Has anyone else auditioned something that really was terrible?

IMO it all comes down to the understanding of what makes a component sound good. Someone said most of the stuff is crap - that maybe true but you all keep falling for the same old lines. You need to understand what makes a component sound good. I always enjoy comments like "build like a tank". I still do not understand what that means or how that makes a component sound better.

I was at VPI Industries with our phono stage which is a reference level product. In one of the rooms was a pair of Martin Logan speakers. They were being driven by a Peach Tree 50WPC integrated amplifier. Way under powered. BUT the phono stage was so good that the sound was better than all the other systems. So blanket statements like many above (not all) are just opinions with not much explanation of why the system performed poorly.

Most components are similar in design and parts quality so IMO they sound similar with certain areas sounding better that the other component. Similar capacitors, resistors, layout, etc. What do you expect to hear different then? Specs IMO do not indicate how a component will perform.

Once you learn what makes something sound good then you will understand how to select the correct component to use for your tastes (three is no best of anything or very few of them IMO). It is really that simple. I was at a persons home not to long ago. Many people told me that the sound was really good and I had to go hear it. They were all impressed. I sat down to take a listen to all of the comments that everyone said they liked about the system. I sat there for a few seconds and thought to myself, what are these people hearing. I asked to owner to make a few simple changes and they were like wow the sound is much better. More open, more dynamic, more musical, more details and dimension. So am I to think that all these people don’t know anything about sound? They all thought the system was incredible before I made a few simple changes. I could have installed a resistor and made the system sound even better.

I do not mean to insult anyone or anything like that, but I will keep repeating myself, learn what makes one component sound different that the other one and you will be much happier. I am also always learning new things myself about sound.

Happy Listening to you all.

       Someone mentioned the 1970's McIntosh triangular speakers.  When I was a old enough to work summer jobs, my friend and I were shopping for stereos.  We went to the Mac dealer in north Fort Lauderdale and heard them at only the second high end store I had visited   Our local Boca Raton store was totally out of our price range, with its Maggies, Audio Research, and "entry level"  Luxman equipment.  Even with our naive ears, except for being musicians of sorts,  we both agreed that those were horrible sounding speakers.
     In the middle of the Summer, my buddy had decided on a Pioneer receiver that was several hundred dollars.  That same Mac dealer carried them for their relatively impoverished customers.  When we got paid on  a Friday, we rushed to the store in our electrician boots, denim tennis shorts and tee shirts, because they were only open from 9-5 for their wealthier clientele.  No one would help us.  In fact, the sales people were maneuvering the few other customers away from us, while giving us dirty side glances.     Finally, my buddy took out a stack of bills and started waving them around, yelling, "If you want us to leave, simply take my money and let me buy this receiver.  They quickly complied, without a hint of an apology.     When Advents came out, the Boca store picked them up along with Phase linear for a truly entry level product!  They treated us like royalty, because that was before Boca Raton was infiltrated by people who wanted to glean some breeding, but not manners, by moving there from Fort Lauderdale. 

The biggest issue with B&W's, other than price, is that  they reveal just how mediocre most electronics and recordings are.  I love the B&W's with diamond tweeters, and wish I has some.   Most manufacturers try to mask anomalies, but this also masks some good parts.  Well, another issue is that most amps do not have adequate power supplies to run them properly, making us run subs, unless you are lucky enough to have amps (Yes, it still takes two) that were reviewed as having "Gargantuation bass", like my Audire amps.  Compared to a Bryston 200 wpc amp, with its two 375 watt trannies, plus four per channel Motorola outputs and 4000 mf of filter caps per channel, my 125 wpc Audires have six outputs, a 500 watt tranny, and 4 26.000 mf per channel.  I believe this is why my Bryston fades a bit at loud volumes with lots of bass.  All Audire amps above mine have stacks of outputs on the same circuits used in mine, and yes, they are better, as is newer Bryston, I hear.  So much for my plebeian cheering section,as it dreams of diamonds.

I would hope we can all agree that sonic/aural memory is somewhat faulty, not as in I can't remember what my rig sounds like, but as in it's
difficult to remember someone else's rig you heard a month ago.

With that as a background, I heard the worst most absurd speakers ever on the planet.  Plasmatronics!  Built-in amp for the woofer and a plasma
tweeter driven by a tank of helium internal to the speaker.  A single
mass-less point source, wow should be amazing radiating in every direction equally.  Well think again, not only is it shrill, screechy, insanely
out of balance, smeared all over the place, but add to that the "tweeter"
creates ozone that not only makes you light headed but is an excellent
lung irritant. 

To make matters worse the "tweeter" has no upper limit on volume, it will just keep getting louder, way beyond ear splitting levels. Oh yeah, you also have to take the tank out and get it filled with helium on a regular basis.

In these days of shelter in place here is some reading enjoyment:
http://hillplasmatronics.com/

Please bear in mind that my audition took place nearly 40 years ago, this technology may have very well turned into something amazing.

Stay safe,
Barts