It's October I want to hear horror stories about equipment.

I once bought a $5000 amplifier [the brand will remain nameless] that blew up (smoked) when I turned it on the first time. Luckily the warranty covered the repairs.

I also had an amp that (when I first hooked it up) osilated, and it ended up blowin some of the drivers on my right channel.

Anyway, after both incidents, I was pretty upset. These are the risks you run when you buy used gear. Luckily the above two incidents only cost me about $200 total for shipping and repairs.

Peace.

Keith

How about a horror story with a happy ending? I purchased a used Music Reference RM5 III preamp through an online auction. Corresponding before bidding, the owner was well spoken and articulate, offering no overt reason to be wary. When the pre arrived, it was DOA, only a slight line level signal squeaking through. Off it went to Music Reference, where Roger Modjeski quickly repaired an open circuit in the transformer. It comes back, makes glorious music for about two weeks and then goes dead again! I was very frustrated at this point, needless to say. Back it goes again, only to arrive at Roger's shop alive and well. Roger has to play it several day to get it to act up again. When it did, he discovered there was another intermittent open circuit deeper in the windings of the dual voltage stock transformer. He replaced the part with a new single voltage unit, and then shipped it back to me at no charge. I wasn't upset with Roger, as these things do occasionally happen with electronics. All's well now, it's been trouble free, and Music Reference has a loyal customer in the future.

I bought someone else's horror story once. A pair of Thiel CS3.0's a while ago. Bought 'em for $300. Seems the wife was not happy when she discovered how much hubby had paid, and took a small axe to the side of one speaker. In my room I was able to place these so the damage was not visible. I actually sold them for $500! The new owner was happy, he got great speakers with a history to tell! Be careful guys, you never know what honey might do whilst you are sleeping!

Paul

Worst product design...Sylvania receiver (circa late 1972). My dad worked for them, and higher power receivers (50 wpc) were starting to be introduced due to transistor cicuitry. Employee discounts were HUGE, I was a freshman at U. Miami (Fla.) and I wanted to rock the dorm! When the FM multiplex IC went bad, a buddy and I replaced it. Disassembly proceedure: remove several mounting screws from both front and back panels, disconnect and remove the front (control) and back (input/output rca jacks) panels connected via MUTIPLE JUMPER CABLES, remove the power transformer WHICH WAS BOLTED DIRECTLY TO THE WOOD CABINET (I kid you not!...more jumper cables!) Slide the circuit board (only one HUGE flimsy board...no sub boards) out of either end of the now hollow (open ended) wood cabinet! This board was also not mounted on any kind of metal chasis! Disassemble/reassemble time 1 hour plus! And this from a company that built electronics for the defense industry!

Many moons ago, I sold Bang & Olufsen gear. A week after a
client purchased a $1200 cassette deck (1982 dollars!),
he returned, deck in hand, wearing one of the more pitiful, pained expressions I've witnessed. Alarmed at such high-end piece coming back in the door, I instantly asked why.
He simply placed the unit on the counter, and pushed the eject button. The lid very slowly opened and oozed out a
gooey pudding like substance. He then mumbled painfully that his 3 year old son managed to compact an entire
Chiquita banana into the transport. B & O's repair estimate, "A bunch". Danish humor I guess.

Lots of cool looking tube gear these days that looks like it could have come from Frankenstein's lab.

There is even an amp called 'Frankenstein".

OOOh..scary stuff!!

Here you go.
2 days ago was my bad and terrible day with so much of
bad and terrible luck. Turned TV on hoping to find mental
retreat, but all I saw is police, shooting, war here war
there, bombs, terrorists also Kardashians and other
stupid bullshit.
So I took my 11" hunting blade and stuck it all the
way through onto the 46" LG TV and watched BBQ
instead. The lighting like lines had been seen on the
screen. Pretty entertaining with some smoke too. Don't
try that at home if you prone to panic.

Congratulations - you joined those wars.
No-one hunts with 11" blade, by the way, except Rambo.

Mapman - I think you may have set the record for reviving this 14 year old thread. Congrats.

It's a dirty job but.......

My entire system blew up .

EBM has Magicos I think. If they blew up, that IS a horror story!