Speakers: all-time worst


What is the all-time worst (home audio speaker systems, not the plastic cabinets or ceiling types) loudspeaker system that you have heard, and why? In other words, the all-time worst value.
wenterprisesnw
Actually Tubegroover I was mistaken in my post, I have not auditioned the Vandy 3A Sigs, I have auditioned I believe it was 2ci's, they were actually my brother's which he still has and mated with a Vandy sub and it is very good sound. They were good in my room, just not better and worth the purchase at the time. I do believe from what I've heard and read the 3A sig's might definitely displace the Polk's and could be my next move! Speakers are a tough decision for me, my tastes seem to always change and I'm so accustomed to the characteristics of the Polks I don't have a clue where I'm going to go. IMO really good hardware can make modest speakers closer to exceptional so that has allowed me to put it off. Enough of my problems though - the music is good!
This list of postings made me laugh at times and sometimes i winced at the comments. Especially the knocking KLH as an all time worst speaker. Obviously some here don't have knowledge of Hi-Fi more than a few yrs back. The KLH company manufactured one of the all time legends of reproducers, the KLH-9 electrostat. Those, coupled with a pair of Marantz Model-9 mono tube amps or the Julius Futterman H-3a/a OTL's set standards that in some areas are still unsurpassed today. I wonder how many are familiar with the Toshiba turntable that featured a tonearm no thicker than a pencil which tapered to a broadpoint containing an electret cartridge. The detail & replication of true to life dynamics was absolutely amazing with the above componets for instance.
The truth of the matter is nothing can duplicate an actuality (be it instruments/voice), simply because a duplicate CAN NOT BE the actuality. There is absolutely NO way you can actually recreate the acoustics of Boston Symphony Hall or any other space in your living room no matter what you do or have. Want to hear the "space" of Boston Symphony Hall, then you must BE IN THAT SPACE. Realise that a sound system is a reproducer and a reproduction is not the actual thing. You may enjoy what you hear more keeping this in mind.
Yes this is true. That does not change the fact that speakers sound different (better/worse) than other speakers and that there still can be a "worst" list even though none of the speaker re-create Boston Symphony Hall.