Audio deals you bought that seem impossible for the price?


When I look at the Elac Adante center channel I bought open box (I later added the stand) for $1400 total, a couple of years back, I think how is this even possible at anywhere near the price?  The 65 pound speaker (designed by the amazing Andrew Jones) has an aluminum front baffle with waveguide, custom designed (as opposed to off the shelf) concentric drivers, a very sophisticated internal woofer band pass structure and a trapezoidal cabinet.  
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-NJlSV8T4YYE/p_970AC61GB/ELAC-Adante-AC-61-Gloss-Black.html#&gid=1&pid=2

What are your audio purchases that seem impossible, or where the manufacturer clearly lost money?


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When I was selling home audio at Magnolia H-Fi in Seattle, WA, USA (mid-80s), the manufacturers were often ordering a great deal for employees. 
A few come to mind:
1: ADS was just releasing their CD3, which had excellent DACs, filtering, and build quality. I jumped at the chance (for the silly price), and it’s still working and usable today. 
2: Tandberg offered 30 cents in the dollar deals and free shipping and no tax. I scooped up a pair of monobloc class A power amps and the matching preamp. Stunning. 
3: Kef Reference 103.3 speakers via the same deal. Still sound stunning, excellent coupled-cavity bass, downward firing, excellent mids and highs, on stands with a slight backward tilt to put  sound at idle sitting position. 
Too many more to waste your time. 
Unless it’s an discontinued/closeup, b stock item or overproduction/overstock, I don’t believe any well established audio manufacturer will build product and sell it below cost!
Impossible!


1. No one said they did.  

But  

2. This happens all the time. Think about it.

@jwillox by chance do you know Randy Vikan ? the wizard tech at Magnolia.

Also, i got a TCD440 A for free, blowing fuses. Power transformer installed by Tand on a Monday or Friday lacking lockwashers, arcing to chassis….. So unhappy w disruption to customer they gave me it to fix….

Killer deck… Logic board failed in 1990
The biggest audio deal i ever have witnessed was when i got a pair of electrovoice carlton 4 a speakers for 750 dollars and i can tell you that there is no way you can duplicate their sound short of a concert, truly amazing sound.
Bought a new pair of 1993 Klipschorns, in Germany for DM 3999.99, back then around $2K in Canadian dollars.