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When the equipment doesn’t meet expectations…

Durmbo said:
Never owned Briks but a friend has a pair with an active 5-pack. The bass is fantastic but the rest of it may as well be a cricket bat round the head.
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Not a problem if its and English cricket sides bat.., they couldn't find the head to hit it. :D
 
My biggest disappointment was upgrading from the Linn Ittok LVII to the Ekos. It just sounded flat & dull & I spent hours rearranging the system to try to get my old sound back before taking it back to the shop and swapping it over to a Naim Aro. To this day, I'm sure that it must have been a bad sample, because I know that the QA of the early samples was variable. Either that or it was set up really poorly, because the regular set-up guy was on holiday at the time.
 
Naim speakers: never heard a naim system sing with these on the end. SBL’s and SL2’s both had the most precise requirements in terms of ‘correct’ set up , all for a distinct lack of end result, ditto active 6 pack set ups. On hearing either Neat or Kudos on the end of naim I really wondered why Naim persevered with speakers.

Van Damme, Mogami, Blue Jean cables: all ‘fit for purpose’ sensibly priced cables. Each time I’ve tried I have ended up disappointed - to my ears they lack dynamics and constrain the true potential of any system. Don’t however think I am some high end cable nut : Avondale Black Link has been a constant in my system for over a decade.
 
adamk said:
Naim speakers: never heard a naim system sing with these on the end. SBL’s and SL2’s both had the most precise requirements in terms of ‘correct’ set up , all for a distinct lack of end result, ditto active 6 pack set ups. On hearing either Neat or Kudos on the end of naim I really wondered why Naim persevered with speakers.

Van Damme, Mogami, Blue Jean cables: all ‘fit for purpose’ sensibly priced cables. Each time I’ve tried I have ended up disappointed - to my ears they lack dynamics and constrain the true potential of any system. Don’t however think I am some high end cable nut : Avondale Black Link has been a constant in my system for over a decade.
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The Van Damme are great with my own system. They don’t interfere and just let the music play.
 
Del monaco said:
The Van Damme are great with my own system. They don’t interfere and just let the music play.
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Only two cables that made a difference to my listening. Some Atlas that made the Naim oscillate I believe and Nordost that made the mids incredibly immediate bit also made for an often uncomfortable and fatiguing listen.
 
I was still in my late teens, and all the magazines said that Linn and Naim were the best, and if you thought otherwise you were deaf or stupid. They had to be right, yeah?

It revealed to me the shocking narrowness of the UK hi-fi press at the time.
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My memories of the HiFi press are very different, I really don’t recall much pro linn/naim bias except for HiFiReview which was a very minor player compared to WhatHiFi, HiFiAnswers, HiFiNews and HiFiChoice.

In fact HiFi Review was considered quite radical and outspoken for supporting companies that spent so little on advertising, it was probably why it folded.
 
James said:
I've got a list, but I'll name the three most outstanding disappointments of my 40 hifi journey to date:

Naim CDS2/XPS - I swear I must have got a dud, because it actually sounded less good than the CD2 I had before.

Sumiko Blue Point Special (original version) - somehow, listening to fingernails on a blackboard was less unpleasant.

Linn Nexus - easy mistake to make, but just because it carries the Linn name doesn't mean it can play tunes.
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James, I agree too on the Naim CDS2/XPS, I actually preferred my original CDI to it, and this was in an all Naim active SBL setup. No doubt it is a good player, but very underwhelming especially for outlay.

I also agree on the Nexus, was my “upgrade” at one point in time to my Kans. Nope, preferred the Kans really by a decent margin.

This has been a fun read so far on everyone’s takes! Happy New Year all!
 
david ellwood said:
The Koetsu Rosewood Signature, an AT95 is much better.

The ATC SCM50 , massively overhyped.

Magnepan SMGb , makes quad57 sound dynamic.

Michell Gyrodek, a Rega 2 murders it.
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I'm really curious to read why and what you didn't like with the Koetsu Rosewood Signature,
 
david ellwood said:
My memories of the HiFi press are very different, I really don’t recall much pro linn/naim bias except for HiFiReview which was a very minor player compared to WhatHiFi, HiFiAnswers, HiFiNews and HiFiChoice.

In fact HiFi Review was considered quite radical and outspoken for supporting companies that spent so little on advertising, it was probably why it folded.
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Really? This ground has been covered many times here on pfm. I'm talking about the mainstream mags, the ones I found in my local WH Smiths (or rather John Menzies - it was 1978, when I bought my first system), which contained a lot of Linn/Naim proselytism. The only one that maintained more of a balance was HFN/RR, but it still had its fair share of flat-earthism. (And I don't think I've ever read a copy of HiFi Review - it came later.)

There was a strongly evangelical quality to the promotion of Linn and Naim that I found deeply unpleasant, frankly. Let me quote one of the offenders, Chris Frankland, who wrote for the Haymarket mags until 1983, writing about that era more recently:

"... you have to understand what was happening to the hi-fi world back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... these were pioneering, ground-breaking days, ... At the forefront of this hi-fi revolution were Linn and Naim (but let’s not forget Rega, Nytech, Creek and a few other worthies). And by Linn and Naim, what I really mean is Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn and Julian Vereker of Naim. Up until this point it is my opinion [and that of manufacturers like those named above] that virtually all hi-fi reviewers had written nebulously in terms such as treble, midrange, bass, coloration and soundstage. Therefore their reviews were completely incomprehensible and meaningless to any normal person.

When Ivor and Julian came along, they talked about music, rhythm, pace, real things in the music that normal people could relate to and hear for themselves in a proper, well-conducted in-store demo. They weren’t having to think if there was enough bass, treble, or whether the coloration was a bit pink, or a bit green. All they needed to know was could they follow the bass guitar? Could they hear what the hi-hat was playing? Could they tap their feet in time to the music?"

(See http://thetomtomclub.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-flat-response-magazine. This article prompted a long thread here a while back.)

Personally, I think that's utter bullsh*t. But the point is that these people saw themselves as revolutionaries, and those who disagreed with them as the enemy. Incidentally the baddies, to people like CF, included manufacturers like Quad, Spendor, Harbeth, Rogers etc.(as well as the US imports that came later), and those who like their products.
 
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irb said:
Really? This ground has been covered many times here on pfm. I'm talking about the mainstream mags, the ones I found in my local WH Smiths (or rather John Menzies - it was 1978, when I bought my first system) were full of Linn/Naim proselytism. The only one that maintained more of a balance was HFN/RR, but it still had its fair share of flat-earthism. (And I don't think I've ever read a copy of HiFi Review - it came later.)

There was a strongly evangelical quality to the promotion of Linn and Naim that I found deeply unpleasant, frankly. Let me quote one of the offenders, Chris Frankland, who wrote for the Haymarket mags until 1983, writing about that era more recently:

"... you have to understand what was happening to the hi-fi world back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... these were pioneering, ground-breaking days, ... At the forefront of this hi-fi revolution were Linn and Naim (but let’s not forget Rega, Nytech, Creek and a few other worthies). And by Linn and Naim, what I really mean is Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn and Julian Vereker of Naim. Up until this point it is my opinion [and that of manufacturers like those named above] that virtually all hi-fi reviewers had written nebulously in terms such as treble, midrange, bass, coloration and soundstage. Therefore their reviews were completely incomprehensible and meaningless to any normal person.

When Ivor and Julian came along, they talked about music, rhythm, pace, real things in the music that normal people could relate to and hear for themselves in a proper, well-conducted in-store demo. They weren’t having to think if there was enough bass, treble, or whether the coloration was a bit pink, or a bit green. All they needed to know was could they follow the bass guitar? Could they hear what the hi-hat was playing? Could they tap their feet in time to the music?"

(See http://thetomtomclub.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-flat-response-magazine. This article prompted a long thread here a while back.)

Personally, I think that's utter bullsh*t. But the point is that these people saw themselves as revolutionaries, and those who disagreed with them as the enemy. Incidentally the baddies, to people like CF, included manufacturers like Quad, Spendor, Harbeth, Rogers etc.(as well as the US imports that came later), and those who like their products.
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Interesting quotes.Must have felt very patronising to many.
 
irb said:
Really? This ground has been covered many times here on pfm. I'm talking about the mainstream mags, the ones I found in my local WH Smiths (or rather John Menzies - it was 1978, when I bought my first system) were full of Linn/Naim proselytism. The only one that maintained more of a balance was HFN/RR, but it still had its fair share of flat-earthism. (And I don't think I've ever read a copy of HiFi Review - it came later.)

There was a strongly evangelical quality to the promotion of Linn and Naim that I found deeply unpleasant, frankly. Let me quote one of the offenders, Chris Frankland, who wrote for the Haymarket mags until 1983, writing about that era more recently:

"... you have to understand what was happening to the hi-fi world back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... these were pioneering, ground-breaking days, ... At the forefront of this hi-fi revolution were Linn and Naim (but let’s not forget Rega, Nytech, Creek and a few other worthies). And by Linn and Naim, what I really mean is Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn and Julian Vereker of Naim. Up until this point it is my opinion [and that of manufacturers like those named above] that virtually all hi-fi reviewers had written nebulously in terms such as treble, midrange, bass, coloration and soundstage. Therefore their reviews were completely incomprehensible and meaningless to any normal person.

When Ivor and Julian came along, they talked about music, rhythm, pace, real things in the music that normal people could relate to and hear for themselves in a proper, well-conducted in-store demo. They weren’t having to think if there was enough bass, treble, or whether the coloration was a bit pink, or a bit green. All they needed to know was could they follow the bass guitar? Could they hear what the hi-hat was playing? Could they tap their feet in time to the music?"

(See http://thetomtomclub.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-flat-response-magazine. This article prompted a long thread here a while back.)

Personally, I think that's utter bullsh*t. But the point is that these people saw themselves as revolutionaries, and those who disagreed with them as the enemy. Incidentally the baddies, to people like CF, included manufacturers like Quad, Spendor, Harbeth, Rogers etc.(as well as the US imports that came later), and those who like their products.
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That’s similar to how I recall things from the late 70’s on when I started reading the mags, memory is a bit vague seem to remember titles Hi Fi Sound, Popular, Practical, Review and at dealers in town Flat Earth, my main fix was Answers, had piles of the bl**dy things and I used to buy old back issues at jumbles and in newsagents cast off piles. It led me to believe Japanese gear with meters and tone controls was the devils work and DD was technically rubbish compared to belt, all crap but then as a school kid and no Interwebby it was my only source of info I guess.
 
irb said:
Really? This ground has been covered many times here on pfm. I'm talking about the mainstream mags, the ones I found in my local WH Smiths (or rather John Menzies - it was 1978, when I bought my first system) were full of Linn/Naim proselytism. The only one that maintained more of a balance was HFN/RR, but it still had its fair share of flat-earthism. (And I don't think I've ever read a copy of HiFi Review - it came later.)

There was a strongly evangelical quality to the promotion of Linn and Naim that I found deeply unpleasant, frankly. Let me quote one of the offenders, Chris Frankland, who wrote for the Haymarket mags until 1983, writing about that era more recently:

"... you have to understand what was happening to the hi-fi world back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... these were pioneering, ground-breaking days, ... At the forefront of this hi-fi revolution were Linn and Naim (but let’s not forget Rega, Nytech, Creek and a few other worthies). And by Linn and Naim, what I really mean is Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn and Julian Vereker of Naim. Up until this point it is my opinion [and that of manufacturers like those named above] that virtually all hi-fi reviewers had written nebulously in terms such as treble, midrange, bass, coloration and soundstage. Therefore their reviews were completely incomprehensible and meaningless to any normal person.

When Ivor and Julian came along, they talked about music, rhythm, pace, real things in the music that normal people could relate to and hear for themselves in a proper, well-conducted in-store demo. They weren’t having to think if there was enough bass, treble, or whether the coloration was a bit pink, or a bit green. All they needed to know was could they follow the bass guitar? Could they hear what the hi-hat was playing? Could they tap their feet in time to the music?"

(See http://thetomtomclub.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-flat-response-magazine. This article prompted a long thread here a while back.)

Personally, I think that's utter bullsh*t. But the point is that these people saw themselves as revolutionaries, and those who disagreed with them as the enemy. Incidentally the baddies, to people like CF, included manufacturers like Quad, Spendor, Harbeth, Rogers etc.(as well as the US imports that came later), and those who like their products.
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Just because you view something as utter bullshit does that necessarily mean that it is?

Be open to the possibility that you might not know what you’re talking about.

HiFi magazines are veritable encyclopaedia compared to much written in forums.
 
david ellwood said:
HiFi magazines are veritable encyclopaedia compared to much written in forums.
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Including your contributions :D

Jokes aside, whilst I agree with your comment, there's also a lot of experience and a few gems amongst the "much written".
E.g. I often don't agree with Jez, but he knows far more of what he's talking about than any reviewer (of amplifiers) I am aware of. Even if I don't agree with him, his words still carry more weight than some clueless journo with an agenda.
 
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