Good used values:
VTL Ultimate preamplifier..true dual monaural
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A
Audio Research SP8, SP 9
Audiomat Arpege, Prelude
Audio Note SORO
Audio Note P2SE and P1SE (el84 based)
Bryston 2b-LP...great sounding 60 watt SS amp
older Accuphase amplifiers in the 1500 range
Accuphase T100 AM/FM tuner at 550/600..will only go up
Convergent Audio Sl1 Signature phono preamplifier
Audio Note DAC products; older DAC 1, 2, and 3 are excellent values with great performance
PS Audio 2C and 2C Plus very good and very cheap when they come up for sale
anything ten years older or more should be put on a bench with a qualified technician as almost certainly parts will need to be replaced; include this in your budget. For example, I was advised that if I ever wanted a used Kondo Ongaku one can be found in the 20k price range. But, once I acquire it I need to budget an additional 5000 bucks for service/upgrades to bring it to modern standards. Same applies with less expensive units.
VTL Ultimate preamplifier..true dual monaural
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A
Audio Research SP8, SP 9
Audiomat Arpege, Prelude
Audio Note SORO
Audio Note P2SE and P1SE (el84 based)
Bryston 2b-LP...great sounding 60 watt SS amp
older Accuphase amplifiers in the 1500 range
Accuphase T100 AM/FM tuner at 550/600..will only go up
Convergent Audio Sl1 Signature phono preamplifier
Audio Note DAC products; older DAC 1, 2, and 3 are excellent values with great performance
PS Audio 2C and 2C Plus very good and very cheap when they come up for sale
anything ten years older or more should be put on a bench with a qualified technician as almost certainly parts will need to be replaced; include this in your budget. For example, I was advised that if I ever wanted a used Kondo Ongaku one can be found in the 20k price range. But, once I acquire it I need to budget an additional 5000 bucks for service/upgrades to bring it to modern standards. Same applies with less expensive units.