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
Tpair, you said, "Oppo 95 Replaced Theta Miles."

I'm not sure what you meant by that. Did the Oppo replace the Theta as the worst purchase, or did you have to replace the Theta, your worst purchase, with the Oppo?

And a general comment, some of the more boutique components need a break in time and do sound off for the first while. My NAD C326Bee needed a break in, at first it sounded somewhat bright with a less-than-perfect background. Some time on it changed that.
Interesting the amount of disappointment with Musical Fidelity products in this thread
Green Mountain Audio Chroma speakers...just a bad experience during the sale and more so after receiving them with a damaged driver which I replaced. I sold them as fast as I could.
Oh yeah, and another......Coincident Super/Total Eclipse something or other speakers. Sounded DREADFUL in my room. No other component I've ever heard left me asking myself, "What the hell is all the hype about?" Couldn't sell them quickly enough.
Interesting the amount of disappointment with Musical Fidelity products in this thread
Bigasscab

Yeah, while they weren't the worst components I've owned, I had a set of the X series integrated amp, DAC, CDP as well as an upgraded external power supply for either the DAC or cdp (can't remember which). Anyway, they were just totally underwhelming. Come to think of it, they were also Sam Tellig recommended.