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
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.
Over the past several months I've spent a lot of time, research, and money upgrading my system. During this time, it was typical that the subject of audio would come up in conversation with friends and aquaintances. Well, one day I was invited to a friend's house to hear the speakers he was so proud of. They were Bose 901's. I was astonished. I was speechless. They sounded like a bunch of 'transistor radio' 2" drivers, NO, no, they sounded like a bunch of old telephone earpiece drivers mounted in a very resonant wooden box. Upon closer inspection, I realized why they sounded that way... Now I'm faced with a serious problem. I wound up buying some very nice stuff, sounds great. But I fear for my friend. He's in his mid to late 40's, he loves his speakers, and has had them for a decade or so. What should I do? Upon hearing my system, he may all of a sudden realize that the past ten years of his life were wasted, as if he was living a lie, a bad dream. It could be too much of a shock to bear.