Has anyone else auditioned something that really was terrible?

A couple things I would characterize as quite bad:* SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers* The amp section of a Parasound Halo integrated amp - the preamp section was actually very good

Not terrible, but not good:* PS Audio M300 monoblocks

I’ve heard whole systems that were bad -but I know it was how the dealer had them set up. McIntosh amps and pre, Paradigm towers, JL Gotham subs, etc.  It was disappointing, but I’m sure if done right the equipment would have performed well. manufacturers can’t control that. 

Well I hesitate to say “terrible,” because audio is so subjective.
But, since you bring it up, one of the oddest and most eye opening auditions I’ve ever done really drove that point home to me. 

The speakers were Klipsch La Scala (the new ones within last year) and they were being driven by high end amps and source (I forget which), and were being played LOUD.

But to me they did not sound good at all. I couldn’t really bring myself to hang out there for the duration. But the eye opening thing was that there was another dude there just digging the sound, and I could tell by his reactions that to him they sounded magical.

Different strokes for different folks.... probably the stuff I like he would have hated, and that’s cool too

Having majored in a low-paying profession, and not getting much help from the Mrs., I didn’t have the money to replace the stereo system stolen from my bachelor apartment.  And when you don’t have money, what is the point of window-shopping for audio equipment, or anything nice? (Sad, I agree).  And the people we hung out with didn’t have much more than we did.

I was still using the Sony receiver, Pioneer CD and Jensen speakers I’d had for 25+ years when, this past December, my she’s-the-one girlfriend decides to move on.  Bummer. And what’s a guy to do?  I decided I would finally indulge my long-time interest in fine electronics.  I have only been acquiring pieces since early January of this year.  I don’t know what sounds good yet, and instead of going to a local hifi store where they tweak equipment to make it sound better than it ever would for me, I decided to research on-line to find items in my price range that are well-regarded (and seek opinions here). 

Now the “what sounds bad” part:  I have recently been moving my new subs to see where they sound best, and I was close to my speakers and realized that there wasn’t much sound coming from the right main.  I heard this before and I thought it strange that so much music would have been mixed with most voice and guitar coming from the left channel.  Being closer and realizing “this ain’t right”, I switched the speaker cables and found that most music now came from the right channel.  Great!  Something is wrong with the right channel on my new-used amp!  

But before I got panicked, I started checking various connections and finally both channels played!  I sat back at my usual listening spot and realized that I was just now hearing my system the way it should be!  I know this sounds utterly stupid — how could I not have noticed before?  But there was some sound coming from the right speaker, but it was less than half the volume that was coming from the left, and I still thought it sounded good.  So . . . the weakest link in a stereo set-up is obviously ME!

Carvin dcm--2500 power amps, bridged mono, 1 for each speaker.
2500 W per side, effortless, easy, very open , holographic, stadium like sound.  
 Loved them, reliability was worst ever experienced, 
  Within first 3 weeks, one amp went out.
 Gave them away, 

the sound was very good, open, airy, effortless, headroom was unlimited!

 Wish I still had them, reliability was just very poor!

  Didn’t carvin go under!??.