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Top Ten "Reasons I Don't Like This Component"

Many of us have had the short term experience of demoing or acquiring a piece of gear that, when we installed it in our systems, we soon realized that it wasn’t going to work.

An example I recently cited was after home demoing a CJ 17LS preamp years ago. I couldn’t stand the banging sound of the volume relays while adjusting. The unit sounded fine enough musically but this particular feature was intolerable.

What other features or quirks of components have you had similar experiences with over the short term? I’m not talking about chronic upgraditis, which most of us are afllicted with, just short term experiences that make us say, "this does not work for me."

No need to list ten reasons, just one or two. I'll keep a tab on them and summarize later.
stevecham

Showing 5 responses by viridian

viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
I think it’s interesting that Audio Research preamps are designed for left handed folks with the volume control being to the left of the selector switch and the furthest left dial on the face plate. Conrad-johnson being designed for right handed folks. 

My Naim amps have a quirk that dates back to their professional heritage. The right speaker cable attaches to the left most connectors on the back of the amp. The left speaker cable to the furthest right connectors. Should you site the amp between the speakers the speaker wires will cross.

I am not fond of controls to change gain and loading on a phono preamp requiring removal of the case. 

None of these ergonomic foibles are deal breakers though.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
How about dual volume controls? Good for sound, bad for ergonomics.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Back in the day, pro amps were sited with what we call the back facing the front so as to make changing interconnects and speaker cables easier, without having to go behind the amp. Studio time was expensive even back then, so anything that made connections, and troubleshooting, easier was welcomed. Aesthetics, not so important.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
LOL, thank you. Fortunately, most of my Naim gear is in the rack where I don’t have to see the back side, or in storage boxes where I don’t have to see any side!
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Millercarbon, let me guess, you were not buying high end gear (or sports cars) in the 1960s and 1970s. Half the stuff was ergonomically hostile, underdesigned, or required constant attention from techs. 

That didnt stop many of us for reaching for the gold ring, and trying to get the best sound that we could. You may see reliability and ergonomics as equal parts of the package, but there is a whole subset of the hobby that is comfortable throwing them out the window in the search for better sound. There is plenty of due consideration involved; some folks may just value things differently than you do.
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