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What have you owned that reviewers loved but you hated?

Musical Fidelity A1 and MC2 amp/speaker combo, Cambridge Audio P55 (I think it was - it had big knobs and was a Stan Curtis design), Naim Nait 5 (original), and my Rogers E20a and Harbeth P3ES combo (actually these were okay - just not brilliant).
 
hifinutt said:
ha , funny how we are all different , they were one of the best standmounts i owned and had them for some while
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Perhaps the amps driving them were also (very) different.

More and more I believe that it makes sense to evaluate amps+speakers and not just speakers...
 
Had a pair of Kef Reference 103/4s that had so much upper mid that I just couldn't get on with them. I found myself finding music that would sound nice through them just so they were listenable. Never again.

To be honest, I do struggle somewhat with small floorstanders or standmounts simply because there's just not enough bass for me.

Oh, just remembered one more: got a bit of a deal on some Neat Motive standmounts on eBay that were very well reviewed, too, and described as brilliant with rock. As a rock lover, I thought 'where do I sign?!'. Well, definitely not with nearly-mini monitors that's for sure!
 
Tony L said:
I find so much of this stuff sounds so much better now fed with a high-quality digital source rather than the cheap often plastic turntables of the era that were seldom properly sited. Rob’s pair certainly sounded superb, and another friend has a pair of AR6 driven with a early Sugden A21 and again they sound great. Ed Villchur really knew what he was doing!

PS The tweeter is surprisingly good, it crosses to the mid very well and whilst it may not be the last word in extension it does nothing obviously wrong. It was common to most ARs for a long period.
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I have a soft spot for the AR6, first serious hifi speaker I ever bought, they were nicely made. Lent them to my brother when I went abroad for a few years, by the time i got back, he’d lent them to someone else, and I never did see them again.
 
AndrewM said:
I have a soft spot for the AR6, first serious hifi speaker I ever bought, they were nicely made. Lent them to my brother when I went abroad for a few years, by the time i got back, he’d lent them to someone else, and I never did see them again.
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ex brother i hope
 
Neat Petite - they get glowing reviews, I can't stand them and probably the only item that fits the thread

I was underwhelmed by LS50's

Didn't buy, but couldn't understand the fuss about the LP12, Kans, Meridian Pro CD & Audiolab 8000A years back after reading the mags and doing the demos
 
the loaf said:
Orbe / Sme v . I bought this without hearing it wanting a final turntable . I made the mistake of reading a reviewer ( Michell fan ) stating that the orbe made the Townshend Rock Reference sound mundane or words to that effect. I actually believed Him .(DOH!).
Oh dear , I had lived with a Rock Reference for a few years and due to life events ( moving / marriage etc ) had sold it on . The Orbe is a very good turntable BUT I expected walk in sound stage , depth , musicality , tonal accuracy and realism which exceeded the Rock Ref. It failed miserably in most respects in my view . Lesson learnt .
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Not sure I’d blame the orb entirely, if I’d ever bought one the SME V would be on this list.
 
Tim F said:
I'm always really suspicious of reviews. They all seem to be overwhelmingly positive so thought I'd ask the question. What did reviewers hype that you thought were rubbish? For my own views - Audio Analogue Bellini Donizetti were terrible.
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Oppo 205 If it as good as reviews indicate,why are there very expensive mods for this player that I found unlistenable and sold it off at a loss.
 
alanbeeb said:
I do not look at hifi mags nowadays, but I often find myself disagreeing with prevailing forum favourites and received forum wisdom, e.g.
Quad 57s.... Hated them, even though I'd loved 988s before.
Tannoy Turnberry SE - hated them.
Shahinian Obelisks - didn't hate them, just completely underwhelmed.
Stax headphones.... Don't get them at all.
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I agree re Quad 57s due to beaming effect
 
yeti42 said:
Nait 5.
I didn’t like the supernait either for the same reason but I’ve never owned that.
I’m not anti Naim as I own and like a couple of sets of the separates and speakers but that Nait had me concluding it was all a load of Jacksons, an opinion that lasted 6 years.
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Supernait 2 is excellent,ignore Hi-Fi News review.
 
I'm probably not allowed to say this on pfm, but... the Audiolab MDAC. Not my idea of hifi, and indeed music, at all. I can understand why it appeals to tech-heads but the whole cult here, and the support in the hifi press, just seems weird for a pretty average sounding product.

Other units owned briefly would include the original Musical Fidelity A1, Spendor SP2s and the SME 10/IV, which never sounded as good as it should, sadly.
 
Many years ago I was upgrading from a NAD 3020B, which I liked despite other comments on this thread, my auditioning had to include the much raved about 8000A and Delta 90.
Both were really dull and muffled the music to my ears, the Arcam being the worse of the two. The hunt ended with my first Claymore.
 
After buying a Voyd Valdi and Helius Orion I wanted to try an MC cartridge to hear what the fuss about MC's was about,so after reading the reviews and talking to the dealer who sold me the deck I went for an AT OC7.I soon went back to an AKG P8ES.
 
Mission speakers were all the rage in the 80s and I heard nothing I liked - thin sounding and dull. Cyrus amps did nothing either

Found the Audiolab 8000A very average too - but loved the drive of the 8000S (which outperformed an Exposure pre/power combo I had)

Linn Kabers dull

There was also a period (90s) when What Hifi loved every CD and amp produced by Marantz. Especially SE models. They were fine but nothing special.

One item I did buy based on a review only and was fabulous (but with age they become unreliable) was a Rotel RT 850AL tuner. Superb sound from a modest component
 
Audiolab 8000, nasty hard garbage.
Still got some white face Mission 770's, great speakers, minor hardness issue as described above but a favourite among 'normal sized' speakers...
Goldring 1042-bland, bland boring bland.
Any/speaker combos on demo at WA Brady in 1980, cat strangling in-yer-face Linn/Naim.
Biscuit tin Systemdek-crap.
 
Given the scepticism about reviewers - how about anyone who has bought something that bombed in reviews that turned out to be actually very good ?

Even with scepticism it makes it difficult to go near poorly reviewed items - the reviews at least sign post our interest in certain items wrongly or rightly.

So any examples ?
 
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