Your most disappointing purchase or audition?


I've had a few.

bought a Naim Nait 3. Loved it in the store. Returned it within a week- way forward at home

Brought home some CJ preamp to audition perhaps 22 years ago. Noisy as anything and a turn off transient destroyed a tweeter (though years later i bought a CJ 17LS2 which I thought was the finest preamp I ever heard in my home)

Auditioned a VPI table (HW19) in a store- the store just could not get the belt to stay on. Bought a Rega instead. This was in perhaps 1990.

Fortunately, I never really experienced buyers remorse say 6 months or more after settling on a piece of gear.

Finally, there have been too many speakers that got stellar write ups which I just didn't care for.
128x128zavato

Showing 12 responses by tubegroover

My most disappointing purchase was a Threshold S-200 way back when I first discovered this whole high end biz. I purchased it based on the performance of the SA-1's which were quite a different beast. It wasn't a bad sounding amp it just looked better than the NAD I liked as much during the audition period but was assured by the salesman that the Threshold was definitely better and twice the price. In any case I kept it for a few years before realizing that I just wasn't involved with the music. Sold it overseas to some guy in Norway for what I paid, he loved it.

I hear you Marty on the early ML Sequels, horrible integration of the drivers. I couldn't imagine who would purchase those speakers until I saw a guy lay down the green at my local dealer. I wasn't too fond of the CLS either for that matter but at least no integration issues. ML has come a long way since those early days.
All these negatives about MF. How about the Nuvista amplifier, isn't Michael Fremer still using that amp after all these years? I'm not familiar with the brand but must say it is amazing that something so poor sounding is still around, mediocrity yes I get that but worse than some of those receivers from the 70's and early 80's, I had a few of those too. And speaking of mediocrity I hear you Trejla on the Legacy line which mirrors my experience. I've never heard a set-up with any of their speakers that made me want to even remotely consider them yet they do indeed have nice cabinets. Never heard the Whispers. I felt the Focus on one set-up might be considered worthy in the midrange. That was a long time ago and time marches on. My most recent experience at Axponia was that they are what they are and always have been to my ears, not bad but most of the music is hiding somewhere and all I see and hear is a speaker, yawn.
Now what did you do or say that would warrant scrutiny Charles? A case to your point Charles, the post above yours by Panhead concerning the MBL's. I too heard them at Axponia a few years back two different times during the day. First time was ok but nothing that really made me take notice. They made a few adjustments and when I came back to that room later in the day it was as if I was listening to a different speaker, they were just glorious, particularly on orchestral music. I've heard these speakers several times over the past 20 years or so with varying impressions. One thing for sure, they like and need plenty of space.

Sometimes people make a judgement based on an anecdotal experience that may not be optimal.
We ALL better be careful if the moderators are watching your words Charles. Maybe you should stop being so honest in your appraisals? What a joke!
That's just too funny P59teitel, I mean Mom on the couch with the speaker. You must be careful what you say when dealing with "serious" people, one never knows or can begin to realize the results. Problem with your case, if I were a moderator and the aggrieved party started complaining, you got a bit too personal, never talk about a son's mom, direct personal assult. In those cases ya gotta nip em at the bud, still funny though, at least to me.

Charles, maybe by all the responses in your favor, I mean really what did you do but offer your opinion, the moderators might just lighten up a bit on opinions offered and focus their attention more on the most egregious crimes and misdemeanors. That guy in Roxy's example sounds like he has some deeper issues, sure wouldn't him to know where I lived.
"You suggested that my equipment must be the exception to the rule regarding Atmasphere as a friend’s Atmasphere components work fine. From a statistical or logical level that suggestion does not compute."

Tubes 108 your comment above that Charles's impressions based on his friend's ownership of Atma-sphere components, "work fine" and your situation may be "the exception to the rule" and you disagree from "a statistical or logical level that suggestion does not compute"

Why is it not logical or does not compute? Could you reference the date of the Sterophile review and the date of your particular situation, it might help in giving perspective to your charges. It seems you had a problem but by your last comment (the last paragraph of your last post) you seem to have an ax to grind. Why aren't you addressing your issues on this thread directly to Ralph after his response? After all it is he, not Charles that you should be responding to WITH some details and dates. Continuing with comments through a a 3rd party is questionable.

This product has been around for a while. Maybe in their early days they had quality control issues and they didn't address those issues in the manner that a new owner might expect, I don't know. All I'm suggesting is that there is not a complete picture of your grievance and you seem very bitter towards this company but you provide scant information for the reader to conclude that your information is totally credible.
Yes Roxy, I too remember hearing the Kav Krell 300i integrated a few times at a dealer many years back. If I recall it wasn't too expensive, at least not for a Krell but it wasn't at all impressive, actually much worse than that but it did have a nice case and low profile, if looks are important. I'm sure a few unsuspecting purchasers got hoodwinked on that one.
Hi Tubes

I certainly expected that you had some sort of problem and that it wasn't completely fabricated. I had no need to question your initial post nor did I but when the manufacturer of said product went on the record to say it never happened. It is the ONLY reason I responded as you seemed satisfied not to rebut it in your second post. You indicated that this happened when you were "young and naive", maybe decades ago? Or are you still young but less naive? In any case if it happened many moons back it may explain why Ralph doesn't recall it happening. Obviously SOMETHING happened and if you are offering your experiences with a product(s) that are being completely disputed by the offending party wouldn't you want to go on the record to clarify it to everyone reading? Your comments about his business agenda, well Al Marg summed up my sentiments concerning that although you see it differently, fine you're certainly entitled to that conclusion. This is where I detected a bit of "bitter", maybe not?

Yes, I am guilty as charged of being a 3rd party observer however I have no relationship with Atma-sphere in any capacity nor have I owned any of their products but I certainly know folks that own or have with few issues I'm personally aware of and certainly not the recurring problems you encountered with different Atma-sphere products. Yes, I do admire Ralph and value his contributions which more often than not touch on areas beyond endorsing his products in those most subtle ways all but the most astute would take notice. No offense to you intended if any was taken and thank you for your clarification.
The question about dates has been asked and ignored. Apparently it is irrelevant but it ISN'T irrelevant to resurrect the dead dog with much of the same information that has been previously stated. It seems enough has been said concerning this matter short of the two parties privately getting together and discussing it, both willing of course.
Roxy I agree however there gets to a point when it becomes an excercise in futility for the reader trying to determine all the FACTS, we'll never know. The truth lays in conviction. It seems both parties are being truthful. It is the reason I asked about dates from the very beginning to lend perspective on why there are such contrasting views. Ralph doesn't recall ANY of it I'm sure and he certainly brings up some interesting facts about what would happen to an electronic component if a diode is installed backwards. What does seems quite certain is that the details are fuzzy, some things don't add up at all. The persistence of memory becomes less so as the years pass and if this was decades ago it would come as little surprise. Who remembers exactly what they had for lunch 2 weeks ago? Poor analogy to a terrible purchase experience of a pair of expensive audio components for sure but unless one is blessed with a photographic memory, facts concerning ALL the details will be forgotten or altered. So may it rest, there is nowhere to go from here.
See what I mean about the passage of time and details Roxy? We ALL must have missed it in the deleted posts :)