A Product that reviewed well but you thought was terrible

[powerav]

Got a pair of Q Accoustics 3020's and the Centre speaker 3090 just for the living room 2nd system so was after nothing to spectacular. All reviews on these are very positive and punch well above their weight but I found them to be terrible even for the price, had absolutely nothing at all to get even remotely excited about. A pair of bookshelves I made myself from Humble Hifi with Jaycar Response tweeter and mid woofer was miles better.

Sold them off with in 2 weeks.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

You need to know a few things about reviews:

 

* Reviewers are writers, not necessarily good listeners. I've met a few who wouldn't have a clue about good quality sound, but they can sure put some beautiful prose on the page. Equally, I've met one or two (a very tiny minority) who can not only convey very accurately the sound of a product, but do so logically and consistently. 

* Reviews are often tainted by allowing the advertising department to tell them what to say. 

* A reviewer can be bribed. You can never know his/her true intent. 

* A reviewer is human and, as such, has his/her own bias. That bias may not suit your listening preferences. 

 

By all means, READ reviews (let's face it: we all do love to read about stuff we can never hope to buy), but never buy, unless you can evaluate for yourself. 

Edited March 4, 2017 by Zaphod Beeblebrox

[Gruffnutz]

Linn LP-12

[PKay]

Pass Labs INT-150 integrated amplifier

http://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-labs-int-150-integrated-amplifier#KILBjTBmTK3rP0Sg.97

 

I couldn't listen to it for more than 10 minutes in my system.

 

 

[Guest Misterioso]

I had the Pass Labs XP-10/XP-20 on my shortlist when I was in the market for a preamp - until I saw their output impedance on balanced out. 1000 Ohms! I am still puzzled. Never made an effort to listen to them afterwards.

[powerav]

31 minutes ago, Zaphod Beeblebrox said:

* Reviews are often tainted by allowing the advertising department to tell them what to say. 

* A reviewer can be bribed. You can never know his/her true intent. 

Yes very true, even have to be careful on here as after all this a commercial site. Be careful of manufactures that don't mainstream advertise but rely on forum members to sing their praises that get the product for discount price in return.

[Luc]

1 hour ago, powerav said:

   but rely on forum members to sing their praises that get the product for discount price in return.

 

Can you name names here?

 

I'd like to get a good discount and I'm prepared to praise and praise and praise till the cows come in.

 

I await links to said manufacturers here at SNA and am looking forward to their products which I'm already feeling are just fantastic,possibly musical and of course agreeably priced

[michaelw]

3 hours ago, Zaphod Beeblebrox said:

You need to know a few things about reviews:

 

* Reviewers are writers, not necessarily good listeners. I've met a few who wouldn't have a clue about good quality sound, but they can sure put some beautiful prose on the page. Equally, I've met one or two (a very tiny minority) who can not only convey very accurately the sound of a product, but do so logically and consistently. 

* Reviews are often tainted by allowing the advertising department to tell them what to say. 

* A reviewer can be bribed. You can never know his/her true intent. 

* A reviewer is human and, as such, has his/her own bias. That bias may not suit your listening preferences. 

 

By all means, READ reviews (let's face it: we all do love to read about stuff we can never hope to buy), but never buy, unless you can evaluate for yourself. 

 

as an ex-reviewer ...

 

- i was a pretty good listener and could string a few words together...

- no way ! my editor always put editorial ahead of advertising. there was never any hint of "play nice with the advertiser".

- i don't know of any audio writer who has ever been bribed

- biases are usually noted

 

oh how i missed out on loads of payola 

 

some disappointments

- perreaux svx phono - made me want to listen to cd's - fellow reviewers thought it worse than my review, i'm still on the perreaux blacklist 

- ray charles amplifiers, oops roger charles, they sounded like ray designed them

- oppo's first bdp, the 83 - put me on the oppo fanbois hate list, haha

- didn't think much of the jeff rowland 201 class d mono amps but loved the cheaper stereo 102

- the plinius koru was nowhere near as good as the older jarrah or m14 phono stages it replaced.

- yamaha cds/as-2000 combo were nicely made but didn't offer $6k worth of sound

[GregWormald]

PBJ cables.

I loved them on first installation, then noticed a number of weeks later that I was listening less and at lower volumes.

I replaced them with the old cables and my listening increased again.

Now I only judge equipment after lengthy trials if at all possible.

 

Greg

[digitalhome]

Velodyne CHT-12Q. What an under-performing piece of boom crap that I put back in the box after letting it run in for a week. Gladly got a refund on that!

[Bunno77]

Very rare to hear any negative characteristic of a product in a review let alone a negative review.
Yep the 3020s are pretty crap but the concept range is quite good and the new floorstanders might be pretty good too.

I have liked most things given their price range aside from denon/marantz/yamaha/anthem avrs and anything devialet especially their phantoms. Did a side by side with Geneva speakers (and others) and the Geneva's where so much better though not as flexible.

Sent from my JAZZ using Tapatalk

[Boris Karlof]

Clearaudio Arum Beta The company bought the old Audio Technica MM dies mounted that pressed steel cheapness on a tiny chunk of wood and with the aid of some audio temple prostitutes woops!... SO sorry paid reviewers (because anyone calling this puke puddle decent was either delusional, insane or a paid prostitute sorry ,sorry reveiwer) 

Worst money I ever spent on a phono cartrdge stylus EVER! Overpriced underperforming puddle of puke. Thankfully the needle broke off and put it out of its own misery. Or perhaps the shame of sounding so bad for that outrageous amount of money caused it to spontaneously commit sepico.

And my sincerest apologies to all self respecting puke puddles everywhere for sullying your reputation.

[analog brother]

16 hours ago, Nap250 said:

Pass Labs INT-150 integrated amplifier

http://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-labs-int-150-integrated-amplifier#KILBjTBmTK3rP0Sg.97

 

I couldn't listen to it for more than 10 minutes in my system.

 

 

 

pass amps take at least 1 hr to warm up.....

[metal beat]

17 hours ago, Misterioso said:

I had the Pass Labs XP-10/XP-20 on my shortlist when I was in the market for a preamp - until I saw their output impedance on balanced out. 1000 Ohms! I am still puzzled. Never made an effort to listen to them afterwards.

 

Well you made a mistake there.  the XP-20 is an excellent sounding SS preamp.

 

don't ever read tube preamp and power amp specs - you may start convulsing. 

[Guest Misterioso]

1 hour ago, Metamatic said:

 

Well you made a mistake there.  the XP-20 is an excellent sounding SS preamp.

 

don't ever read tube preamp and power amp specs - you may start convulsing. 

Doubt I made a mistake. My active speakers both have an input impedance of 10K Ohms. The 47 Ohms output impedance of my preamp are certainly a better match for these speakers than the 1000 Ohms of the XP-20. And yes, my preamp (MuFi M8Pre) sounds excellent as well.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Misterioso
47 not 47K Ohms Zout

[Newman]

Shure V15V-MR. I blame myself. I think I was facing the wrong way on the prayer mat.

[Rob181]

...

Edited March 5, 2017 by Rob181

[Rob181]

10 minutes ago, Newman said:

Shure V15V-MR. I blame myself. I think I was facing the wrong way on the prayer mat.

 

If you were looking into a woman's eyes...you certainly were...

[andyr]

21 minutes ago, Misterioso said:

Doubt I made a mistake. My active speakers both have an input impedance of 10K Ohms. The 47K output impedance of my preamp are certainly a better match for these speakers than the 1000 Ohms of the XP-20. And yes, my preamp (MuFi M8Pre) sounds excellent as well.

 

Well, you may not have made a mistake then ... but I think you've made a mistake now! 

 

Active speakers with a Zin (input impedance) of 10K ohms.  Fairly normal - if a bit low.

 

But I doubt the Zout (output impedance) of your preamp is 47K ohms.  I suspect you misread and that is in fact its input impedance.  A typical Zout for a pre is 120 ohms - that would be a perfect match for 10K Zin power amps/active speakers.  If the Zout of your preamp is actually 4.7K ohms ... that's rather high but may still work.

 

Andy

 

[PKay]

2 hours ago, analog brother said:

 

pass amps take at least 1 hr to warm up.....

I left it on overnight as well. Perhaps it was that particular unit, after leaving it on overnight it still sounded dreadful so I packed it up and returned it that night.

[Guest Misterioso]

20 minutes ago, andyr said:

 

Well, you may not have made a mistake then ... but I think you've made a mistake now! 

 

Active speakers with a Zin (input impedance) of 10K ohms.  Fairly normal - if a bit low.

 

But I doubt the Zout (output impedance) of your preamp is 47K ohms.  I suspect you misread and that is in fact its input impedance.  A typical Zout for a pre is 120 ohms - that would be a perfect match for 10K Zin power amps/active speakers.  If the Zout of your preamp is actually 4.7K ohms ... that's rather high but may still work.

 

Andy

 

Thanks, Andy. Typo, it's 47 Ohms Zout (not 47K). I will correct my original post.

[andyr]

4 hours ago, Misterioso said:

Thanks, Andy. Typo, it's 47 Ohms Zout (not 47K). I will correct my original post.

 

Then, as you say, " The 47 Ohms output impedance of my preamp is certainly a better match for these speakers than the 1000 Ohms of the XP-20. ". 

 

Preamps with 1K Zout are typically matched with tube power amps - which AIUI  typically have a 100K Zin.

 

Andy

[Pim]

When my brother turned 50, his wife asked me to put together a Sonos system and (as he's hopeless) install it. Very easy to install but it sounded like crap. I wouldn't even want it in my garage. I would have thought for the 2500 Euro spent it would have at least sounded half decent.

[crisis]

On 3/4/2017 at 3:23 PM, powerav said:

Got a pair of Q Accoustics 3020's and the Centre speaker 3090 just for the living room 2nd system so was after nothing to spectacular. All reviews on these are very positive and punch well above their weight but I found them to be terrible even for the price, had absolutely nothing at all to get even remotely excited about.

Yep. Q Acoustics Concept 40s. While I was researching these definitely caught my eye with glowing reviews. I fortunately listened to them at a dealer and could not understand the fuss. I have come to suspect that my preferences may not exactly line up with those of What HiFi magazine. The speakers I ordered, Monitor Audio Silver 8s, and their smaller brothers the Silver 6s got quite indifferent reviews. Similarly the electronics I listened to and subsequently ordered  being Primare I32 was roundly dismissed. I have pretty much marked them off my list as far as using their reviews for guidance.

[Guest Eggcup The Daft]

On 04/03/2017 at 5:46 PM, Zaphod Beeblebrox said:

You need to know a few things about reviews:

 

* Reviewers are writers, not necessarily good listeners. I've met a few who wouldn't have a clue about good quality sound, but they can sure put some beautiful prose on the page. Equally, I've met one or two (a very tiny minority) who can not only convey very accurately the sound of a product, but do so logically and consistently. 

* Reviews are often tainted by allowing the advertising department to tell them what to say. 

* A reviewer can be bribed. You can never know his/her true intent. 

* A reviewer is human and, as such, has his/her own bias. That bias may not suit your listening preferences. 

 

By all means, READ reviews (let's face it: we all do love to read about stuff we can never hope to buy), but never buy, unless you can evaluate for yourself. 

In the UK, reviewers have in the past outed themselves and others as also working as product testers. Since we don't know who for, we can never be sure if they are reviewing a product they also had a role in the design of.