You listen to a system, including the room and its acoustics, not individual components.
It’s always possible a particular unit is defective and that should be ruled out first, but when things sound really bad most often it is because the components in the system are not good matches. SAme components in a different combo elsewhere could be the bees knees.
The most disappointing system I ever heard was a 6 digit setup at Sound By Singer in NYC a few years back. The speakers were large Peak Consult and the amp Luxman. Other systems in there sounded very good. I suspect something was defective in that setup but if so the sales guy did not seem to notice.
It’s always possible a particular unit is defective and that should be ruled out first, but when things sound really bad most often it is because the components in the system are not good matches. SAme components in a different combo elsewhere could be the bees knees.
The most disappointing system I ever heard was a 6 digit setup at Sound By Singer in NYC a few years back. The speakers were large Peak Consult and the amp Luxman. Other systems in there sounded very good. I suspect something was defective in that setup but if so the sales guy did not seem to notice.