Tech That Flopped!

A lot of those "not so much" technologies have drawbacks and quirks. I've always thought line arrays we're a silly idea for home installation. Although with the advent of digitally manipulated speakers like those B&O monsters and the little Kii's, I'm just waiting for someone to come out with active beam steering line arrays. 
Has anyone actually mastered the true transmission line? Great theory. Debatable application. 
And if course plasma tweeters... If only they sold inert gas at Walmart! Tubes are more hassle than I want to deal with. Speakers I need to refill? Ummm.... No. 

Laser Disc...............

The Vandersteen 2 has probably the highest sales of any audiophile loudspeaker since it's introduction, so why wouldn't time aligned loudspeakers fall into the success category? 

Sometimes the case is not that a technology was bad, but that it has been eclipsed by a better or more practical technology.  The 24-track tape recorder was the world wide standard for recording studios, but multi-track hard drive based recording technology has supplanted it.

Whatever happen to the BGS Signal Completion processors?  Are Kimber Iso/Mike recordings still being made?

Polk Audio - Stereo Dimension Array- interesting technology.  Bad timing.  Came out in the early 80’s I believe.  Eliminated intermodulation crosstalk to create true stereo imaging so the left ear hears the left speaker first and so on.... The speakers were huge and retailers were reluctant to devote the space as the industry was moving towards smaller footprint speakers.  Plus, they needed near front wall placement but lots of space to the sides for the SDA technology to work.

Ultra Tweeters. Even quantum mechanics couldn't save them from anonymity. Ditto the original Intelligent Chip. The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. 🐭