Ohm F's.

42 years later, the Rogers still delight me when I play something immediate like Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab.

The musicians and singer are right there, right in front of me in my room, playing for me!

I weep.

 

[CrustyToad]

A big wow for me was using powered JBL LSR305 speakers. About $300 for the pair at the time. Add any of the good $200 or less DACs or DAC/Pre or audio recording interfaces and you have damn good sound. It has its deficiencies, but what it does was eye opening versus other gear at the time. The improved Mk II version can be had for $258 the pair now. I purchased some for monitor speakers to use in recording, but they were far better than I expected. I took them around to audiophile friends who had very expensive systems. They didn't better those, but all who heard them were left shaking their heads at how good they were for so cheap.

Catch some on a bit of a sale and you'd have money left over for a good enough DAC and some of the even more surprising LSR308's. Complete system for $500 that could not be touched not so long ago for even thrice the money. Hearing these two were part of my experience that convinced me Harman's speaker guidelines were really onto something.

This! It was just crazy how well they sounded and how uncomplicated they were to position.

Had another really good experience with some second hand Infinity reference 1i. Bought them in a bundle with an amp for fun and I am still shocked at how nice they sound. Gifted them to a friend who still enjoyes them today

 

[Jochen]

In 1981 my brother pushed me into buying some speakers.

My brother had 5 Ohm F speakers and McIntosh amps, and a steady job and a house.

I had no money, I was a student, and finances were very shaky, and the same with living accommodations.

I paid $300 for a pair of used 1978 Rogers LS3/5A speakers. I ate noodles for a year afterwards.

In my tiny student garret, they sounded better than the Ohm F's.

42 years later, the Rogers still delight me when I play something immediate like Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab.

The musicians and singer are right there, right in front of me in my room, playing for me!

I weep.

I am a bit skeptical about the quality of the Rogers speakers (they were probably good back then), but thanks for mentioning Arooj Aftab, I didn't know her, really great music!

 

[Timcognito]

Got one of these at a company holiday party in 2016. Man it sounds great for a portable one box solution, indoor or outdoor, plenty of bass and a 26 hour battery. A three pound party in a box. I wish I didn't give to my son.

Premium Wireless Bluetooth Speakers - RIVA Turbo X

RIVA Audio's Turbo X delivers best-in-class audio by combining our proprietary ADX Trillium technology for truly immersive sound. Shop online today. Official Site!

rivaaudio.com

 

[Talisman]

Got one of these at a company holiday party in 2016. Man it sounds great for a portable one box solution, indoor or outdoor, plenty of bass and a 26 hour battery. A three pound party in a box. I wish I didn't give to my son.

Premium Wireless Bluetooth Speakers - RIVA Turbo X

RIVA Audio's Turbo X delivers best-in-class audio by combining our proprietary ADX Trillium technology for truly immersive sound. Shop online today. Official Site!

rivaaudio.com

Yes, I believe that in general, many of the new bluetooth speakers with the possibility of being performed in stereo and with integrated dsp can offer a pleasant musical experience, perhaps not accurate or high fidelity but certainly pleasant to listen to, even for an audiophile like me.
I often sleep outside for work, and for now I put my spare parts and a pair of bose bluetooth speakers in my backpack (I know that many people hate this brand)
Well, to me, what these two little things can produce is absolutely incredible when we consider the size, and the result at low to medium volumes is completely satisfactory.

 

[Talisman]

42 years later, the Rogers still delight me when I play something immediate like Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab.

I join in thanking you for letting me listen to this really beautiful album.
CD arriving tomorrow

 

[Hollywood_Bob]

Sony SRS-HG1 bluetooth speaker, came out in about 2016. No longer available

I bought it new, so so sound.

A few months ago, I updated the new firmware that came out in April 2022, and used the Sony app to connect the speaker to my phone by wifi so I could use it as a bedside speaker.

Uncanny sound. It's like a live, 3D performance, even though I have one ear in the pillow and the other pointing at the ceiling.

They can be connected as stereo speakers so I am buying another from ebay for about $140 Can.

 

[Colonel7]

I join in thanking you for letting me listen to this really beautiful album.
CD arriving tomorrow

Agreed. Nice listen - I like it when members introduce music that moves them

 

[Chrispy]

Like some others one of my better experiences were with JBL LSR 305 speakers, for the cost hard to beat (but of course somewhat limited use case). I don't think its hard to get very good performance at this price point. Can be much more disappointing spending 10x as much and getting little more....particularly if your purchases are hardware oriented away from the speakers themselves.

 

[LeftCoastTim]

Another vote for JBL 308 (and the 310s subwoofer).

The price/sound quality is in the obscene category (that is, definitely beyond good, or great, or outrageous).

 

[Waxx]

The JBL LR308 is indeed a great speaker for it's price and hard to beat. Pair it with a dac with volume control (like the Topping DX3) and you have a very good basic system that is arround 500€.

 

[TonyJZX]

I paid $13 for a Logitech 2.1 system on clearance to use with a TV. Wasn't expecting much but the improvement was stunning. Says more about TV speakers than a $13 powered system though.

The vast majority of LCD TVs have horrible sound. Slimness is everything so they hide piezo type speakers in the base, back etc.

A basic Logitech or Edifier type 2.1 system with say 3/4" mid-woofers and a 5-6" subwoofer is a substantial increase in plain vocal legibility alone.

My other place has a TV in every room and I have been able to get free or close to free 2.1 systems on every one of them...

IMO this place has Chinese digital stereo amps and Chinese DACs covered... there's no greater resource on the internet than this place on that subject... which I find to be ironic. You can fill in some gaps with all the other Youtube folks who love Chinese gear like Randy and Williston.

You can get a $100 amp and a $100 dac that has performance literally impossible a decade ago.

HOWEVER there's still a gap and that's speakers... I personally wont ever buy anything less than 6"... there's no point... you dont save much space and you lose so much... "body"... and so here you probably should focus your efforts.

Find a good set of 6" plus bookshelf speakers... these three things would get you pretty far in.

Let us not get into subwoofers because then you get into crossovers and that's messy.

I think a good three piece setup would satisfy most. I'm not sure the Chinese are there yet with a 'decent' digital integrated amp that isnt too much money.

The Sabaj A30a is a popular product here but its quite expensive. I would love to see a $250 digital integrated with analog inputs and all the usual features and a robust 75w or so.

 

[melvinjames]

I cobbled this little system together for my work space. I purchased the Fleawatt in 2016 after a Dayton DTA-120 went tits-up. I've had the speakers and CCA since they were released. For me, the money spent ($365) was well worth it.

Chromecast Audio
Fleawatt TPA3116D2
Pioneer SP-BS22-LR

 

[Timcognito]

Pioneer SP-BS22-LR

+1 on these. there is a tread on ASR on how to mod them

 

[student of history]

My Yamaha NS-AW350W sounded pretty excellent, for the $75 I paid for them. I haven’t set them up outside yet, but tested them inside with an old iPad Mini 4 playing through a Topping E30 DAC and Topping PA3S amp. So, like $450 for the system. I was really surprised by how good they sounded.