What about a product can irritate you?




What about a product can irritate you, other than the sound?

I thought of this today while attemting to install a new pair of cables. The cables came out of the package in the shape of a Slinky and no amount of bending them, shaping them, stretching them or otherwise trying to reshape them would do any good... they are permanently shaped like a big telephone cord.

I find cables that aren't installation-friendly to be incredibly irritating.

Do you have a pet peeve?

Dean.
reelsmith
Redkiwi, my tube amps level off after an hour or two of play. Not so bad, and I will spend the 20 minute warm-in picking music, cleaning records, going to the john, making a sandwich, whatever. Allows for a nice chill session before I sit down for some listening.

I frickin' HATE phono cartridges that aren't threaded. I just can't deal with those tiny little nuts...too much fumbling that close to a fragile stylus/cant. They're a complete PITA during cart alignment. It would have to be one seriously incredible unthreaded cartridge to get me to buy it.
Practicality in design:

one pre I used, had the two pre OUTputs on EITHER side of "pro in", at the back of the unit, the unit being large and deep of course (so, no visibility from front). So, 9/10 when I changed IC, one of the amps was mute OR one channel on one amp was mute -- and I'd invariably get a small heart attack wondering what the H blew and why... until I realised I'd connected the pro-in.

The Thiel engineering hurdle, as per Ketchup above. To visualise the problem, think of THICK cable and trying to screw it on UNDER each spkr, when the nut rolls away... majestic!

The Valve Conundrum, as per Redkiwi:

*Am I burning IN or burning OUT?????

The "deep class A" solid-state challenge:

*whether 'tis better to leave it on all the time and foot the bill and risk burn out if high ambient temperatures BUT enjoy the music at guise OR, switch it off/on as required and sleep at nights and stick to being PATIENT (until it reaches optimum operating conditions by which time it's usually other peoples' bedtime).

Gimme a boomblaster
How about The titles on CD jewel cases being written so small , or in illegible script. Trying to read a track name in a relaxed low lighted listening room is close to impossible and unnecessary . The purpose of writing something is so we CAN READ IT.
IEC's - aftermarket power cords never fit tight so you wonder when is one of these monsters going to fall out while jammin and send a tweeter across the room.