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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.
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loftarasa
171 posts
 
I'm going to stick the boot into Musical Fidelity as well. Gave up on them years ago.

Starting with auditioning the X-Ray gear then more of their subsequent overpriced, overhyped designs with cheap components and big-cases designs. To me, the MF sound is: bright, thin, sterile, cheap...just outright lame with all kinds of music!

I shake my head at all the review laudits they get, especially when they show internal photos of the sparse circuit boards with cheap op-amps and ICs in a gigantic, empty case. In every product category they're in, there are tons of more compelling, thoughtfully designed options from smaller companies, for less money.
czarivey
5,911 posts
 
Lloyd, did you audition or purchase her?
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,932 posts
 
Nmmusicman,
Thanks for reminding me about the Krell Kav 300i! I forgot all about it. I borrowed one for a week from a high end store in Pa. years ago when Stereophile was singing its praises. My feelings echo yours almost exactly. Thin, sterile, completely amusical. Unlike you though, I didn't find the bass noticeably better than the McIntosh that I was using at the time. A member here, (Dave b) has often spoken of a different Krell integrated, a 400xi or something like that, and still swears that it is the best amp he has heard. (I saw a recent post on another site) Apparently, on the strength of his positive feelings for that integrated, he is buying a new one that they are coming out with.
I can only think that the one he has is an entirely different animal than the one I tried, because that was awful.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 

08-06-14: Lloydc
my ex-wife.
Lloydc (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

BEST answer yet!!!
rockadanny
1,224 posts
 
Audition - Linkwitz Orion speakers (original design IIRC). After reading all the science behind them and several stellar reviews I was so excited for the opportunity to hear them. Very disappointing. Cannot recall exactly why because I forget by now, but do recall being both underwhelmed and irritated by their sound at the same time. Of course, since these were a kit, perhaps the builder messed up.
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