I've seen ATS-1's go in the threes on eBay, and a desktop PC with a
first rate sound card is a thousand bucks even today, times two-we're
not an order of magnitude apart. A 339 or a Potomac pair is cheaper,
used.

But a hobbyist can start with a HP200 bench osc (very cheap, eminently
repairable), a dummy load, a HP or Fluke wideband voltmeter and a
simple scope, and add on a HP 334 a little later on for the budget of a
nice PC. I'd then drag home a HP 8903 (I hate Sound Tech...my
prejudice) and a budget PC with a scrounged HPIB card. You don't need
to **** ten grand off the bat-but if you're going to, a AP makes a lot
more sense than a Krell or Mark Levinson pair, resale wise, and, for
me, enjoyment-wise as well. With good test equipment I can build and
verify my homebuilt or repaired scrounged boxes. And **** off high end
saloon salespeople too!