absolute best component you ever owned

I hope the best "component" I ever owned is the one upcoming, a new dedicated listening room I plan on building within the year. I am no equipment horse and have had fewer pieces of components over the years than many here so my experience with different gear in my system is quite limited although I've heard much over the years and well know what is important to me in well reproduced audio. I am a careful buyer and have been lucky that I haven't fallen prey to any piece of gear that didn't have its merits. To date unequivocally the piece that has pushed (forced) me to re-evaluate every component in my system and make forthcoming changes are the Merlin VSM-SE currently being upgraded to M's. Every time I upgrade a component, these speakers just raise the bar. I guess I'll have them for a while because they involve me with the music in a way that has never happened before. Gotta find their limit if they have a limit. My long time warhorse is my SOTA Sapphire turntable which I have owned for 15 years along with the JVC 1050 CD player (10 years) which I use as a transport. Bottom line, I like long marriages more than short honeymoons.

The absolute best component I ever owned is my old and still working Magnavox 560 CD Player. I paid $89.00 for it 12 years ago and it's still working great. It has digital out and has been used for years with various Outboard DA processors. It was damaged a few years ago during a move. The remote control sensor inside the box broke loose. I just drilled a hole in the side and the sensor is taped on top. Works great. It’s now being used in my bedroom system.

My Stax Lambda Pro earphones

Jadis JA 200 amps. I can't see ever wanting any other amplification. These things give me goose bumps. I bought them used and consider myself very lucky to have them.

I agree with recres, I love my Tube Research amps. I have yet to have found an amplifier so dynamic, yet so at ease.

Gallo Nucleus Reference II loudspeakers. Nakamichi 1000 II cassette deck.

EVS nude passive attenuator, forget about preamps forever if your system works with it.

A stacked pair of the ancient Quads per side....

This is tough, I don't think I could narrow it down to one piece that was the best I ever owened.

That said, I will give comments.

I sold a mint Nakamichi ZX-9 cassette deck last year. This was easily the hardest item I had bringing myself to sell. I needed cash to pay for other audio gear, sound familiar?

I couldn't pick one componant that is my favorite in my system now, I am very happy with them all, except IC's.

I would like to give a special mention to my Fanfare FT-1A tuner. Since the purchase of this, I use my system MUCH more than I ever have, causing me to enjoy my system that much more.

I feel very blessed to own the system I have.