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Are High End Audio Products Unreliable?

I don't know if it's just my bad luck but since I've gotten back into high end audio in the past year I have purchased several components that have developed problems that I have never experienced while owning mass produced Japanese components of the 70's and 80's.
First was my Well Tempered turntable. Granted , it was old, but the design is so simple that it should be pretty bomb proof. That one got a lot better once I got everything dialed in, but what a pain in the butt just to get it there.
Second was my Lehmann Black Cube phono preamp, which developed a bad channel. Then it was the Parasound JC-3 phono preamp that was bad out of the box, but was replaced with a new one (no issues since). Next, my Cambridge Azur 840C CD player developed issues loading CDs (no other issues but this is annoying). Then I bought a Furutech GT-40 DAC that had noise when playing computer files through the USB (replaced with a new unit which works great). Next, I bought a CARY SLI-80 amp that was physically damaged out of the box but worked fine at first, but after a couple of weeks developed an issue with the remote relay and required me to send it back for repair. I got a new unit from Upscale that is working great.
I'm not a total hamfist who is hard on equipment, I swear. I'm super careful with my stuff, I run everything through power conditioners, and know how to set up equipment. I must be unlucky. Or have others had similar experiences as mine?
128x128snackeyp
inna
7,304 posts
 
Megabuck German table with junk switch and unreliable motor? Are you kidding me? Thank you for telling us that. No TW Acustic for me. Ever.
gshepardbuster's avatar
gshepardbuster
620 posts
 
Been in this since 1995. Still just a rookie. Owned Adcom, B&W, Harmon Kardon, JBL, Kef, Marantz, Mcintosh, Mirage, and Meridian. Some mid-fi some high-end. Never had any issues or need of service on anything. I might add any of the above listed got used, not abused, but respectively played for many hours as TV holds no candle to music. Have always shut off after use, speakers never under driven or pushed with too much power. IME all of the above were very reliable.
ether
64 posts
 
What bothers me most about many of the replies here is the acceptance of things as they are.
I admit, I am one of those "consumer activists" who will call companies and bitch about their products if something doesn't work right.... When my friends make fun of me for doing this...I just say; You will thank me later when the next revision shows up on the market with improvements.

And the higher the price for a given product the greater my expectations.
I don't understand why $1000 amp or receiver can be absolutely quiet, but it's OK for $6000 unit to have a hum coming from the transformers (a hypothetical example based on some frequent question posted here).
sabai
2,027 posts
 
I agree. Expectations should be high for high-priced components. I had a high-end component go DOA out after a year. I was not a happy camper. It was no longer under warranty. In fact, shortly after they brought it to market a "defect" was noted. Being clever marketers, they discovered a way to profit from their mistake. They declared an "upgrade" -- at a cost of $$$$ to the customer. Nice.

I had my unit repaired -- and upgraded -- and then sold it off. It cost me a bundle. I would never buy a product from this company again despite the fact they are one of the most well-known companies in the industry and many people rave about them. I suspect there is a lot being swept under the audio carpet here.

After I sold it off I was able to find photos of the inside of my unit on Internet. Photos were conspicuously missing from their site. It was then that I knew I made the right decision. It was clear they had used the cheapest resistors and capacitors to produce these world-class units. They had found one more way to improve their bottom line at the expense of the customer.
snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp OP
455 posts
 
Sabai, why not name names? This is the kind of info the rest of us would like to know, otherwise you are not holding the manufacturers accountable. Their greatest motivation to make better products is consumers speak out.

Thanks
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