Forget the sacking of Moscow's mayor or Russia's chances of beating England to host the 2018 world cup. Russia's blogosphere was today buzzing with a discussion of president Dmitry Medvedev's state-of-the-art stereo system.

On Friday Medvedev invited Vladimir Putin to his Moscow residence for a simple breakfast of milk and brown bread. The meeting was meant to reinforce the two leaders' unity and their humble love of patriotic dairy products.

Sharp-eyed bloggers, however, spotted Medvedev's extraordinary stereo lurking in the background. Experts estimated it was worth up to $200,000 (£130,000). It includes giant speakers, a CD player, amplifiers, and other expensive gadgets. It is not clear whether the stereo belongs to Medvedev himself – a Deep Purple fan and keen vinyl enthusiast – or is the property of the state, in this case the Russian Federation. Either way, it is a tantalising clue in a country where any mention of Putin or Medvedev's personal wealth is strictly taboo.

Bloggers seemed unimpressed by Medvedev's choice of audio equipment, much of it made in Britain (including a bespoke Avid Acutus Reference SP turntable, made in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and two Swiss-made Daniel Hertz M1 speakers, costing a cool $75,000 a pair, it was estimated.)

One blogger, yarosh, declared: "The experts I've talked to tell me this is a bit of a vulgar stereo complex. There's nothing special about it. You can find something cooler and cheaper in Russia and, most crucially, with a superior sound." Others wanted to know why Medvedev had not bought a Russian model and whether he had paid for it himself or used taxpayers' cash. "If the stereo belonged to Obama, or any European leader, this would be a scandal rather than a joke," one blogger, westernstorm, pointed out.

Official photos from the meeting show Medvedev crouching down to change the CD. It is not clear, though, whether the meeting took place against a backdrop of Deep Purple and British rock from the 1970s. Putin, for the record, is said to prefer listening to patriotic ballads.