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JVC belt-drive turntable
Rich from Chicago wants to know about our readers' generosity: What's the best system that you've ever <I>given</I> away or sold dirt-cheap to a friend?
I gave my wife's friend the following: Pioneer SX-737, Garrard table with a Shure cartridge, and Acoustic Research TSW-210 speakers. I also gave away a Marantz 1060, several Minimus 7s, Denon CD changer, and a Pioneer SA-9500 to friends or employees.
I traded a Technics direct-drive and a Kenwood integrated amp/ tuner combo. I got two drawings from a physician friend who ran a clinic in Juarez, Mexico. He was a music lover who never got paid by his patients, so it was worth it.
Let's see, I gave away my Creek 4140 to my friend's son (who has loved it and taken good care of it) and that same friend gave me his Magnum Dynalab tuner when his digital switching amps sent out waves of tuner jamming noise. I've also given away a used CI DAC, various cables, a TV, and plenty of computer-related hardware. I figure, if it's not going net a big return to sell something, I'll get better bang for just donating it and reaping the future good karma.
Gave an upgraded Well-Tempered Record Player to a friend who's just getting into vinyl and put an NAD/PSB/Kimber system in the hanger at the drop zone 'cause I couldn't abide the boom box music that was there before. Gave my bro-in-law a Magnum Dynalab antenna Saturday. The turntable & antenna were just sitting in a closet.
All given as presents and at the time in the hope of converting the receivers to the joys of hi-fi: Pioneer A400 amp, Marantz CD transport (forget model number but it was one of the best at the time), Tannoy Dual Concentric "Gold" 15" in folded-horn corner enclosures. Some years later, a pair of Dynaudio Evidence Masters given on long-term loan to a local volunteer FM station., Sugden 40 amp, Sugden A45 tuner, and TDL Transmission line speakers. Lots & lots of overpriced, over-hyped cables & interconnects, Counterpoint SA5 preamp, Denon Direct drive TT, Mission 774 arm, and a Nakamchi B480(?) cassette deck.
I thought a "friend" was giving me a super deal on some high-end fixtures for my bathroom renovation and gave him an MMF-7 turntable in gratitude, then discovered it was his standard discount. At least he's enjoying it, even if all it does it look good in a system that requirs the bass and treble be on "11" to compensate for blown speakers. I had no idea! Yikes!
I lent my cousin's son most of my first serious system: a Belles 80W amp and the matching preamp I had purchased in 1982, an Adcom tuner, and Thiel 901 speakers. I'm still using the Linn. Thiel had just been kind enough (read: they didn't charge for the service, what a company!) to re-foam the bass/mid drivers. My cousin's son subsequently distributed the equipment to his friends, all now dispersed. "Oh, you didn't say you wanted it back"! No good deed goes unpunished.
Just speakers, but they were both good for their times. I sold a very nice pair of Large Advents to a friend for a couple hundred and a pair of Klipsh Heresys to another for the same price. Neither are the greatest speakers in the world but neither were bad either. Wish I still had them both—well, actually I do have an older pair of the large Advents playing in the garage; $25 off Craig's list and they sound very nice out there.
I have a friend who just got divorced and I gave her a California Audio Labs Icon II CD player. An Adcom tuner/preamp (don't remember the model) Adcom 535 power amp, and NHT Super Ones. with Linn K20 speaker cables and some WireWorld IC's. Seeing the delight on her face when she talks about using it every day was well worth it. It was just taking up space at my place anyway.