The one component that you wish you had not bought

.... I even asked for help on the Von Schweikert Audio Circle and all the fanboys crucified me.....

funny.... :-)  

There are several! Mesa Boogie Power Amp. Super high gain and very gritty sound for tubes . Cheap painted on finish. Anything Mark Levinson except 37 Transport. All other ML sounds small and sterile to me. Wilson Watt/Puppys. Too bright and no bass at all. Eggleston Andras ditto. Any silver interconnect - all sound tizzy, even the expensive ones. Analysis Plus Crystal Oval IC - veiled and murky sounding to me. I don't care what lab results say-my ears say differently. Had hundreds of components as a dealer, most are good but these are the clunkers for me.

Wadia WT2000 transport.  It randomly wouldn't read CDs.  Sounded great when it worked but it was God awful expensive and temperamental.

Fritz Carbon 7 monitors.   This will really stir it up, Bob Marley style, but the stock version is just not very good.  I'm prepared for crusifixtion but the stock version at moderate or high volumes is strident, hard, unpalatable to even a marginally savvy acoustically sensitive ear.   This is not what quality audio is supposed to sound like, of course in MY opinion.  In read all the reviews, swallowed the talk, really looked forward to their arrival, and even Mrs. Boss said, 'you bought them why?'  Average cabinet construction, simple little silicone caulk glued in X-over, basic speaker cable terminals, all in all a very unimpressive package. Sonically they lasted about a week.   The good news? Good drivers; Scanspeak.  Had a pro speaker designer construct some decent crossovers, added some damping and they now sound good. But the stock product? Fuggetaboutit!