Ugliest Component of the Year 2024!

Wadax components get great reviews, cost a fortune, and look like a cheap boom box.  https://wadax.eu/reference/

Plus 1000 @otherworld74 

Until you see the back panel!!!

Let's not forget this weird banana thing from Vivid:  https://vividaudio.com/giya/giya-g1-spirit/

IMHO, a lot of companies take pride in their work without threatening reviewers, and testers with litigation, like Tekton, DCS and Tom Evan’s did.

When I read the copy on these speakers I double checked to see that I was not on The Onion.

https://www.yankodesign.com/2009/10/26/sounds-from-behind/

DeKay

I'll throw klipschorn and other giant boxes by them in the mix.  Don't like how they sound either which makes it worse for me.

And yea the rant on ASR was not a good moment for Tekton.  To be fair I didn't think their base model Lore was that bad measurement wise.  Go check the stereophile article on the impact monitors if you want to see the response of the seven tweeter array.  I have a +/-3 DB response from 20 hz to 20 khz with minimal room EQ from the listening position.  I also have a fully treated space and two rhythmik F12s working sub 80 hz.  Speaker designers are human too and he clearly takes pride in his products to light Amir up like that lol

@barts 

"So it goes."

DeKay,

Holy s**t, that is a real looker, although what looks like a port when the thing is closed is really going too far.  I recall people talking about putting toilet paper over the tweeter on Klipsch Heresy speakers; toilet paper stuffed in that port would really be too much to even think about.

https://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2009/10/25/asspeaker03.jpg

DeKay

LEDs tend to increase noise to the power supply circuit.  Perhaps, that improves the sound of some gear where noise is preferable to what the amp puts out.

Anything that uses LEDs to light up the tubes is ridiculous in my book. 
 

And going back to the original topic, Ugliest Component of the Year® is a vigorously defended trademark of Wilson Audio 😂😂🤣

As far as Tekton, unfortunately I’ll never unhear the cretinous fight they took to ASR, in which they successfully demonstrated that the speakers ASR trashed in a review were in fact trash, but not for the reasons ASR said. They lost their credibility and gained nothing. Why anyone would think that the self-infliction of a PR disaster is good business is incomprehensible.

I have more generous thoughts towards Chord's looks, they just remind me of those toys that are supposed to make toddlers smarter.

Although to be fair, some of their better products look quite good. 

Shoot me, but I like the McIntosh designs. A bit retro, which I like. Come on, who here wouldn’t want a big honkin’ Sansui or Marantz receiver in their rack, even if it was just for show? I have a C220 preamp, and love the LED lit front panel. It sits on the top of my rack.

Frankly, I think the Chord designs look like R2D2 vomited out his lunch. I tend dislike asymmetrical designs.

Great topic! I think that the beauty is in the sound, so give me a big ugly, if it sounds great, the appearance will be more acceptable, 

I actually painted my transformers on my monoblocks Islanders colors. They still sound awesome!

A lot of pent up humor released on me all at once.  it’s too much.  I’ll have to be a cheerful old F all day.

Love this humorous thread! Great stuff posted! 

OMG,, @lalitk , those look like the server room at your locale telecom company have a fungal infection.

https://wolfvonlanga.de/wvl-loudspeakers/wolf-von-langa-33221-berlin

How did anyone sign off these as "ok, they will love it".  WTF are they.

The Washington Post did an article where a non-audiophile reporter went to a local high end shop.  The reporter described the Avantegarde speakers as looking like an air raid siren from a Tex Avery cartoon.  I thought that was a terrific description, albeit one that younger readers might not understand.

+1 @lubachl 

As any good Tralfamadorian would say

"The universe exists as a random and senseless place."

Regards,

barts

I could never buy an exposed horn speaker like the one lubachi has shown, or Avantegarde no matter how they sound.  For a positive comment, those Vitus amplication products from Denmark have me drooling for an upgrade.  Just gorgeous.

That's the new McIntosh Microwave; they are entering the appliance market. The design works well if you keep your audio equipment in the kitchen.

Agreed, Lalitk, The Frankenstein look of the MCD85 is, IMO, unbeatable in this little contest of yours.

It is (obviously?) a reference to the MC2100, which I owned for some years, but never appreciated for beauty. It sat on a bottom shelf, largely in the shadows of a dark listening room, and nobody ever approached it to "get a closer look".

Geez. Those are just horrible. 

From the planet Tralfamador:

@bassbuyer 

I am digging your sense of humor and take on Tekton’s. And I agree, horns belongs in a nice wood cabinet with one exception. Check out WVL 33221 Berlin. If I have the room with high ceilings, I wouldn’t mind these bad boys. 

https://wolfvonlanga.de/wvl-loudspeakers/wolf-von-langa-33221-berlin

I dislike any gear that so departs from what you can fit into your equipment rack. I'm considering a Mola Mola DAC. To me it fits the ugly description

Is it to early to blame this hideous looking thing on Bose?

@gemoody hear hear well said 👏

I would add Legacy speakers as well to this list, to me they look Frankensteins born of a DIYer with too much money and zero aesthetic sensibilities.

Those Tekton speakers look like Tekton speakers - love 'em or loathe 'em, that's their vibe.

While I'm not a McIntosh fanboy, their aesthetic is their brand.

When you start making what look like cheap knock-offs of your own products, you're in trouble. 

@gemoody +1 Hifi-Mac: The worst combination of ostentatious and ugly. I have yet to see a Mac product I could bring myself putting in my home. Maybe Bose will rectify that?

Almost the entire Macintosh line, to me, has the design sensibility of a flying mallet.

@mesonto COMPLETELY agree. Would only add everything from Wilson Audio!

Great list so far.  Mc is definitely not for everyone.  If it has those blue meters I could go for it.  Glowing green tubes just add to the fun.  My question with Tekton is, when do they know they’ve added enough drivers?  When they reach the top of the step stool?  My add would be any equipment with giant horns visible. (Tried adding a picture or link without success).  Honkin’ on Bobo indeed.  I love the spinning sound of a Leslie but the horns are usually placed in a beautiful wood cabinet.  

   

It doubles as a 6 slice toaster. I gotta get one.

Tekton dude, Eric, clearly doesn't want to do gloss paint lol.  As a businessperson, probably one of those things where it's like "if they want it, they'll pay for it otherwise I can just do the part I like doing"

I own the double impacts and impact monitors and I love how they sound.  Not extremely gorgeous but they honestly look much nicer in person.  My friend has the moabs.  They are a bit more to take in but I wouldn't say I hate them by any means with the ceramic and beryllium drivers.  I understand if you're able to fork out 10's of thousands to get insane sound and gorgeous cabinets.  I can only afford one of the two.  And I prefer insane sound over gorgeous cabinets

OMA

Tekton V12: $14K. Add $10K for high-gloss paint - seriously?

Anything from Wilson Audio. 

Yes beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I’m in process of trying out some new gear. Looks, size and cost all count in addition to sound quality of course.

At one extreme I was strongly considering an Accuphase integrated amp. Lovely! Also fairly big and pricey.

I ended up choosing a plain Jane Schit pre-amp and a fairly non-descript looking new GanFet Class D amp that delivers a lot for the $$$ and in a very small package! Beautiful. I’d call the gear utilitarian looking perhaps but not ugly. Something to be said for plain and simple. But that Accuphase…..

Tekton:    No thanks.  To each their own 

I have a set of tekton 1812 and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.it is designed after the v 12 engine so for car guys in the man cave it fits in.there are some famous people that own these i won't mention names but are in rock bands and develop audio equipment.i agree they don't look as pretty as my focal utopia or kharma but they sound great.they cost 30 times less.im sure I'll catch some criticism  on this.like a fool and his money ha ha.stay healthy and enjoy the music.i also like my mcintosh 12000 cd bet it was alot more expensive than the one discussed. Alot of companies have low level components for entry level up to high end .focal and oothersmcintosh just released the all in one amp streamer.interesting to see what bose does

@lalitk Good topic...we should call out the bad and ugly as well as the good.

@oldrooney I owned an EHF-200. They are not pretty up close. The whole space/mil build thing is just marketing and the sound is meh and the "transferrable lifetime warranty" is BS. The unit has to go back to Roger to be "re-certified for $500-$750 + 2 way shipping."

It’s just a ploy to make your buyer contact Roger and then he’ll sell one of his "used/demo" units at less than your asking price and way less hassle.

I traded mine in at TMR (bless them for taking it off my hands) and the transformer was barley attached with a bolt that was too short - they fixed it for resale and had to take the unit apart to do so.

@macg19 I don’t know, I kind of like the red powder coat, features, construction, and warranty of the Rogers products; although I will admit that the layout of some of the units is a bit of a head-scratcher. Tubes are open, but the transformers are caged? Must be the way they do it in outer space. Had never heard of the company before.

@otherworld74 I think you’ve definitely got a winner there. You’ve got my vote on the entries thus far. 

Wadax are reported to sound amazing - state of the art. It just doesn’t do it for me.

@otherworld74 I'm not as offended by Wadax - seems like at least there is a method to the madness

@fredapplegate Nice one!

In a McIntosh component system including their speakers, this CD player will fit right in and may not be the ugliest unit in the system even with the lights off.

Is that a Ken doll record player?