What gear do you HATE?

[Kamakiri]

Now this is gona be an interesting thread.

No rebuttals in this thread please. We all know what everyone likes, what gear to you is like nails on a chalkboard? Can't stand it? Post here and tell us why.

Again, no flames, or we'll have to lock it. Just those with an opinion to give. I'll give mine in a bit :yes:

 

[ckelly]

I personally think receivers are overrated - good fidelity is obtained through SEPARATES.

CK

 

[dr*audio]

Sanyo / Fisher. The worst designed crap in the world. Horrible to try to take apart and repair. Absolutely no tech support, and the service manuals stink, too. Blow up all the time and sound lousy when they do work. Plastic, cheap looking junk. There, I've vented. Yeah, that was good!

 

[opt80]

Receivers also

 

[ckelly]

...Old CD Players....

:tongue:

(runs away)

 

[mhardy6647]

I know this is heresy but...

I really (REALLY) don't care for the sound of the McIntosh MC-2100 I have. Maybe it's just this one, but I dunno. I 've only kept it because I know that people pay a lot of money for these (I got it essentially for free) and figure it'll only get more valuable.

 

[Manitoulin]

My hate...

Cheap componets masquerading as quality items! I am sure you have seen the chain store items, e.g. Prosonic, LLoyds, etc. You know the ones that are rated at 3000 watts PMPO (as opposed to the actual 20 watts RMS)

And do not forget whitevan speakers, especially now that they are showing up on online auctions..

 

[twintwelve1484]

Black plastic junk. And silver plastic junk with microprocessor controls, for that matter.

Brand-wise, I've never seen the appeal of Fisher & Scott. Maybe back around Marconi's time they were great brands, but all I've ever seen was black plastic junk, and before that, barely-fi, low-powered crud.

In Fisher's defense, I see there is one Fisher nut here who has an avatar of a rather hefty looking receiver, so they must have made something decent at one time or another.

I have an old silver Scott integrated amp that has one funky channel (works, very distorted) so I'm less than impressed with it. Popping the hood on it, it's less than impressive also.

As for separates vs. receivers, I don't think there's a hill of beans difference between integrated + tuner and a good receiver, other than two bills of sale vs. one at the audio boutique. When you get down to power-pre-tuner separates, then there's a difference, *if you choose wisely*.

 

[grumpy]

I will be a bit more specific then others

1. I Hate Sansui Service manuals. They are the worst ever made !
2. G22000 Can you say Nails on a chalk board ?
3. AU11000 quite possibly the worse amp I have ever heard ever !
4. MC C28 phono section blows imo
5. An APS modded TU-919 that could pull in a station or sound good to save its soul.

Its early and I'm sure there will be lots more. And before you say I am anti Sansui know that I love a ton of their gear. Just not the ones mentioned here.

 

[Filmboydoug]

Sony

I love the quality and design of everything Marantz, but I cannot abide that ugly a$$ font used for lettering.

 

[mhardy6647]

MC C28 phono section blows imo

G-meister:

I'd agree with you (again based on my C-28). Again, not sure if that's intrinsic to the C-28 or if new caps are in order for mine. Otherwise it's an OK preamp, though IMO... and it is certainly well built!

 

[Sandy G]

I'm w/Manitoulin. Nothing aggervates me more than to see a couple kids getting all dewy-eyed over some overpriced POS in the local Wally-world or Circus Shitty. Just wanna go over & smack 'em....NO ! You ignorant fools ! Come w/me to the magical land of AK, where you can learn to get twice-three times- the sound quality for half the price of that Steaming Pile you're fondling ! Arrrrrrgh ! -Sandy G.

 

[styler]

gear i hate

NAD = crap. to many problems with my old stuff to count. 2 pieces of equip with at least 7 repairs between them.

new emerson, fisher, yamaha, bose, cerwin vega, jvc, rega

 

[Dynacoman]

I can't believe no one said BOSE yet. Or do you guys like the wave radio?

 

[Bill]

Dynacoman, I'll say it, I hate Bose. Not because their stuff is all that bad but because their stuff is way overpriced for what you get, and all the advertising hype.

Bill from Indy

 

[JoZmo]

I can't believe no one said BOSE yet. Or do you guys like the wave radio?

You beat me to it. I know Bose is an easy and obvious target and not particularly original but I just can't stand it. Not even so much the Bose products themselves but the silly reverence Bose gets.

It's like this... a person comes into Circuit City looking for a speaker/sub setup for their computer and they see Altec Lansing and Klipsch and a few others and then they see Bose and practicaly bow down and start to drool just by the name and even after hearing all these better systems they still walk out with the over-priced Bose crap!

I see it all the time.

 

[Kamakiri]

Okay, so here's mine

1. Sansui G-22000. My ears ring with pain just thinking about it. Absolutely no soundstage whatsoever, nor bass. Sansui's failed attempt at making a neutral sound IMO.

2. Most Marantz SS pieces, except for Punker's setup at AK fest last year (which was prety damn good!). Can't explain the sound.....nasally, barrelchested.....somehow distorted like a fun house mirror. I've owned no less than 10 Marantz receivers and I haven't found one that I've ever really liked.

3. Concept receivers. They may be well built or may sound good (never head one honestly), but they look like sub-Soundesign quality from the outside.

4. McIntosh MCD7000 CD player. Stupid concept.....you can't go to track 6, you have to wait till track 1 starts playing, then advance to track 2, etc etc. I hate mine like flies at a picnic. Gimme back my Rega Brad!

5. McIntosh amp speaker connections

 

[MannyE]

Sony "jukebox" CD players. GOt roped into a CX350 (I can have music all week long!) before the iPods of the world went on sale, which is the absolute worse sounding BPC I have ever owned.

 

[Don C]

Japanese speakers with lattice grille covers.

 

[House de Kris]

Turntables and anything related to them. Well, ANY type of media that is as inaccurate as vinyl, for that matter.

I second the Sony statement of hatred, and just about anything Pioneer makes.