2. amps-preamps
  3. 1406779326

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.
128x128zavato
mapman's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
mapman
15,679 posts
 
I bought a Yamaha sound processor once that I loved at first then fell out of love with as I started to detect various noise artifacts being introduced that were not there otherwise.

I've been very nuts and bolts about what I buy ever since and have never had any major disappointments.
timrhu
2,778 posts
 
Two pieces come to immediately to mind. First is the Rega Mira 3 integrated amp. It was not at all what I expected; a smooth, warmish amp. What it was for me was a tinny, no-bodied amp. Really surprised me.
Second, and a bigger disappointment was a pair of the Sequerra Met 7.7 Mk V speakers. I swear I've heard plastic computer speakers sound better than these things.
FWIW, both of these pieces were highly reviewed by Sam Tellig. I'm not saying that means a lot as I have used several products he recommended and loved them. Am currently using an integrated amp recommended by ST.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
My biggest disappointments were: B&W 802s3, Naim Nait 5i, Magnepan 1.7, PAD interconnects (don't remember the model, price was about $1000-1500), PS Audio PCA-2, Musical Fidelity A3.5, Pass X2.5, Clements RT-7
devilboy
818 posts
 
Rogue Sphinx integrated. Had crackling coming from the left channel and right channel would cut out completely when changing inputs. Sent it back to Rogue for repair. Rogue never contacted me to give me status of the repair. Never returned my messages..(four). The fifth time I call they give it a "clean bill of health". Sold it while it was at Rogue. Rogue ships it to the buyer and he had EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUES. Disappointed with the integrated, the company, everything.
More to discover