Sub-$100 sound system (speakers/cd player/receiver [or preamp/amp])

[Seth=L]

What? A complete stereo for under $100?!?! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!! LIES LIES LIIEES!!!!!!

No John, it's all in the miracle of bargain hunting.

That's right, for under $100 you could compile an entire stereo. Will it be pretty?, only if you plan on waiting for 5 years to find all the matching mint shiney stuff. In under 2 months you could compile a system like this one.

Polk Audio RT7 bookshelf speakers: $20 (was $50 on Craigslist for those with a Kenwood stereo receiver, sold the receiver to a pawn shop for $30)

Mitsubishi preamp: $5 (high noise floor, but easily dismissible at all but the quietest levels of output, also was missing attached power cord. Once the cord was replaced there have been no issues)

Kenwood stereo amplifier: free (lucky find in my workplace's warehouse. I've picked up similar amplifiers for less than $40 in garage sales, thrift stores, or pawn shops. You can pick up the matching amplifier to the Mitsubishi preamp online for $30+shipping buy it now. I have the matching amplifier, sadly it has no output)

Magnavox CDB-650: $25 (yes, I've had it for a while, but you can pick up CD players a dime a dozen just about anywhere and they don't sound drastically different anyway. It's hard to find a CD player that is truly garbage)

Total: $50, factor in cost of an amplifier or receiver to be a few dollars more than the cost of my preamp/amp combo and it still gives you room to breath at still under $100.

Another pic for fun...

 

[Seth=L]

I would like to add that this is not a "garage stereo" or a KLH stereo, this system can actually be used as a way to playback Hi-Fi. You can sit and actually enjoy music on this system, or use it for background music at high levels of output without signs of stress. It's a cheap effective stereo. If you can't spend, then start searching. Start learning the history of sound systems. You never know when you will find a shining diamond under a pile of dirt. Not all thrift stores and Pawn shops know that a Marantz Model 2250 stereo receiver is worth something, and not all their customers know this either. To some people it's old garbage, but to those of us that know we can snatch something nice up for $30 knowing it's worth every penny of $200. That's not to say that the system compiled above is a gold mine, but it can be in the eyes of the beholder. I know the preamp is nothing special, and the amplifier isn't either. However, they do function as I need them to and will probably continue to do so for some time since they have been doing it since the early 90's. The speakers and CD player are more special. The speakers are special because they are well regarded among Polk fans as being one of their best bookshelf speakers, and the CD player not only has a coaxial digital output and stellar build quality for a 1986 CD player but it also performs superbly as a stand alone player. The Philips and Magnavox players of this time will always hold a special place in my audio heart though, I find them to be quite cool.

 

[Seth=L]

I'm glad at least one person enjoys my antics.

Thanks adwilk

 

[yettitheman]

How much for that awesome Akai TV in the back? Is that part of the $100 budget?

Nah. That TV is worthless.

 

[jwenthold99]

I have to agree, my current system was a bargain hunter system, just with a higher price tag. All of my speakers were discontinued floor models, the receiver was an open box discount etc... My sound system, not including the TV, was under a grand.

I had a sweet sansui setup, integrated amp, tuner, tape deck, with a very nice sounding old school sony cd player, I picked up from a classified ad for $100.

 

[Alex2507]

I'm glad at least one person enjoys my antics.

There's two of us!

In an hour I'm off to see a man about an old Pioneer SX-1010 for $20.
Now that may or may not work but he's also got a HK 330 for $50 that he's currently using so it works and I want
to be able to get into that amp/pre-amp chain. My niece asked me last night if I have become a Craigslist addict.

What's cool about this stuff for me is that I can mess around with it all I want without disrupting Oprah and
General Hospital in the main system out in the living room. That works for me in the sense that when it's movie hour,
everything works just like it did the day before.

I'm finding Audio Karma to be an interesting source of info. I just don't know who's who over there so guess what,
for this vintage gear you will be my 'go to guy'. I guess my best score so far is a turntable that I picked up for $20
and then I saw the same thing go for $185 shipped on eBay. It has been officially pooh-poohed I think 3 times but guess what,
it works and I think it's cool.

Speaker wise my only score to date is some Pioneer HPM-100's. I am trying to redo their binding posts and replacing
some drivers to bring them up to snuff. AK has a take on replacing some crossover parts and I'm interested.
There is no end to the fun to be had.

 

[lsiberian]

I did the same. My 3 fronts are Recession buster kit builds. 3 of my surrrounds I got for 40 each off CL. I picked up one more from A4less when they had a crazy sale. But the 4th cost me 100.

my receiver is an ebay HDMI receiver. Is it super reliable? No, but it sounds nice and with some jimmy rigging works well for me.

My MBMs would be further along if it weren't for the rain.